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Did Jesus use "fake" stories in his teaching? Please be reminded of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Look at the controversy on the nature of hell that's come about because of that parable. But Jesus obviously had a reason to use such a colorful story... "Fake news" and "fake stories" aren't necessarily deceit if one's intent is to *make a point* with the story, rather than have the story be taken as fact.

mockery? to exaggerate our irritations and a cure for them... is not mockery in any sense of the word. one pastor told a story how he got stuck in the mud... and this was irritating and a challenge, and he was far from town at a bird reserve, on Sabbath... and there came some nice members of his church driving towards him, he waved. and just as he was pushing hard to get out of the mud he slipped in the mud, then as rising his pants ripped, really big something he could not conceal with his jacket and he was a large man. now there was humor in this though at the time i do not suspect he was laughing... the each step in the exaggeration of his predicament the humor increased... was anyone mocking this dear academic pastor? so there is place for laughing at ourselves and it is not disdaining the Lord of Heaven in any way... it is a release of tension, a healthy release. In Scripture the lord says to his enemies, i have you in derision... i am laughing at you. Elijah laughed at the priest of Baal on Mt. Carmel. it is good to know it is ok to laugh at our seriousness when we ultimately know God is in charge and His pruposes are working out, and it is His will for us to be bale to laugh and reduce distress and feel good and live longer.

When we look at college students who have to have places of refuge because they are so deeply offended that someone might disagree with them and then compare those kids to what the kids of the pioneers went through in seeing their friends and family killed and mutilated by Indians or outlaws and how hard they had to work just to survive, the kids these days are nothing but whiney little brats.

this is one of the silliest threads ever, imho... to debate the merits of humor... I can't believe I'm posting here.

I do agree with this statement won. I also agree I agree I agree I agree This I don't agree with! I do agree that this statement is definitely for me, because I have better clothes. But for some or maybe many, they might not have any better clothes than jeans!!

I understood the question quite well. I also understand myself quite well. I am a rebel by nature. It has taken a lot of miracles in my life to overcome my rebellion against God. So, I don't think I am being facetious to say I am pretty sure I would have rebelled. I have a self-destructive streak a mile wide.

That it is. If we do not know where we came from we cannot know where we are going.

Kids! are whiney little brats? Adults are no different!!!

multicultural is a word for the opposite of racist. i think there are all kinds and degrees of racism. some say to not be a racist you have to be color blind, but but to be culture blind is more challenging. to lose discrimination of different groups of people, is something no one can do without the grace of God. there are groups that pose a present and real danger, as in active drug abusing gangs. this sense of fear of "other" is a base for racism. bigotry takes so many forms, it is not necessarily based in race alone. and to identify your personal biases and how they can play out in seeing anyone as being less, because of advantages you have and they do not have can be subtle and deep and result in disregard of others feelings, and ultimately disregard for their needs and their validity as equals. misunderstandings and presumptions, and miscommunication with those who have felt the pain of prejudice and are sensitized can quickly form disconnect that brings pain. again i believe the Grace of Jesus love and power is needed on both sides between those who feel disenfranchised and those who are unaware feel everything is fine.

So, I have always heard that there would be people of God in important and influential places in the time of the end. Seems there is one influential person having an effect on the political scene: http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2017/february/senate-chaplain-in-awe-of-senator-whos-led-13-heads-of-state-to-christ

I agree that what BW posted is true. But, this may mean that God will need to place His witnesses in places where we humans would not expect them to be. If we were to observe such, how would we relate to that? Would we deny that God placed them there and challenge their mission and ministry?

See: http://atoday.org/ted-asks-for-universal-ministerial-credential/ An interesting comment from the above:

that is why i placed the date Dec. 14 in the subject line. Pence is a Christian Supremist, he would be right in line to satisfy those who long for this and the generationsthat have been working for this over 100 years.

I greatly suspect the subsection for Barely Adventist in the Humor section will ever be removed. The current fake-news from the Barely Adventist website addresses the racism video at Andrews. The fake-news satire is in extremely poor taste. It's a wonder that more people do not leave the Adventist faith when this sort of thing (mockery of a deep-felt plea against racism) is allowed to continue.

I'm less persuaded. The word "creed" doesn't appear in my Bible, and Mrs. White told me to have no creed outside of the Bible itself. Our Adventist creed is a step toward apostasy according to our pioneers, and having seen the manner it which it is increasingly regarded and used, I agree with them. James White adamantly opposed creeds, and Ellen said we should have no other than the Bible. Our AFB book, adopted officially as a creed and used as one, goes against the Spirit of Prophecy.

Here's a barely-Adventist weighing in... Do keep up this discussion. Those giving testimony to rejecting satire being used against SDA doctrines, rituals and other related issues are walking the path of righteousness. Personally, I will find it a relaxing moment when the topic thread in Humor Section be taken down so we who are of like mind against that thread will be relieved and giving a sigh of relief.

There is such a variety of animal life on this earth and much of it "strange." I really don't see any animal as standing out to me as an evidence of God's "humor." I have never really thought of any animal being created to have "fun" with. God seems to enjoy creating a many kinds of life that just amazes me when I stop to contemplate all of his creation. The fact that they are means they belong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-gEx-yFz1c

Including me, we are three persons agreed.

i grasp some of the significance of the issues Christians have in formal organization, church authority, human leadership, higher Christian education, intellectual and scientific challenges to biblical beliefs. It can so messy, people are messy... nothing is as seamless as it hopes to be as it is held up to be when it is an religious institution. I appreciate more and more the statement by Paul, "I am determined to know nothing among you but Christ and Him crucified". Why didn't Paul say, we need a finer balance between faith and science and philosophy, or we need to get everybody onto the same intellectual page, in order to make Christ known to the world, or we need to place the very gifted and most intelligent among us in the ruling positions? Because that was not what was needed, that would not be adequate. When Jesus is lifted up higher and even higher by the power of the Holy Spirit being in control of our hearts... Lord be lifted up!!! The Holy Spirit will make every lesser consideration become dust before the glory of God revealed in Christ, his humility, his life, sacrifice, and resurrection and His glory on High, and His arm, His mighty arm to lift us up to live with him now, every moment, in heavenly places. Ervin Taylor concludes in this article "On the surface, Roman Catholic and Adventist clerical administrative authorities may appear to have few problems in common. On the contrary, many of their core problems are very similar. An example: How to keep an educated membership in an open society from increasing their influence and raising so many questions about the validity of traditional theology and polity that the ability of the institutional church to influence opinions and continue to receive income from members will be severely damaged. This is probably relatively simple to deal with in most Third World environments. In the First World, the strains created by this process can be easily seen and can only get worse. It appears that today, Adventists living in the First World are indeed “Living in Interesting Times.” " yes times when the hunger and need for Christ is stronger and getting more apparent every moment....

Here is short version answer, and I have not ready everything.. It is easy for those in the union to approve others to be ordained, based on education etc etc One day, we need to approve based on what they have accomplished.