@pierrepaul and others : well, This “finishing the work” is derived from one Bible text, a quite crucial word there : - II Petr 3 ; 12 - -
Greek : speudontes thn parousinan - - Vulgata : properantes adventum - - KJV : hasting unto - - Luther :eilet zu der Zukunft - -
Who is to be blamed about this or that interpretation ???
EGW is Adventism’s golden goose and the chances of the GC “coming clean” about her work, or admitting to the less than supernatural sources of her “powers”, are about the same as Hogwarts’ chances in Super Bowl Whatever!
But the bigger question is why any organization insists on a belief in fleeting miracles or flimsy prophecies as it’s first principle, or how any religion can demand faith in any particular person’s easily misinterpreted words in order to perpetuate the presupposed “need” for it continuing existence in the first place.
The chairman of Exxon doesn’t need to pull a rabbit out of a hat or say he had a dream in which he saw me filling up at one of his stations to convince me to buy his gasoline.
And if science provides compelling evidence to show that Elvis is truly dead, rather than having been sighted alive and well after his demise, that won’t have any bearing on my enjoyment “Blue Suede Shoes”.
So I would see no need to be re-baptized into SDA-ism just because the denomination finally admitted EGW really couldn’t read people’s minds any more than I would feel compelled to buy into Catholicism merely because the pope said I no longer have to believe that Jesus was rescued from death.
The logical connection between inexplicable miracles, or as yet unfulfilled prophecies, and philosophical truth or psychological benefits is as flimsy and fallacious as is the imaginary interaction between The Wicked Witch of the West and her fictional crystal ball.
To believe otherwise is erstwhile, wishful thinking, like me remembering back to a time when I knew my dad could play hockey better than anybody….
I don’t know about his team, but Ted Wilson will NOT read the book - this for sure. For the simple reason that he only reads “boox” authored by EGW. This is public knowledge.
This is also why he can’t “think out of the boox!” … 
I haven’t read Dr. Valentine’s book yet, personally.
But based on the reviews at Amazon, I feel as confident in predicting that TW hasn’t and won’t read it as I am in forecasting that some kids will get hurt in fireworks mishaps during the upcoming Independence Day Celebration…
(…and IF time should last, as all Adventists-both current and “ex”-habitually postscript their predictions!)
This report of the demographic distribution shows transparency on the part of the GC. That we have 50-50 laypeople and non-administrative employees is commendable and clearly demonstrates we’re making some progress. There was a question regarding the pattern of distribution by each division of the GC and it would be of interest if this could be answered.
I took sometime this week watching the video recordings of the proceedings. It was informative and a learning experience for me regarding the proper observance of parliamentary procedures. I was impressed by the even-handedness of the general vice-presidents who presided over the business meetings. They were all respectful, courteous, humble. I didn’t notice battle lines being drawn. Besides, I didn’t detect anything like those presiding were pushing any hidden personal agendas
Excellent essay, brillant - almost comforting imagery … wait … it’s MY church gaining a pyrrhic victory.
I have followed the idea of building bridges all my life - in many respects. But the amount of polarization that has occurred in my own beloved church during the past 12 years does not allow for much optimism. Thus I lament with the author:
In desperation let’s try the impossible…
This is not just a very astute observation of a top down machinery … it may offer the solution to the dilemma described. The local church, local conference as a union of several churches - needs to be empowered and needs to come of age, rather than submit to the ever increasing pressure to centalized and build a toxic hierarchy:
Oh Andreas, I wish there were some hope , but I am afrais that this Church went so much backwards that is crossed the line beyond return. For many years I hoped that the Adventist Church would be reformed from the absurdities from the past. All in vain.
When Des Ford was rejected I said that he was 30 years ahead of the Church, and that in 30 years the Church would reach the level he was functioning at. I was wrong! Thirty years later the Church elected Ted Wilson (in 90 seconds… ) and he immediately put the church "train in reverse gear, with 1844 as his final destination. And that’s where the Church is stuck at since…
Well put. It’s not just the young who are running away from all this. Every college reunion, you find that your own generation isn’t far behind out the door - perhaps a little slower and with even a lot of regret…
The BIG problem with this is that, not only is there nowhere to go, but it puts you off from all forms of organized religion. If, what was so vital to you once has proven to be an illusion, what can you trust. So, it’s you and the Bible - and the promise of the Spirit who will guide you on. (And Spectrum of course.)
Oh, this was funny…
Some of us ran from Spectrum too…
Can you elaborate a little bit, Sirje?
Our human condition results in the corruption of religious organizations. The nature of organization is to foster exclusivity and membership. When this is done in the name of god we get what we have, authoritarianism mascaradding as religious freedom.
This may be just personal for me, although, the trend seems to be that many are identifying as Christian but without church affiliation. After I was baptized, my dad and I would have numerous conversations about religion and the church. He always said churches are just large corporations, out for money and power. Over the years that’s proven more and more the case.
I had my “moment of truth, years ago, after studying all the salient points of doctrine on my own (before the"28” was published). Things didn’t add up, and I said to the pastor at the time, " what do you do when you pray for guidance and you find things don’t square with EGW". His answer was, “you pray again”. He lost me at that point. Once you find the “emperor’s clothes” have been missing all along, you begin to question everything. Once you find yourself stripped of all the securities “religion” offers, it becomes a very personal search for faith, rather than that security.
… but you’re back!
Not really… Just checking on the GC issues.
Your comments here always add value and perspectives.
Thanks for your reply. I think that there are some churches out there that are healthy. I don’t feel the need for church attendance at this stage of life, but if someone does want that component in their life, I think it’s findable. I agree about it becoming a personal search for faith.
I have to say, I miss being part of a church group - if just for the social interaction. I guess it depends on the church - even SDA church.
We lived in the UP of Michigan (Upper Peninsula) for ten years. It was like being on a constant vacation - quite rugged. Sabbath hikes through the woods and picnics on the shores of Lake Superior, watching the sun go down and singing choruses around a fire - all good. But then there’s everything else. Maybe the social aspect is enough - don’t know.
During my time at Andrews in the early seventies I was taken into the EGW vault in Washington D.C. There, my guide led me to the bookshelves containing Ellen’s personal library. My guide’s interests, and my own, were Geology, Earth Origins and Time, that had been stimulated by field trips across North America.
My guide was familiar with the contents of the library. Taking one book after another he opened them to passages underlined in ink that described the formation of coal, origin of earthquakes, and fossils, material that had been included into her inspired writings.
Just to be clear these books were not her writings, but contemporary authors, from whom she sourced her (false) information.
Whether these line markings were hers personally or those of her researcher/editors I considered not to be relevant.
Two things became crystal clear to me that day:
1 She borrowed without acknowledging her sources. Here they were in my hands. Underlined!
This fact I was to learn had been well documented by others.
2 She borrowed errors disseminating them as of divine origin.
It was for me a smoking gun.
One can accept with a broad view of a prophet’s calling that he/she must necessarily communicate within the limitations of his/her contemporary world-view. It is however problematic when a prophet chooses the outdated facts when the updated facts are also available.
One of the arguments put forward as “proof” of the legitimacy of her calling was a supposed ability to discriminate between facts and fictions, the useful from the dangerous.
The church and its apologists can dance the jig of obfuscation, defining and redefining her authority as forced to do by hard facts, or ignore the evidence hoping it doesn’t percolate too far into the constituency. Meanwhile doubling down on what has long been an indefensible defense.
I will listen to them if, or when, the contents in the library and markings within the books are treated openly and seriously. And as a bonus, refrain from maligning and sidelining those who when they see a spade call it a spade.
I do not expect this to happen, for to look behind the veil, as did Dorothy looking for the Wizard, is to find no there there, and be guaranteed disappointment - but with it enlightenment.
I thought I would miss the social interaction, so I joined a golf club. It’s perfect for me, since I don’t like large groups and we always play in groups of four at the most. I thought it would be expensive, but it comes out to far less than 10% of my income.
Saturday morning walks in the park with a bag full of sticks, hitting a tiny ball into a hole with 2 or 3 other like-minded individuals is far more enjoyable than how I used to spend Saturday mornings.
The reasons I like golf better than church are several but perhaps the one I find most compelling is the fact that golf etiquette frowns very harshly on giving unsolicited advice.
I can’t think of a simpler suggestion for trying to achieve world peace than to ostracize religious people who cannot or will not abide by this code of conduct!
This would also apply to people of a political bent, given that many people who give up on god immediately turn to government as a substitute for their former idolatry.