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To be clear, as I have said a number of times before when this whole topic have been discussed here, I am not opposed to and am supportive of those who do advocate and follow the principles of healthful living and diet that we encourage and teach as a church. My point is that we cannot rely on the Biblical references as the primary basis, because they were not directed to the Israelites for health reasons, even though they may have had that as a secondary benefit. We know that a vegetarian diet is best, but clearly the Bible does not mandate that. We also know that completely refraining from alcohol is best, but clearly the Bible does not advocate that either. The confusion is that when we claim our diet as Biblical we start down the path that it is now a matter of our faith, and pursuit of holiness. And on closer examination we realize that we have gone far beyond the Biblical mandates and have also missed many of the details that we should also follow if in deed it is all about following the Bible on these issues. As a result, we lose credibility with careful students of the Bible and end up in debates like this.

Perhaps I was not sufficiently clear... By focusing on the last sentence, you seem to have missed the primary point which is that the clean vs. unclean distinction is all about ceremonial purity for the purposes of participation in the temple services. It was not primarily dietary, as in directions for a healthy diet, as we now use it. When I said "some might conclude" I am not advocating that as necessarily the correct interpretation or one with which I agree. However it is reflecting, somewhat obliquely, a conclusion of some Biblical scholars that the the book of Leviticus was in fact instructions for the Levites, or priestly class. The word "Leviticus" does literally mean "relating to the Levites". But that title of the book is derived from the Septuagint, which was the pre-Christian Greek translation of the OT. The Hebrew title apparently was simply the first word of the Hebrew text of the book, according to the introductory explanation in my study Bible. I am not convinced that all the rules of Leviticus only applied to the priests and tribe of Levi. It is clear that it applies to any Israelite who participates, by bringing a sacrifice to the temple. (If you want to get technical, it was precisely addressed only to the "sons" of Israel, leaving out the women and children of Israel, and quit frankly any gentiles. Whether these rules should apply to the gentiles was the huge debate in the NT Church.) But I am also not convinced that the book of Leviticus applies to us today. If it does, then all of it should. If any of it no longer applies it becomes difficult to explain how to decided what parts still apply and which do not. The larger point remains correct that this was the ceremonial law for the purity of the sacrificial system of the Israelites regulating all of the materials used in the temple, its services and for all those who participated in the temple/sacrificial rituals and the whole process of how those rituals were to be carried out. If the ceremonial law was done away with entirely at the cross, as I understand the Church to teach, then none of it would still be applicable now to us. The criticism is that we have cherry picked only a narrow, and quite frankly superficial and incomplete, part of the many rules and regulations of Leviticus as still applicable to us today. We only take the distinction of clean vs. unclean animals for what we can eat, but seem to completely ignore everything else that would have been considered as making a person unclean and unfit to participate in the temple services, even to enter to temple courtyard and come close to the presence of the Holy One. To even touch an unclean animal (or anything else unclean) would render one unclean and require a ceremonial cleansing and waiting period before one could come into the temple. We also do not follow the kosher dietary rules that are derived from Leviticus.

From Adventist Today

I can just see it now. Instead of "SDA", we would have, "COTIJ".... and everyone would call it "the Cottage cheese" church.

I have thought that the name "Seventh-day Adventist Church" should be changed to "The Church of the Investigative Judgment". The whole 1844, pre-advent "investigative judgment", is really the only distinguishing feature of the denomination. There are several others who rest on the 7th Day Sabbath, eat clean foods, baptize by immersion, believe in "soul-sleep", etc. But SDAs are the ONLY ones who believe that an "investigative judgment" began back in 1844. And THAT belief was hardwired into the fundamental beliefs because of belief in the "inspiration" of Ellen White. If the "great disappointment" had come and gone without her vision of "what took place in heaven" on October 22, 1844, that doctrine might also have come and gone. Oops. I guess there isn't another denomination that teaches GOD is three co-equal, co-eternal divine beings. That makes TWO distinguishing doctrines - both hardwired as doctrine because of belief in the "prophetic gift" of Ellen White.

BLM is a very confused movement if this is the logic behind it. If all races are violent(and they are), what is special about BLM? We should be promoting ALM. Who is the BLM movement appealing to if most crime is interracial and police instigated crime is much much less frequent? Who is BLM blaming for the socioeconomic problems? That isn't the police's fault. For that you'd have to look much higher into political policy and not a group of people.

I don't have the time or inclination to response to every piece of nonsense in a post. Additionally some don't even have the strength of character to accept the error. He's a little example. You repeated the assertion that BLM is not active in Chicago.....I think if you had though about that for a few seconds you would know that can't be right. After reading the material below can you admit you are wrong? http://www.salon.com/2016/08/05/black-lives-matter-activists-launch-abolition-square-encampment-demanding-reparations-end-to-broken-windows-policing/ http://blacklivesmatter.com/11-major-misconceptions-about-the-black-lives-matter-movement/ 1. The movement doesn’t care about black-on-black crime. The idea that black-on-black crime is not a significant political conversation among black people is patently false. In Chicago, long maligned for its high rates of intraracial murder, members of the community created the Violence Interrupters to disrupt violent altercations before they escalate. However, those who insist on talking about black-on-black crime frequently fail to acknowledge that most crime is intraracial. Ninety-three percent of black murder victims are killed by other black people. Eighty-four percent of white murder victims are killed by other white people. The continued focus on black-on-black crime is a diversionary tactic, whose goal is to suggest that black people don’t have the right to be outraged about police violence in vulnerable black communities, because those communities have a crime problem. The Black Lives Matter movement acknowledges the crime problem, but it refuses to locate that crime problem as a problem of black pathology. Black people are not inherently more violent or more prone to crime than other groups. But black people are disproportionately poorer, more likely to be targeted by police and arrested, and more likely to attend poor or failing schools. All of these social indicators place one at greater risk for being either a victim or a perpetrator of violent crime. To reduce violent crime, we must fight to change systems, rather than demonizing people.

I can think of a lot of religious privileges enjoyed by pastors, pastor's wives, pastor's kids, elders, deacons, deaconesses, and so on and so forth...things (and character assumptions) that are afforded them that are not given freely to laypersons.

I have to agree with you that the "Seventy sevens" are 70 weeks of years. Most SDA and non SDA theologians agree with this. However, I have to disagree with you on the identification of the "Messiah" or "Anointed One". First of all, lets look at the verses: "24 “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." First of all, the capitalization in the term "the Anointed One" was added by the translators. It is not in the original Hebrew. The original Hebrew mentions "an anointed one" - not necessarily Christ. Secondly, you will notice how the 70 weeks is broken into three different time frames Seven,"sevens", 62 "sevens", and one "seven". I infer that the 70th week is broken off from the other 69. Lastly, whoever this "anointed one is, he puts an end to sacrifice and sets up the abomination of desolation until the end comes upon him. Jesus did NOT set up the AoD; and His "end" never came - just a short pause before a glorious eternal life.

First, in a land where freedom of speech is a guaranteed right there sure are a lot of people who hate freedom of speech, unless of course you agree with them then you can say and do whatever you want. Black lives matter is NOT a grass roots response coming from the black community. It is a political organization funded by George Soros. That relationship makes it suspect immediately. I find it interesting, Lazarus, that your only response to having it pointed out to you that BLM is not active in places like Chicago where blacks are murdering blacks in historic numbers is snark. BLM does nothing to address this problem publicly. It's the 800 lb elephant in the room and when it's pointed out the snark and cries of racism come out quickly. Why? It seems to me the appropriate respose for that organization to make is become very active in reducing those deaths. Instead they run around advocating death to cops. Really? The cops are the ones who catch and punish the murderers of those little black kids. The cops are the ones who protect the black community in the vast majority of incidences. I have a prejudice against most cops. Don't like them or trust them most of the time because of the negative experiences I've had with a few of them. But, some cops have done me good turns too. They're people just like the rest of us, and most of them become police officers because they want to "protect and serve". Are there power trippers inside that group too? Yup. Guys who just love to throw their weight around. I have to say, though, in spite of my built-in prejudice, that the power trippers are a pretty small minority. I've known, personally, a couple of power tripper cops. They were not liked by very many people and trusted by even fewer. They didn't care what color a person's skin was. They just wanted to micro manage everyone they could see, throw their weight around, and be generally obnoxious on the job. They lived for it. Race had nothing to do with them being jerks. They were equal opportunity. Where I lived in the 70's there was a Mexican guy I knew whose father was in the pen for murder. The kids followed the father's example of being outlaws, but they were actually pretty nice guys if you ignored the lawlessness. One of the local staters hated this Mexican kid for a variety of reasons: kid had a really fast car, the kid sold pot, etc.... That stater would harrass him all the time. Now, that same stater had it in for me too. I had a really fast car. I sold drugs on a semi-regular basis. That stater would harass me every chance he got. He pulled me over one time because, and I quote, "your takeoff left a bad impression on me". I asked if there was excessive tire noise, the mufflers were too loud, etc... He replied that there wasn't, but still insisted my takeoff had left a bad impression on him. He kept me pulled over for more than a half hour on that basis alone. It was just harassment plain and simple. It was just him doing what he always did. Oh, the stater got his one night. He was out drinking one night and went looking for the Mexican kid to "teach him a lesson". The stater was 6'4" or so and weighed around 260 lbs. The Mexican kid was 5'8" and weighed around 130 lbs. He cleaned that stater's clock after the stater picked the fight and threw the first punch. The stater couldn't see out of either eye. His nose was broken and both cheeks, his lips, and one ear were cut up. The stater disappeared for about a year and then was back doing the same old things he always had.... Didn't learn anything. Back to BLM..... I find it really interesting that BLM always wants police protection for their demonstrations. You'd think, by their political rhetoric, that they would be scared to death of being murdered by those same cops. The fact that they aren't is demonstrated by their death to cops chants while being surrounded by cops. To me it shows the utter hypocrisy of their so-called movement.

Your argument is simplistic at best. Because some black young people listen to gangster rap you can't take black lives matter seriously? You conveniently ignored my comments about BLM founders and it seems you clearly know very little about the black community. I have a lot of black young people in my circle who are doctors, lawyers, engineers who support BLM and have no time for Gangster rap but will listen to positive hip hop, gospel, classical, all kinds. I wonder why you have such a one dimensional view of black young people. Where do you meet them of talk to them. Is it at church? In you neighborhood? Shopping? How much contact to you have with black young people on a week to week basis?

Kings are representative of their kingdoms. The terms are used interchangeably in prophetic language: "another kingdom inferior to you" "these kings ... these kingdoms" "great beasts ... four kings" "fourth beast ... fourth kingdom" Daniel 2:39, 44; 7:17, 23. Etc. What is meant therefore are not specific individuals, but the offices they embody.

Instead of jumping off the topic, as if there is some correlation, why not address the points of TW's post. The topic is origin of eating/health laws. Are we consistent in what we teach and have we made 'rules' where only guidance was given? Have we tried to make some things salvation issues when we deny that we have? A strong and believable faith must have a solid foundation. Tom has brought up some interesting points about the priesthood/Levitical system and the offerings presented.

My world view is heavily influenced by my beliefs system, namely present truth. Not necessarily the stuff that floats around here. My beliefs told me long time ago that things would get progressively worse and worse until there is a time of trouble that this world has never seen. Dan 12;1. I pull my head up and look around and I see all that coming to fruition. So, I am not all that surprised with various groups in society are in conflict with one another.

Nope Answer: The very first scanning of the now ubiquitous Universal Product Code (UPC) barcode was on a 10-pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum in June 1974. The bar code was scanned at 8:01 a.m. on June 26, 1974 at a Marsh supermarket in Troy, Ohio. The pack of gum wasn't specially designated to be the first scanned product. It just happened to be the first item lifted from the cart by shopper Clyde Dawson. The cash register rang up 67 cents. The pack of gum and the receipt are now on display at the National Museum of American History.

Clearly you make certain assumptions that are not necessarily supported by the data. Why are you assuming most shootings are justified? Your belief is that the police are fundamentally honest. Your believe that the judicial system fundamentally serves in the interests of the people. The justice department determined that the Furguson police department was corrupt and had racist practices.

Bonnie, in the civil rights movement various leading groups were accused of promoting violence or being violent. The white right wing news outlets are doing now what others did then.

Everybody knows that gangster rap has violence and degrading lyrics, but you said " the music of the black culture". Seems like you are saying that you think black music is just gangster rap. It is not. There is a lot of hip hop that celebrates women and is positive messages. It's like saying that the music of the white culture is Metallica!!!!! If you know anything about hip hop you'll know that gangster rappers make most of their money from suburban white kids!!!!!! What do the concerns of BLM have to do with Ganster rap? You are way off base perusing this line of argument. If you check the three ladies who formed BLM they have nothing to do with gangster rap. Lol lol!!!

Wow, The music of the black culture? Lol, is this like the music of the white culture? What is that music? What is that music? Are you talking about hip hop, soul, jazz, gospel?

OB-amie is a Muslim-Only in the minds of those who wish for and embrace conspiracy theories.

Exactly!! My first thoughts were "what!" When I saw the answer!! I also guessed the UK, but we were both wrong!!! C. Russia Russia is the correct answer, comrade. Though they're in the top 10, France, Italy and the UK are not the most populous. Source: various web sites. ps:I'd like to see those sources?????

No, never changed. Just reiterated for the children of Israel who didn't know from years of captivity.

Never said we didn't need Christ. Never said we were self-righteous. Never said we could do anything without Christ. What I said, several times, is that it is my experience that in general, people are pretty good. Three times I have said it now. If this were a cold sales call, I'd hang up the phone now. I'm sorry that we have to end the conversation this way, but clearly we have reached a point where continually talking won't get us anywhere. Be blessed in your day. Be good. Be kind. Be courageous. Trust in the Lord with all your heart!