| Author | Message | ||
| Becky Registered user Username: Becky Post Number: 15 Registered: 2-2005 |
Hi All, I babysat my parents car last week while they went on a cruise. In it I found about 25 copies of "The Secret Terrorists" put out by Truth Triumphant Ministries. It is truly a frightening publication. It explains how the Catholic Church is responsible for WWI, WWII, the sinking of the Titanic, the Waco Massacre, The World Trade Center boming,The Oklahoma City bombing etc. It is beyond paranoia; it makes me wonder what believers of this book might do. I'm really in prayer over this. I was so hopeful (and still am) that the Lord would lead my parents out of SDA. Now, though, I have very serious doubts about my dad's sanity. If his mind is really gone, could he be harmful to my two small kids etc. I asked my mother if she read it, and she said, "No, but it's not something Dad got from our church anyway." Well, I did some research and it most certainly is from their church. I called her back to ask why she lied, and she said, "Just leave us alone about our church." Has anyone read this and if so, does anyone else thing it's not such a big leap to think the SDA church might start taking action the government or the Catholic Church. This kind of hatrid and delusional paranoia really, really frightens me. | ||
| Raven Registered user Username: Raven Post Number: 246 Registered: 7-2004  |
When was the book published? I've never heard of this book, but having grown up in SDAism I think it's fairly safe to say that these type of delusions are stirred up on a regular basis for the main purpose of fostering paranoia. They want the members to feel like the end of the world, Sunday laws, persecution, etc. is just immediately around the corner. That's not to say that a few looneys wouldn't decide to take action, but I doubt the mainstream church as a whole would. After all, when you're programmed to expect persecution and unfairness, you just accept it rather than fight it. And it makes wonderful material for your imagination to go wild on. This might be a good thread to find out which delusions people remember hearing promoted over the years. I'll start with one that made a deep impression on me back in the late 70's when I was around 7th grade give or take. There was some man that came from out of town to our conservative SDA church and gave a talk about UFO's and how someone he was well acquainted with was temporarily abducted and it was explained to him by the UFO "aliens" about the future plans for end time events. I can't remember many of the details, but I was fascinated how everyone just ate up this guy's every word. In the afternoon, everyone was invited to take a nature walk with this guy while he told even more fascinating abduction stories--and our family went! Then of course when the UPC symbol first came out there were all kinds of stories flying around about how this was the beginning of a way to implement prevention of buying or selling if you didn't have the mark of the beast. | ||
| Chris Registered user Username: Chris Post Number: 785 Registered: 7-2003  |
Welcome Becky! Should anyone wish to further research the book you mentioned, they can read it online by clicking HERE. Chris | ||
| Chris Registered user Username: Chris Post Number: 786 Registered: 7-2003 |
The book that Becky mentioned is put out by a group calling themselves the "Pacific Institute". It appears they publish quite a bit of material in the same vein. You can access their home page, and other similar books by clicking HERE. | ||
| Pheeki Registered user Username: Pheeki Post Number: 569 Registered: 1-2003 |
I remember we were told that if we filled our minds with too much fiction we would easily fall for end time delusions (signs and wonders in the sky, etc.). And of course every president elected might be "the one." | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 1967 Registered: 12-2003  |
Interesting, isn't it, about the deep fear Adventism has historically fostered against "fiction". In fairness, SDA academies and colleges include many more classics in ther literature courses than they used to--but "fiction" was a fearsome word. The implication, of course, was that the books sold at campmeeting book sales were "true" stories. But of course, they were often fictionalized. The average person, however, just didn't know it. Richard said his grandmother once wrote a story which was published in one of the SS papers--I believe it was "Our Little Friend". The story was based on some event that happened in Richard and his brother's lifeóand when that story was published, Richard's mom was HORRIFIED to see that it was not "true". Grandma had improved upon the story by changing and adding details, and Mom was outraged. It wasn't TRUE! I remember having a conversation with a man who used to be an editor (ass't editor?) at the Review and Herald Publishing Assoc., and he told how manuscripts were discussed, accepted, and rejected by an editorial commitee. He said most stories were fictionalized, and for sure Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories were massively fictionalized. The prime irony, of course, is that while the church has warned people not to read fiction and has instead offered "approved", internally-produced material to read instead of wordly fiction, they have been producing their own brand of fictions (including many of EGW's own statements) which supported the denominational wordview and aided in the generational indoctrination of members. I hope no one reads my statements above as angry or bitter; Adventism is not unique in this method of instruction! It's just a fact--but one of which many of us were blissfully unaware for many years. Praise God for teaching us the truth--even, sometimes, by means of well-written fiction which reflects reality (think Chronicles of Narnia and Pligrim's Progress, for example)! Colleen | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 664 Registered: 10-2004  |
I thought that they claimed the stories in the SS papers such as Guide, etc., were true--but I kind of wondered about it. Does anyone remember the story that appeared in the Junior Guide about "the book that wouldn't burn" to convince children that EGW was inspired? I wonder how much of that was made up?! Jeremy | ||
| Heretic Registered user Username: Heretic Post Number: 91 Registered: 2-2005 |
Jeremy, I guess I missed that edition. But I have heard similar stories about Ouija boards. Hmmm. (Lest anyone get offended, it's a JOKE, OK?) Heretic | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 665 Registered: 10-2004 |
Heretic, It's from way back--one of the first issues of Junior Guide I believe. We have a stack of old copies and I saw it the other day; I think it was in 1954 or so--way before I was born! Jeremy |
