@Professor Kent: And here is the crux of the problem: …

Comment on What does it take to be a true Seventh-day Adventist? by Sean Pitman.

@Professor Kent:

And here is the crux of the problem: what are the “primary goals and ideals,”

These include order and structure of the church government (which the church believes is Divinely inspired) as well as the stated fundamental doctrinal beliefs of the church.

and what constitutes “openly attack?”

Teaching or preaching, in public, anything that undermines the church’s perspective on one of its stated “fundamentals”.

Who gets to decide these?

The church.

From your response, I take it that women’s ordination is “not thought to be ‘fundamental’.”

Womens’ ordination is not, in and of itself, a fundamental doctrinal issue (Do you see it listed anywhere in the 28 Fundamental Beliefs of the SDA Church?). However, church order and government is a fundamental issue. Any effort to fragment the church or to work outside of the governmental structure of the church tends toward fragmentation and disrupts the primary goals and mission of the church.

I also recognize that the church is a worldwide church and, because of this, there are rational reason why the church, as an organization, may wish to proceed more slowly on some of these issues. In any case, the organization of the church is itself a more vital issue (Similar to the perspective of Abraham Lincoln on the issue of slavery vs. maintaining the Union of the States – the Union was more important to him. Once the union was solidly established, the other issues that needed to be addressed could be undertaken).

So I’m pleased that you, too, do not object to individuals, conferences, and unions who very openly disagree with the Church’s official position on women’s ordination.

But I do object to conferences and unions doing their own thing independent of the united worldwide church government. That’s a big problem for the church and sets a very bad and dangerous precedent – the beginnings of fragmentation and the very real possibility of a major split in the church.

Sean Pitman
www.DetectingDesign.com

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