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QOD conference bulletin two


By Richard Rice
Thursday, October 25, 2007

I
got to the Seminary Chapel last evening right on time for the first
meeting of the QOD conference and discovered I was late. Every pew on
the main floor was filled, and I was lucky to find a seat in the small
balcony. The meeting began on a decidedly religious tone, with
congregational singing “I Would Be Like Jesus,” prayer and a beautiful
soprano solo for special music. Jerry Moon introduced the conference
and laid down some ground rules for the proceedings. There is to be no
cheering (it only escalates), all questions will be submitted in
writing (no speeches from the floor, obviously), and we should not
expect to agree on everything. Instead, the planners want an honest
exchange of views that remains cordial throughout. After brief
welcoming comments from representatives of two of the sponsoring
institutions for the conference, Denis Fortin, Dean of Andrews
University Seminary, and Jon Paulien, Dean of Loma Linda University’s
School of Religion—Mervyn Warren of Oakwood was delayed in leaving
Huntsville—George Knight gave the first keynote address.


George
Knight is well know to SDAs. Now retired from teaching at the Seminary
after thirty years, he is the author of thirty books, with three more
in production, and he has guided many doctoral dissertations dealing
with SDA history. His presentation, entitled “Questions on Doctrine:
symbol of Adventist Theological Tension,” gave a clear and helpful
account of the background of the book. Among the major points he made
was the fact that the book paradoxically held firm on many points of
distinctive SDA beliefs, such as the heavenly sanctuary and the mark of
the beast, and finessed the issue of the atonement—arguing that it
included references to both Christ’s sacrificial death and his ministry
in the heavenly sanctuary (not just the latter). It broke new ground in
asserting the sinless nature of Christ’s humanity. Knight showed that
this was a clear departure from the view that prevailed among
Adventists through the years, in spite of later assertions to the
contrary by church leaders. He also detailed the bitter conflict
between M L Andreasen (pictured) and the church administrators responsible for
QOD. It led to his forced retirement and the eventual lifting of his
credentials. There was, however, a touching account of his deathbed
reconciliation with the G C President and another church leader.
u003c/span>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px”>Knight’s presentation ended with a moving account of his own experience. “My life has been dominated,” he said, “by the events surrounding the QOD controversy.” He entered the church through the ministry of Ralph Larson, worked hard to achieve the endtime perfection which Andreasen called for, left the church for six for years, disillusioned with religion generally, and finally returned with a new vision of what Christ meant to him. He moved away from Andreasen’s theology, convinced that biblical perfection is not sinlessness, but mature Christian love.u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px”>Well, the sun is finally up—that means it’s after eight a.m. in western Michigan—and I’m looking at a good ten hours of meetings today. More later. u003cspan> u003c/span>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px”>______________________________u003cWBR>__u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px”>”,1]
);

//–> u003c/span>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px”>Knight’s presentation ended with a moving account of his own experience. “My life has been dominated,” he said, “by the events surrounding the QOD controversy.” He entered the church through the ministry of Ralph Larson, worked hard to achieve the endtime perfection which Andreasen called for, left the church for six for years, disillusioned with religion generally, and finally returned with a new vision of what Christ meant to him. He moved away from Andreasen’s theology, convinced that biblical perfection is not sinlessness, but mature Christian love.u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px”>Well, the sun is finally up—that means it’s after eight a.m. in western Michigan—and I’m looking at a good ten hours of meetings today. More later. u003cspan> u003c/span>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px”>______________________________u003cWBR>__u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px”>u003cbr>u003c/div>u003cdiv styleu003d”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px”>”,1]
);

//–>

Knight’s
presentation ended with a moving account of his own experience. “My
life has been dominated,” he said, “by the events surrounding the QOD
controversy.” He entered the church through the ministry of Ralph
Larson, worked hard to achieve the endtime perfection which Andreasen
called for, left the church for six for years, disillusioned with
religion generally, and finally returned with a new vision of what
Christ meant to him. He moved away from Andreasen’s theology, convinced
that biblical perfection is not sinlessness, but mature Christian love.

Well,
the sun is finally up—that means it’s after eight a.m. in western
Michigan—and I’m looking at a good ten hours of meetings today. More
later. 

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