Sunday, February 12, 2012

Questions regarding Adventism

These are questions I have struggled with in my studies. They are my honest questions - I'm not trying to be difficult. Based on my studies, I don't believe there are good answers for these questions, but if you have them I'd love to hear them. Just something to think about...

- What, if anything, happened in 1844? How does that relate to Heb. 6:19-20, 9:3, 9:24, 10:10-20, 4:15?

- I don't doubt that God tests people, but would His test be to have people believe an error and then condemn all those who didn't believe it (but instead clung to what He had previously revealed in the Bible)?

- Where does the Bible teach that blood transfers sin instead of cleanses sin?

- Where in the Bible does it say that Satan will ultimately bear the sins (or punishment for sin) of the righteous?

- If Satan is viewed as the scapegoat, doesn't that make him play a key role in our salvation?

- Where does the Bible teach that our role as humans in all of this is to vindicate God's name/character by proving we can keep His law (specifically the 10 Commandments) perfectly with His help + our effort?

- Where does the Bible teach that the 10 Commandments are God's eternal, holy, and all-inclusive moral laws?

- What do you do with the multiple passages that make it clear the 10 Commandments were the old covenant which passed away?

- If the Sabbath was going to be the end time issue, why didn't Jesus, the disciples, or Paul make it clear? Did they want as few people as possible to discover "the truth"? Sabbath-keeping was harped all throughout the OT multiple times, but not in the NT. (Note - I realize Jesus kept the Sabbath, but He kept Passover, was circumcised, and was under the whole law until His death) And with the many listings of sins in the NT along with people who will not inherit eternal life, why does it never mention sabbath-breaking if that is THE key end-time issue?

- If Isaiah 66:22-23 proves Sabbath-keeping in heaven, why don't we also keep the New Moon? And how does that work if there is no sun or moon (Rev. 21:23) and there will be no night there (Rev. 21:25)?

- If Ellen White was really speaking for God, why do most people ignore the majority of what she wrote and feel free to pick & choose from her writings? And why are the people who follow her counsel the closest viewed as extreme or fanatical?

- If Adventist beliefs are strictly based on the Bible, why is Ellen White written into the baptismal vows? Why do many SDA pastors refuse to baptize people if they don't believe in EGW? Why do people get kicked out of the church for not believing in EGW?

- Why is it ok for Adventists to point out doctrinal flaws in other churches - specifically & repeatedly Catholicism - but it's considered "un-Christian" for a former Adventist or non-Adventist to point out doctrinal errors in Adventism?

- Why does Adventism focus more on converting people from other denominations (into belief in the Sabbath, EGW, etc.) rather than reaching non-Christians?

- If the official mission of the SDA church is to spread "the everlasting gospel in the context of the three angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-12", isn't that adding to or changing the gospel? And why stop at 3 angels? Why leave out the angels in the rest of the chapter? Do they not count? See all of Rev. 14 (specifically verses 14-20). How do they apply? Or for that matter, the 7 angels in the next chapter? Why all the focus on simply the 3 angels mentioned in those 7 verses?

- If we are encouraged to study to find the truth, why are people only encouraged to study Adventist material and it's viewed wrong or dangerous to study anything written by former or non-Adventists (for fear of being led astray)? And why are people encouraged by their pastors (and friends/family) to not listen to Biblical evidence presented by former Adventists? If something is true, shouldn't it stand up to scrutiny? Why the fear of weighing both sides?

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