We got mail…

I Thought I Was Sinning

In listening to your recent two podcasts, I have several memories rushing through my brain, as probably is the case with most formers. 

I distinctly remember a few conversations I had with my (now ex-) husband when he was attending the seminary here at Andrews in 2008-09. One of these conversations was about re-baptism. I had wanted to get re-baptized for reasons I am sure were based on guilt. In trying to explain my reasons to him, he pretty much brushed them off and said the following: “Baptism is purely administrative.” He went on to say that it’s only a “head count” of existing memberships, and it has nothing to do with your salvation; it’s basically a numbers game!

Have you ladies ever heard about this “administrative” part of his response? Of course, I was blown away about baptism having nothing to do with one’s salvation, too. I gave him the deer-in-the-headlights look. Back then, I followed all the do’s and don’ts of Adventism, believing what the church elders, pastors, and my dad (lay pastor) taught—that these were biblically based teachings that EGW received through the Holy Spirit. (Now I question everything anyone tells me!) 

Another one of our conversations related to salvation that I so naively believed back then was about the Old Testament/Levitical laws about unclean foods and such. My ex grew up in Southern California near Los Angeles, and I grew up in Northern California. I noticed major differences between the northern/southern California conferences; the northern were WAY more conservative. In SoCal, they treated the Sabbath like any other day, even going out to lunch after church, buying/selling, going about their business as on any other day. There was no dress code for church. Besides these things, they did not frown upon eating “unhealthy” meats or drinking alcohol or coffee. In Northern California, it was the complete opposite! 

So one day during our time at Andrews I asked him what he would say if someone asked him about his upbringing on bacon—how would he explain his still eating it as an adult. (I thought his family ate bacon because his mom was a single parent and that was all she could afford, but why he continued to eat it was beyond my comprehension back then.) He told me, quite frankly, that it’s not a sin to eat bacon or any other “unhealthy” foods or drinks—that these things also had nothing to do with one’s salvation.

I gave him the deer-in-the-headlights look and asked, “What do you mean??” 

I was so completely dumbfounded by the very idea that I was not sinning when I ate some of his bacon, or had a drink there and there, or even drank REAL coffee—with caffeine! 

He asked me, “All this time since your family became Adventist, you’ve believed you were sinning when you did these things?” 

“Yes,” I said, still horrified and shocked that I was not sinning. I think that was the beginning of something inside me questioning what I was being taught and what it really means to be “saved” in the true biblical sense and not in the sense of what EGW or the SDA church taught. 

I could go on and on about this nonsense! It really does upset me, but I have to take a breath and pray about our brothers and sisters who are still in the Adventist church.

Thank you ladies for all you do—continue spreading the Truth!

—VIA EMAIL

Response: Thank you for writing! What a journey you have had with Adventism!

Yes, I knew that baptisms were “administrative”; whenever they hold evangelistic meetings, the reason they want to baptize members is for the organization’s membership. The reason they hold baptismal classes and attempt to baptize the fifth and sixth graders in Adventist schools is for the purpose of securing their membership. Pastors that produce baptisms tend to be rewarded in their careers.

Baptisms are the single “thing” that determines membership, and local churches with larger numbers of members receive more tithe money from the conference for the purpose of paying larger pastoral staffs. Adventists love being considered one of the fastest-growing religious groups. 

I can understand your shock at hearing your then-husband say that eating “unclean” foods was not sin! I have to say—he was being completely dishonest in attending seminary and training for ministry while not believing in the religion. He was using the system, in a way. Of course, a false religion cannot help but spawn disingenuous adherents, but the fact that he knew those things were not condemned by Scripture yet was publicly endorsing those practices makes him deceptive and dishonest. 

Yes, there is something terribly wrong with Adventism. I praise God that He is leading you to Himself and redeeming those years!

 

I LOVE Adventism

I love the Adventist Church. In it I have heard the clearest depiction of the character of God, the gospel, the plan of salvation, the heavenly sanctuary ministry of Christ, the application of Christian principles to every phase of life, the powerful work of the Holy Spirit, a beautiful health message, incredible insights into bible prophecy, a deep study of Scripture, and a love for Christ.

—VIA EMAIL

Response: In Adventism you have heard these things through the lens of Ellen White’s great controversy worldview. Unfortunately, you have not heard the biblical gospel or the truth of the real Jesus and His already-finished work of atonement through the Adventist organization.

 

What Do You Believe About Hell?

Please, what is your position at Life Assurance Ministries of eternal torment in hell, a doctrine which the Adventists are known to oppose?

I would like to see an article on that.

—VIA EMAIL

Response: Here is a link to an article we ran earlier this year on this very subject: “Grappling With Hell”.