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There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ~ Paul

​Of the thousands of ordained ministers (18,000 plus or minus...) currently employed by the Adventist Church world wide, how many of them can "claim the position of leader of the denomination"? And how many of them are in a position of "authority"? Being a minister/pastor, ordained or otherwise is not about rulership and authority. Having a credential that says that one is an "ordained minister" does not confer upon that person "authority over men" nor qualify the person for a position of leadership. You are barking up the wrong tree. And so is the author of the article you cut and pasted here from Advindicate. Like I said, anything to minimize, denigrate, explain away and deny that EGW in her time was recognized by The General Conference (What was that other discussion about the authority of the GC...) as an ordained minister of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I don't need to embellish, interpret, insinuate, speculate or give any explanation. The intent of a credential is that it speaks for itself and is self-explanatory of that to which it certifies.

If you will take the time to read the TOSC materials, I think you will find that it really is not a doctrinal issue from the perspective of either side of the debate. That fact is a major factor in the proposed action that will be before the Session this summer. Read it carefully. Not a matter of doctrine, a matter of policy and practice. Big difference. Sadly now many of those vehemently opposed are engaginging in a media fear mongering campaign within church circles to distort, obfuscate, and reframe the issue as something quite different. Repeated sensationalistic headlines and banners about an impending crisis, proclaiming that we are all at risk of various paths to doom. And that brings me to the harping about unity. Or more precisely, the fear mongering that this will bring disunity, even a split in the Church, that it is tantamount to the prophesied shaking, etc. Your observation about the 1888 experience suggests a short one year and everything was all better. I am no expert on that issue and its history, but I don't recall it was that way or that soon or that simple. I don't think that the history subsequent to that shows a genuine adoption of RBF. But to the issue under discussion, this is not going to cause disunity. This has been an issue since the very beginning of the Adventist Church. In my lifetime, all my adult life, more than 40 years now the issue has been studied, debated, discussed and steps take to implement having more women involved in pastoral ministry. In all this years, where is the evidence of fracture because of women being engaged in ministry? It is not women in pastoral ministry or ordaining them that is the catalyst for disunity. It is the hardening of the hearts of the opposition that we see trying desperately to thwart it at all cost that is fomenting a spirit of disunity, even threatening a crisis or worse if this does move forward.

​A liberal is not to be disagree with. Otherwise you are guilty of hatred.Just happened again

"The secret of unity is found in the equality of believers in Christ." - Ellen G. White (1 SM 259)

I suspect that those who are strongly against ordination of women would see it as a doctrinal issue based on the interpretation of certain Biblical texts. And those who are for women's ordination may see it that way too. If people feel strong something is right or wrong based on the interpretation of the Bible, it becomes a doctrinal issue.

May we all join hands in proclaiming the gospel our Savior wanted preached to all the world. And then He will come to receive to Himself all whose names remained written in the book of life, that where He is, there shall we be likewise.

Please quote anywhere that I accused anyone of hatred.

If salvation is just about erasing the record of my sins, then I don't even NEED to know about the Father. According to Robert and Samie, Christ DIED, and by that ACT all sins of all human beings were erased forever. But salvation is about me receiving the indwelling Spirit of Christ, so that I will NOT WANT to sin against the Father any longer. Why would I CONSENT to this indwelling, by a divine Being I neither know about, nor feel any need of? But IF I see the goodness of the Father, thru His Son, THEN I will desire the indwelling. I will BELIEVE in the goodness of God, and in His love for me. He demonstrated that love, thru Jesus. It is ABOUT saving me from sinning, not just from the record of my past sins. It's about my rehabilitation. It's about my healing. If a convict is found NOT GUILTY of the crime he actually committed, what does that do for him, or for society? He will just continue to commit crimes. He is not rehabilitated. His mind is unchanged.

​The earth is "burned" at the SC. All vegetation is gone. The elements even melt in some places. So the earth in uninhabitable. It remains uninhabited during the 7th millennium, while the redeemed from the SC will live safely in the "place" "prepared for them" by Jesus. That would be the Holy City. At the END of the 7th millennium, Jesus (with the redeemed) will RETURN to "the land". They build the Temple which Ezekiel saw in vision. A river flows out from that Temple, and everywhere that river flows, the land comes back to life. This is the earth renewed (made new). And "the rest of the dead" also come back to life. They will constitute "nations in the four corners of the earth". Those given eternal life, at the SC will serve as "priests of God and of Christ" to "reign on the earth". They will "rule the nations" - governing and teaching the ways of the LORD. This is what the LORD originally intended for Israel. The children which Isaiah saw in vision, will come back to life during THIS TIME PERIOD of 1000 years. They will grow up in a Kingdom governed by Christ and His redeemed priesthood. They are not raised with immortal spiritual bodies. They are raised with physical mortal bodies. If they choose to rebel with those of Gog/Magog, they will be destroyed. Those from "the rest of the dead" who commit to Christ, will be given access to the Tree of LIfe, and they will become immortal. "The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations" (Rev. 22:2). So yes Samie. ALL human beings who died before reaching the age of accountability, will live again - in the earth renewed, along with every human being who died in ignorance. SOME will choose to serve Christ, but MOST will rebel at Gog/Magog.

Congregation Beth Israel had a new rabbi who wanted to join the cantor and his choir for Shabbat morning services. After the first Shabbat service, Rabbi Epstein approached Cantor Rosenberg and said, "Those were some beautiful melodies this morning, Cantor. Tell me something, what key was I singing in?" Cantor Rosenberg responded dryly, "Most of them."

​ This is a limited view of Christ's mission. "Christ exalted the character of God, attributing to him the praise, and giving to him the credit, of the whole purpose of his own mission on earth,--to set men right through the revelation of God. In Christ was arrayed before men the paternal grace and the matchless perfections of the Father. In his prayer just before his crucifixion, he declared, “I have manifested thy name.” “I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” When the object of his mission was attained,--the revelation of God to the world,--the Son of God announced that his work was accomplished, and that the character of the Father was made manifest to men. (ST 1/20/1890)" If we accept the idea set forth here, that Christ's mission was the revelation of the Father, then every act of Christ's life is relevant to that mission. If we take the limited view that Christ came only, or primarily, to satisfy a legal requirement, then most of the Gospels have limited relevance. If you look at the Gospels themselves, where can you find even a single reference that Christ came to satisfy a legal requirement? On the other hand, Christ as a revelation of the Father is everywhere.

​ This is an important question to consider. In regards to Satan, we have an impenetrable mystery, as there is no reason why Lucifer should have sinned. Perhaps one could say that he, in essence, tempted himself. But he was created perfect, so there's no reason why he should have done this. However, once Satan exists, then a reason can be given for how others after him fell, and that is centered on Satan's mispresentations of God's character. By misrepresenting God's character, he got angels to sin, and slso humans. The fundamental purpose of Christ's life was not to die to satisfy a legal requirement, but to reveal the Father, so that the damage done by Satan could be undone. Thus we read that the great work of redemption was for angels and unfallen beings as well as for us, although they had no sin.