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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.

Hobie, I understand EGW in light of what the Bible plainly says. I don't try to interpret Scripture in light of what EGW says. It is not unusual for people to do that, hence the confusion over issues such as this. If you read and thought about the Biblical evidence I presented in the above post and still prefer what you think Sr. White said, I'm sorry for that. The Bible is much easier to understand than what she said on this topic. I wish you well in your journey.

I had noticed that Paul often starts and/or ends his letters giving honor to God, Jesus, and sometimes the Holy Spirit, so I went through them to check. Here is my report, using the ESV. New Testament books greetings and closings (G = God, J = Jesus, S = Son, H = Holy Spirit) G JS H Romans 1:1-8 G J Romans 16:25-27 G J 1 Corinthians 1:1-4 J 1 Corinthians 16:23 G J 2 Corinthians 1:1-2 G J H 2 Corinthians 13:14 G J Galatians 1:1-3 J Galatians 6:18 G J H Ephesians 1:3, 13 G J Ephesians 6:23 G J Philippians 1:2 J Philippians 4:21, 23 G J Colossians 1:1-2 G JS H 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 10 J 1 Thessalonians 5:28 G J 2 Thessalonians 1:1-2 J 2 Thessalonians 3:18 G J 1 Timothy 1:1-2 G J 1 Timothy 6:11-16 G J 2 Timothy 1:1-2 G J Titus 1:1-4 J H Titus 3:5-6 G J Philemon 3 J Philemon 23 (Jesus G JS Hebrews 1:1-2 G J Hebrews 13:20-21 G J James 1:1 G J H 1 Peter 1:2-3 G J 1 Peter 5:14 (Jesus) G J 2 Peter 1:1-2 G JS 1 John 1:3-4 G J 1 John 5:20 G JS 2 John 1 G JS 2 John 9 G JS Jude 1 G J H Jude 20, 25 G J Revelation 1:1-2 G J ? Revelation 22:17-21

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.

Keep in mind that the central purpose of Club Adventist is to provide a place for people of differing views to discuss them in a civil manner. This generally involves a comparison of differing views. So, yes, we do address LGBTQ issues. However, we do ask that such discussion do not use adverse language in reference to such people. God loves all persons including LGBTQ people. On a personal basis, I am probably a bit more conservative than you might think. I welcome civil discussion here on all issues.

Friend Please have a conversation without being insulting. Stan

"God has withheld His blessings because His people have not worked in harmony with His directions. Test 7 P18. " I know its not a popular message, but he is right. In the fastest growing division of the church, SSD, we have 1 pastor to every 7-9 churches. That district produces at least 100 baptisms per year. Often a new church plant. It is amazing.

She certainly had a huge impact on America. Possibly the person with the greatest impact in my lifetime. Here is some things many don't know. -------------------------- ....Still, Steinem’s upbringing was colored by her mother’s financial anxieties and her mother consequently suffered a nervous breakdown. Steinem’s parents then divorced when she was 10 and her father moved to California, leaving young Steinem and her sister, Susanne, to take care of their troubled mother.... Before Gloria Steinem was the face of second-wave feminism, she was an anti-communist operative for the CIA and went undercover with Playboy to expose their misogynistic practices. Gloria Steinem is a journalist and activist who rose to prominence as the stylish frontwoman of the women’s liberation movement in 1970s America..... https://allthatsinteresting.com/gloria-steinem ---------------------------- Some have questioned when she stopped working with the CIA She certainly was not a christian.

Times have changed. Years ago, a young woman gave birth out of wedlock. A group of people from church visited her. They asked her to publicly confess to the congregation and apologize. She agreed, as long as other people who were having illicit affairs did the same. She gave some names. The "concerned" brethren and sisters packed it up and retreated. Another case, different church, a young woman was having an affair. She went to the pastor in contrition. He required her to publicly apologize to the congregation, which she did. Sometime later, the same pastor was caught in an adulterous relationship. An apology couldn't save his job. Can't recall if she was pregnant or not. My recollection is that she was not.

In my personal opinion, i believe that one goal of Kinship was to provide spiritual care to a group of people who were not thought to be getting it in Adventism, without asking them to change their sexuality.

I am studying this subject on the Adventist view of the Nature of Christ, and giving what I am finding, but want everyone's input. Here is what Adventist theologians and leaders as well as members, tend to lean toward, the postlapsarian view affirming that Christ?s human nature was fully human, could be tempted, and yet remained sinless. This allows Him to be both a perfect example and a perfect Redeemer Postlapsarian (Fallen Nature) ? Christ?s human nature was identical to ours after the Fall, inheriting weaknesses and a predisposition to sin. This view emphasizes that His ability to be tempted from without and remain sinless is the basis for His example and atonement Adventists hold to the belief that Christ took on the nature of man after the Fall, in its weakened state. Adventists believe that Christ, the 'last Adam,' possessed on His human side, a nature like that of the 'first man Adam,' a nature free from every defiling taint of sin, but capable of responding to sin, and that nature was handicapped by the debilitating effects of four thousand years of sin's inroads on man's body and nervous system and environment. He took the flesh of sinful man, and overcame where man failed, overthrew sin in the flesh. He accepted the limitations and conditions of our common humanity. Jesus took Adams human nature after the fall. But Jesus did not inherit sinful tendencies from Adam - that is, Jesus did not have a tendency to sin. Christ inherited our physical weaknesses, for example, Christ had to sleep when he got tired. He had to eat when he got hungry and drink when he got thirsty. He inherited our physical limitations but not our sinful inclinations. Physically, Christ was like us - feeling pain, frail, weak, prone to get sick if we dont take care of our bodies, and under the consequences of aging. But morally, Christ could be tested by temptation as scripture shows us but did not have our ungodly desires or sinful inclinations. Here is a explanation by ?ngel Manuel Rodr?guez on the Adventist church view of the nature of Christ : Our Adventist Statement of Fundamental Beliefs summarizes that which the church holds to be biblical truth around the world. It says: "God the eternal Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ [John 1:1-3, 14]. . . . Forever truly God, He became also truly man, Jesus the Christ [Heb. 2:14]. . . . He lived and experienced temptation as a human being, but perfectly exemplified the righteousness and love of God [Heb. 4:15]. In infinite love and mercy "God made Christ who knew no sin, to be sin for us" (2 Cor. 5:21). Those statements attest that, first, Jesus was divine; second, that He became what He was not, truly human; and, third, that He knew no sin, and was without sin even though He faced severe temptations. And here from the SDA Bible Commentary: "In taking upon Himself man's nature in its fallen condition, Christ did not in the least participate in its sin. He was subject to the infirmities and weaknesses by which man is encompassed, "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." He was touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and was in all points tempted like as we are. And yet He "knew no sin." He was the Lamb "without blemish and without spot." Could Satan in the least particular have tempted Christ to sin, he would have bruised the Saviour's head. As it was, he could only touch His heel. Had the head of Christ been touched, the hope of the human race would have perished. Divine wrath would have come upon Christ as it came upon Adam. . . . We should have no misgivings in regard to the perfect sinlessness of the human nature of Christ.-- The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1131. {7ABC 447.3}

Not sure what you mean by this You can't mean that Jesus had the law of sin working in his humanity. Romans 7 is very clear that it is impossible to not sin when one is comprised of that nature. Paul say in chapter 8 that he had the "likeness of sinful flesh." He looked like every other sinful being. Adam possessed a human nature minus the law of sin, yet he still sinned. He made a choice without a predisposition to sin, something that none of us can do. We are predisposed to sin. As Job put it, we go astray as soon as we are born. Jesus was not like that. If you think that EGW believed and taught that Jesus possessed a nature exactly like ours, subject to the law of sin, either you misunderstand her or she was wrong. Paul, Barnabas, and Elijah had a nature like ours, evinced by the translation "like passions." Scripture does not say that Jesus had "like passions" with ours.

There are 7 days in a week. God may be worshiped on any/all of those 7 days. * SDA pastors hold worship services on Saturday and Sunday evenings. Take your pick. One of those is the Biblical first day of the week. * SDA pastors serving in chaplaincy positions hold worship services on Sunday mornings. In my service as a Federal chaplain, I have held more worship services on Sunday morning than I have held on Saturday as a a pastor of a SDA Chruch. * My service as a Fderal Chaplalin was endorsed by the General Conference who was fully awaare that I held Sunday w orship services. NOTE, IF the General Conference had not approved of wah tI did, they could have removed me from my federal position. Federal Chqaplains only serve with the permission of tlheir denominaiton. * The Sabbath is much more than a worswhip service, It is a 24 hour day devoted to God. In all of my life I have kept Saturday, the 7th day, as a Sabbth. I have never kept Sunday as a Sabbath. * If you think that mere worship on a day makes it a Sabbath, you lneed to review the Biblical and SDA teaching, as youy clearly donot understand them.

Researchers in Brazil have created a new biomaterial made from jackfruit latex, pomegranate peel extract, and simvastatin (a statin-based medication) that could offer a more effective way to treat periodontitis, a serious form of gum disease. The team, from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (FCMS) at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) in Sorocaba, developed the material as part of an effort to improve treatment options for a condition that affects the tissues supporting the teeth. Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by infection. Over time, it can destroy the structures that hold teeth in place, leading to bone loss and reduced attachment between teeth and surrounding tissues. Current treatments are designed to control infection and inflammation, but they generally do little to regenerate damaged periodontal tissue. Other approaches, including guided tissue regeneration and bone grafting, have been explored, but their results can vary and are often difficult to predict. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260618041508.htm ------------------------------------------------------------ I have a Jackfruit tree in my yard. The fruit is the size of two smaller bowling balls. It is very popular here. When one fruit is ready, we cut it down and cut it up into pieces, then share with the neighbors. Nothing is waisted. Even the seed (about the size of dates) are boiled and eaten. Gum disease is not a problem here.

Adventist Today and Spectrum are two independent publications that do not officially speak for the SDA Church. Each informs as to news that is not easily available, and each evaluates the SDA Church. Both publish a journal that is sent to a few people. Both publish on the Internet that is available to a much larger group of people. Those two publications are different. On May 17, 2026, Spectrum is expected to post a unique article that differs from its past publications in two aspects. You may read that article at: https://spectrummagazine.org/views/opinion/a-catholic-and-an-adventist-disagree-over-trinity-interpretations-yet-find-friendship-online/ * One of the unusual aspects is that the article was written by two different people. I am only one of those people. * The second unique aspect of that article is that the second author is a devout Roman Catholic ho posts on Club Adventist under the name Gustave. Here he freely posts his overall thinking of Adventism. My position is that it is helpful to understand how other people think about us. NOTE: I have decided to unlock this thread even though the article has not yet been posted. I expect that it will be posted later today--Sunday, the 17th.

I agree that God's eternity is essential. Thanks for adding it.

There are only two movements in Christianity today with spiritual force behind it, Adventism and the church of Rome. The others are letting go of their foundations and drifting towards Rome or worse..

Gustave, I agree. Let's step back a moment and survey the damage done in the Middle East recently. As I watch smuggled videos about Israel, it appears the area above ground is 90% destroyed. Gaza is destroyed, Lebanon is pretty much destroyed. Syria is pretty much destroyed. Iran has been damaged, but it is hard to tell how much. However, things are not over, and I think it is likely to be destroyed like the others. In our lifetime, or the last 250 years, we have never seen war and destruction like this in the Middle East. The destruction is almost as complete as Europe in the 1940s. This is very historic. The Middle East will not recover economically for another 20-30 or 40 years, if the pattern of post-war Europe is followed. What does this mean? Many people are focusing on the trees and not seeing the forest or the future.

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

Well here is a post I made on this issue... How Easter was used to replace the Sabbath We see how the name "Easter" never appears in the Greek New Testament. Easter is not a Christian name. It is Chaldean (Babylonian) in origin, a variation on the name Astarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the queen of heaven. It is to be noted that the apostolic church never gave attention to either the date of Christ's birth or the date of His resurrection, other than to note that the latter occurred on a Sunday. Neither of these days was observed by early Christians but as the pagan influence came into the church so did its festivals. In the third and fourth centuries a tremendous debate arose among Christian churches as to when Easter was to be observed. For the Roman Catholic branch it was largely settled at the Council of Nicaea (AD 325) with a formula still followed to this day, which cannot possibly be commemoration of the actual resurrection. In current practice Easter always falls on a Sunday and the Sunday chosen wanders over a period of four weeks ranging from March 22-April 25. Here is a good explanation.. “Easter occurs on different dates each year because, like the Jewish Passover, it is based upon the vernal equinox, that dramatic moment when the hours of the day-light and the hours of darkness at last draw parallel and then the light finally and triumphantly wins out. Thus Easter is always fixed as the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. It's a cosmic, solar, and lunar event as deeply rooted in religious traditions originating from sun-god worship as one could conceivably imagine.” ~ Tom Harpur “The Pagan Christ”. The point is that the early Christians gave no attention to commemorating the resurrection day of Christ. If they had been serious they would be observing the 17th day of the Jewish month, Nisan, which begins with the first new moon following the spring solstice. Passover among the Jews begins with the 14th day of Nisan. It would not be possible to commemorate the actual day of the month and have it always on Sunday, so the choice was made to have it on Sunday, adjusting the day of the month for convenience. Given this information, although the resurrection of Jesus is a historical event of huge importance, we have no biblical precedent for making Easter a special day of celebration. Now the fact that Sabbath was supplanted by the church at Rome and even the anti-Judaism stirred up by Jewish revolts is well known and documented, and the claim that came out that it was from the 'resurrection', but scripture does not give any change nor was there any 'tradition' from the apostles. The truth is it was used to supplant the Sabbath, and the first day, Sunday has no basis for worship except for pagans as their festival day to the sun. Nothing of Easter was about Christ or His being risen, it was sun worship, 'the sunrise service tradition', is bowing and praying to the rising sun as you can see today. Here is even more on this: "The author of the "Epistle of Barnabas" adduces the occurrence of the Resurrection on the first day as the reason for the observance of this "true day" (xv.). In the meantime the attitude of the Roman authorities had become intermittently hostile to the Jews; and after the rebellion under Hadrian it became a matter of vital importance for such as were not Jews to avoid exposing themselves to suspicion (Huidekoper, "Judaism at Rome"). The observance of the Sabbath was one of the most noticeable indications of Judaism. Hence, while in the first Christian century more or less regard and tolerance for the Jewish day were shown in Rome, even by non-Jewish Christians, in the second century the contrary became the rule (Justin Martyr, "Dial. cum Tryph." ii., § 28). In the East, however, less opposition was shown to Jewish institutions. Saturday and Sunday both were celebrated by "abstaining from fasting and by standing while praying" (Rheinwald, "Archäologie," § 62), In the West, especially where Roman influence dominated, Saturday was turned into a fast-day (Huidekoper, ib. pp. 343-344). The name "Sunday" is used for the first time by Justin Martyr ("Apologies," i. 67) in accommodation to a Roman nomenclature, but with reference to the circumstances that the light was created on the first day (noticed also in the Midrash; Gen. R. iii.: "ten crowns adorned the first day") and that the "light of the world" rose from the night of the grave on the first day of the week. The Christians, accordingly, were obliged to defend themselves against the charge of worshiping the sun (Tertullian, "Apologeticus," xvi.). The celebration of two days (by the Judæo-Christians?) is attested by Eusebius ("Hist. Eccl." iii. 37) and by the "Apostolic Constitutions," which advise the keeping of Saturday as a memorial of the Creation, and of Sunday, the Lord's day, in memory of the Resurrection (ii. 59). Originally, then, Sunday and Sabbath were kept sharply distinct. But, like the Jewish Sabbath, Sunday was deemed not merely a holiday, but a holy day, and hence fasting thereon was interdicted (Tertullian, "De Corona Militis," § 3). Ease of mind (ευφροσύνη, which corresponds to "naḥat ruaḥ"; "Epistle of Barnabas," l.c.) was the proper condition for the day. One should not kneel at prayer (Irenæus, "Fragm. de Paschate"; "Apostolic Constitutions," l.c.); the standing posture, being at first a protest against mourning and ascetic rites (such as were forbidden on the Jewish Sabbath), came to be explained as suggestive of the Resurrection.".... SABBATH AND SUNDAY - JewishEncyclopedia.com Some try to say it was changed by the disciples or their actions or the resurrection, but Sunday has nothing even after the resurrection as the disciples continued with the Sabbath as it was before and Christ tells it it would continue so you have to really bend scripture to fit Sunday as the day of worship. It isnt there.......

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.

The Apocrypha is little known among SDA members. I am working on an in-depth article in which I will introduce us to the individual writings. I have decided to post my article in parts, as I finish it. I will open this thread for comment when I have finished. The Apocrypha The Bible that Christians use today consists of a selection of writings that were commonly used in the congregations as Christianity spread in the years after the accession of Christ back to heaven. The Old Testament consists Jewish writings thought to be necessary for the Christian faith. The New Testament consists of Christian writings that were produced as Christianity developed in the early years. The Apocrypha is is a group of writings that were produced during the Intertestamental period between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Those writings have been accepted as having value by some Christian groups and therefore included in the Bibles that they use. Some of these are additions to standard Old Testament books. Other parts are complete books that are added to the Old Testament. Many Protestants, to include Seventh-day Adventists do not include them in their Bibles. In this document I will inform you as to the various material included in the Apocrypha. NOTE, Current SDA scholars are giving study to the comments that Ellen White make that are related to this issue. She was favorable. The Pseudepigrapha consists of similar writings that developed in the early years of Christianity. This is a very large collection of material, I will not further comment on those writings. How ever, it is interesting to note that the New Testament book of Jude, the 14tn verse clearly quotes from the Pseudepigraphal book of Enoch.

It was interesting hearing the former president’s speak at the funeral.

Very well written, thank you. Israel, as a nation, has some of the best laws for the protection of religious liberty. That is seldom talked about. In the Israeli military, there are Muslims fighting against Hamas to protect their country. That is seldom talked about. We have all benefited from the inventions and innovations of the Children of Israel. That is seldom talked about.

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?

What kind of person would be willing to lay down his life for an 'undesirable'

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.

Stephen Smith and the Unopened Testimony - Adventist Review Amazing. 12 miles each way. In who knows what kind of weather. Life back then was very different.

Is it possible for humans to have some organs that have a XX configuration and other organs that have a XY configuration? " Intersex people might have sex organs that include both XX and XY sex characteristics. " See : https://scienceline.org/2020/10/beyond-x-y-chromosomes-and-sex-organs/ NOTE: i first learned about this many years ago when I was a chaplain to a large military police unit (Brigade). This has implications for the use of genetic material in criminal investigations.

"Yes, it is possible for a human to have some organs with an XX configuration and other organs with an XY configuration. This is a common occurrence in individuals with intersex conditions, where the body's reproductive organs and sexual anatomy do not conform to the typical definitions of male or female. Intersex is an umbrella term that encompasses a range of conditions, including Klinefelter syndrome, where an individual is assigned male at birth but has an extra X chromosome, and Morgan's syndrome, where an individual is assigned female at birth but has an extra Y chromosome. These conditions are part of the natural variation in human biology and do not indicate any underlying disease or disorder. " Arizona State University+5

? Pic du jour Photo: Stewart Verdery Reader Stewart Verdery — who's sent us some brilliant parting shots over the years — tells us: "I actually think this was the coolest photo of 2025." "On a transatlantic flight in September into Dulles, I ... happened to look over and see the sunset from 35,000 feet over the Atlantic. Looks like the sun is sitting on top of the clouds."

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.

? Wild highway Photo: Colorado Department of Transportation Construction is complete on what Colorado officials call North America's largest wildlife crossing — passing over a busy stretch of Interstate 25. Why it matters: The Greenland wildlife overpass covers a major migration zone for elk, mule deer, pronghorn, bears and mountain lions, Axios Denver's Alayna Alvarez writes. For decades, the freeway sliced through their routes, raising the risk of collisions. The new system will cut wildlife-vehicle crashes by 90%, Colorado transportation director Shoshana Lew estimates. At 209 feet long and 200 feet wide, the overpass spans six lanes of interstate traffic.

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.

Here is Kirk Cameron who has publicly announced a change in his long-held views on Hell. Previously accepting the view of eternal conscious torment for the wicked, he now rejects it, calling such a fate 'cruel and unusual punishment.' Cameron says that the Bible, especially in its Old Testament writing, does not depict the souls of the wicked as immortal. Instead, the only souls promised eternal life ' immortality' are those granted to believers. https://endtimeheadlines.org/2025/12/kirk-cameron-no-longer-believes-in-eternal-punishment/ ...Kirk Cameron no longer believes in eternal punishment (OPINION) In a recent episode of his show, Kirk Cameron publicly announced a change in his long-held views on Hell. Previously accepting the view of eternal conscious torment for the wicked, he now rejects it

Kevin, I have no ideal as to how long it took you to prepare and write you post above. I thank you for it. It serves a real purpose.

That and the cellphones, the young people rarely pull their gaze away to even think on doing good for others, as they check to see what the 'latest' is in fashion, fads, or face creams to say the least, or ways to get more worldly possessions for themselves...

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.

October 20, 2025 Ellen White is one of several people who were foundational to the mission and development of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Whatever one might think of her ministry, she cannot be dismissed. Her influence did not end with her death more than 100 years ago. Her many writings remain and are often quoted today. Yet, they are often misunderstood. With the passage of much time, the story of her life and ministry has generated some of what I call pious fiction. This is often laudatory and celebrated with good intent by people who believe it, but it may lack documentation. SDA pious fiction should not be cons considered to be unusual. The story of Christianity in general and the development of the Protestant and Catholic groups also contain such material. People want to know the history of important organizations in their lives. They want to think of them as flawless and in a positive manner. Such is not reality. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is not perfect. The last time I read of an imperfection in SDA Church was yesterday in a report of an SDA pastor who will likely be tried in a criminal court. Ellen White was human, imperfect and fallible. In honoring her ministry to the SDA Church, she should not be glorified beyond her humanity. God used her, while she was an imperfect human. God can use us, imperfect as we may be. My purpose in this thread is to inform our readers of important sources of information related to her life and ministry. Some will focus on her life, and others will focus on her ministry. Some will attempt to dispel our resident pious fictions. Others will attempt to present her writings in a proper manner for usage. This will include understanding how she developed them. For the moment, I will lock this thread. I will decide later whether to unlock it. This will likely take some time to develop. Today, I am busy with distributing food to the needy. But, I will work on developing this thread. Blessings on all.

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.

I served as an Army Chaplain during the time when women first began to enter the military. In many ways, I think that the foundational issues that were faced by the military are also the ones faced by us in the SDA Church. While that may not become clear in what I post here, on this Veteran's Day I thought that I might post some of my thinking on this subject from both the military and SDA aspect. * I became an Active-Duty Army Chaplain at the same time as the second female Army chaplain. To this day, I am angry at how the Army as an institution, allowed her to be treated. The following link takes you to my somewhat angry comment published at the time of her death. https://www.mykeeper.com/ChaplainMajorRetBettyWPace * I served a 3-year tour on the teaching faculty of the Army Chaplain School. Generally, the students were qualified to serve as Chaplains. A Few were not. During my time there, a SDA student left the Army as it became apparent that such was not for him. We should expect the same for our females and not attribute the lack of success of one to the gender/denomination as a whole. * I was the first Army Chaplain to serve in combat in a COED unit. [NOTE: This is not the place to get into a discussion as to what you may think you have heard about World War II, and what you may think to be exceptions.] In general, the females worked harder to perform because they knew that they had more that they had to prove, than did the males. * As a result of my combat experience and my position on the Chaplain school faculty I became involved in other experiences intend to educate people as to female military members. * At an earlier time in Adventist history, I was involved in helping women who alleged to have been abused by SDA clergy to have their allegations properly heard by competent authority. * I have provided pastoral care to such women. As a result of the above, I will be the first to say that women in Adventism today have achieved a measure of success. But an engrained bias against them still exists. This is true even in the Conferences that employ female clergy. In one aspect of this problem, I see Adventist women as seemingly accepting it. I do not see it changing until some woman finds herself in a position to do something about it.

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/

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

A fundamental error that many Christians engage in, including SDAs, is to consider the main focus of the Sabbath to be that of worship. The purpose of the Sabbath, as it began in Eden, was to spend a day with God and to grow spiritually. It was a day separate from the routine duties that Adam and Eve had in Eden. Rather the focus was on God and getting to know God better in a close association with God. Worship is a small part of that, even if important. Worship can be on multiple days of the week. I have probably conducted more worship services on Sundays, than I have on Saturdays. Adventists often have worship services in a series of meetings that are held on multiple days of the week. There is nothing wrong with either my holding worship services on Sunday mornings, or with SDA clergy holding revival meetings on days other than the Sabbath. The spiritual error occurs with Christians, whether Adventist or otherwise, fail to understand the spiritual blessing that we experience in spending the day with God, on the Sabbath that God has established as a special day to commune with us.