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Criticism of the Seventh-day Adventist Church

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A number of groups and persons have voiced criticisms of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, some of these are summarized below.

Ellen G. White

The Seventh-day Adventist Church considers the ministry and writings of Ellen G. White as manifesting the gift of prophecy, as evidenced in fundamental belief 18 [1]. The role of Ellen White as a prophet has been criticized on two main fronts, her health and her uncredited reliance on other literary sources. The accusations have resulted in questions about her legitimacy as a true prophet.

Health

At the age of nine, White sustained a blow to the head from a rock thrown at her.[2] It is frequently interpreted from various speculations on the incident that Ellen White spent three weeks in a coma and that a brain trauma might explain her visions.[1] Individuals with epilepsy have also been found to have delusions and hallucinations in relationship to God.[2][3] Abnormalities in the hippocampus are associated with religiosity in refractory epileptic patients similar to Ellen G.White.[4][5][6]

Donald I. Peterson, Professor of Neurology at the Adventist Loma Linda University School of Medicine and Chief of Neurology at Riverside General Hospital, California, disagrees and explains the difference between "stupor" and "coma"[3]. Adventists Desmond and Gillian Ford also disagree with the critics of Ellen White, writing:

We personally do not believe that the epilepsy theory of 'partial-complex seizures' is an adequate explanation for the phenomenon of Ellen G. White. Such seizures typically are common within a few months of the cause of the injury, not eight years after. If disease could provide the dedication, energy and wisdom that Ellen White revealed for over seventy years, some of us would pray 'Lord, give me that disease.' (The Adventist Crisis of Spiritual Identity, p. 201. (1982))

Plagiarism

A common criticism of Ellen White is that she took uncredited material from contemporary authors. This claim has been documented in several books, such as D.M. Canright's Life of Mrs. E.G. White, Seventh-day Adventist Prophet: Her False Claims Refuted (1919), Walter T. Rea's The White Lie (1982), and Ronald L. Numbers' " Prophetess of health : a study of Ellen G. White" (1976, New York : Harper & Row).

Official church responses to these accusations, as seen in statements from the Biblical Research Institute[7] and the Ellen White Estate[8][9], reveal many sources used by the Bible writers, that Jesus did not invent the Golden Rule of Matthew 7:12, and that Ellen White's usage constituted fair use in her time. An example of this type of thinking may be seen in Don McMahon's "Acquired or inspired: exploring the origins of the Adventist lifestyle" (1995, Warburton: Signs Publishing Company), where McMahon explains the origin and accuracy of the health principles espoused by White.

Status of Ellen White

The Adventist church has also been criticized for unduly elevating the status of Ellen White. This has been recognized by elements of the church. An example is Graeme Bradford's "Prophets Are Human" (2004, Warburton: Signs Publishing Company), in which Bradford highlights that fact that Ellen White participated and was involved in many normal human activities.

Cult status

Disputes have arisen among counter-cult authors over whether Seventh-day Adventism is a cult, ie. a group whose views are substantially different from majority views on biblical orthodoxy.

In its early days, Adventism, adopted the Shut Door doctrine.[10] Based on the Parable of the Ten Virgins, the doctrine asserts that those not saved by 1850 were thereafter unable to attain salvation. By 1851, they changed their views, republishing versions of White's visions with closed door sections omitted.[11] Today Adventists still consider themselves a remnant of the true Christian faith as part of their fundamental beliefs.[4]

In the late 1950s, Walter Martin and Donald Barnhouse classified Adventism as non-cult-like[12] . For Martin, this was a reversal of his earlier 1955 classification of Adventism as a cult. Many evangelicals followed this advice, and continue to do so today, accepting Adventism as an orthodox Christian denomination, even though it holds a few doctrines that are seen as different from mainline Christian churches. This can be viewed as an increasing acceptance of the Adventist church into the Christian fold, since many of these other Christian groups were previously very much opposed to Adventist teaching.

Others class Adventism as an unorthodox Christian denomination, including, for example, John Whitcomb, Jr.[5] Allegations of Adventist insularism and warnings about mixing with non-Christians and even non-Adventists, and the importance placed on Adventist education for children are also major allegations of what is colloquially thought of as cult-like behavior. In their own defense, Adventists argue that their educational system is designed to instill character and faith in their children; indeed, Adventist schools are open to all.

Still others such as Russell Earl Kelly, in Exposing Seventh-day Adventism base their claims on the prominence of Ellen G. White's teachings within the church.

It has been noted by several Christian groups[citation needed] that in recent years[citation needed] the Adventist leadership has de-emphasized several of the uniquely Adventist doctrines, in favor of an emphasis on the basic Christian beliefs they share with other Christians, which renders the Adventist church less problematic on the whole from the perspective of other Christians. Some groups of traditionalist Seventh-day Adventists, however, are uncomfortable with this[citation needed], and a few have left the Adventist church to form splinter groups as a result.[citation needed]

Church doctrine

Anti-catholicism

Some writings of Ellen White appear to be anti-Catholic in tone, ascribing a generally conspiratorial nature to the Roman Church in preparation for a nefarious eschatological role as the antagonist of God's true remnant. In The Great Controversy pg. 508 she writes,

God’s word has given warning of the impending danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men. She is piling up her lofty and massive structures, in the secret recesses of which her former persecutions will be repeated. Stealthily and unsuspectingly she is strengthening her forces to further her own ends when the time shall come for her to strike.

In their defense Adventists maintain that their views regarding eschatology are anti-papal but not necessarily anti-Catholic.[6] John F. MacArthur is one noted evangelical whose strong messages against Catholicism agree exactly with what Seventh-day Adventists teach.[7] The Seventh Day Adventist Church, in short, claims to be one of the last bastions of historicism and orthodoxy in the mainstream Protestant sect of Christianity.

Remnant church status

The Seventh-day Adventist church presently teaches as their "13th fundamental belief" [8] that their organization is the Remnant Church "called out to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." It is perceived by some that the Adventist church is exclusive due to this doctrine. This is further exacerbated by Adventist stances on health (such as tobacco and alcohol) and the Sabbath precluding Adventists from participating in activities with other people. The creation of Adventist institutions also tends to produce isolation. Essentially, Adventism both theologically and socially keeps its distance from others.

Christology

Christology is that part of Christian theology that studies the divine/human nature of the biblical Christ. It has been alleged by the Christian Research Institute that Traditional Adventism teaches that Christ had a sinful nature (Christian Research Journal, Summer 1988, p. 13). Most Christian faiths teach that Christ “was tempted in every way, just as we are” (Hebrews 4:15), that he appeared on earth “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3) and that to some degree Christ “had to be made like His brethren in all things” (Hebrews 2:17). Ellen White wrote: “Christ took upon His sinless nature our sinful nature...; Christ took human nature and bore the infirmities and degeneracy of the race. He took our nature and its deteriorating condition” (Questions on Doctrine, pp. 654-656). It is also acknowledged by the CRI that there is significant disagreement in the Adventist Church as to what Ellen White meant by her statement. Everyone agrees that Ellen White also taught that Christ, during his incarnation, was "holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners" (Hebrews 7:26).

Annihilationism

Many critics view the Adventist belief in annihilationism as unbiblical.[9][10] They point to various biblical passages which contradict annihilationism[11], for example Luke 16:19–31, which they argue clearly indicates that the dead are presently conscious in Heaven or Hell, not in some kind of soul sleep. Compare this with the description of Lazarus as asleep given by Jesus in John 11:12–14. Also consider the view of Luke 16:19–31 from the perspective of those believing in annihilationism, which is that those verses are a parable taught by Jesus, not actual events. Further, they assert that the parable was not even originated by Jesus, but was a common folk tale used by Jesus to teach a theological truth about generosity.[12]

Investigative judgment and salvation

Investigative Judgment is a unique Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, teaching that in 1844 Christ moved into the Holy of Holies, where he is judging all who have lived based upon their works and commitment to Christ[13]. This has been criticised by other Christians, and some Adventists, as denying the Protestant belief that Christ completed his work on the Cross. Many Christian faiths believe in Salvation by Faith while others believe in Salvation by Works, or a combination of the two.[citation needed] In The Great Controversy (p. 488), White writes,

The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time or to occupy the position which God designs for them to fill.

References

  1. ^ Gregory Holmes and Delbert Hodder (1981). "Ellen G.White and the Seventh Day Adventist Church: Visions of Partial Complex Seizures?". Journal of Neurology,. 31 (4): 160–161.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  2. ^ O.Devinsky (2003). "Religious Experience and epilepsy". Epilepsy and Behavior. 4 (1): 76–77.
  3. ^ A. J. Riggs and J. E. Riggs (2005). "Epilepsy: Role in the differentiation of religion, magic and science". Epilepsia (46): 452–453.
  4. ^ F. A. Gibbs (1951). "Ictal and non-ictal psychiatric disorders in temporal lobe epilepsy". Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, (113): 523–527.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  5. ^ J. Wuerfel; et al. (2004). "Religiosity is associated with hippocampal but not amygdala volumes in patients with refractory epilepsy". Journal of Neurology, Neuropsychiatry, and Neurosurgery. 75 (4): 640–642. {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)
  6. ^ E. L. Altschuler (2002). "Did Ezekiel have temporal lobe epilepsy". Archives of General Psychiatry. 59 (6): 561–562.
  7. ^ "Inspiration and revelation: What it is and how it works". Retrieved 2006-05-03.
  8. ^ "Issues & Answers Regarding Inspiration and the Life and Work of Ellen G. White". Retrieved 2006-05-01.
  9. ^ "The Truth About The White Lie". Retrieved 2006-05-03.
  10. ^ Eugene Taylor (2000). Shadow Culture: Psychology and Spirituality in America. Counterpoint Press. ISBN 1582430802.
  11. ^ Laura L Vance (1999). Seventh-day Adventism in Crisis: Gender and Sectarian Change in an Emerging Religion. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0252067444.
  12. ^ Walter Martin (1985). The Kingdom of the Cults (Revised ed.). Bethany House Publishers.

See also

Accusations of church corruption

Opposition to Adventism

Addressing corruption and opposition claims

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