“Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, …

Comment on NCSE Report: Adventist Education in the Midst of a Sea of Science by Christina.

“Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.”

And who is “all?” Is any sin among us to be subject to public exposure and ridicule? To whom did Jesus say, “Let him who is without sin throw the first stone?”

Christina Also Commented

NCSE Report: Adventist Education in the Midst of a Sea of Science
Sean and Shane are Adventist patriots and will be regarded as heros to the church for their bold and decisive action.

Funny. The majority of the church’s leaders (a number of whom have been vilified by Educate Truth) will never see it this way. Most would agree the 5-year-old bully on a playground is bold and decisive, but hardly representative of the church’s patriots.


NCSE Report: Adventist Education in the Midst of a Sea of Science
Sean Pitman wrote “It is interesting to me that those who are most ardent in arguing that no disagreements within the church should be publicly aired or brought before the church body in general find themselves free to do the very same thing themselves – to publicly call me out, by name, as being responsible for grave wrongs and damage to the church. And, they do this without speaking to me privately about the issue or asking the church leadership to do so either (and usually without using one’s real name).

Even a 5-year-old would recognize the moral distinction between someone who publicly engages in name-calling and bullying versus someone who defends the ones who called names and bullied. Yet Dr. Pitman, with his advanced degrees, chooses to obfuscate.

Dr. Pitman wrote “Come on guys, at least be consistent in your interpretation of Matthew 18… and consider also that Matthew 18 is talking about private personal sins – not the issue of pastors and teachers openly attacking the church from within on the church’s dime. Such activity was publicly address by Mrs. White, the other founding fathers of the early SDA Church, and the early Christian Church, and even Jesus himself…

So now Dr. Pitman conviently dismisses PRINCIPLE and proclaims innocence by declaring POLICY, much like on would expect of a 5-year-old name-calling bully. Where in scripture or in Ellen White’s writings does one see an attempt by Jesus or the prophetess to shame others publicly and behind their backs, in front of believers and unbelievers alike, to harm their reputations and enforce behavioral change?

Hint: nowhere. Dr. Pitman obfuscates by drawing the wrong parallels.

The official SDA leadership will never stoop to Educate Truth’s tactics, and all SDAs should be proud of that.


NCSE Report: Adventist Education in the Midst of a Sea of Science
Eddie, Rhododendron and John J.,

If I may submit, you guys (and gal?) are like flies trapped in a car, vainly beating your wings against the windshield.

The simple reality is this: you are not going to change the way ET supporters think and write. It’s just not going to happen.

You guys are right to suggest that open criticism of individuals on a podium in front of the entire world is morally and ethically deplorable. This website does indeed operate outside of the church. The church, in fact, will never, ever, ever, ever, ever embrace this form of influence or correction because it knows that this approach goes against everything Jesus Christ represented. There are appropriate ways of dealing with such issues, but the approach of this website will never be deemed appropriate by the elected church leaders. Never.

The modus operandi of Educate Truth unquestionably contradicts the general PRINCIPLE of Matthew 18 and I Corinthians 6, which makes clear that issues of disagreement among church members should not be aired beyond the church, which inescapably brings disfavor upon the church. ET supporters here, beginning with Sean Pitman, insist that these chapters offer only POLICY, which does not apply to the situation they seek to address. But their view is fatally flawed and opposed by the official position of the SDA church, as set forth in the SDA Bible Commentary and in the SDA Church Manual.

The PRINCIPLE of Matthew 18 and I Corinthians 6 cannot be dismissed: we are counseled to take up our differences privately, then within a small group, and finally within the church. Nowhere are we instructed to take our grievances before the entire world, and it is ludicrous to suggest that both Jesus and Ellen White did so. We are NOT to use tactics that employ public humiliation, which ultimately make the church look bad to people like Ken and others who are shocked at the lack of civility in so-called Christian discourse.

The day the SDA church leadership officially embraces cyberbullying and cyberharassment as a means to an end will surely signify Bill Sorensen’s predicted demise of the church. Fortunately, we will never see that day. Ever. The church leadership will never stoop to such a deplorably low level. Never. Ever. And I praise God for the flawed but wise leaders we have in place today who refuse to endorse Educate Truth’s uncharitable tactics.

Let the smear campaign resume. I want no part of it.