| Author | Message | ||
| Indy4now Registered user Username: Indy4now Post Number: 768 Registered: 2-2008  |
This has been bugging me for a while... I drive past the sda school everyday when I go back and forth to work. They have a sign out front that reads, "EDUCATING MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT". I thought that the adventist defines "spirit" as a "breath" or some sort of "spark" that returns to God when you die. Is that true? If that's true... then what's the point of educating "breath" or a "spark"? My husband thinks it has to do with educating about the Spirit of Prophecy. To me it's another way they use words to deceive people about what they really do believe. My SIL is the school board director... I'll have to ask her what they mean by "spirit." Can someone refresh my memory of what adventists believe about a person's spirit? vivian p.s. btw, "hello everyone!!" | ||
| Hec Registered user Username: Hec Post Number: 925 Registered: 3-2009 |
If I don't recall wrongly, spirit is the part of the mind/brain that communicates with God as opposed to the intellect which would be the mind. Body = physical Mind = intellectual spirit = religious Hec | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 3183 Registered: 10-2004  |
Or perhaps, as Ellen White called them, "the spiritual organs" of the brain, or the "moral organs/powers." However, she made it clear that she was only talking about the physical brain and not an actual spirit. She wrote:
They teach materialism, pure and simple. It's no different than the atheist view of man. So you're right, Vivian, it's just more deception! Jeremy (Message edited by Jeremy on March 12, 2010) | ||
| Jrt Registered user Username: Jrt Post Number: 1016 Registered: 10-2008 |
Hi Vivian, Great to see you! Good question. I see Jeremy answered the Adventist view of spirit as defined by EGW - which would have been my understanding. Keri | ||
| Philharris Registered user Username: Philharris Post Number: 2040 Registered: 5-2007  |
This is an important topic: The expression; "EDUCATING MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT" seems to be central to next quarters Quarterly which is titled; 'Health and Healing'. So, it would be good to explore what SDA theologains mean by this expression and compair this to what the Bible really teaches concerning the nature of mankind. From what I see in Scripture, the natural man has a soul which separates him from the animal world, a physical body which decays and will die because of sin and a spirit which is already dead because of sin. Only a regenerated person, by the blood of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit has a living spirit. So, let us develop our understanding here with Scripture and post what we learn. Fearless Phil | ||
| Indy4now Registered user Username: Indy4now Post Number: 769 Registered: 2-2008 |
I guess it would be more accurate to say "Educating the Body, Mind and Mind"! So when Jesus yielded up His Spirit and Stephen gave up his, egw would have said this was their "brain nerves" or "spiritual organs" that they were giving up? vivian | ||
| Indy4now Registered user Username: Indy4now Post Number: 770 Registered: 2-2008 |
I like Watchman Nee's explanation of the spirit, soul, and body in his book called "Release of the Spirit." p. 14,15.
vivian | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 11045 Registered: 12-2003  |
I have been quite annoyed by the oft-spouted "Mind, body, spirit" emphasis at LLUMC. They believe the human spirit is "breath", but they're all about "spiritual". They LOVE emphasizing their unique focus on "spirit" with the patients at LLUM. It seems to me that what they mean when they say this is more like "emotions" than what Christians generally mean when they say "spirit". The "spirit" emphasis appears (to me) to be about giving people a sort-of religious" sense of comfort, even talking about God and praying, but "spirit" seems to be more of a nebulous category referring to people's "heart" or religious sensibilities. An Adventist wouldn't probably say a person has a "spirit"--rather, they have feelings and perceptions about "spiritual things"--but it's all based in the MIND. Colleen | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 1902 Registered: 4-2000  |
Colleen, You gave an excellent analysis of the word "spirit" in Adventism (notably in SDA medical circles). It seems to me that their even using this word is a deception to the world. Unfortunately and sadly, I realize that they have alot of experience in that area. It is akin to LLUMC having erected a Cross by their name on a building. When I grew up in Seventh-day Adventism in western North Dakota, I was repeatedly told that the Cross symbol is pagan and/or Catholic at best. Now they recently erected a huge Cross in front of the College View SDA Church here in Lincoln, Nebraska. Of course, most SDA churches still remain crossless--especially in non-institutional areas. Generally, SDA churches look alot like LDS churches. Oh yes, even lighted and decorated Christmas trees now adorn institutional SDA churches. Dennis Fischer (Message edited by Dennis on March 13, 2010) | ||
| 8thday Registered user Username: 8thday Post Number: 1504 Registered: 11-2007  |
This was on the school seal of the sda school I went to - I remember it was on the floor of our gymnasium. I understood it as Hec explained it- Brains, Body, and Religion. ha. Words really do matter! | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 8031 Registered: 3-2004  |
I have been disconnected from adventism for so long I had forgotten about the mind, body, spirit theme they spout. How deceptive!!!! I should not be surprised. Diana L | ||
| Bb Registered user Username: Bb Post Number: 655 Registered: 7-2004 |
Dennis, ellen allowed Christmas trees in the church. Somewhere she says that it is ok to have one up front in the church, to bring up offerings and place on the tree. I am sure that is why we grew up without it being taboo to have a Christmas tree in our home. Ellen did not condemn the tree to my knowledge. | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 1904 Registered: 4-2000 |
Interestingly, according to SDA dogma, all of the celestial signs of Christ's second coming took place in the USA (i.e, dark day and meteor shower in northeastern United States). Yet they insist upon being a worldwide church. These American-based phenomena have rightly caused considerable opposition from many thinking Bible students in other countries through the years. To my knowledge, Ellen White only endorsed using a Christmas tree (undecorated) as a goal device in Sabbath School for hanging money on. Official Adventism certainly didn't want to be seen as supporting Lutheranism in any way (since Martin Luther is credited with originating the decorated Christmas tree with real candles--a fire hazard). My SDA parents never had a Christmas tree in their home, but they attractively lit up three evergreen trees in front of their farmhouse (smile). Oh well, legalism is never consistent. In the case of the local SDA church where I live (College View SDA Church), there was a unique "evolution" of the Christmas tree that took several years to implement. Otherwise, the conservative members would not have been able to bear the change. For example, they started having trees on the rostrum completely unlighted and undecorated. It looked rather unattractive and strange. The following year, they added lights to the trees. The third year, they started to decorate the whole church--lighted wreaths, red ribbons, etc. Dennis Fischer | ||
| Martinc Registered user Username: Martinc Post Number: 124 Registered: 9-2006 |
The Adventist view of spirit is similar to the Jehovah's Witnesses' materialist view. Here is a quote from one of their tracts, "What Does the Bible Really Teach?" "When you put batteries in a portable radio and turn it on, the electricity stored in the batteries brings the radio to life, so to speak. Without batteries, however, the radio is dead. So is another kind of radio when it is unplugged from an electric outlet. Similarly, the spirit is the force that brings our body to life. Also, like electricity, the spirit has no feeling and cannot think. It is an impersonal force." This is consistent with their position on the Holy Spirit: "THE Bible's use of 'holy spirit' indicates that it is a controlled force that Jehovah God uses to accomplish a variety of his purposes. To a certain extent, it can be likened to electricity, a force that can be adapted to perform a great variety of operations." JW and SDA teachings remind us of the teachings of Epicurus from 2300 years ago. Our beings are nothing but atoms with empty space in between the atoms. There is no truly spiritual component in us. There are gods, but they have bodies that are also made of atoms, although more powerful. | ||
| Bb Registered user Username: Bb Post Number: 656 Registered: 7-2004 |
Yes, they are cut from the same mold, The Great Disappointment of 1844. They each had their "take" on what happened, went off in two different directions and each clung to some of the strange beliefs, and added to them as the went along. The sda's had ellen to endorse each new belief. The jw's had someone too, I think Charles Taze Russell? I wonder if the World Wide Church of God also believed in soul sleep? They were from that era too. Yes, Dennis, that's what I remember about the Christmas tree. Most of the adventists I knew growing up, including us, had a decorated tree in our homes with no guilt. I think it is because ellen did not actually condemn it and even said an undecorated one could be in the church, that it gave the members the ability to "run with it" and put a decorated tree up. If she had condemned it, we would be right there with the jw's, and not be able to exchange presents or have any decorations at Christmas. That is funny that they lit the evergreens up, maybe thinking that they weren't hanging up the bulbs and garland? | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 1906 Registered: 4-2000 |
Yes, the WCG (under Herbert Armstrong's regime) believed in soul sleep just like Seventh-day Adventists, Christadelphians, and Jehovah's Witnesses do, and the current Worldwide Church of God gives one an option to adhere to either view--conditionalism or traditionalism. Dogmatically and dramatically, I once heard Herbert Armstrong use an analogy on radio many years ago that a person's condition in death is the same as a dead dog--from the tip of his snout to the end of his tail. The current WCG also allows tongues speaking (except during worship services). Of course, tongues speaking is akin to the extrabiblical revelations by Ellen White. In other words, God's divine revelations contained in Holy Scripture are insufficient for them. The new reorganized WCG also believes one can obtain salvation after physical death. While the WCG deleted some notable heretical views, they went right ahead and adopted still others. All in all, a cult cannot be truly reformed. I personally know some current members of the WCG, and they continue to be excited about the abnormal and the unorthodox in religious circles. At a WCG luncheon, I overheard a lady say that she is seriously thinking about checking out the Seventh-day Adventists. Misery often likes company (smile). Dennis Fischer | ||
| Hec Registered user Username: Hec Post Number: 929 Registered: 3-2009 |
That illustration of the spirit being like electricity is an old one. I remember my teachers in school trying to explain "the body return to dust, and the spirit goes to God who gave it." He would say that the spirit was like electricity. Once the switch was turned off there was no more electricity to empower the bulb. Once the spirit (breath) left the body, there was no more force to empower the body. The spirit really did not go to God because it was like a circuit. It kept going around in the circuit but could not enter the bulb because the switch was off. Al kinds of fiction to accommodate their opinions instead of just taking what the Bible says at face value. Hec | ||
| Indy4now Registered user Username: Indy4now Post Number: 778 Registered: 2-2008 |
So if they believe that their spirit is like an electrical pulse... how do you educate it? ;) ... Educating Mind, Body and Electrical pulses vivian p.s. how would they explain 1Cor. 2:11, "For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God." Do electrical sparks know the thoughts of a person? | ||
| Hec Registered user Username: Hec Post Number: 930 Registered: 3-2009 |
I like your reasoning, Vivian. Hec | ||
| Indy4now Registered user Username: Indy4now Post Number: 780 Registered: 2-2008 |
:-D |
