Misguided Perceptions and Confused Theology
I love my Adventist experience of 40 years, and the Sabbath School lesson guide has been a rich blessing in my journey of learning to love Jesus.
Colleen is obviously speaking from misguided perceptions and confused theology on the topics of redemption and the Great Controversy.
I’m sticking with Jesus and the remnant juggernaut mission machine.
—VIA YOUTUBE
Great Controversy Yin and Yang
I’ve never been Adventist but desire to help a friend firmly stuck in it. They Adventist Great Controversy seems to smack of the Yin and Yang. A controversy is something that requires resolution. Placing it between God and Satan is to place God on trial, requiring Him to bear proof of His justification, and who would be the arbitrary party? Man? What heresy! Anyone subscribing to this idea needs to read the last two chapters of Job. The only controversy lies in the minds of men.
—VIA YOUTUBE
Dear Former Adventist Podcast
I’m writing my quick email thanking you and your team for bringing the truth I desperately needed. I’m a former third generation Adventist raised deeply in the Adventist culture based on ultra-conservative Ellen values. Here are a few of my feelings during my journey that really began months ago when I brought my mother home from the hospital and placed her into palliative care.
I was trying to care for my mother’s health needs from thousands of miles away. My father refused to be her primary care-giver because he considered it to be women’s work to care for the elderly. I’d have to fly to see her when there were problems. I had reached out to my mother’s friends at the church to help guide me during that season, and I even specifically outlined the struggles I was having with Adventist doctrine.
Because I had been a member at that church and had volunteered in many of its ministries and outreaches, even raising my children there, I still identified it as my home church. I reached out for weeks and months trying to communicate with those whom I knew best. My mother had also been active in the church, and my father served as well.
I did not get a single email, phone call, nor smoke signal in return. It was discouraging, and I felt alone and abandoned.
When I started my journey, my goal was to become a better Adventist, but now I believe the Holy Spirit was protecting me. He wanted me to go to Him, not to humans. So I went straight to the Bible. Ellen White didn’t make sense. I’d have panic attacks when I’d listen to Ellen.
I feel that I was clearly being moved away from the Adventist beliefs as God’s protection of me. I finally wrote to the general conference to remove my name from their membership. Ironically, I finally got an email replying to me a few days ago. Now all of sudden they want to reach out; that made me laugh.
While I’m still learning, I’m still very much grieving. I’m grieving my mother’s death and how I saw her faith in Adventism. I’m grieving the death of the lies I was brainwashed into. Ellen was a huge part of my upbringing, and there was definitely much abuse. The issue that affected me most, though, was how women were treated like third-class citizens—at least where I grew up. In fact, they were not even treated as citizens.
Your podcasts and videos will certainly keep me busy for the foreseeable future. Thank you.
—VIA EMAIL
Response: Thank you so much for writing! I’m so sorry for the loss and pain you have been experiencing but so, so thankful that the Lord protected you and is drawing you to Himself! He is absolutely faithful!
The lack of concern and the silence toward you on the part of your mother’s church (and yours too, actually) is inexcusable and incredibly hurtful. Sadly, it reflects the core of its unbelief and deceptive gospel. It is not really a true church. You are right about their treatment of women and also of vulnerable and powerless people including children and those who are considered socially “unimportant”. Adventism does not see each person as reflecting the image of God and of being personally known by and designed by God.
How ironic that the GC reached out to you after all the ignoring that has gone on over the past years. Further, you need to know that you are not alone regarding the abuse and family dysfunction. These things are common within Adventism. Without the real Jesus who took our sin and literally gives us life and reconciles us to Himself, Adventism its anchored in the domain of darkness under the power of the prince of the air (see Ephesians 2:1–3). It is a religion that appears to have received its special messages from what Paul called an “angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14)—the disguise he said Satan uses for himself. It tries to substitute morality for true righteousness, but morality is human-generated, not the consequence of knowing Jesus. He gives us His own imputed righteousness while Adventism tries to appear “righteous” by requiring certain moral-appearing behaviors to disguise themselves to the world.
You are welcome to join us on Friday evenings at 7:00 PM for our online FAF Bible study. If you wish to participate, just email FormerAdventist@gmail.com and request a zoom link. Meanwhile, please feel free to email me anytime.
Although we are not currently publishing a printed version of Proclamation! magazine, all our back issues are online here: ProclamationMagazine.com.
We have also added your name to our weekly Proclamation! email updates. You may need to add the email address mail@LifeAssuranceMinistries.org to your contacts in order for the email not to be directed toward your Spam folder. These emails will arrive every Friday. Archived articles are available at https://lifeassuranceorg.nfshost.com/magazine-archive/.
You might also enjoy our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/FormerAdventist/featured
Also, you might like to subscribe to our Former Adventist Podcast here; many say these help them unpack the Adventism hidden in the recesses of their minds: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/former-adventist/id1482887969
In addition, we have a new podcast called Adventist Fact Check in which we talk through the misinformation contained in the weekly Sabbath School lessons. You can find them here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adventist-fact-check-with-colleen-tinker/id1721662293
Both podcasts are also on our YouTube channel above.
I pray the Lord will lead you and want you deeply in His love and His word! †
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