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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.

Early Shut door theology

In the aftermath of the Millerite Movement in 1844 there arose “open door” Adventists and “shut door” Adventists.[1] The shut door Adventists concluded that they had completed their mission to humanity, that Christ's Second Coming was very near and that their only duty was to stir up and instruct other Adventists who had believed in the Millerite movement.[2] The shut door doctrine, based on the Parable of the Ten Virgins, asserted that those not saved at the judgment hour (October 22, 1844) were thereafter unable to attain salvation. Adventists teach that believing in a shut door was a very reasonable conclusion at the time. Ellen White explains:

After the passing of the time of expectation, in 1844, Adventists still believed the Saviour's coming to be very near; they held that they had reached an important crisis, and that the work of Christ as man's intercessor before God, had ceased. Having given the warning of the Judgment near, they felt that their work for the world was done, and they lost their burden of soul for the salvation of sinners, while the bold and blasphemous scoffing of the ungodly seemed to them another evidence that the Spirit of God had been withdrawn from the rejecters of his mercy. All this confirmed them in the belief that probation had ended, or, as they then expressed it, "the door of mercy was shut." The Spirit of Prophecy Volume Four, p. 268.

The Adventist church is criticized for once believing that there was a shut door.[1][2][3][4][5] The Adventist response is that there actually was a shut door. At least Ellen White thought the shut door was an important belief.

"I am still a believer in the shut-door theory, but not in the sense in which we at first employed the term or in which it is employed by my opponents."
"I was shown in vision, and I still believe, that there was a shut door in 1844. All who saw the light of the first and second angels' messages and rejected that light, were left in darkness. And those who accepted it and received the Holy Spirit which attended the proclamation of the message from heaven, and who afterward renounced their faith and pronounced their experience a delusion, thereby rejected the Spirit of God, and it no longer pleaded with them." Selected Messages Book 1, p. 63.

See The Great Controversy, pages 376-377 and 429-432 for a fuller presentation of the "shut door."

Today, Seventh-day Adventists consider the Millerite Movement, their prophesying the end of the world, believing that the end of all things had actually come, and eventual disappointment, to be a fulfillment of Revelation 10.

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 [6]. The role of Ellen White as a prophet has been criticized on two main fronts, her health and her uncredited reliance on numerous literary sources. These 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.[7] 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.[3] Individuals with epilepsy have also been found to have delusions and hallucinations in relationship to God.[4][5] Abnormalities in the hippocampus are associated with religiosity in refractory epileptic patients similar to Ellen G.White.[6][7][8]

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"[8]. 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".[9]

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).

In response to these accusations, the Biblical Research Institute[10] and the Ellen White Estate[11][12] claim to 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), in which McMahon asserts that health principles espoused by White where accurate.

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.

Church doctrine

Hell

Traditional Christianity teaches that, for the sins of a brief earthly life, the wicked dead are tormented with fire and brimstone in an eternally burning hell and will continue to suffer this torture for all eternity.[9][10][11] In general, this doctrine is supported by taking some verses of the Bible literally (Revelation 20:10, Jude 1:7, Luke 16:19–31, Isaiah 66:24, Isaiah 14:3–11) and other seemingly contrary verses in a symbolic or abstract sense (2Thessalonians 1:9, Matthew 10:28, Ezekiel 18:20, Ecclesiastes 9:5–6, Ecclesiastes 9:10, Daniel 12:2, John 5:28–29, John 11:12–14, Psalms 115:17, Psalms 49:12, Isaiah 33:14–15). Seventh-day Adventists reverse the popular order of what is literal and not literal and conclude that there is no eternal conscious torment.[12][13]

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.[14] John F. MacArthur is one noted evangelical whose strong messages against Catholicism agree exactly with what Seventh-day Adventists teach.[15] 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.

Christology

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). 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. Many 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). However, there are no instances in Ellen White's writings where Christ is represented as being tempted by carnal desires. There is no question, for instance, from the content of Ellen White's 835 page book on the life of Christ titled, The Desire of Ages, that Christ, during his incarnation, was "holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners" (Hebrews 7:26). Christology is that part of Christian theology that studies the divine/human nature of the biblical Christ.

Investigative judgment and salvation

The Investigative Judgment doctrine is defined in the Church's list of fundamental beliefs.[16]

In reviewing this uniquely Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, authors [17][18] deny that it has any biblical basis, particularly its claim that Christ did not enter the "holy of holies" until 1844, despite verses such as Hebrews 9:25–26, and Hebrews 10:11–14, among others, which reference the work of Christ having been completed at the cross.[19][20][21]

Adventists answer that Investigative Judgment doctrine isn't about celestial geography, that Lordship salvation is compatible with the gospel, and that Scriptures like 1 Peter 4:17 and Matthew 25 teach an endtime judgment of the Church. Equally certain is that the three angels' messages did not sound in the first century but apply to our time.

The essence of Old Testament sanctuary typology that Adventists rely on for their eschatology has abundant scholarly support[13] and may be summarized as follows:

The sanctuary services emphasized three aspects of Christ’s work for us: sacrifice, mediation, and judgment. In general, the three parts of the sanctuary corresponded to these three kinds of ministry. Sacrifice occurred in the court, mediation in the holy place, and judgment in the Most Holy Place.

As to the 1844 date, Walter Martin wrote:

Lest anyone reading the various accounts of the rise of "Millerism" in the United States come to the conclusion that Miller and his followers were "crackpots" or "uneducated tools of Satan," the following facts should be known: The Great Advent Awakening movement that spanned the Atlantic from Europe was bolstered by a tremendous wave of contemporary biblical scholarship. Although Miller himself lacked academic theological training, actually scores of prophetic scholars in Europe and the United States had espoused Miller's views before he himself announced them. In reality, his was only one more voice proclaiming the 1843/1844 fulfillment of Daniel 8:14, or the 2300-day period allegedly dating from 457 B.C. and ending in A.D. 1843-1844.[14]

Remnant church status

The Seventh-day Adventist church presently teaches as their "13th fundamental belief" [22] 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.

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 the late 1950s, Walter Martin and Donald Barnhouse classified Adventism as non-cult-like[15] . 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.[23] 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.

Overall, Seventh-day Adventists are thankful that they differ doctrinally from majority views on biblical orthodoxy. For Adventists, God's word is the unerring standard, not the traditions of the majority. Many Seventh-day Adventists see agreement with mainline Christendom on all points as an invitation to damnation. Adventists teach that "Babylon is the church, fallen because of her errors and sins, because of her rejection of the truth sent to her from heaven" (The Great Controversy, p. 607).

The Laodicean Church

It has been alleged by the counter-cult group ellenwhite.org that "The average member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church thrives on self-righteousness and hypocrisy."[24] Ellen G. White has made similar accusations numerous times. Ellen White taught that the label of "Laodicean Church" applies most accurately to the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Accusations of unethical behavior

The Environmental Working Group has criticized Loma Linda University Medical Center of ethics violations for testing the potentially damaging pollutant perchlorate on human subjects.[25] [26]

In press release #04-150, the US Attorney Debra Wang of the California Central District released a press statement that as a part of a fraud settlement agreement, Loma Linda University Medical Center agreed to pay $2.2 million dollars.[27]

References

  1. ^ Eugene Taylor (2000). Shadow Culture: Psychology and Spirituality in America. Counterpoint Press. ISBN 1582430802.
  2. ^ Laura L Vance (1999). Seventh-day Adventism in Crisis: Gender and Sectarian Change in an Emerging Religion. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0252067444.
  3. ^ 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)
  4. ^ O.Devinsky (2003). "Religious Experience and epilepsy". Epilepsy and Behavior. 4 (1): 76–77.
  5. ^ A. J. Riggs and J. E. Riggs (2005). "Epilepsy: Role in the differentiation of religion, magic and science". Epilepsia (46): 452–453.
  6. ^ 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)
  7. ^ 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)
  8. ^ E. L. Altschuler (2002). "Did Ezekiel have temporal lobe epilepsy". Archives of General Psychiatry. 59 (6): 561–562.
  9. ^ Desmond and Gillian Ford (1982). The Adventist Crisis of Spiritual Identity. Desmond Ford Publications. pp. p. 201. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  10. ^ "Inspiration and revelation: What it is and how it works". Retrieved 2006-05-03.
  11. ^ "Issues & Answers Regarding Inspiration and the Life and Work of Ellen G. White". Retrieved 2006-05-01.
  12. ^ "The Truth About The White Lie". Retrieved 2006-05-03.
  13. ^ Representative SDA (1957). Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine. Review And Herald Publishing Association, Washington, D.C. pp. chapters 29-36.
  14. ^ Walter Martin (1997). The Kingdom of the Cults (Revised ed.). pp. p. 522. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  15. ^ 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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