what if everyone was sda?

[StormyOne]

About twenty-five years ago I was holding forth before a group of students about the virtues of country living. It was my second year in ministry, and I was serving as chaplain for an Adventist students' association at a state university.

Having outlined in considerable detail the virtues of country of living and the specifics of how it was possible for anyone adequately motivated, I was taken aback when an Adventist professor from the university gently informed me that my thinking was flawed. "You've forgotten the law of composition," he said.

"If you're at a football game and can't see because heads are in your way, it will help if you stand up. But it will help only as long as few people do it. If everyone stands, you lose the advantage. In the same way, your ideas of country living are predicated on the assumption that most people won't do it. If everyone did, we couldn't support the technological infrastructure that makes country living, as you've outlined it, viable."

http://www.atoday.com/magazine/2000/03/thank-god-gentiles

 

[Sophia7]

Interesting article. Of course, it's highly unlikely that everyone would become Adventist, but neither was it likely that everyone would become Jewish in OT times. Sabbath observance, among other practices, set the Israelites apart from the surrounding nations. It seems to me that many of the issues brought up in the article highlight the difficulties of applying to today's world a commandment that was originally given to a people who were confined to one geographical region and who lived in an agrarian society. I don't believe that the Sabbath command was ever meant to be a universally binding moral law for all of mankind.

 

[StormyOne]

Interesting article. Of course, it's highly unlikely that everyone would become Adventist, but neither was it likely that everyone would become Jewish in OT times. Sabbath observance, among other practices, set the Israelites apart from the surrounding nations. It seems to me that many of the issues brought up in the article highlight the difficulties of applying to today's world a commandment that was originally given to a people who were confined to one geographical region and who lived in an agrarian society. I don't believe that the Sabbath command was ever meant to be a universally binding moral law for all of mankind.

correct.... it is impossible to make what worked then work now...

 

[sentipente]

The problem the church is facing today is that they insist on viewing Israel as God people only. Like other Christians, we have abandoned the truth which states that the entire human race consists of God's people so that the history of no one group can be viewed as "divine."

 

[Avonia]

The problem the church is facing today is that they insist on viewing Israel as God people only. Like other Christians, we have abandoned the truth which states that the entire human race consists of God's people so that the history of no one group can be viewed as "divine."

And it's easier to have "right belief" than it is to be good people who serve the entire human race.

 

[foofighter]

Well, not only the Sabbath issues, which by the way is not an issue for me, but what about what kind of music would there be? Boring!!!!! Dance? Forget about that. Art? Movies? Possibly, but they would only be about the same subjects or from the same point of view basically. To think about an all SDA world is depressing beyond belief. I really enjoy the things this life has to offer. The diversity of ideas, talents, wonderful food, fabulous people from all types of cultures, experiences...the list is endless. A world of only SDA? How mind numbing and soul destroying would that be?

And of course there would be the endless discussions of what is "kosher" to do and not do, not only on Sabbath, but everyday of the week. The morality police would make the puritans look like libertines.

Has anyone seen the movie "Pleasantville"? Everything black and white. A homogenized society of sameness. Also when I saw the movie "The Village" it reminded me of SDA's as well. I was still one at the time, but just barely.

Thank you Jesus for freedom, joy and resting in You, not a day. Save us from religiosity and lead us into life in the Spirit.

Yes, the thought of an all SDA world is SCARY !!!!!!!!!!

 

[NightEternal]

Well, not only the Sabbath issues, which by the way is not an issue for me, but what about what kind of music would there be? Boring!!!!! Dance? Forget about that. Art? Movies? Possibly, but they would only be about the same subjects or from the same point of view basically. To think about an all SDA world is depressing beyond belief. I really enjoy the things this life has to offer. The diversity of ideas, talents, wonderful food, fabulous people from all types of cultures, experiences...the list is endless. A world of only SDA? How mind numbing and soul destroying would that be?

And of course there would be the endless discussions of what is "kosher" to do and not do, not only on Sabbath, but everyday of the week. The morality police would make the puritans look like libertines.

Has anyone seen the movie "Pleasantville"? Everything black and white. A homogenized society of sameness. Also when I saw the movie "The Village" it reminded me of SDA's as well. I was still one at the time, but just barely.

Thank you Jesus for freedom, joy and resting in You, not a day. Save us from religiosity and lead us into life in the Spirit.

Yes, the thought of an all SDA world is SCARY !!!!!!!!!!

WOW. :o You get a gold star for that post Foofighter! You have spoken to my heart completely.

It is true. The arts have died a slow, agonizing death in Adventism. Strangled, crushed out mercilessly by the right wing. But what do you expect when the prophetess condemns and blacklists almost every expression of art under the sun? And those who let her do thier thinking for them just fall into mindless rank and file, attacking contemporary styles of music, plays, drama, theater, skits, sports, television, opera, modern dance, fiction, novels, jewelry, make-up, fine wine and cuisine, contemporary forms of worship, you name it-parroting the fundamentalist right wing, proudly touting the banner of Joe Crews intolerance and fear-mongering, alienating and driving yet another generation of creative youth and young adults away from the church. Demanding all bow in subserviance to thier style of Adventism and what they deem sinful according to thier own personal tastes and opinions, claiming to speak for God. Not satisfied until they drive us straight into some sort of Puritan, Amish, 1800 style hell on earth in thier attempts to siphon any creativity or expression out of the church. Sadly, this push towards irrelevency and eventual obscurity is justified in the name of making us a 'peculiar, strange, modest, plain people' in line with SOP dictates.

No way. Not for me. Never.

A world of only Del Dekker and tofu.

Dear God, I would rather have my body covered in fire ants.

 

[Mankin]

Yeah. I'd probably start a revolution if Adventism took over the world.

 

[Mankin]

WOW. :o You get a gold star for that post Foofighter! You have spoken to my heart completely.

It is true. The arts have died a slow, agonizing death in Adventism. Strangled, crushed out mercilessly by the right wing. But what do you expect when the prophetess condemns and blacklists almost every expression of art under the sun? And those who let her do thier thinking for them just fall into mindless rank and file, attacking contemporary styles of music, plays, drama, theater, skits, sports, television, opera, modern dance, fiction, novels, jewelry, make-up, fine wine and cuisine, contemporary forms of worship, you name it-parroting the fundamentalist right wing, proudly touting the banner of Joe Crews intolerance and fear-mongering, alienating and driving yet another generation of creative youth and young adults away from the church. Demanding all bow in subserviance to thier style of Adventism and what they deem sinful according to thier own personal tastes and opinions, claiming to speak for God. Not satisfied until they drive us straight into some sort of Puritan, Amish, 1800 style hell on earth in thier attempts to siphon any creativity or expression out of the church. Sadly, this push towards irrelevency and eventual obscurity is justified in the name of making us a 'peculiar, strange, modest, plain people' in line with SOP dictates.

No way. Not for me. Never.

A world of only Del Dekker and tofu.

Dear God, I would rather have my body covered in fire ants.

I'd rather join the Pentacostal or Catholic Church than have a world commanded by Adventism. No offense to either denomination.

 

[BGMCFAR]

Evidently non of you know the history of the roman catholic church How about the Spainish Enquision millions of people were slaughtered complete civilazations wiped out because they wouldn,t become catholic. And at one time Cathalicism ruled all of Europe Kings Emporers, princes, and everyone payed omige to Rome. PEnacostal don't believe in going to movies,dancing, and wareing makeup drinking or listenig to secular music and neither due Baptists My wife was raised Missionary Baptist. Oh an Pentacostal woman are not allowed to ware pants they have to ware askirt and blouse or a dress no pants suites either. If given the opprotunity you don't think the Catholic church wouln't like to have the power they had at one time they wouldn't advantage of it Every government in the world would pay omige to Rome Oh an by the way Pentacostal womans skirts and dresses have be know less than 4 to 6 inches below the knees .

 

[Mankin]

Yep I'm aware of RCC times during the Middle Ages. People found clever ways to get around RCC regulations though except in the form of heresy.