Ken I don’t think you can rightly limit the doctrine …

Comment on Lawrence Geraty, Fritz Guy, and the Framing of Fundamental Belief #6 by John Mark.

Ken I don’t think you can rightly limit the doctrine and teachings of the church to our official fundamental statement. The Seventh-day Adventist movement and church existed with certain known teachings long before we had any such official statements. Our doctrinal teachings have preceded official statements and official statements have been used to clarify and unify us on what we already taught. While Theistic Evolution may not be against the official statements it is certainly against traditional teaching.

Of course an interesting development and point to consider is whether in their emphasis on official statements the Educate Truth movement is unwittingly increasing the perceived importance of official statements in relation to doctrine and teaching. Ironically the same kind of phenomenon can be seen in the development of Roman Catholicism. Doctrines, such as, Apostolic Succession and then the infallible truths of official proclamations of particular councils all developed in response to heresies, as the church thought to maintain the purity of their truth. They were legitimate heresies as well. All of this should make one pause and consider whether the solution to the heresy may actually be worse then the heresy.

John Mark Also Commented

Lawrence Geraty, Fritz Guy, and the Framing of Fundamental Belief #6
Ken, FB#6 is definitely officially approved doctrine. I think perhaps what faith is saying is that Theistic Evolution is not officially approved doctrine. Just because FB#6 supposedly does not condemn theistic evolution as Educate Truth is pushing for, does not mean that it promotes it either.