Viewing an Adventist

Spectrum Staff | September 21, 2008

It’s sometimes interesting to read random blog posts that include perceptions of Seventh-day Adventists. These aren’t about the Church or a 3ABN celebrity, but are written by real folks talking about the Adventists they know from work or school or next door.

The following post, from a blog called Prior Perceptions, shows how Bible Study can be perceived from the other side and how practices can point away from deeper truths.

My best friend is a devout Seventh Day Adventist. I have been going over to his house on Friday nights and arguing religion with him for quite some time. It was fun but I got tired of it. He wasn’t trying to convert me very hard but he was attempting to draw me in slowly. SDA doctrine is very rigid and dogmatic and essentially excludes all the other branches of Christianity for not abiding by those doctrines. They are the exclusive club among exclusive clubs. Their intense study of the bible appeals to my former sensibilities, however, so I kept going along with him because I really did enjoy examining those doctrines up close and personal. But a few weeks ago when he brought out the Ellen G. White reasons we can’t have fun stuff, my interest flew out the window.

So I told him so.

He was fine with that. No reason to ruin a friendship.

BUT…………..

We cannot meet on Friday nights any longer because that is Sabbath preparation time. Despite our disagreements we were studying the bible and talking about the things of god so we were good for Friday behavior. But not now. Now any other night is acceptable. Friday is god’s night.

And now the absurdity of it all has hit me square in the face.

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