Born Free
31st August 2005, 10:28 PM
A few days back, someone quoted a book by a Mormon author with favourable references to what went on in Adventism when they found how unoriginal much of Ellen White's 'revelation' was. (Sorry, I have serached to locate the postings, but drew a blank)
I thought I would run that quote by an ex-SDA friend, to get his response, assuming at that point, that they may have had the balls (and integrity) to do what MoLeadship Inc does not.
Alas, his feedback did not suggest that it was a bed of roses. Indeed in sounded Oh So Familiar.
"Daryl,
This is nearly obsene:
The Adventist leadership has responded by making the church more Christ centered.
The Adventist church responded by sacking any minister who would not swear allegience to the party line. Over 500 ordained ministers were expelled in Nth Amaerica and Australia. Whole church congregations left and have not come back. It has taken 20 years for the figures to return close to pre split levels.
It was the final straw for me. At a meeting to announce that the conservatives were about to 'cleanse' the church, I asked why I should accept an ex cathedra directives from church functionaries, when I had my own point of view. A chorus of voices from the back called out ''Why don't you just leave then?" I was more than happy to oblige.
There was a Head of Theology at Avondale at the time called Dr Des Ford. very charismatic and intelligent man. They made a scapegoat of him and he is still out there. Gross injustices, witch hunts, burning at the stake, inquisitions, book burning, ant-intellectualism; the modern eqivalent happened everywhere.
The SDA church was gutted of its best and brightest. It has never recovered the vigor and focus it had in the 50's 60's and 70's. Political functionaries at the top decided that their power was paramount, not the truth. The Adventist church can no longer claim it is even a sect, its remaining function is no different to social golf club. No one is there because they believe and are prepared to die for their beliefs.
Walter Rae: "The White Lie" covers those times well.
Any of that sound familiar??
Daryl
I thought I would run that quote by an ex-SDA friend, to get his response, assuming at that point, that they may have had the balls (and integrity) to do what MoLeadship Inc does not.
Alas, his feedback did not suggest that it was a bed of roses. Indeed in sounded Oh So Familiar.
"Daryl,
This is nearly obsene:
The Adventist leadership has responded by making the church more Christ centered.
The Adventist church responded by sacking any minister who would not swear allegience to the party line. Over 500 ordained ministers were expelled in Nth Amaerica and Australia. Whole church congregations left and have not come back. It has taken 20 years for the figures to return close to pre split levels.
It was the final straw for me. At a meeting to announce that the conservatives were about to 'cleanse' the church, I asked why I should accept an ex cathedra directives from church functionaries, when I had my own point of view. A chorus of voices from the back called out ''Why don't you just leave then?" I was more than happy to oblige.
There was a Head of Theology at Avondale at the time called Dr Des Ford. very charismatic and intelligent man. They made a scapegoat of him and he is still out there. Gross injustices, witch hunts, burning at the stake, inquisitions, book burning, ant-intellectualism; the modern eqivalent happened everywhere.
The SDA church was gutted of its best and brightest. It has never recovered the vigor and focus it had in the 50's 60's and 70's. Political functionaries at the top decided that their power was paramount, not the truth. The Adventist church can no longer claim it is even a sect, its remaining function is no different to social golf club. No one is there because they believe and are prepared to die for their beliefs.
Walter Rae: "The White Lie" covers those times well.
Any of that sound familiar??
Daryl