A Review of SDAs & Homosexuality

[Gregory Matthews]

For an extensive review of the SDAChruch and its approach to homosexuality see:

https://ronaldlawson.net/2018/05/27/the-caring-welcoming-church-the-seventh-day-adventist-church-and-its-homosexual-members/

 

[Gregory Matthews]

He is a retired Professor from Queens College, City  University in New York.   [NOTE:  I have corrected to what I believe   is the correct name.]  

He currently attends a SDA congregation in the deep South.

Much of his professional life has been devoted to writing scholarly articles, based upon his research,  that are related to the SDA Church.

I first became aquainted with him when he published (I think it was him.) some articles on the SDA Church in Germany under Hitler.  HE  came out with a lot of stuff that was not previously known.

He has struggled to maintain his Adventist connections for much of  his life.

 

 

[Gregory Matthews]

I do not have a lot of information on this as I am not aware of  him talking about it.

I do know that following:

1)  Throughout the years he has worked hard to remain to the Adventist fold, and has over the years attempted to by a member in a local congregation.

2)  At the present he attends a SDA congregation in the deep South.

3)  I also know of people who do not consider him to be an appropriate SDA.

 

Other than that, I know little.

 

[GHansen]

I spent a few years working with the gay community in West Hollywood, CA. I worked on one of the first dedicated HIV hospital units in the USA. One of the cases I worked on  was going to be a test case on the legality of assisted suicide for patients with end stage AIDS. It didn't develop as hoped and the accused was released. His friend remained dead. During those years, prior to the HIV cocktails, which worked miraculously for some patients, I spent hundreds of hours with many different AIDS patients. I saw 3 women who had contracted HIV and a couple of hemophiliacs. Most were gay men, including one physician with an SDA background. In one disturbing case, an SDA hospital employee saw one of his academy classmates in a hospital bed, checked his medical chart. When he discovered his fellow classmate had AIDS, he spread the news around to other classmates, resulting in a lawsuit against the hospital. Not sure what happened to the therapist but termination and loss of his license would be expected for such a gross violation of patient privacy. I was once offered a special camera and significant financial compensation by a "scandal rag" for photos of hospitalized  celebrities impacted by AIDS. 

What I appreciate about Dr. Lawson is that he has distinguished himself as a sociology professional, apart from his private life. Private issues were properly contextualized as  a part of a multi dimensional life. Being "gay" wasn't the only thing he had going on in his life. Many gays are distinguished in their fields, as is Dr. Lawson. Their untimely deaths from AIDS was a loss to society. The research he has done on the SDA denomination is significant. He exposed the fraud being perpetrated by Colin Cook and has written about sexual abuse in various SDA settings, as well as alcoholism, and the misleading statistics offered by church entities regarding world church membership and evangelism. Any gay man who survived the AIDS  crisis, whatever his station in life, should be thanking God every day.

[Not gay myself] 

[Gregory Matthews]

I once spent a year working with people who had been diagnosed with AIDS.

*  In that capacity, every week I sat at a table and shared a meal with them.

*  Most were adult male homosexuals.

*  Some were SDA.

*  Some were female.

*  A few were children.

*  Some adult males and females were not homosexual.

*  Some were currently celibate.

*  Folks, there is no one standard that fits all people with AIDS.

NOTE:  I have a female relative who has AIDS.

[GHansen]

One fellow I met had led a dissolute life of homosexual debauchery and substance abuse. Along the way, he was touched by Jesus; his life completely changed. He forsook his evil ways and started attending church. He met a Christian woman. They planned to marry. He thought back on his previous life and decided to have an HIV test. He came back positive. His conversion did not include cleansing his system from HIV. His fiancee abandoned him. Normally, the people I met had about a year to live before they were killed by an infection. He was still very devoted to Jesus, spent his time going to church, to healing services, hoping God would care for him. It's possible he lived until he was able to obtain the HIV cocktail which was transformative. 

There was another fellow who met a woman at an AA/NA meeting. They developed a friendship and became close. He finally decided to tell her he had HIV. She said "I know." Those were among the sweetest words he ever heard. She worked at a major movie studio. Not sure if they ever  legally married but they were together when I met them. Possible that he, too, became a long term survivor. The HIV cocktail, developed, at least in part, by Dr. David Ho at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center worked wonders. They are now working on the Corona virus.