| Author | Message | ||
| Jlondon81 Registered user Username: Jlondon81 Post Number: 14 Registered: 6-2004 |
It's been a month or so since the RCC installed Joseph Ratzinger as the new pope, Benedict XVI. Now according to official SDA doctrine, the pope is the Antichrist, and now we know that SDA was wrong again in placing this label on John Paul II. So now the label would effectively be placed on Benedict XVI, should EGW doctrine hold true in SDA circles. Has the SDA released an official position on him, in publications, tracks, etc? Some news from the war front: I am down to about 60 days left of my deployment in Iraq. The unit is sending a group of 25 to a forward operating base north of our camp site to build three huge K-span warehouses for the Army, and I'm along for the ride. We are convoying up there next week I believe. I'm not to thrilled about the convoy idea, but the work there will be good. Definitely a change of pace from here. I should be there through just about the end of our time here; hopefully being busy with this will make the time go by fast. My wife and kids are doing well at home. We have some new neighbors that moved in recently. Both are young couples, one just starting out in the military. Our new neighbors across from us my wife says were both SDA and just recently left the church. Our other neighbors' wife also recently left SDA. It's kinda exciting to hear this news too; my wife is helping them with the transition to grace =). 'm anxious and eager to get home. My son is growing up so fast, my daughter too. CJ wanted his Mommy to go grab the moon last night, LOL, and Hannah just started walking a couple weeks ago. Praise God! They'll look huge to me when I get home. Anyways, I wanted to know about my question. My wife is curious too. God bless you all! Joel | ||
| Belvalew Registered user Username: Belvalew Post Number: 471 Registered: 7-2004 |
Joel, you remain in my prayers, you and all the people like you who are putting your lives on the line every day as you assist a nation in its struggle to become strong and healthy. I hope you can sense the strength of prayer surrounding you, and your family here in the US, every day. As for your question regarding the new pope, I can only tell you that every pope who has sat in the Vatican has been declared the anti-Christ by the SDA church. When you stop to think about it, the basic structure of SDA and RCC salvation theory, whether or not mankind will have to "work" to become righteous, is so similar that it becomes the pot calling the kettle black. I cannot really address your question, though, because I no longer have any contact with practicing SDAs. Belva | ||
| Patriar Registered user Username: Patriar Post Number: 12 Registered: 3-2005 |
Hi Joel: I'm fairly new to the forum, but wanted to thank you for serving our country. My husband served time in Kuwait last year. We also have two children and I know how hard it is to be apart from each other. I have tears in my eyes even now, a full year later. Thank God that He sustains us AND He fills in the gaps for our children and our marriages. What additional blessings for your wife to know grace rather than legalism during this time; and for your new neighbors to be former Adventists. I doubt that's coincidence! I pray for your continued safety and that the rest of your stay will go by quickly. patriar | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2020 Registered: 12-2003  |
Joel, I don't know of any particular label the SDA church has put on Benedict specifically. The church's position, basically, is that the "papacy" is the anti-christ power. By labeling the office instead of the men, they don't have to be responsible for judging any one pope's character. As I understand it, eventually the "papcy" will function as the anti-christ. Until that eventual time, they see the papacy as dangersous, arrogant, and just plain wrong. They see it as the power that "seeks to change times and laws" (thus "changing" the Sabbath to Sunday in the 4th century)--the seat of Satanic deception from which the last-day antichrist will arise. It's possible I've got some details about the SDA view wrong--I'll admit it's been years since I've read anything about it in The Great Controversy. This is how I remember understanding it. Joel, I'm praying for your safe return to your family! Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1551 Registered: 3-2004  |
Joel, I THANK YOU for your service to our country. I pray for all service men and women every day. I truly do apprecieate them. I will also pray for your wife as she helps these formers learn about the grace of God and that all they need is Jesus. I, also, pray for your safe return to your family. We have an awesome God. Diana | ||
| Drpatti Registered user Username: Drpatti Post Number: 41 Registered: 4-2005 |
Joel! So good to hear from you! I did not know you were in Iraq! I will certainly remember you and your family in my prayers. I don't know how the SDAs feel about the new pope. I am sure they are wringing their hands in consternation over something. However, I am disappointed in the selection. I had another candidate in mind. I think Bacchiocchi would make a great pope! He is already great at pontificating! He is educated at the Pontifical University. And his beliefs are not so very different from the RCC. What do you think? Patti PS PLEASE take care of yourself! | ||
| Bob Registered user Username: Bob Post Number: 265 Registered: 7-2000  |
Bacchiochi could be the SECOND SDA pope - Ellen White being the first, of course! | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 329 Registered: 3-2005 |
Joel, My prayers are with you, and thank you so much for your service! Bob, You are right about the two popes of Adventism Stan | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2024 Registered: 12-2003 |
So funny, Bob--and so true! Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1556 Registered: 3-2004 |
Bob, I sat here and laughed when I read about the 2 SDA Popes. Thank God We do not have to worry about that any more. Diana | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 690 Registered: 10-2004  |
Also, Doug Batchelor seems to be very Pope-like within Adventism. Has anyone else thought it strange that SDA President Jan Paulsen's name is basically the same as the late Pope's? ("Jan Paulsen" = "John Paul II" ?) Jeremy | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 1816 Registered: 11-2002 |
Last night on EWTN I was watching a program called Coming Home. The lady who was the guest had been raised historic SDA and has converted to Catholic. The host of the program mentioned in reference to EGW that is seems that every church has its pope. It struck me as an off-centered kind of humor coming from a Catholic talk show host on the Catholic tv network. Anyway, it is the SDA position that "the pope" and I think by extesion the SDA includes the entire Catholic church in this and the really radical SDA's even extend this out to include all nuns, peiests, brothers, orders or these and orders of those within the catholic faith and the really super extreme SDA's even include the lay Catholics in this defination that "they" are the beast. That is why numerous SDA's make such an extreme effort to convert Catholics to SDA. In the Hispanic neighborhoods here in So. Cal. it just seems to me the SDA outreach towards Catholics is much more intense than it is in the non-Hispanic neighborhoods. I am in my mid-50's. I can remember hearing sermons from the front of the church on Saturday mornings as a kid about the evil Catholic church and what it was to do to torture the unsuspecting and ever faithful SDA's in the last days for being the only ones on earth true to the 10 commandments, especially the 4th. I hated listening to that trash talk as a child. I remember thinking about all my Sabbath-keeping loved ones who were not SDA and thinking it didn't make sense that the SDA's referred to themselves as the only Sabbath-keepers. I remember being totally blown away when I found out that EGW's initials add up to 666. That did it for me. I have pointed that out to numerous SDA's. There reply is always the same. That it is the number of a man and egw was a woman so it can't be her. I just tell them it means human and the word man is used and there are no coincindences with God and her initials addin up to 666 lets me know to avoid being sucked into the SDA snare. i also point out that the Bible says a person and the Roman numerals on the popes headpiece represent a tital. Big difference to me. Then I tell my SDA loved ones to go say 10 hail ellen's and get over with it. Yeah, it can come across as a bit rude. However, the sda's closest to me are extremely rude when they get to stressing that this person or that person grew up in the truth and have turned away from it, implying that to denounce SDA'ism is to denounce eternal life with Jesus. Yes, I can immagine the SDA's are a tad bit leary about Pope Benedict the 16th. They get the heebee-jeebees every time there is a new pope or the pope makes any announcement of any sort, even if the pope mentions thaat Christians should respect the sancity of life. The SDA's are very pope paroiniod. It's really very sad. They teach the Catholic Church is the anti-Christ. Yet, they don't even teach in the total forgiveness of sins by Christ which is the basic Christian teaching. The IJ teaching goes totally against the teaching of total forgiveness. Again, it is sad. I think in my generation there are many of us who as children were afriad that the Catholics would come hunt us down because we and we only had all truth, which ment the truth of the Sabbath. At age 11 and in the 5th grade I decided I did not want to be part of my parents religion when I grew up. I knew I wanted to be a Christian. The part where I messed us was in thinking that when I heard all tjose sermons about the freedom of religion I intetrperted that to mean that whatever religion I wanted to be when I grew up whopuld be totally embrased by the SDA's. NOT! I totally misunderstood what SDA's mean when they use the term 'freedom of religion'. BTW, is it true that United for Seperation of Church and State, The SDA organization and the ACLU are very closely working together? Any sources to verify this? |
