Posted on 12/23/2007 2:50:33 PM PST by e.Shubee
"Do your own work.—The subjects which many of our ministers present before the people are not half as connected and as clear and strong in argument as they should be. They profess to be teachers of the Word, but they sadly neglect to search the Scriptures for themselves. They are content to use the arguments which are prepared in pamphlets and books, and which others have labored earnestly to search out; but they are not willing to tax their minds to study them out for themselves. In order to make full proof of their ministry, those who open the Word of God to others should search the Scriptures diligently. They should not be content to use other men's thoughts, but should dig for truth as for hid treasures. While it is perfectly right to gather ideas from other minds, they should not be satisfied to take those ideas and repeat them in a poll-parrot manner. Make these ideas your own, brethren; frame the arguments yourselves, from your own study and research. Do not borrow the productions of other men's brains and pens, and recite them as a lesson; but make the most of the talents, the brain power, that God has given you." —The Review and Herald, April 6, 1886.
(Excerpt) Read more at egwdatabase.whiteestate.org ...
As an Adventist, I find this suggestion disgusting. All races are equal. Nothing taught in Adventist schools would support your assertion.
I could say the same about any hyper-religious people. Read through some of the old Teri-Schiavo posts and you'll see my point regarding emotions and passion overruling common sense. I have found SDA to be one of the more logical faiths out there. Do I disagree with some doctrinal points? Absolutely. I'm not a theology student, however, and I don't care to get involved in minor interdenominational squabbles. I don't like to be told what to believe by anybody - be that an SDA pastor, a snake oil salesman, a Democrat, or a conspiracy theorist. I'm one of the biggest skeptics around. I figure we'll discover it all someday, and perhaps the Hindus had it right. In the meantime though, the faith I know points toward the Bible, on which SDA faith seems to be the best based. Logically. Not emotionally.
Indeed it wouldn’t be taught in their schools. Like anything else that makes the “prophetess” look bad. Never mentioned.
But the prophetess penned this and other “inspired” writing.
So if it’s not taught and not believed to be accurate, what’s your problem? I have yet to meet anyone who holds EGW up as 100% inspired. Personally I have a lot of problems with using her as a prophet, as do a lot of Adventists. I haven’t been dis-fellowshipped over it though, and Ive heard it openly argued (her validity) in Adventist discussions. It’s the fringe groups that go 100% by every word she wrote. They’re the ones I get newsletters from on cheap newsprint trying to “bring people back to the fold.” A mainstream Adventist is a Methodist who goes to church on Saturday.
The question is not whether it is one of the more logical faiths out there, the question is it close to the truth that God wants us to believe as he has shown us in the Bible. As far as logic goes many freepers believe something to be the truth because it is the most logical thing they have ever heard on the subject. I've believed a lot of things in my early Christin life because of following what I believed to be logical. Many of those beliefs I dropped as I heard a more logical system to the belief. The beauty of freerepublic is that individuals like you and me can present what we believe is truth to a lot broader audience then who we meet on the street.
Thanks Beckite - I can’t argue with you, and any faith requires suspension of a certain degree of logic. I don’t think any of us know everything there is to know about the Creator, and all of us are bound to be wrong on some points. In the meantime I keep an open mind and hope others will do the same for me.
In that spirit, a Happy Festivus to all. Shall we spend the next 12 hours airing grievances? Nah... I’m going to go celebrate the commercial and family aspects for the next 48 hours or so. Merry Christmas!
That is correct. I'm deeply impressed by these two paragraphs from Emerson's essay on plagiarism:
"Gower he uses as if he were only a brick-kiln or stone-quarry out of which to build his house. He steals by this apology--that what he takes has no worth where he finds it, and the greatest where he leaves it."
"It has come to be practically a sort of rule in literature that a man having once shown himself capable of original writing, is entitled thence forth to steal from the writings of others at discretion. All the debts which such a man would contract to another wit, would never disturb his consciousness of originality; for the administration of books, and of other minds, are a whiff of smoke to that most private reality with which he has conversed."
The plagiarism charge is very clear cut. Critics of Ellen White only need to assemble Ellen White's sources book by book, paragraph by paragraph, to expose all the alleged copying. I would be very happy if general audiences could see the exact amount of borrowing. I am not impressed with arguments based on having to believe in the conclusions of authorities.
http://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/documents/plagiarist.pdf
http://dedication.www3.50megs.com/David/index.html
Is the nature of Adventists any different than the nature of Catholics? Can people be emotionally attached to the Roman Catholic Church? Did you notice that no one wanted to pull their own teeth by answering my direct question on Scripture?
Matthew 24:44-51 says:
"So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
This parable of Jesus clearly admits the possibility that the servant left in charge of feeding all the servants of the master might forget about the Second Coming, get drunk and begin to beat his fellow servants. That’s exactly the Protestant interpretation of Church history. The hierarchy of the Church did persecute those who were entrusted to their care.
My unanswered question was:
Are you admitting that the Lord's parable (Matthew 24:44-51) applies to the now historical fact that the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church did indeed become corrupt and unjustly persecuted the Lord's servants?
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