| Author | Message | ||
| Berit Registered user Username: Berit Post Number: 11 Registered: 7-2007 |
Yesterday I visited a methodist church and to my surprise there were two sda's there! One german and one american who is working at the independet ministry in my neighbour village. This german likes to visit other churches, to get to know people and probably witness, and this american has to come along and translate for him into norwegian. After the service we talked a bit and I asked if they had visited many churches and how their experiences had been. They told me about a non-denominational church which they liked the best. "It has many young families", the american guy said. "Yes, it was very nice there, very much like our church", continued the german man. To this I could not help myself, and replied: "but not the same theology, I hope", with a smile and a laugh:-) But I guess I was the one who thought this was the most funny... Afterwards I thought about how irronically the situation was. Me, a former sda, meeting two fullblood sdas on "mission" at another church and they reccomended me a good church to visit! | ||
| Mwh Registered user Username: Mwh Post Number: 682 Registered: 4-2006  |
Interesting, I know that the SDA's in Aarhus frequently visits other churches in the city. Their teaching especially about the afterdeath are really getting popular. Also the try to hook people with the Sabbath lie. In His awesome grace, Martin | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 4143 Registered: 3-2004  |
Berit, I smiled and laughed to myself when I read your post. Let us know what the church they recommended is like. Did you tell them anything about yourself? Diana | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 6538 Registered: 12-2003  |
How funny, Berit! I'm also wondering if you told them anything about your own church history? If so, what did they say? Colleen | ||
| Berit Registered user Username: Berit Post Number: 12 Registered: 7-2007 |
Yes, I have shared with the german man that I left adventism when I came to understand about the covenants. The american probably knew about me since I used to belong to his church before we moved away (and now back again after 2 years). My old sda church acctually had an extra meeting when I sent out my testimony letter to my friends there where I explained why I had left adventism. They were so concerned of me, one lady told me. Sure, I had been in their church board for about 7 years before I moved away. The pastor wrote me a letter and ment my exit was a result of not understanding the teachings properly and that I have been in very concervative circles. My pastor in Austria wrote similar things to me, but not very well formulated, said I had been living a very extreme christian life and had misunderstood the message. This upset and hurt me so much, I can't dercribe! First I live and believe what the church teaches, including EGW, and afterward they tell me I did it wrong!!! Besides they give me other explanations for my exodus than the one I gave, namely that I don't believe in what they teach anymore. It seemed like nobody is able to comprehend that... SOme months ago there was a poster in the sda church advertising for a seminar about "how to understand the covenants". It made me so tired, angry and sad. I have seen it over and over again, EACH time some adventist go against some of the teachings like 1844 and EGW, it's ALWAYS results in a seminar arranged by the church to "clear out the matter" for the poor lay people... It's like they say: "some people say..., but we tell you....is how to understand it." It makes me sick, and andventists believe they have freedom of how to believe, no way. Not WITHIN the church! I used to love the church, it was my life and identity, but now I feel it is SO GOOD to be out of it! On my search for a new church home I sometimes have felt a little poor not having a spiritual home anymore. But when I met these adventists at the methodist church on Sunday I acctually felt rich! I though I have LEFT what made me poor and FOUD what makes me rich - the gospel about JESUS! | ||
| Mwh Registered user Username: Mwh Post Number: 684 Registered: 4-2006 |
Berit, so good to read your last words and have them ringing in my ears :-) In Jesus, Martin | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 6551 Registered: 12-2003 |
Dear Berit, I completely understand your deep frustration. I also feel weary and angry when people say we "didn't really understand" Adventism or we wouldn't have left. Excuse me??? I believe I understood Adventism better than the average, barely-observant cultural Adventist who claims to disregard EGW and barely acknowledges the Sabbath. Oh, I understood Adventism, all right! It had no internal integrity, and it did not square with the Bible. The cognitive dissonance of those who remain and the confusion and frustration of those who begin to leave are the evidences of how wrong Adventism is. Truth never confuses. It convicts, and it may even trigger denial in those who wish "not to know"—but it never confuses. Evil confuses. Berit, I am praying for you to find a church, and I'm praying for your husband. But I rejoijce with you in the resolution and freedom you have already found by walking out of the compromise. Jesus will complete what He has begun in you! Colleen | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 1285 Registered: 9-2006  |
Guess you just flunked Basic Adventism 101 Colleen. Maybe the ones that say you don't understand it could give you a test. River | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 1212 Registered: 4-2000  |
Berit, It is very common for Adventists to tell you that the reason you left is simply because you never really understood Adventism in the first place. What an insult to our intelligence! Some will even go so far as to say, "If I had understood Adventism in the way that you describe it, I would have left as well." There is no end to their argumentation and alibis. People generally oppose what they don't understand. It is so good to see you on the side of biblical truth. Dennis Fischer | ||
| Jrossb Registered user Username: Jrossb Post Number: 5 Registered: 5-2007 |
Berit - Christian greetings. Yes it is the same tired same'ole same 'ole approach that has been used forever. Essentially the religious opposition really does not know what you have found out in your studies and your closer relationship and because it is at varience with their cultivated understanding it is automatically incorrect. I was quite happy to find that Adventism, when put under the microscope, did not stack up. Essentially discovering God's scriptural gospel was and continues to be a much better genuine replacement for lil' ol' sinful me so I could have and can continually have the uttermost confidence in what Jesus has done for me. Thankfully I was shown and discovered the gospel IN SPITE OF Adventism. As I associate with others of like understanding I learn more about God, about others, and about myself. As Dennis said in his post "people generally oppose what they don't understand" [especially if they don't want to understand it]. I moved out of Adventism some 26+ years ago having come up against the "same old chesnuts that had been dogging them since their foundation". Interestingly I was told that I had a profound misunderstanding as well. Interestingly not one church member enquired to me personally to see what "my problem" was. One local church elder , talking to my wife as she revisited some 10 years later indicated that he would be able to "straighten me out after about a half hour solid discussion". (We are still waiting). One thing that religious and political organizations and individuals hate (even moreso than sin, is not knowing what they are up against as to how well informed their opposition is. I refer back to Colleens post concerning our (mis?) understanding of Adventism re the confusion and frustration. Let us keep the faith, help each other, and help others who do not know Him yet. God Bless JRossB | ||
| Jrossb Registered user Username: Jrossb Post Number: 6 Registered: 5-2007 |
Berit - Christian greetings. Yes it is the same tired same'ole same 'ole approach that has been used forever. Essentially the religious opposition really does not know what you have found out in your studies and your closer relationship and because it is at varience with their cultivated understanding it is automatically incorrect. I was quite happy to find that Adventism, when put under the microscope, did not stack up. Essentially discovering God's scriptural gospel was and continues to be a much better genuine replacement for lil' ol' sinful me so I could have and can continually have the uttermost confidence in what Jesus has done for me. Thankfully I was shown and discovered the gospel IN SPITE OF Adventism. As I associate with others of like understanding I learn more about God, about others, and about myself. As Dennis said in his post "people generally oppose what they don't understand" [especially if they don't want to understand it]. I moved out of Adventism some 26+ years ago having come up against the "same old chesnuts that had been dogging them since their foundation". Interestingly I was told that I had a profound misunderstanding as well. Interestingly not one church member enquired to me personally to see what "my problem" was. One local church elder , talking to my wife as she revisited some 10 years later indicated that he would be able to "straighten me out after about a half hour solid discussion". (We are still waiting). One thing that religious and political organizations and individuals hate (even moreso than sin, is not knowing what they are up against as to how well informed their opposition is. I refer back to Colleens post concerning our (mis?) understanding of Adventism re the confusion and frustration. Let us keep the faith, help each other, and help others who do not know Him yet. God Bless JRossB |
