Whirled Peas

[Avonia]

My biggest personal challenge with SDA membership is the partial disconnect I sense between the church body and most of the issues I care about personally: hunger, violence, poverty, discrimination, environment. I'm curious if anyone else feels this way?

 

[honorthesabbath]

Have you heard of ADRA? Or ASI?

 

[Avonia]

Have you heard of ADRA? Or ASI?

Yes! I've been funding projects through ADRA for many years. It was so cool when they did the first catalog of specific projects . . . I funded a well. But that feels a bit on the side to me. Just look at the balance of conversations on this forum. Thanks for posting Honor . . . Happy Sabbath.

 

[AndrewK788]

Yes! I've been funding projects through ADRA for many years. It was so cool when they did the first catalog of specific projects . . . I funded a well. But that feels a bit on the side to me. Just look at the balance of conversations on this forum. Thanks for posting Honor . . . Happy Sabbath.

ADRA is a wonderful ministry (I like the catalog too Avonia!) but I know what you mean about it being a 2nd priority. Right now my church (former church) is raising money to build a new complex and parking lot...and we really don't need it. We don't even quite fill up the pews we already have and while people suffer worldwide, we're building a bigger better church. Maybe it's to compete with those Baptists and their megachurches?

 

[JonMiller]

I like the work of Adra et al. and it is a large reason why I am part of an organized church rather than not.

JM

 

[Avonia]

ADRA is a wonderful ministry (I like the catalog too Avonia!) but I know what you mean about it being a 2nd priority. Right now my church (former church) is raising money to build a new complex and parking lot...and we really don't need it. We don't even quite fill up the pews we already have and while people suffer worldwide, we're building a bigger better church. Maybe it's to compete with those Baptists and their megachurches?

Of my many friends who no longer interact with the SDA community much anymore, this is the core issue. No doctrine. I'm not sure our community knows how much it's eroding in this way because people like this don't say much as they transition out. They just find other communities that focus on the issues they care about.

 

[Avonia]

My biggest personal challenge with SDA membership is the partial disconnect I sense between the church body and most of the issues I care about personally: hunger, violence, poverty, discrimination, environment. I'm curious if anyone else feels this way?

So all of you CLEARLY like to talk about conspiracy theories more than Whirled Peas . . . whatever. So, let me say this. Has it occurred to anyone that we might be on the planet for a LONG time, so we better get our act together? How about for another 1000 years? How about 10,000?

 

[mva1985]

So all of you CLEARLY like to talk about conspiracy theories more than Whirled Peas . . . whatever. So, let me say this. Has it occurred to anyone that we might be on the planet for a LONG time, so we better get our act together? How about for another 1000 years? How about 10,000?

I hope that is not the case.

I was listening to the radio yesterday and they said that one of the food banks was running low on food, and I thought I probably should make the effort to help them out.

 

[JonMiller]

So all of you CLEARLY like to talk about conspiracy theories more than Whirled Peas . . . whatever. So, let me say this. Has it occurred to anyone that we might be on the planet for a LONG time, so we better get our act together? How about for another 1000 years? How about 10,000?

We won't be on the planet for another 1000 years.

If Christ doesn't come within 100 years, and we don't destroy ourselves, we won't be constrained to a single planet anymore.

JM

 

[honorthesabbath]

Avonia--I also would like to add that our local church is VERY missionary minded. We have a food bank and clothing and our Pathfinders do some pretty cool community services on an on-going basis. Our youth are REALLY involved in God's work. I am very proud of our Pathfinder leaders for encouraging our kids to grow up with SERVICE as a priority! Praise God!

I didn't go this year--but last year we handed out food bags to the needy that we had collected the weeks before from the community.

So yes--our little local church is trying to carry out our Lords command to love thy neighbor.

 

[Avonia]

Avonia--I also would like to add that our local church is VERY missionary minded. We have a food bank and clothing and our Pathfinders do some pretty cool community services on an on-going basis. Our youth are REALLY involved in God's work. I am very proud of our Pathfinder leaders for encouraging our kids to grow up with SERVICE as a priority! Praise God!

I didn't go this year--but last year we handed out food bags to the needy that we had collected the weeks before from the community.

So yes--our little local church is trying to carry out our Lords command to love thy neighbor.

Good to hear!

 

[Avonia]

and we don't destroy ourselves.

JM

Yes, I do worry about that! There are people who write a lot of our most serious issues off to evil and end time events, as if we are helpless, when most of the issues stem from behaving badly toward one another and being a bad steward of the planet.

 

[sentipente]

I hope that is not the case.

That's not the kind of hope we are asked to hold to.

 

[sentipente]

We won't be on the planet for another 1000 years.

If Christ doesn't come within 100 years, and we don't destroy ourselves, we won't be constrained to a single planet anymore.

JM

Support that with a sound argument.

 

[sentipente]

We will never figure how to get our act right until we honestly consider how we really got into the fix we are in. Holding fast to myths is not the way.

 

[JonMiller]

Support that with a sound argument.

Considering that private companies are begining to have ventures into space, further developement is obvious (Baring some disaster). Additionally, while right now it might be too expensive to live in space or another planet (or to build a space craft to go to anoter system (We do have the technology to do this right now) those technologies are all getting cheaper/etc at a rapid rate.

Also, on a different note, our abilities with genetics means that we will be designing ourselves soon. We won't maintain the same properties we have had after this...

Finally, I am not sure how possible it is, but our machines are getting more complicated and advanced at faster and faster rates. I don't think it wlil happen in the near future, but it might be possible that an AI begins to have real existence.

JM

 

[sentipente]

Thanks. I would note that technology cannot function independently of human input. Humans will never get off this planet without total cooperative effort. AI won't feed us.

 

[Avonia]

That's not the kind of hope we are asked to hold to.

It sounds like you speak of a gospel that tells of heaven on earth. I wonder if the second coming is about us and not an event outside of us . . .

 

[sentipente]

It sounds like you speak of a gospel that tells of heaven on earth. I wonder if the second coming is about us and not an event outside of us . . .

The evidence shows that it is no longer a wonder. It is an established fact. Where is the Son of God supposed to come from if He is everywhere? How can He impose a lasting peace on earth without taking away our freedom? That's an impossibility. Lasting peace must be enforced and it's not pretty if it is enforced from outside. The only alternative is that we impose it upon ourselves. That is the only way.

 

[mva1985]

We won't be on the planet for another 1000 years.

If Christ doesn't come within 100 years, and we don't destroy ourselves, we won't be constrained to a single planet anymore.

JM

Destroying ourselves will not happen. There is a promise in Genesis that tells us this.