Question for Progressive SDAs WHY do you stay?

[Lebesgue]

Obviously Progressive SDAs do not seem to accept many of the doctrines that the Trads accept.

There are Progressives that do not accept the IJ, do not consider Ellen inspired, etc., etc. and I wonder why don't they just go be Seventh Day Baptists or Messianics? I'm not trying to convert anyone on here I'm just wondering.

Is it familial/cultural pressures? Is it fear of being treated like a "paraiah" by one's family and friends? Is it the hope that you can somehow make a difference and reform the SDA church and get rid of some of the meshugginah things the Trads believe?

I know from the example of my dear wife who is a Progressive SDA(it is HIGHLY unusual for an Indonesian SDA to be a prog most are diehard Trads). She admits she does not believe in Ellen White, does not care what Ellen White says, etc. She does not believe in the IJ and in fact believes in the same Gospel message that most Protestant Christians believe. She thinks the "Sunday Law" teaching is complete hooey". She, like me is an Old Earth Creationist and does not believe there are "unfallen beings" on other worlds other than angels.

And she listens intently to the stuff I tell her that I am learning at Messianic synagogue and even accepts it.

She is one of the most progressive SDAs I know and yet she stays and she admits it's because she is afraid of breaking her parents' hearts.

So my progressive SDA Borthers and Sisters, is it cultural and familial pressure that keeps you in the fold even though you may not believe a lot of what Adventism teaches?

Again, I am not trying to convert you. I am just curious.

Shalom,

Lebesgue

 

[JonMiller]

I don't agree with any church/denomination, entirely. I agree with some things that the adventist church does. I think that it is better to be part of a church then not (a lot more good gets done by people being together, also, I do consider adventists Christians and worshiping with other Christians is a huge benefit). The particular church that I attend, while I disagree with some things, benefits me spiritually enough that I feel it is valuable to continue attending (I wish I could find freinds at it though).

My family no longer attends church, and those who are still Christian mostly don't consider themselves adventist. I don't have any good freinds who are adventists (just some casual freinds or acquitances) and most of my freinds aren't even really Christian.

JM

 

[NightEternal]

You might find this thread interesting Lebesgue. It will probably answer your questions, at least for me anyhow:

A journey out and then back in again


I am reading with interest Lightworker's thread in the D&D subforum. I wish I could contribute, but, alas, I am still confined here until the middle of December.

http://christianforums.com/t6413967-a-tall-idea.html

The issue of salvation by church membership and the importance/unimportance of denominational loyalty are very critical ones to discuss. I wasn't planning to share this with the forum, but in light of the exchange going on in that thread and the speculations and question being asked "where does one go when they leave the church?", I thought it would be pertinent to share a portion of my journey concerning where I personally went.

There was a period of time in my life, a couple of years ago, when I got so fed up with traditional Adventism that I left the church. For about a year I attended a Seventh Day Baptist church. I never officially took my name off the books and I never told anyone I knew that I was leaving. I just left. I needed a break big time. My wife remained in Adventism, as she was raised in the church and couldn't bring herself to join me.

It is probably not very common for someone who has left the SDA church to return, but that is exactly what happened. During the course of that year, I was finding that I was having just as many issues with the SDB's in doctrinal areas as Adventism. I could not find many things I could relate to in thier eschatology and some of thier interpretations of Revelation and Daniel were, to say the least, out in left field (that is, if any attempt at all was made to study and discuss these important books.)

I loved thier emphasis on grace and the righteousness of Christ as well as the powerful contemporary music worship services. It was nice to not have the spectre of EGW overshadowing everything also.

However, they weren't taking as much of a hardline Protestant stance as I would have liked. There was no clear prophetic interpretation on anything, and the three angel's message was not even addressed or acknowledged. It's like it didn't exist to them at all, even though it is right there in Scripture.

Bible studies were quite interesting. They often looked at me like I was an alien, wondering where I was getting this stuff from!

So, as it stands now, my approach to Adventism is pretty much the same as the one I take with EGW: Accept and incorporate what is good, discard the rest. There will never be a church that I agree 100% with, and right now the good outweighs the bad in Adventism for me.

Who knows where God will lead in the future though. Contrary to what some think, there is life after Adventism.

http://christianforums.com/showthread.php?p=40855264#post40855264

Yes, I left and joined the SDB's for a while. It was a good break to take.

However, the bottom line for me is that every church is wrong on some points. There is no perfect church.

I like Adventisms prophetic, apocalyptic orientation and resistance to Rome. I enjoy the Sabbath, I believe in the state of the dead, Christ's Heavenly ministry of intercession and judgment, a pre-Advent judgment (NOT the IJ), baptism by immersion and the three angel's message. I believe EGW was inspired but subordinate to the Bible and the NT apostles.

That, to me, is enough to warrant staying.

As for reform, yes, I hope that can be acomplished, but I do not believe it will.

Cultural pressure? No, not me. I have resisted Adventist culture since the day I joined. I am the most non-cultural Adventist you will meet. I go to movies, like Christian rock music, go to Christian dance clubs, eat meat and drink a glass of wine on occasion. The SDA church I attend is a contemporary, celebration church that has straight up Evangelical preaching you would hear in any Baptist church. Never any EGW from the pulpit.

I am who I am and I have to stay true to what that is. So no, there is no SDA culture keeping me in. I never observed any of it to begin with.

If you want to know more of what I believe, this site lays it out pretty good:

http://www.presenttruthmag.com/

 

[Lebesgue]

I respect that, Night.

For me I do not accept the SDA interpretation of Daniel and Revelation(I agree 100% with the Messianic Jewish interpretation of it) and I do not and never did even when I was an SDA accept their State of the Dead doctrine or 3 Angels message. So for me, the probablity of my coming back would be slim to none, I am happy and growing at my Messianic Synagogue.

I first tried the SDB thing myself but did not like their lack of following the food laws which I consider to be important. My wife was also bitterly opposed to my attending SDB church and would only accept my becoming Messianic if I did not want to be an SDA.
It's working and I am happy.

I just cannot wrap my head around the 3 Angels message or the rest of SDA eschatology. I am FIRMLY convinced the fullfillment of Daniel 8:13-14 is found in the Chanukkah story and NOTHING happened in 1844.

Different strokes fro different folks.

G-d Bless You.

Shalom,

Lebesgue