I Want To Check Out My Local Adventist Church...

[catlover]

I agree with you on what constitutes an idol...anything that takes the Lord's place. Now I know some SDAs are over the edge like that and can be very offensive and I understand, but please also understand it is a little offensive to generalize SDAs as being this way. All of the churchs I've gone to people wear wedding bands, necklaces, sometimes earrings and no one ever has asked them to be sold so the church could reap a profit. Naturally, I can't speak for all, but likewise neither can you so please be thoughtful of how you make general statements like the one above.

But on a lighter note: welcome to the forums! I see you're new here.

God bless!

Thank-you, for the kind welcome. I am not normally on the debate board--I have requested prayer...what a wonderful result. My son's goose, this sounds odd, but it's not, was sick and I was told, "...a sick goose is a dead goose..." After prayer on The Adventist board, Reginald the goose pulled through. My son's favorite goose.

 

[IntoTheCrimsonSky]

Thank-you, for the kind welcome. I am not normally on the debate board--I have requested prayer...what a wonderful result. My son's goose, this sounds odd, but it's not, was sick and I was told, "...a sick goose is a dead goose..." After prayer on The Adventist board, Reginald the goose pulled through. My son's favorite goose.

Wonderful to hear! I'm glad the goose pulled through.

Don't worry about the idol thing. If you don't bow down to it, as said before, then it's just a memory of people. My mom bought me a wonderful white gold cross with diamonds in it for my 19th birthday. I don't agree with wearing jewelry, but I will wear it under my clothes sometimes because of the meaning behind it. I love my God and my mom, so it's symbolic to me.

I don't know an Adventist that would tell me to get rid of it for those reaons.

Blessings and Love,
Sarah

 

[RND]

Be ye careful of the SDA church because if you have something of value even if it is from a charished family member they will want you to sell it and give them the money.

This is an obvious falsehood about Adventism and extremely insulting.

 

[RND]

but I have religious items from deceased relatives. They were Roman Catholic. I do not want to get rid of these items. It's not like they have the religious meaning to them, as much as they are associated with the people who passed away.

If I went to an Adventist Church, became a member, would I have to get rid of these items?

In short, no.

I think many here have expressed an honest and welcomed observation that as long as these things are not being worshiped or bowed down to then this things cannot be possibly be classified as idols.

The fact that you have expressed an interest in seeing and being a part of an Adventist service and exploring Adventist doctrine and truth is more than encouraging. I hope you have a great time and enjoy yourself! I think you'll find some wonderful people inside the Adventist church.

 

[catlover]

Wonderful to hear! I'm glad the goose pulled through.

Don't worry about the idol thing. If you don't bow down to it, as said before, then it's just a memory of people. My mom bought me a wonderful white gold cross with diamonds in it for my 19th birthday. I don't agree with wearing jewelry, but I will wear it under my clothes sometimes because of the meaning behind it. I love my God and my mom, so it's symbolic to me.

I don't know an Adventist that would tell me to get rid of it for those reaons.

Blessings and Love,
Sarah

What is drawing you to The Adventist Church?

I know what you mean about your cross.

 

[IntoTheCrimsonSky]

What is drawing you to The Adventist Church?

I know what you mean about your cross.

Well, I've actually been involved in the SDA church for about 2 years now. It was my first introduction to Christianity and it (as well as the Bible, of course) really transformed my life.

The main reason I was able to actually consider Christianty was to find a church that didn't profess an eternal hell torment. That drew me to this church and helped me open my eyes to so many other Truths!

To be honest, I've had nothing but good experiences since I first came to it and met a lot of wonderful people (online and off, my church family was soo awesome to me).

At the moment I'm sort of inbetween denominations as I took a step back to assess what the Bible teaches (as I'm learning it for the first time) without a church doctrine to try and prove. I really do hope it leads me back into the church, though. I do love it and like what it stands for.

What has brought you to it?

 

[AndrewK788]

Hey Crimson, I haven't seen you around in a while. Then again, I haven't been around for a while either.

Anyway, I'll keep you in my prayers as you study God's Word. It's very refreshing to see a post like yours: someone sincerely searching for the truth with no agenda. May God bless you in your journey!!

 

[Pythons]

I agree with RND and others who say NO, do not throw the items away. I would welcome your PM should you choose to send it.

 

[IntoTheCrimsonSky]

Hey Crimson, I haven't seen you around in a while. Then again, I haven't been around for a while either.

Anyway, I'll keep you in my prayers as you study God's Word. It's very refreshing to see a post like yours: someone sincerely searching for the truth with no agenda. May God bless you in your journey!!

Thank you. I appreciate the prayers. It was a hard choice to step back from the SDA church, it's all I knew as a Christian and sort of created a "starting all over again" feeling, like when I first stepped away from my New Age beliefs.

Nonetheless, I think it's God's will too.

Good to see ya again also, bro. I haven't been around much (and probably wont for quite awhile) due to some struggles at home with finances and stuff, but I do miss this place sometimes.

 

[honorthesabbath]

Thank you. I appreciate the prayers. It was a hard choice to step back from the SDA church, it's all I knew as a Christian and sort of created a "starting all over again" feeling, like when I first stepped away from my New Age beliefs.

Nonetheless, I think it's God's will too.

Good to see ya again also, bro. I haven't been around much (and probably wont for quite awhile) due to some struggles at home with finances and stuff, but I do miss this place sometimes.

Crimson--has your decision to step away from the SDA church have anything to do with the discussions in this forum?

 

[honorthesabbath]

Cat--here is my 2 cents.

I know you have stated that those religious items hold no spiritual value for you, but that they are merely tokens for remembrance of a departed love one. And I believe you.

But I also have a personal (note the word personal--because the SDA church doesn't have a 'standing' on this that I know of) problem with idols in our homes.

Having said that--I also have this dilemma. I am involved with a prison ministry of sorts. I write letters to inmates who's families have turned their backs on them. One young man in particular has become close to me. (oh, and for those who insist that I am a racist--this man is African-American). Unlike the other inmates I write to, I have helped this guy financially. Well--because of this and other things, in his gratitude, he makes me Indian crafts (among the VERY limited craft items they are allowed to make).

Well--lol--he has made me a 'dream-catcher, a VERY bold bracelet and just recently sent me a fancy feather with strings hanging from it. I'm not at all sure what it's suppose to be, but I'm sure it must have something to so with tribal medicine healing or something like that.

As a Christian, all of these items to me have pagan origins. I personally would NEVER have brought them into my home or purchased them. But my inmate friend made them for ME out of the kindness of his heart and has no idea how I feel about them. And I would NEVER hurt his feelings with telling him the truth about these items.

BUT--I also don't display them either. They are safely tucked away in my filing cabinet so that in many years to come, when I am very old, I can perhaps send them back to him so he can have fond memories of our relationship.

So I see nothing wrong with keeping them as 'keep-sakes'. But like with my inmate friend, I sure wish the items didn't HAVE to be IDOLS!!!

 

[catlover]

Cat--here is my 2 cents.

I know you have stated that those religious items hold no spiritual value for you, but that they are merely tokens for remembrance of a departed love one. And I believe you.

But I also have a personal (note the word personal--because the SDA church doesn't have a 'standing' on this that I know of) problem with idols in our homes.

Having said that--I also have this dilemma. I am involved with a prison ministry of sorts. I write letters to inmates who's families have turned their backs on them. One young man in particular has become close to me. (oh, and for those who insist that I am a racist--this man is African-American). Unlike the other inmates I write to, I have helped this guy financially. Well--because of this and other things, in his gratitude, he makes me Indian crafts (among the VERY limited craft items they are allowed to make).

Well--lol--he has made me a 'dream-catcher, a VERY bold bracelet and just recently sent me a fancy feather with strings hanging from it. I'm not at all sure what it's suppose to be, but I'm sure it must have something to so with tribal medicine healing or something like that.

As a Christian, all of these items to me have pagan origins. I personally would NEVER have brought them into my home or purchased them. But my inmate friend made them for ME out of the kindness of his heart and has no idea how I feel about them. And I would NEVER hurt his feelings with telling him the truth about these items.

BUT--I also don't display them either. They are safely tucked away in my filing cabinet so that in many years to come, when I am very old, I can perhaps send them back to him so he can have fond memories of our relationship.

So I see nothing wrong with keeping them as 'keep-sakes'. But like with my inmate friend, I sure wish the items didn't HAVE to be IDOLS!!!

what a lovely gift--it is kind of you to keep contact with people in society who are thrown away.

I will visit the local church in two weeks-I have been to many, many churches I hope this is the last one!

 

[IntoTheCrimsonSky]

Crimson--has your decision to step away from the SDA church have anything to do with the discussions in this forum?

In this case, yes. I was asked what was drawing me to the SDA church, so I answered and explained my current position.

 

[honorthesabbath]

In this case, yes. I was asked what was drawing me to the SDA church, so I answered and explained my current position.

Well--to be more specific--what influences on this forum caused you to doubt the truthfulness of the SDA doctrines?

 

[NightEternal]

Honor, do you think we are stupid and blind that we cannot see where you are going with this?

Here's a thought: Maybe she studied for herself and came to some different conclusions than what Adventism has to offer? Wow, what a concept!

But no, this seems somehow inconceivable to you, and you instead have to find someone to pin the blame on (PROGS AND FORMERS) and assume we had some nefarious influence on her.

Crimson is a smart girl who can make her own choices and I do not doubt for a second that she is studying the Bible for herself.

Give her a little credit for crying out loud!

 

[IntoTheCrimsonSky]

Well--to be more specific--what influences on this forum caused you to doubt the truthfulness of the SDA doctrines?

Although I wouldn't have put it quite as boldly as Night did, he's basically right.

It wasn't so much anything that went on in this forum that led me to step back, although it did open my eyes to the fact that not everyone who hears the SDA doctrines believe them. I simply realized as I was reading the NT for the first time that I had some doubts about some doctrines and wanted to step back and study them without bias in either direction. I became an SDA by trusting what someone close to me was telling me was the truth, without grounding myself in it. I need to ground myself in the Bible before I can really say I hold to SDA (or another denomination) beliefs, is all.

Anyway, I still use Amazing Facts all the time. Listen to Pastor Doug sermon every day. So it's nothing against the church, which is why I promoted it so positively to the OP. I'm just finding God in my own way.

I am sorry if I misrepresented that in my last post, saying I thought it was God's will I left the church. I didn't mean it the way it sounded.

 

[AndrewK788]

Although I wouldn't have put it quite as boldly as Night did, he's basically right.

It wasn't so much anything that went on in this forum that led me to step back, although it did open my eyes to the fact that not everyone who hears the SDA doctrines believe them. I simply realized as I was reading the NT for the first time that I had some doubts about some doctrines and wanted to step back and study them without bias in either direction. I became an SDA by trusting what someone close to me was telling me was the truth, without grounding myself in it. I need to ground myself in the Bible before I can really say I hold to SDA (or another denomination) beliefs, is all.

Anyway, I still use Amazing Facts all the time. Listen to Pastor Doug sermon every day. So it's nothing against the church, which is why I promoted it so positively to the OP. I'm just finding God in my own way.

I am sorry if I misrepresented that in my last post, saying I thought it was God's will I left the church. I didn't mean it the way it sounded.

Sometimes to find truth you really do need to just take a step away from everyone and just be one on one with God and his Word. I can relate because I've been there and honestly there are still a few little things in the church that I disagree with. Nothing too major I think but still.

Just out of curiosity, what SDA doctrines do you have doubt on? If you've already gone over that or don't want to say here could you PM me? If not, that's okay.

I'm just wondering because I think I've been down a road very similar to the one you're going down.

God bless!

 

[IntoTheCrimsonSky]

Sometimes to find truth you really do need to just take a step away from everyone and just be one on one with God and his Word. I can relate because I've been there and honestly there are still a few little things in the church that I disagree with. Nothing too major I think but still.

Just out of curiosity, what SDA doctrines do you have doubt on? If you've already gone over that or don't want to say here could you PM me? If not, that's okay.

I'm just wondering because I think I've been down a road very similar to the one you're going down.

God bless!

I wont go into that here, as it'll probably derail this thread. I'll send you a PM later tonight or tomorrow. Just popped in quickly to check something right now.

 

[gcfrankie]

AndrewK788 & RND,
I don't know how long either one of you have been adventists but when I joined the church over 30 yrs ago it was common practice to get new members to sell their jewlery and give the money to the church or give the church the jewlery. That is the premise I was going on when I wrote what I did. So I appoligize as I just looked in the new church laws book and see that it is no longer stated. RND I was not trying to be insulting.
AndrewK788, thank-you for the welcome.
gc

 

[honorthesabbath]

AndrewK788 & RND,
I don't know how long either one of you have been adventists but when I joined the church over 30 yrs ago it was common practice to get new members to sell their jewlery and give the money to the church or give the church the jewlery. That is the premise I was going on when I wrote what I did. So I appoligize as I just looked in the new church laws book and see that it is no longer stated. RND I was not trying to be insulting.
AndrewK788, thank-you for the welcome.
gc

I've been in the church over 30 yrs and I NEVER found that to do true in any of the churches I attended.