SamSimple Posted January 23 Posted January 23 So, I'm not very good at talking or even writing what I mean to say at least the first time around. I have a difficult time converting thoughts to words to speak or to write. So, I hope I can convey my thoughts to you clear enough to get my point across. By nature I am a pretty quiet type person. I don't like being in the public eye or getting attention from strangers. For maybe 25 or 30 years, and maybe before, I have been told repeatedly by well-meaning adventist members that I need to speak up in public forums (such as Sabbath-School and town meetings and such-like, when the opportunity shows itself) in order to be saved in GOD's kingdom. One of the more harsh examples of this opinion took place about 8 years ago in a small New England church in the mountains where I was a visitor that day. After Sabbath school one of the local adventist layman stood up and took more than twenty minutes to publicly lambast me because I said nothing during the Sabbath-school discussion time. Several local members protested the brother's diatribe but without a peaceful end. And it appeared to me that several other visitors (it is a tourist area) ended up leaving early. I have also been told this principle (?) by visiting evangelists and pastors at various other churches I have been a visitor at. I wonder where this doctrine is located in the Scripture and why It has never been taught to me in the Bible studies, official or otherwise I have taken over the years. I don't recall that it is asked of the baptismal candidates who stand before the congregation prior to the baptisms I have witnessed. phkrause and Kevin H 2 Quote
Theophilus Posted January 23 Posted January 23 I've never heard of such a thing. For the most part, most of the folk in my SS class are quiet, as are the other classes as well. Even pre communion, hardly anyone has a testimony to tell. You act in church as you feel you need to in order to praise God and help others. That can be as little as a few smiles to some who might need them. God bless you. I'm sorry this happened to you. phkrause and Kevin H 1 1 Quote
Moderators Kevin H Posted January 24 Moderators Posted January 24 I'm sorry that you went through this. Just being there, listening, being polite and living in the joy of Jesus is testimony enough. phkrause 1 Quote
Rahab Posted January 24 Posted January 24 That’s just crazy! speak as the Spirit moves you 🗣️ or don’t speak 🙊 phkrause 1 Quote
SamSimple Posted Tuesday at 01:21 AM Author Posted Tuesday at 01:21 AM There must be something to it because about twenty years ago I worked for an Adventist where it was a family business and we were great friends almost as soon as we met. They loved me and I them and their little ones would climb up and sit on my lap at church or other get-togethers. And their older children would ask advice on things I had knowledge in, like tech and shop, maybe even life. It was just like we'd been life-long friends. But after three years of working together, going many of the same places, including church, I was terminated. He said it was because I almost never had anything to say in public places, and that was against GOD's will. He said it would make him look bad to the public if he had one employee who was not doing GOD's will while the rest of them were. He never did give me scripture to back up this theology. I don't know.... I'm still looking for the scriptures that this could come from. phkrause 1 Quote
Moderators Gregory Matthews Posted Tuesday at 01:29 AM Moderators Posted Tuesday at 01:29 AM Never heard of this practice. phkrause 1 Quote Gregory
Gustave Posted Tuesday at 11:23 AM Posted Tuesday at 11:23 AM Coming from a different Church perspective I can say I've never heard of this sort of thing either - One comes to church to assemble with other Christians, be instructed in Christianity and hear the readings of Scriptures, a homily, etc. It's NEVER for the layman to provide commentary and suffer a rebuke for not doing so - that's bizarre. phkrause 1 Quote
Moderators Gregory Matthews Posted Tuesday at 04:16 PM Moderators Posted Tuesday at 04:16 PM For those who may not be aware of current SDA practices: We generally have a period during our services when all ages meet in discussion classes. Free discussions are encouraged. At an earlier time, all such classes generally followed a set format that included the topic. That format was adjusted for age an as children differ from adults. Presently, in the US, many such classes do not follow the material provided by the Church. In actual fact, many classes discuss material provided outside of the SDA Church. Kevin H and phkrause 2 Quote Gregory
Gustave Posted Tuesday at 07:15 PM Posted Tuesday at 07:15 PM This thread reminds me of a situation that I probably shouldn't laugh at but can't help laughing at. Years ago I worked with this guy who was a very interesting character, he smoked pot every day, incredibly hard worker who never even had a sick day and had to be reminded to take vacation time. He was OBSESSED with UFO's and anything alien related. Long story made short He was invited to a fundamentalist Baptist Church and at some point, in the service, the Exodus - where the Israelites were following a pillar of fire at night was being preached this guy stood up and shouted "THAT WAS A UFO"! He was uninvited to go back to that church after that from what he told me. One time I gave this guy a ride home and his apartment had UFO newspapers, magazines and books scattered from hell to breakfast. It was the most amazing thing I think I've ever seen for obsession. Unfortunately, a couple years after he told me about his Church experience, he was terminated because he kept handing customers pamphlets about signing up for a UFO and alien newsletter after being warned multiple times not to do that. phkrause 1 Quote
SamSimple Posted Thursday at 01:36 AM Author Posted Thursday at 01:36 AM On 2/4/2025 at 2:15 PM, Gustave said: He was OBSESSED with UFO's and ... I never did anything like that. I never wanted to cause trouble. I just usually don't have a lot to say. I might speak one on one, but that's not how Sabbath-school discussions usually go. In general the pre-selected leader asks questions and the individuals in the group are asked to respond if they want to say something on topic (yes, it sometimes wanders). In most of these assemblies there usually are the same few people who always have something to say no matter what. Maybe their comment is called for or maybe they just like the sound of their own voice, but they never have nothing to say. phkrause 1 Quote
Gustave Posted Thursday at 02:20 AM Posted Thursday at 02:20 AM 40 minutes ago, SamSimple said: I never did anything like that. I never wanted to cause trouble. I just usually don't have a lot to say. I might speak one on one, but that's not how Sabbath-school discussions usually go. In general the pre-selected leader asks questions and the individuals in the group are asked to respond if they want to say something on topic (yes, it sometimes wanders). In most of these assemblies there usually are the same few people who always have something to say no matter what. Maybe their comment is called for or maybe they just like the sound of their own voice, but they never have nothing to say. You wouldn't have the opportunity to do that or even what you described at the Church I go to as it's very structured and follows a rather strict order that doesn't change. Sounds like your experience isn't what should happen at your church according to what others have said here. Sometimes we run into folks who just are not very happy. phkrause 1 Quote
Moderators Kevin H Posted 11 hours ago Moderators Posted 11 hours ago On 2/4/2025 at 11:16 AM, Gregory Matthews said: For those who may not be aware of current SDA practices: We generally have a period during our services when all ages meet in discussion classes. Free discussions are encouraged. At an earlier time, all such classes generally followed a set format that included the topic. That format was adjusted for age an as children differ from adults. Presently, in the US, many such classes do not follow the material provided by the Church. In actual fact, many classes discuss material provided outside of the SDA Church. I tended to enjoy the quarterly; although I've noticed that some quarterlies would stimulate a lot of thought, and others I'd read the words but end up with the thought "Oh, ok." and nothing to stimulate my thinking. That's fine. What has bothered me is that in recent years I've seen too many quarterlies who's goals were not to educate, but to indoctrinate and to reign in the horrible habit of thinking. One of the churches somewhat in this area is an outreach church. We had to give up the Sabbath School Quarterly because of the change in focus to indoctrination and these people were just starting to learn about the Bible. We needed to replace the quarterly with basic Bible books. P.S. Dr. Doukhan's quarterly on Genesis was outstanding!!!! However, even there I noticed that while in the commentary Doukhan points out that the "He" in Genesis 3:16 is the exact same "He" as in Genesis 3:15. It is a continuation of the gospel message. Due to bearing the children for about 9 months or so the woman tends to have a special connection to her children; including feeling deeper the child's joys and pains than others, and living in a sinful world there will be a lot of pain. The pain can be avoided by not having a family, but there tends to be in the woman a desire for her husband, a desire to have a family. The fact that the husband is only mentioned in passing and that he get's a poem of his own looking at different issues indicate an emptiness in relationships. Genesis 3:16 describes a very dysfunctional family. But the hope for this dysfunctional family is to allow "HE" He the promised seed, to rule over the woman, her children and her husband. I don't know the say he had in this but I noticed the passage in the quarterly does not go into this richness and hope, but simply gives a Mrs. White quote where a SUPERFICIAL reading sounds like it is the husband to rule over the wife. Quote
Gustave Posted 2 hours ago Posted 2 hours ago I'm not certain about this and want to make sure what I'm about to say is simply a feeling I've got reading from and about Ellen White - I honestly don't know. It's true is it not that Ellen White ruled the roost in her day? Didn't she drive James White around like an old chevy? I've been perplexed as to how SDA's (at the top) have a problem with a woman holding any position a man holds in their Church? After reading the above post from Kevin H I got the idea that what if the governing body of SDA's were using Ellen White to bolster their own ideas of the way things should be? I also wonder what the point of a quarterly "lesson" would be in a restorationist Church other than "indoctrination"? Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.