Could be. Happens all the time. Not limited to any faith group so, as usual, you're veering off-topic.
So glad you are here to keep me in line Jesse.
Here, as is even more usual, you've run off the rails in the most typical of your ways. You inject your contempt for the most influential pioneer/leader of the Adventist church, Ellen G. White, into very nearly every discussion in which you participate, which is very nearly always about refuting Adventism, even though virtually no Adventist promotes the writings/views of Mrs. White outside of the Adventist-specific forums unless explicitly asked about them.
If I were an Adventist I wouldn't mention her either. Many SDA pastors use the term "my favorite author" so that those unsuspecting listeners won't know they are quoting Ellen. She is the prophet of the SDA church for goodness sake. She is the last word. Why hide her under a basket? God has supposedly given you a blessing. The problem is so many men have really dug into her writings and found so much falsehood that the church has hid her under a basket. Mormons are proud of their prophet, Joe Smith. Methodists are proud of their founder John Wesley.
You bet I use her writings every chance I get and all the rheterick you come up with doesn't bother me one iota. Slander me all you please Jesse, I have a mission to tell everyone who reads these posts the real truth about the Sabbath and the Law. Ellen White is a great example of someone misleading great people into believing things that are not true.
You wouldn't get away with berating any other prominent or historic church figure and I think you know that. If you believe otherwise, just try it with some other doctrine/denomination/leader combination (Calvin, Luther, Wesley, The Pope, etc.) with which you disagree, with the same contempt you show for Mrs. White and the Adventist church and see how that works out for you.
Jesse, I am not on a forum that is about the men you mention. I have not studied what those men taught. Let those who are learned disagree with what those men taught.
I'm reminded of when I was a young fella, and I enjoyed watching professional wrestling. A big favorite of mine was a guy named Ric Flair. They called him "The Dirtiest Player In The Game." I wouldn't call you that,
Should I be grateful?
but this EGW-bashing thing you do is pretty lowdown. You do it with sardonic sarcasm, condescension, and obvious contempt. You'll doubtless deny it, but everybody can see it. I know that because I haven't gotten a single signal from even one of my fellow adherents that I'm wrong in calling you out for it.
I just tell it like it is Jesse. Call it what you will, I could care less what you think. I reveal to you and all the readers of the forum what she wrote. Why is it you will not defend what she wrote instead of trashing me for revealing what the church believes because of her writings?
I am not in the least bit afraid to call sin by its right name.
Neither am I Jesse, that is why I go to the source of the church's teachings that I believe are incorrect.
You habitually accuse and provoke the brethren.
I guess revealing the real truth could provoke those who believe they have the truth. As far as accusing, I think you need to clear that up. You accuse me right? Since the accusing is on the other foot you seem to be thriving on committing that sin.
But I have a feeling that reporting you for it would get me banned instantly,
I don't like turning others in for bashing me because I know revealing other than what they believe would cause them to react. I cannot control how others respond to what I write. You certainly have not responded well, BUT I understand. Years ago I wouldn't have either.
and since it seems it's been going on for years, nothing more than getting banned would come of it.
Why are you so worried Jesse? All the accusations you have made about me has not gotten you banned. Those doing the banning are understanding people who love God and their fellow man. They understand that I have upset you with my revealing the church's position on certain beliefs. It is the church's teachings not the members that I have a problem with. I am sure you are a nice person when you are not subject to those that are critical of your beliefs.
Call it judging, trashing, whatever you like, if it makes you feel or look better.
I am not on the forum to make me feel better. That is a misconception you conjured. I do not judge and as far as trashing I guess anytime someone disagrees with what others write they could say it is trashing.
There is more than one biblical definition of the word "judge."
Which one are you using?
The love of which you speak is reserved for anyone and anyone but Sabbath-keepers,
Wow! If I were easily provoked that statement would do it. I commend you on the good try, but it is simply not true.
and all because you eventually resented being taught and expected to give 10% of what God blessed you with back to Him.
Since tithing was part of the Law I will take the opportunity to discuss the "tithing" system of the SDA church. The Adventist system doesn't resemble the system God gave to Israel. The Israelite tithing system was limited to those who raise livestock and /or crops. It was never paid in shekels, it was paid in actual crops and animals to the Levite priesthood. The Levite priesthood then tithed, from those proceeds, to the poor. Jesus would not have been a tithe payer because He didn't raise crops and/or animals. Now came along the little struggling flock of Adventists and their collections were not enough for the hierarchy, including James and Ellen and the instituted the SDA tithing system.
Everyone connected to the church was/is required to return 10% of their earnings. Two things Ellen wrote about would keep a person out of heaven, one was not paying an honest tithe. Honest tithing didn't include everyone. What hierarchy did was to initiate a dishonest tithing system nothing like what God had the Israelites to do and add a penalty of losing their eternal reward. Under the new and better covenant Christians are to give as we have been blessed. Churches that use the new covenant systems giving guide are certainly blessed. Those who demand a false tithe are deceiving the laity that has not studied that scripture on the subject.
You evidently expect the Gospel to go to the world for free.
There you go again "evidently" making a statement that is not truthful. I could show you my checkbook, but I really don't care what you believe I expect.
If you allowed the church to bully you into paying more than 10% to the Conference, that's on you, not the world church, nor EGW.
If I allowed the church to bully me into paying anything to the conference it was because I didn't know better. I was hoodwinked because I didn't take the time to study the real truth. If a person out of their heart feels the need to give 10% or 50% it is a blessing. To demand 10% from a person is a sin.
If paying 10% was too much for you, the answer to that problem was faith cultivation and/or proper money management. There is no third way.
Proper money management? There was not enough money to manage. I was taught that the tithe and offerings came off the top and feeding the kids came after that. The pastors and hierarchy had to be paid.
I've been down that same road. I've worked 3 jobs at times. I worked graveyard shift (10-12 hrs/day) so I could drive the kids from our church and community in a broken-down Dodge mini-van back and forth (132 miles/day) to parochial school for years. I've been jobless and disabled. No one from the church ever helped me, but God (not Mrs. White) is able to and did provide for that which He asks of me. One person (whom I just love to pieces) let me borrow his pickup truck when the wheel fell off of my 15-year-old car while driving one day. My uncle-in-law left the church over this same issue, but he has come back.
I had kinda the same experience. Soon after we joined the church I got laid off for six months. No one from the church helped us except a SDA anesthesiologist didn't charge us for the birth of our third child during that six months. The SDA delivery doctor did.
Today, I'm financially sound. Tomorrow, I could be destitute.
Glad that you are and pray that you will never be destitute.
10% of my destitution would go to the storehouse.
Yes, I was informed that my unemployment check should be tithed.
I return tithe directly from my bank to the local conference treasurer automatically, just like withholding tax. I offer another 5% in the collection plate. It is the least I can do. The Gospel does not go to the world for free and churches have bills to pay. We have a brand-new beautiful church where I live and it's completely paid for.
I am happy for you.
Foxes have holes, but the Son of Man had not where to lay His head. I am certainly no more deserving of wealth than He.
Agreed. And neither did Mrs. White. The Priest's duties (even as mediator) have an end. But the benefits which the atonement provides are eternal. If you'd ever read this you'd know that:
Ellen could say anything she pleased and most would either agree or stay mum because she would come down on them with her wrath as can be read in the nine volumes of the "testimonies". She stated that we would have to go it alone at the end time. Jesus would withdraw covering for us. That statement is diametrically opposed to what Jesus said. Jesus said He will be with us always. Now Jesse you have to make up your mind as who to believe.
"The blood of Christ is the eternal antidote for sin. The offensive character of sin is seen in what it cost the Son of God in humiliation, in suffering and death. All the worlds behold in Him a living testimony to the malignity of sin, for in His divine form He bears the marks of the curse. He is in the midst of the throne as a Lamb that hath been slain. The redeemed will ever be vividly impressed with the hateful character of sin, as they behold Him who died for their transgressions. The preciousness of the Offering will be more fully realized as the blood-washed throng more fully comprehend how God has made a new and living way for the salvation of men, through the union of the human and the divine in Christ.
The death of Christ upon the cross made sure the destruction of him who has the power of death, who was the originator of sin. When Satan is destroyed, there will be none to tempt to evil; the atonement will never need to be repeated; and there will be no danger of another rebellion in the universe of God. That which alone can effectually restrain from sin in this world of darkness, will prevent sin in heaven. The significance of the death of Christ will be seen by saints and angels. Fallen men could not have a home in the paradise of God without the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Shall we not then exalt the cross of Christ? The angels ascribe honor and glory to Christ, for even they are not secure except by looking to the sufferings of the Son of God. It is through the efficacy of the cross that the angels of heaven are guarded from apostasy. Without the cross they would be no more secure against evil than were the angels before the fall of Satan. Angelic perfection failed in heaven. Human perfection failed in Eden, the paradise of bliss. All who wish for security in earth or heaven must look to the Lamb of God. The plan of salvation, making manifest the justice and love of God, provides an eternal safeguard against defection in unfallen worlds, as well as among those who shall be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Our only hope is perfect trust in the blood of Him who can save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. The death of Christ on the cross of Calvary is our only hope in this world, and it will be our theme in the world to come."--The Signs of the Times, December 30, 1889
You did a great job indeed making that very colorful. Not to throw ice on the statement, but can you prove she didn't copy that from the writings of some other writer? You never really know because she certainly did read a lot of other authors and then used their writings as given to her by God through her angel.