History Lecture Slideshow | Adventists and War

3 June 2008 | Alexander Carpenter

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A Senior Lecturer at Helderberg, South Africa, Jeff Crocombe writes,

For the first time I have included a lecture on SDA attitudes towards war in my History of the SDA Church class. I have always wanted to, but time constraints mean that there’s always something that I have to grudgingly leave out. This year I made it a priority.

Mr. Crocombe has graciously allowed his lecture to appear here. Let us know what you think.

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Question: What affect has military action in Iraq had on Adventist attitudes toward war in your neck of the woods?

Jared Wright - Tue, 06/03/2008 - 07:22

This information should really be made into a book. And should be available at the ABC. Displayed as prominently as "The Day of the Dragon". Only more so.

It should also be incorporated into ALL classes on Adventist history. In my humble opinion.

Jared Wright - Tue, 06/03/2008 - 07:36

Something that struck me with some force while reading through this presentation was the very real possibility of Seventh-day Adventists fighting against other members of the Adventist World Church. This certainly would have been a possibility in the Korean War - Adventist soldiers from South Korea engaged in combat against Adventist soldiers from the United States.

Certainly this potential for intra-denominational fighting is a good pragmatic reason to stand in opposition to War (in addition to many others).

Johnny Ramírez-Jorge - Wed, 06/04/2008 - 03:50

I love EGW's statement on our responsibility to uphold truth when confronted by society and state.

I'm not a member of the Campus Hill church in Loma Linda but I understand that they had an incident with a family leaving their church having taken offence at a blessing/ prayer being offered for all persons in Iraq which did not specifically bless this soldiers war-making or the troops war-making.

I know that there are a lot more Adventist young people enlisting and bearing arms in the military today than there was a few generations ago. I think this needs to be confronted head-on and Jan Paulsen has done that. But I wonder if that message isn't going out further.

This of course is an example of how easy it is for the church to become subservient to the state. I believe that the response by most churches, which is to see themselves as almost neutral actors when it comes to the decision to go to war, makes Christians complicit in war-making.

I remember an email list-serv I belong to having a very spirited conversation about the appropriateness of Christian chaplains in war zones. I'm convinced that warfare challenges us as Christians in very stark yet complicated ways. A sort of twist on that old maxim- to be in the war but not of the war.

Tom Zwemer - Wed, 06/04/2008 - 05:27

A well written history with appropriate commentary. I was there 1943-1946. I had my share of confrontations usually at the lower levels. Several Bn and Division Commanders became good friends and strong advocates. A few others had a built in mean streak. By and large the Army did well by its men and women.

My last Company Commander was a real gem. Tom

One first sergeant gave me plenty of grief. Years later I met him as he was pushing a gurney at Woods Veterans Hospital and I was an attending Dentist. I introduced myself. He asked what I was doing at Woods. I told him I was one of the attending staff. He began to shake. I pretended not to notice and asked how he was doing. He said fine but if you are a dentist do you know how I can get a better set of false teeth. I said, you are in luck.
The American Board of Prosthodontics is have their annual examination for specialists at Marquette next week. They need patients. Give me your name, address, and phone number and I will get the dean to get you registered. There will be no charge but you will have to be available 8-5 for four days next week. These guys are the best in the nation.

He was accepted and got a fine set of dentures. After than he would grin and wave every time I lectured out at Woods V.A. I loved it. Tom

camdoggdj - Tue, 03/16/2010 - 17:21

How unfortunate. The Seventh Day Adventists claim to have an international brotherhood in Christ, yet they are willing to pick up a gun and kill another human and fellow Adventists; unbelievable. While I am not an Adventist; I am currently having a bible conversation with an Associate Adventist Pastor and can’t wait to show him the hypocrisy in his own faith. The official Adventist website shows the church’s position on violence and by extension war (http://www.adventist.org/beliefs/statements/main_stat4.html), “When Peter drew his weapon Jesus said to him: "Put your sword back in its place . . . All who take the sword will die by the sword" (Matt. 26:52 TEV). Jesus did not engage in violence.”

Clearly the church says one thing, but allows its members do the opposite. This is definitely not a religion that can be blessed by God since Jesus said, “By this all will know you are my disciples if you have love among yourselves” (John 13:34). According to the article below, “Of the estimated 7,500 Adventists who serve in the U.S. military, virtually all are enlisted as combatants.”

War Today - http://www.adventistreview.org/article.php?id=1191

World War II - http://www.everythingimportant.org/seventhdayAdventists/NaziAdventists.htm

Cole - Mon, 02/21/2011 - 23:57

I have to agree with most of your observations of my Church, but I want you to know that we are not all ok with Adventists serving in the war. I am STRONGLY against Adventists serving in the war as combatants, but it is their choice and I have no right to judge their decisions. You cannot stereotype everyone in a religion as being a certain way. It is completely against our religion, even though the conference has said its ok, to serve as combatants in the war. None of this matters though, all you need to do is search your Bible and speak to God to find what is the truth, don't trust anyone else. The Adventist faith is just as full of crooks and liars as any other religion, Adventists just act "holier than thou," which tends to promote pointed fingers...

Cole - Mon, 02/21/2011 - 23:58

my previous comment is a direct reply to camdogdj

austudent - Wed, 10/05/2011 - 15:36

Jared,
How could Adventist soldiers engaged in combat from the United States have fought against Adventist soldiers from South Korea if the US was an (and possibly) the greatest ally of South Korea? Notice most of the "enemies" of the US seem to have a lack of Adventists, seeing as this denomination did begin and expand from America.

RonOsborn - Wed, 10/05/2011 - 18:21

Many thanks, Jeff, for this very important historical summary. Many of the sources, including officially voted documents, that you bring to light I was not aware. It was very eye-opening to me that as recently as the 1960s not bearing arms was voted as an official Adventist belief statement by the GC but later omitted from belief statements out of concern for the difficulties it would pose for some members in some parts of the world. As one who thinks we need to re-claim our pacifist heritage, I can also appreciate the fact that the church chose to recognize dissenting views and the practical realities of being a body with a diverse global membership.