Comment on Video show LSU undermining church doctrine by Sean Pitman.
I’m pretty sure I have not addressed “academic freedom,†though having brought it up, you clearly make a point quite opposed by EGW, namely that the organization takes precedence over the search itself for truth. Do take time to review the historical materials documenting the prelude to the 1888 GC, available from the White Estate and referenced in numerous books, one of my favorites being Tyner’s “Searcing for the God of Graceâ€
That’s not true. While a personal search for truth is important, Mrs. White clearly understood the role of the Church as an organized body as superior to the personal desires of the individual.
God is leading out a people, not a few separate individuals here and there, one believing one thing, another that. Angels of God are doing the work committed to their trust. The third angels is leading out and purifying a people, and they should move with him unitedly. Some run ahead of the angels that are leading His people; but they have to retrace every step, and meekly follow no faster than the angels lead…
Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church. p. 207. Vol. 1.
Mrs. White also argued that new truths to be discovered would not undermine the pre-established pillars of the Adventist faith which had clearly been established by the leading of the Holy Spirit; that they were to stand until the end of time…
When the power of God testifies as to what is truth, that truth is to stand forever as the truth. No aftersuppositions, contrary to the light God has given, are to be entertained. Men will arise with interpretations of Scripture which are to them truth, but which are not truth. The truth for this time, God has given us as a foundation for our faith. He Himself has taught us what is truth. One will arise, and still another, with new light which contradicts the light that God has given under the demonstration of His Holy Spirit…
[Satan] knows that if he can deceive the people who claim to believe present truth, and make them believe that the work the Lord designs for them to do for His people is a removing of the old landmarks, something which they should, with most determined zeal, resist, then he exults over the deception he has led them to believe…
We are not to receive the words of those who come with a message that contradicts the special points of our faith. They gather together a mass of Scripture, and pile it as proof around their asserted theories. This has been done over and over again during the past fifty years. And while the Scriptures are God’s word, and are to be respected, the application of them, if such application moves one pillar from the foundation that God has sustained these fifty years, is a great mistake. He who makes such an application knows not the wonderful demonstration of the Holy Spirit that gave power and force to the past messages that have come to the people of God.
Ellen White, Preach the Word, p. 5. (1905); Counsels to Writers and Editors, p. 31-32. (1946)
It’s fine if you wish to disagree with me on these issues, but don’t think to invoke Mrs. White to support a cause with which she was in very clear fundamental disagreement and wrote so earnestly and ardently against…
Sean Pitman
www.DetectingDesign.com
Sean Pitman Also Commented
Video show LSU undermining church doctrine
@Geanna Dane:
I wrote a very nice, very sincere reply to Sean, thanking him for the many positive things he does for the church. There was no anger or sarcasm in the message.
You really don’t see how anyone who has read many of your posts would reasonably interpret much of your reply here (@Geanna Dane) as being the least bit sarcastic?
Anyway, all the best to you. Again, my father remembers you and your family fondly from your time at BMA and wishes you well. I think he even baptized you if I am remembering correctly?
I just want to say before you go that, if nothing else, you certainly got people thinking and talking on this forum. ; )
Sean
Video show LSU undermining church doctrine
@Geanna Dane:
I didn’t say either, Sean.
If you agree that this issue is important and something needs to be done to correct what is being promoted at LSU, promoted as a direct attack on the clearly stated Pillars of SDA Faith, what is your recommendation to solve the problem? I’m very curious to hear what you would recommend…
Sean Pitman
www.DetectingDesign.com
Video show LSU undermining church doctrine
@Inge Anderson:
I think Geanna considers Shane and I to be the divisive ones. She doesn’t seem to consider that perhaps the actions of LSU are divisive. Several LSU professors in both science and religion departments have been in direct long-standing and open rebellion against the stated goals and ideals of the SDA Church. Despite the concerted efforts of many to privately address and turn the course of LSU, there has been strong resistence and even outright denials of the obvious truth of the situation. Yet, Geanna pins the blame for division, not on LSU, but on those who are striving for increased transparency from our schools and to correct the fundamental division that is already there and has been tearing the Church apart for decades…
I’m sorry Geanna, but if you really value the experience you have had in SDA schools, as compared to your public school education, you should be supporting us on this issue – not attacking us for producing increased transparency here. After all, without some sort of resistance to what is taking place in schools of ours like LSU, there would be no school for you to attend that would be significantly better than the secular schools you attended where professors were obviously scornful of your “ludicrous” beliefs in the literal Genesis narrative – to include a literal creation week.
This very same thing has long been taking place at LSU, especially in the upper division science classes. For decades now LSU science professors have openly scoffed at the literal SDA interpretation of the Genesis account – publicly discounting such a nonsense position as equivalent to believing in something like a “flat Earth”…
And you’re attacking us for our efforts to maintain what you admittedly value so much?!
I believe your focus and passion are misplaced…
Sean Pitman
www.DetectingDesign.com
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I fail to see where you have convincingly supported your claim that the GC leadership contributed to the harm of anyone’s personal religious liberties? – given that the GC leadership does not and could not override personal religious liberties in this country, nor substantively change the outcome of those who lost their jobs over various vaccine mandates. That’s just not how it works here in this country. Religious liberties are personally derived. Again, they simply are not based on a corporate or church position, but rely solely upon individual convictions – regardless of what the church may or may not say or do.
Yet, you say, “Who cares if it is written into law”? You should care. Everyone should care. It’s a very important law in this country. The idea that the organized church could have changed vaccine mandates simply isn’t true – particularly given the nature of certain types of jobs dealing with the most vulnerable in society (such as health care workers for example).
Beyond this, the GC Leadership did, in fact, write in support of personal religious convictions on this topic – and there are GC lawyers who have and continue to write personal letters in support of personal religious convictions (even if these personal convictions are at odds with the position of the church on a given topic). Just because the GC leadership also supports the advances of modern medicine doesn’t mean that the GC leadership cannot support individual convictions at the same time. Both are possible. This is not an inconsistency.
