| Author | Message | ||
| Jorgfe Registered user Username: Jorgfe Post Number: 661 Registered: 11-2005 |
Someone recently asked where Ellen White made the statement about other worlds. It is found in Early Writings, pages 39-40 Yes. She actually wrote that all as one paragraph! Gilbert Jorgensen | ||
| Randyg Registered user Username: Randyg Post Number: 449 Registered: 12-2004 |
Gilbert, I have to say that my first impression on reading this passage makes me think back to watching Startrek as a kid. Its like watching an old Sci-fi movie. It seems so fake and made up, now to my adult eyes. I have to seriously question the imagination that contrived all of this. And then I even more seriously question how for so long I never even questioned if any of it made any sense. All I can say is WOW. Palm of hand to forehead, Randy (Message edited by randyg on August 30, 2007) | ||
| Jorgfe Registered user Username: Jorgfe Post Number: 662 Registered: 11-2005 |
Randy, I really don't think that most Seventh-day Adventists actually read her books. They have no idea what is in them! Gilbert Jorgensen | ||
| Randyg Registered user Username: Randyg Post Number: 450 Registered: 12-2004 |
Gilbert, you are right. Most have very little idea of what she said on topics other than their own pet peeves, such as diet, or the Sabbath. If they did, there would be far more Palms of the hand to foreheads. Growing up, the only books of hers I was somewhat familiar with were on health and education. And messeges to young people. I had the testimonies and conflict series in the bookcase for 30 years, and never cracked them. A blessing I now see, Randy (Message edited by randyg on August 30, 2007) (Message edited by randyg on August 30, 2007) | ||
| Raven Registered user Username: Raven Post Number: 812 Registered: 7-2004  |
We had most all of her books growing up, and I either read most of them or were read to from them, so every one of these bizarre quotes that come up, I have heard them several times before long ago. And that stuff didn't really bother me then. What did bother me was her scathing rebukes in the Testimonies and the impossible standards she endorsed in books like Messages to Young People and Child Guidance. Even at a young age, I saw a huge disconnect between the attitude of her writings and the Gospel books of the Bible. | ||
| Pnoga Registered user Username: Pnoga Post Number: 20 Registered: 1-2007 |
Maybe the SDA church should start doing their sermons on the Sci-Fi channel. I'm sure all those Star-Trek fans would dig these wacked out stories of other planets. | ||
| Jim02 Registered user Username: Jim02 Post Number: 212 Registered: 5-2007 |
EGW aside. I find it unrealistic to think that in our massive universe,so large, with numbers of stars and planets too numerous to truly fathom,so vast the zeros 000000000 run off the page ("Billions and Billions" Carl Sagan) , ... in all of that, we suppose that this is the only planet with life on it. We cap the awesome creative Power of God. Flat Earth Society............. | ||
| Jorgfe Registered user Username: Jorgfe Post Number: 665 Registered: 11-2005 |
Raven, I remember that as well. My parents would study books like "Messages to Young People" and the "Adventist Home" with us for evening family worship. They never got around to reading us the book "Solemn Appeal", and the White Estate had not yet produced "Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery and Divorce". "Councils on Diet and Food" was used as our dietary GPS to help us navigate the minefield of forbidden foods. Occasionally we would read "Testimonies". The (bizarre) story that especially stuck in my mind is the vision that Ellen White had of her hiding in her house as the Catholics surrounded it looking for any "Sabbath-keepers" to kill. We just "knew" that would happen to all of us "faithful" once the Sunday laws were passed. Now that I am a "former Adventist", I find it appalling that any denomination would manifest such a rabid hatred for another denomination. Gilbert Jorgensen | ||
| Larry Registered user Username: Larry Post Number: 132 Registered: 5-2007 |
Raven, My folks had a rich assortment of egw books around too, but they made the mistake of also buying a set of Collier encyclopedias. The Collier is where I spent my time. Good thing for me! | ||
| Randyg Registered user Username: Randyg Post Number: 452 Registered: 12-2004 |
Jim, I don't for a minute assume that we are the only planet or world with life on it. I also don't think that would be the thoughts of anybody on this board. What I find amazing about the quote, is that regardless of what she sees, or where she sees it, the main premise of the message is obedience to the Law, and the consequences to those that misstep. Even describing this "other world" her message is Old Covenant theology. I find these types of "visions" just one more way she had to manipulate her readership into accepting her to be what she purported to be, even though there was no way to verify any of what she said. It is my belief, that she was of the "shock and awe" school of vision making. When the flock gets restless, or are tired of the tirades on bedroom ediquette, perils of masterbation, or the evils of cheese, you have to hit them with an intergalactic vision like this one, just to keep their attention. Randy | ||
| Susans Registered user Username: Susans Post Number: 458 Registered: 8-2006 |
Randy, I agree completely! Along the lines of the Old Covenant in her "visions" in that one she stated there was a tree of knowledge of good and evil in that world, and if those inhabitants disobeyed, then they would have fallen. My question was - well, then, what would happen if they fell? What would God do? Would Jesus have to come and incarnate into how those people were and die again? How would that impact everything? Would God the Father come and die? God the Holy Spirit? How terrible to muddle things like that! Of course, when I read those things (and EW was a favorite book of mine) I never stopped to consider the implications of that. I'm more amazed every day of how I swallowed the entire package. "Shock and awe". How appropriate that description is! Always keep the flock in fear. | ||
| Jorgfe Registered user Username: Jorgfe Post Number: 666 Registered: 11-2005 |
Randy, you are right on! Given her documented hysteria and the emotionalism of the time, if she had lived in the 1970's she could have helped produce the Max Factor 7Up ads. I can't help but think of how similar her vivid imagination was to an LSD trip. Gilbert Jorgensen | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 2091 Registered: 10-2004  |
I do believe that the earth is the only planet with life on it. Consider the following verse:
Jeremy | ||
| Susans Registered user Username: Susans Post Number: 459 Registered: 8-2006 |
Jeremy, I believe we are the only one as well. That is why I had the questions I posted above. Susan | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 6698 Registered: 12-2003  |
I also agree. I remember how certain I used to be that there must be many inhabited planets, but, at least in our universe, it seems we're the only one, Biblically speaking. God reconciled all things in heaven and on earth to Himself through Jesus, making peace through the blood of His cross (Col 1:19-20). This sentence alone suggests that sin had affected our universe, and Jesus' work on earth reconicled creation to Himself. (See also Romans 8:22) I sometimes am so eager to see reality without being bound by time and our three dimesnions... Colleen | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 2094 Registered: 10-2004 |
You're right, Colleen, that the Bible is clear that the entire universe is affected by sin. So it is impossible for there to be "unfallen beings" on other planets. And if there are fallen beings, that would pose even more problems! Jeremy | ||
| Philharris Registered user Username: Philharris Post Number: 167 Registered: 5-2007  |
One of the "other problems" is the question of being under the curse of sin. We, as the human race, are under the curse of sin because we are decendants of Adam. A race of people on another planet would not be decendants of Adam and therefore not under the curse. However, the Bible is very clear about the entire universe being under the curse. My conclusion, therefore, is that God's creation of the human race is unique and was done only one time when he created Adam and Eve. Phil | ||
| Honestwitness Registered user Username: Honestwitness Post Number: 315 Registered: 7-2005  |
I'm also a one-world proponent. I heard an interesting broadcast last week on Christian radio. The speaker was stating that up to now scientists have not been able to come up with any evidence that life exists on other planets. Furthermore, the speaker stated that, if scientists were able to do so, evolutionists would consider it a huge victory for their belief system. The evolutionists evidently don't want to believe that our planet was any kind of 'special creation.' Honestwitness | ||
| Jorgfe Registered user Username: Jorgfe Post Number: 680 Registered: 11-2005 |
Jeremy, you shared with us that "the Bible is clear that the entire universe is affected by sin". I would be especially interested in see all of the texts that you feel clearly support this. That is a very interesting thought to ponder. Gilbert Jorgensen | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 2104 Registered: 10-2004 |
Hi Gilbert, I was mainly referring to the passages that Colleen mentioned above. Also, the Greek word kosmos (usually translated "world") can mean the entire universe. Additionally, we are told (2 Peter 3, Revelation 21) that both the earth and the heavens will be destroyed and that there will be a new earth and new heavens. Jeremy |
