Leaderboard

See: http://spectrummagazine.org/article/2016/12/22/why-i-love-adventism

The following photo is of my 7-month old step- grandson. It was taken yesterday, December 24, 2016.

While not personally involved, it would be inappropriate for me to give a Jewish based blessing for this or any of the holidays in their annual calendar. However, my wanting to learn more about the present ways of those who claim to be living the Jewish way of life in their communities keeps me alert to all that's being posted by you, Peter.

I've never encountered Scientologists myself. But this site has links to several accounts from former members over the years and copies of some Scientologist materials. http://www.xenu.net/ My understanding is that most of the weird spiritual claims in Scientology are not meant to be introduced until the member has been prepared through several courses of training and auditing. At the entry level they will claim Scientology does not conflict with other religions, and will not present any obviously conflicting material. But the system is designed to weaken the individual until they are eventually made receptive to strange ideas, typically after being put in substantial debt from expensive courses and auditing sessions.

Excellent article!!

Hanukkah begins tonight All over the world tonight, the Jewish People will be lighting their hanukkiahs (Hanukkah menorahs) in remembrance of the miracles that God performed about 2,200 years ago in Jerusalem. The first miracle was God's deliverance. For many years, the Jewish People had been oppressed by the Greeks, who desecrated the Holy Temple by sacrificing a pig on the altar. They enforced idolatry, forbidding the Jewish People from reading the Torah and following it. God delivered His people through a Jewish priest named Mattathias and his sons. They led a small group of Jewish men to rise up against the 25,000 soldiers of the Syrian/Greek army. When the Jewish priests entered the Temple to re-dedicate it and light the Menorah, they found only one bottle of undefiled oil — enough to last just one day. Miraculously, that tiny supply of oil lasted eight full days. This second miracle gave the priests enough time to create more sanctified oil to keep the Temple Menorah burning 24 hours a day. The miracle of the Menorah oil lasting for eight days is commemorated by eating a variety of foods cooked in oil, including delicious sufganiot (donuts). Over 100 years later, Yeshua stood at the Holy Temple on Hanukkah when He was asked directly, "Are you the Messiah?" "Then came the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) at Jerusalem. It was winter and Yeshua (Jesus) was in the Temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. "The Jews gathered around Him, saying, 'How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.'” (John 10:22–24) On that Hanukkah, Yeshua confirmed to those asking that He is the Messiah, the Shepherd of Israel. Other verses confirm that He is the Light of the World (John 8:12) and also that through Him we can be lights shining in the darkness of these Last Days (Philippians 2:15). A little boy smiles in the light of the hanukkiah (eight-branched menorah). We will be thinking of YOU Tonight as we light the first candle on the hanukkiah. May your holiday season be illuminated with the Light of the World—Yeshua HaMashiach.

Gregory had another similar, but not the same, interesting thread pertaining to this topic a few years ago: I love reading stories like this...

I actually cringe when I see this subject... I have not read all the posts so this may have been covered. If people are not allowed to leave, by their own choice, without pressure and harassment, after checking out adventism, then we become like a cult.

GREGORY and JOE MO well about 25 years ago i and my at the time was studying with a family----the husband never was interested but the wife --3 daughters --1 son did the study and joined the church-----but 1st the son then the mom and daughters all left the reason we made them good S.D.A. members but not followers of JESUS ------that was an eye opener for me so what we need to do in our studies is to get them to understand to how to follower JESUS then the rest will follow dgrimm60

Not much in the article; but I'm interested in seeing more. In my 45 years in the church, I have seen far more than 40% if new converts leaving - it's more like 75%. The biggest reasons I have seen is that many (especially younger members) find the typical SDA service to be "boring"; and they seek a more "inspiring" or "exciting" church. Many people over 30 leave because some of the "saints" rebuke their use of jewelry, how they dress, how they talk, how they keep the Sabbath, how they smell like cigarettes or beer, or because they were "busted eating meat (or worse - pork!!) Another reason they leave is because they didn't have the "full story" when they were baptized; especially about EGW. Most of the people I know who have left Adventism have not left Christianity; they have simply found churches (mostly non-denominational) that are more inclusive of people who are still facing issues that they can't address personally with SDA's for fear of continued rebuke.

Most SDAs will probably not realize that the legal principle that placed her in a military chaplain position is the same principle that palaces SDAs into military chaplain positions. There was a time when SDAs either were not accepted or would not have been accepted if they had applied into Federal chaplaincies. Three SDAs set the standard for the entry Adventists into the active military forces. One, Bob Mole then set the standard for the entry of SDAs into the VA. I was the first SDA chaplain in any National Guard unit. That was a very short period of time. I was probably the 1st SDA to serve on the teaching faculty of the U. S. Army Chaplain School.