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In the old days, we had large amounts of people actively discussing many topics. That was way before Facebook, Reddit or even Youtube(?) . I came here after Compuserve. There have been many software updates since then. This version works well. CA was the place to be back then. CA is a safe place. I suspect that many who used to post here have died or lost interest due to old age. That is the problem with getting old. Your friends all die. Keep up the good work, Stan.

We are living in a time when it is important not to be misunderstood. The bottom line is that the murder of Charlie Kirk was a terrible crime. He was not a perfect person, but that does not negate the fact that it was a terrible crime. In an effort to prevent misunderstanding, I am asking that we refrain from commenting on any imperfections that we may think are related to him, regardless of whether they are true or not. Violations of my request will be considered for removal. NOTE: I have discussed this with Stan who is aware of my decision.

i suppose it is easy to think that since we may consider Luther to be the Father of the Reformation that he rejected all of his Catholic background. I think that such would be false. I would suspect that he maintained some of his Catholic background. In my experience, I find that converts to Adventism from a Catholic background maintain some of their Catholic faith and practices. In short, I suspect that Luther probably maintained his Catholic understanding of the Ten Commandments. I suspect that this is what scholars from the Lutheran church would say. NOTE": Catholics and Adventists do not disagree on every aspect of the Christian faith.

Friend Please have a conversation without being insulting. Stan

I believe the earth is around 6000 years old. I believe the creation of this planet happened in 6 days. I believe God created man from the dust of the earth.

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? Hebrews 2 New International Version We are warned not to drift away. Over the years, I have seen many people drift away. Studying the word of God every day, keeps us from drifting away. I have never seen someone drift away who was studying the bible every day.

Recently the Federal Centers for Disease Control published an 8-page report on the dangers of the natural herb Kratom. It is widely used, and freely sold in most of the united States by people who consider it to be a healthful way to address some of the common concerns of daily life. What is often not understood is how addictive and dangerous it can be, especially in some of the forms in which it is sold. Withdrawal will often require medical supervision. The following article will explain this in more detail. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/75/wr/mm7511a1.htm?s_cid=OS_mm7511a1_w My assumption is that as it is becoming popular in our society in the U.S, it is also being used by Adventists who see it as a safe natural product,and have no understanding as to how lethal it can be. If we as a Church decry the use of tobacco and alcoholic drinks, I suggest we need to warn our members as to the dangers of Kratom. The above CDC publication provides enough information for several articles for authors to use. On a personal basis, my second son ended his life in 2024 while attempting to withdraw from Kratom usage that was not medically supervised. His story is told in the following article which will inform to a greater degree. https://atoday.org/the-day-my-son-took-his-own-life/ NOTE: I have an agreement with the above publisher that permission will be granted free of charge for the article to be republished. Gregory Matthews

Another man with whom he had issues was one who borrowed one of his books and did not return it. Elder Richards retrieved it from his widow. He told me a story about a historical figure who had secured a firearm, something new at the time. When the king paraded through his town, he took aim and fired from a rooftop, knocking the king off his horse. HMS thought that was quite amusing. Not sure why he told me that story. I enjoyed reading the VOP book[let] of the month. I retrieved a bag full of them from the VOP headquarters. One was called "The Occult Explosion." It had a purple and black cover with appropriate illustrations. We had some Hell's Angels in our town at that time. I offered the booklet to one of them. He not only accepted it but thanked me for giving it to him.

Even more so now. The division has never been greater in North America. We cannot forget the division of Vax vs Non-Vax Now we have a divide about illegal immigrants and ICE. In Lake Union this has become a problem. My friends tell me that church attendance is down in many white churches, and people are watching on the internet. I can see a correlation to the controversial issues. The next dividing topic will be the war in Iran. It seems like lots of shaking in North America. Let us not forget, the NAD makes up less than 10% of the Adventist Church.

I have not heard that before. I know many Adventist who believe it was in the first week. Very interesting. How do we know that? I believe they did have sex before sin, and that is partially why Adam sinned. He understood Eve had sinned and that the serpent was the one they were warned about, but he did not want to lose Eve, so he ate the fruit too. But I could be wrong. The bible is not specific about when.

The following is a lilting of the materials that are commonly included in the Apocrypha. In some cases, I may have shortened the title from what is the title as included in Bibles. Also, I do not list in the order in which they are included in the Bibles. If you wish to read the following, they are probably all available on the Internet. 1st Maccabees: This book is considered to be the best history that we have of the specific period of time that it describes. 2nd Maccabees: This book is thought to have some historical value for the covered period of time, but not as much as the one directly above. NOTE: Two other similar (3rd & 4th) versions did not make it into the cannon of any present Christian group. The Three Holy Children: This section tells the story of the three who were thrown into the furnace of fire, their conversations while they were in the furnace, and their deliverance. Susanna: This is the story of a woman falsely accused of immoral conduct. Daniel steps in to defend her and proves her innocent. It is an addition to the book of Daniel. Bel and the Dragon: This is a fanciful story of Daniel who destroyed the Babylonian god Bel, and also a dragon god, who was then thrown into the den of lions for 6-days during which God fed Daniel., 1st Esdras: This is a long story of how Cyrus allowed the Jews to return from their captivity in Babylon to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. 2nd Esdras: This book begins with the story of God delivering the Jews from Egypt. It has a focus on End Time Events that differs from the other book. Prayer of Manasses: He is a captive in Babylon. This is his prayer asking for forgiveness. Tobit: This is the story of a righteous man on a journey, accompanied by an angel of God who encounters an evil spirit. He heals people with gall. One person dies at 185 years of age. Tobit dies at 127 years of age. Judith: In this story, God uses the woman, Judith to deliver Israel from the enemy. It differs some, but, is similar to the story of Jael killing Sisera in Judges 4:17-22. Additions to Esther: These additions to the book of Esther expand upon the story of the attempt to kill the Jews and how Esther approached the King to request that they be saved. Wisdom of Solomon: This is simply alleged to be the teachings of King Solomon. Christians would likely agree with much. Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach or Ecclesiasticus: This is a collection of the teachings of a man named Jesus who lived many years prior to Jesus the Christ. Baruch: this book was written to Jews in captivity in Babylon. It states that such happened due to their sins and assures them that if they repent, God will deliver them and return them to their previous land.

Extremely well said! I'm going to incorporate this into my knowledge base! Humbling!

God intends for His church to be comprised of people growing in faith and understanding. From this perspective you can expect to have people who are members who believe to some extent false doctrine.

The celebration of the Passover is explained by various conversations by the characters in this episode. It informs viewers that do not have a Christian background what was happening during this feast. In one scene the high priest is dining with King Herod. They are discussing Jesus and it is presented in such a way that the high priest is clearly threatened by Jesus while King Herod sees Jesus as harmless. We know that Jesus was not a threat to the civil government of Rome. He was a threat to the Jewish religious leadership. After the resurrection and ascension, the new Christian sect was such a threat to Jewish leadership that they became persecuted. We see in this story the "church" and the "state". Jesus was not a threat to the state but was a threat to the church. The state is all about power and treasure in this world. The church is about power and treasure in the world to come. The episode comes to a climax with the cleansing of the temple. Jesus overturns the tables and runs the livestock and vendors out. It is very forceful. It is noteworthy that the Jewish people were expecting the Messiah to come and free them from Rome. They expected the Messiah to attack Rome. However, the Messiah did not attack Rome. He attacked the erroring Jewish establishment. During the first season, Jesus met with Nicodemus. The light came on for Nicodemus when he realized the Messiah didn't come to free them from Rome but rather to free them from sin. Cleansing the temple is an active illustration of Jesus freeing us from sin. The Jewish religion had become rigid legalism. Rigid legalism traps us in sin. If Jesus was here today, would He be trying to reform civil government or would He be focusing on the church? The reality is that Jesus is here today as He lives in those that believe in Him. Should our focus be on the civil government or on the church? How can we be free from legalism and fulfill the purpose God has for us at this time?

I wonder if they told their clergy to expend as much energy, money, and man hours into as a group trying to change the laws that are responsible for the mess and loss of life. Then all want to be seen as the righteous ones, those that care ready to lay down their lives, not those nasty unchristian conservatives. The mess we have going in MPLS is manufactured according to many, .Those constantly fanning the flames are not from MN, they are professionally trained agitators . .It is a deflection from some of the most corrupt administrations in the U. It did as was intended ,drawing attention away fromthe fraud and theft They know exactly what they are doing attention away from our governor, AG and our Somali congress woman. The tide has turned in a rapid way to support of this corruption when it had been building against the democratic administration. Families are being encouraged publically to rid the landscape of conservatives. "Sadly it will be necessary to take a harsh stand against family,even your own children or your parents" The leaders of this mess do not give a fig for the poor "illegals". They are simply useful idiots. Democrats and republicans have had ample time to correct that border mess with common sense laws. laws that would eliminate the need to come illegal,would stop that hideous practise of trafficking children. I know what the dems get in return for this,for the life of me I cant understand the republicans for this to remain as it does. Everyone has to gain something or when one party basically has the rule this would change. There have been times when both parties have had control and we have not made any headway.

For informational purposes, I am posting my approach to moderation as to posts that other people make: * I almost never make a change in what a person has posted. On rare occasions I correct a typo that is clearly a major error, and I may notify the author that I did so. * I generally edit in the following three areas: Civil: Debate the issue and do not attack the person. Porn: This is not a place to post photos of people not wearing clothing, as has been done many times in the past. Commercial: This forum costs money to operate. It is not generally a place to promote commercial activity. Every year, I have to deal with a person who promotes a roofing company. This is not a place for you to advertise your income producing service. NOTE: On a limited basis, I do post information related to materials and services that I believe foster Christianity. This thread remains open for comments.

thanks I am going to set up a different email address for paypal, this may take a couple of days, It is so appreciated

Animals have such personalities. A couple of years ago a stray cat showed up, first at my sisters, but then two days later she walked right in my door as I opened it and she made herself at home. She only lets me stay there as long as I'm a faithful hired help.

In my opinion, none of this matters much. For over 100 years, the church has been preaching about the Judgment. This is the next big event that counts. The Judgment of the living. I talked about it here : If we don't get pardoned in the judgment, nothing else matters. I believe the judgment of the living is going on right now.

Folks, you have no idea as to how many hours Stan has spent attempting to make this forum work again. For those who do not know, Stan is the Owner of this forum and he pays the bills and appreciates any gifts that you make to keep it running.

December 3, 2025 The current issue(December 2025) of the Adventist Journey, contained ain interesting article by Paul Douglas, titled "Mission Emphasis Informs Treasurer's Report at Annual Council, beginning on page 6. * It reported that on a worldwide basis 35.7% of the tithe was used for pastoral support, and 29.2% was used for operational expenses. * on a basis of a worldwide median calculation, 30.7% was used for operational support and 36.4% for pastoral support. My understanding of the above leads me to conclude that we need to restructure our use of tithe, reduce our operational expenses and increase our support of pastoral ministry. I would want to work to reduce our operational expenses to no more than 50% of that provided to pastoral support . In other words, 2/3 of tithe to pastoral ministry and 1/3 to operational, at the most. It would be a good start. I do not believe that we need to have every aspect of our organizational structure on every level of the organized Church. AAs an example, I can agree that we need to have ACM and Religious Liberty represented on the Division level. But, I do not think it is needed on the GC level. Yes, I know that people can always fine "busy work" to do. Further, think that we may need to re-think exactly what is needed at the levels that we establish organizational support. IOWs, we may, at some levels, be spinning our wheels in not providing exactly the support that is needed. But, that is for another time and discussion.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a relatively young Protestant denomination that was first formally organized in 1863. It has five major areas of ministry: education, publishing, media, healthcare, and foreign missions. Today (2025) it has some 23- million baptized members. Fundamental to its understanding of the purpose of congregations is the thought that people are on a spiritual journey that implies growth over time. In other words, individual members will typically be at different stages of spiritual understanding and growth. From this perspective, individual SDA members exhibit a wider range of belief and practice than is commonly understood by the public. SDA congregations are both united in belief and also may have some differences in how spiritual belief is practiced in daily life. Officially SDA beliefs fall into two categories. Baptismal Vows are a subset of beliefs that are expected to be held by those who are baptized, and join the denomination. Fundamental Beliefs are officially the teachings that each pastor is expected to teach and individual congregations to hold. Yet, from a practical manner, the spectra of understanding those and how they are practiced in daily life is wider than most people understand.

The answers to your questions are mixed. Matthew Korpman: His work is not widely known and is just beginning to attract the attention of people. Yes , there has been some minimal knowledge. But he has expanded our knowledge beyond that and it is just beginning to become known beyond scholarly circles. EGWs use of sources: It has been well known for many years that she did make some use of sources. But, little attention was paid to this. Early people, whom I will not mention, were often dismissed. Thinking of one, I accepted his evidence and dismissed some of his conclusions as I did not consider the conclusions to be of scholarly value. Of another person, his work was generally of value, but for other reasons it was dismissed by some. The real turnabout in Adventist thinking came when individual scholars began to be able to publish their work outside of the standard Adventist publishing houses. Oak and Acorn was one such Adventist source of publishing. Avondale Press was another. When the individual authors began to be able to publish by using places like Amazon, a flood of new material became available to the Adventist membership in general. George Knight and Ron Graybill are two authors who have contributed much to making information available to the general Adventist membership. Others have made information available in areas related to EGW and also in other areas of spiritual importance. Adventism is changing as it is being challenged.

There is a reality that all students of the SDA Church must face. Ellen White is an early cofounder of what is now the SDA Church. I do not believe that she has as much influence on the development of SDA doctrine as some would propose that she had. I will be teh first to say that she played a major role in the administrative development of the SDA Church. She had major roles in our entry into missions, education, healthcare, and publishing. We would not be a denomination of 23 million people today if it were not for her role in our development. I believe that God used her. But, God uses imperfect people. She was not divine. She was human. she was not always correct in her theology. No human is. Other denominations acknowledge that their early leaders were imperfect. Gustave would be the first to acknowledge that there have been Popes who were imperfect. Why can we not do the same. Why can we not admit that Ellen White was a human, who was imperfect, but still used by God. God has used me in spite of my being imperfect., as all humans are.

On a regular basis, Adventist Today hosts a Zoom Conference of some religious issue. After the conference, they are posted on the Internet. Those postings can be accessed at: https://www.youtube.com/c/AdventistTodayMedia Scroll past other material to the following: ATSS Presents. NOTE: The conference on Reclaiming the Prophet is posted in a thread titled Ellen G. White and Adventism.

Hello friends, it's been a while since I've posted and a lot has happened but I want to share what's happened since I've last posted. In 2017, my wife, Denise read me a quote from a devotional called "The faith that I live by." I was searching for answers because I was tired of being a failing Christian. I had been studying the Bible and SOP for years and yet when I honestly looked at my life, there was no victory no satisfaction, just emptiness. I'm sure you all have felt that at some time or another. What I understood and experienced was righteousness by faith. I had studied and even preach on this subject in the past but I was simply passing on information without it making a change in my heart. This video is a testimony (sort of) and it captures what I was learning. It was recorded in 2023. The battery on my camera went dead so the entire sermon wasn't recorded but there's enough to understand what I was saying. it's about 29 minutes long. I do hope you are blessed and encouraged.

To what extent should SDAs be considered people who are attempting to be Jewish? That is the question explored in the following article. It is well worth reading and also has comparisons with Catholics and other Protestant groups. https://atoday.org/are-adventists-trying-to-be-jewish/

I started my online apologetics efforts back when "web t.v." was available to buy. I was so impressed with it I bought my Dad one to use. Since those days I've been on multiple forums and compliment this forum for being so welcoming and allowing others who don't share the same faith traditions to share what they believe openly without being subject to perpetual attack. I've been very impressed with Stan and Pastor Matthews - you guys run a quality ship.

Something very similar happens in different species of animals.. You may think that is a joke but the joke might be on you. They cannot reproduce ,behavior in a herd setting the behavior can be disruptive and is counterproductive to keep alive. In animals there isn't any reason to try to determine if there is a dominant gender. They literally can behave as male one day and female the next I don't know about all species but sheep, goats ,angora goats can produce unisex ofspring. There are characteristics you need to be aware of in a breeding program. Polled to polled will result in a unisex ofspring. Not always, and many are willing to take the chance to eliminate a horned animal. We had in happen twice with livestock. Unisex ofspring ,neither one or the other. Once with our registered blue merle collie something with the coloring could produce deaf offspring among other deficits. Blue merle collies mated can produce a beautiful white collie that is deaf. I believe there are other deficits but at the moment cannot remember them. It was interesting in that the "unisex" offspring were absolutely beautiful. If something can go so haywire in the animal kingdom how are you so sure something cant in humans? However I think it is rarity I listened to a discussion between Charlie Kirk and a woman in the audience. She could not define what a woman was. She claimed it was whatever you wanted the definition to be and that male/female was a society construct. I don't believe it is a epidemic as people make out. When people cannot define what a woman is and they answer "depends" when asked, I personally think there is a screw loose.

When I began this task, I expected to quickly finish it. I really did not understand the amount of material available on Adventism, that was of good quality. I soon came to realize that I could not list it all. So, the above is simply a summary. Enjoy. May it be a blessing to you. I will now unlock this thread. Gregory Matthews

The Trinity in Catholic Thought During the time that Gustave has been with us, I have appreciated his participation much. A frequent theme of his has been The Trinity an important doctrine in Christianity. I thought it might be of value to us to go to an official Catholic publication on that doctrine to see what the Roman Catholic teaching actually is. My reference source is the Catechism published by the Catholic Church in Rome, English Edition. It is listed below. * I have taken my postings from pages 66 to 70 of the following book. * A 3-digit number written in Bold is the numbered teaching. * Numbers printed in [brackets] are the numbers of related teachings. They also may refer to other information. * My postings are only a partial listing of Catholic teachings. * A pdf version of this book may be accessed at: https://www.spiralgalaxy.tech/biblestudygroup/supplementarymaterials/catechism.pdf 252 The Church uses (I) the term "substance" (rendered also at times by "essence" or "nature") to designate the divine being in its unity, (II) the term "person" or "hypostasis" to designate the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the real distinction among them, and (III) the term "relation" to designate the fact that their distinction lies in the relationship of each to the others. The dogma of the Holy Trinity 253 [2789] The Trinity is One. We do not confess three Gods, but one [2789] God in three persons, the "consubstantial Trinity."83 [Council of Constantinople II (553) DS 421] The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is God whole and entire: "The Father is that which the Son is, the Son that which the Father is, the Father and the Son that which the Holy Spirit is, i.e., by nature one God."84 [Council of Toledo XI (675) DS 30:26] In the words of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215): "Each of the persons is that supreme reality, viz., the divine substance, essence or nature."85 [Lateran Council (1215) SA 804] 254 The divine persons are really distinct from one another. "God is one but not solitary."86 [Fides Damasi"DS 71] "Father," "Son," "Holy Spirit" are not simply names designating modalities of the divine being, for they are really distinct from one another: "He is not the Father who is the Son, nor is the Son he who is the Father, nor is the Holy Spirit he who is the Father or the Son."87 [Council of Toledo XI (675) DS 530:25] They are distinct from one another in their relations of origin: "It is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds."88 [Lateran council IV (1215) DS 804]The divine Unity is Triune. 255 The divine persons are relative to one another. Because it does not divide the divine unity, the real distinction of the persons from one another resides solely in the relationships which relate them to one another: "In the relational names of the persons the Father is related to the Son, the Son to the Father, and the Holy Spirit to both. While they are called three persons in view of their relations, we believe in one nature or substance."89 [Council of Toledo XI (675) DS 528] Indeed" everything (in them) is one where there is no opposition of relationship."90 [Council of Florence (1442) DS 1330] "Because of that unity the Father is wholly in the Son and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Son is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Son." 91 [Council of Florence (1442) DS 1331] IN BRIEF 261 The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and of Christian life. God alone can make it known to us by revealing himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 262 The Incarnation of God's Son reveals that God is the eternal Father and that the Son is consubstantial with the Father, which means that, in the Father and with the Father the Son is one and the same God. 263 The mission of the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father in the name of the Son (Jn 14:26) and by the Son "from the Father" (Jn 15:26), reveals that, with them, the Spirit is one and the same God. "With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified" (Nicene Creed). 264 "The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father as the first principle and, by the eternal gift of this to the Son, from the communion of both the Father and the Son" (St. Augustine, De Trin. 15, 26, 47: PL 42, 1095). 265 By the grace of Baptism "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit", we are called to share in the life of the Blessed Trinity, here on earth in the obscurity of faith, and after death in eternal light (cf. Paul VI, CPG § 9). 266 "Now this is the Catholic faith: We worship one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity, without either confusing the persons or dividing the substance; for the person of the Father is one, the Son's is another, the Holy Spirit's another; but the Godhead of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is one, their glory equal, their majesty coeternal" (Athanasian Creed: DS 75; ND 16). 267 Inseparable in what they are, the divine persons are also inseparable in what they do. But within the single divine operation each shows forth what is proper to him in the Trinity, especially in the divine missions of the Son's Incarnation and the gift of the Holy Spirit. The reference book: Catechism of the Catholic Church: Second Edition revised in accordance with the official Latin text promulgated by Pope John Paul II, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Copyright 1997 & 2000, 904 pages.

Did you honestly mean that as a legitimate question? Generally there are those around the guilty that know what is going on and are afraid to speak out. If you have never been close to a situation of clergy abuse you don't understand the punch in the gut it is to find out how many have known. That knowledge itself is almost as bad as the actual physical abuse. And yes,those that knew and did nothing deserve to pay a price for their silence. I am fairly certain that is what was meant by that statement

For the story of a woman who saved the lives of some 2,000 - 2.500 children during WW II, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irena_Sendler and https://www.holocaustmatters.org/irena-sendler/ The Internet is full of stories about her.

Thank you for the time and effort that you put into writing the above.

The agenda for the upcoming GC Session runs for some 94 pages. The link below takes you to an artice on the agenda and also includes a link to the actual agenda. https://atoday.org/exploring-the-2025-general-conference-session-agenda/

Gave us so much beautiful music. Very hard life.

In a study of the writings of Ellen White, it must be remembered that she did not say or write everything that it is claimed that she said or wrote. The following is a listing of a few statements that cannot be proven to have been said or written by her. https://ellenwhite.org/faq/151

In the following article, a SDA administrator comments on his experience as a 15-yearold in talking to a U.S. political leader who was both Roman Catholic and a Democrat! https://spectrummagazine.org/views/a-democrat-a-catholic-and-a-revelation/