Woody Posted March 29, 2008 Posted March 29, 2008 Gregory and Nighingale .... some great discussion and points. I very much agree with what you both have said. Thanks. Quote May we be one so that the world may be won. Christian from the cradle to the grave I believe in Hematology.
Moderators John317 Posted March 31, 2008 Moderators Posted March 31, 2008 ...Now, to get back to EGW and fiction: We need to be careful to not read into her writings a defination of fiction that she did not have. I will suggest that you will find her defination in her writings. She describes what she is talking about in her use of the word fiction. Again, this subject has been studied. If I may summ up the conclusions of some, it is believed that her useage of the word "fiction" applied to what I would call the romantic, soap opera novel. In my thinking, honesty requires me to acknowledge that her SABBATH READING books contained stories that were fiction. While I do not charge others with this, to me anything less than that on my part would be intellectual dishonesty. So, I now face the question: Is this problem with my understanding of what EGW meant, or is it with her doing what she advocated that others do? Again, I do not hold her to a standard of perfection in what she taught. To me the most reasonable answer to this question is that the issues lies with my understanding of what she meant and therefore in her life she was consistent with what she taught on this subject.... I thought your post covered the issue very well. I agree 100%. Quote John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Moderators John317 Posted March 31, 2008 Moderators Posted March 31, 2008 It seems as though some are holding EGW to a higher standard than they hold the writers of the Bible. Do you suppose that Paul lived up to everything he taught after he was shown by the Holy Spirit. I think he states that he did not. However, when he saw that he was wrong, he repented, confessed and went on. I beleive the same is true of EGW... Do you believe that in compiling and publishing the books of fictional stories for children, Ellen White was in any way inconsistent with what she herself taught about fiction? Quote John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Nightingale Posted March 31, 2008 Posted March 31, 2008 I doubt if these stories should be classified as "fiction." We have no way of knowing which stories are based on actual events and which are parables. They are not the same as fanciful stores that could not be true. I do not see any inconsistency and I'm sure she would not have read them to her children or wanted to see them printed for others if she in any way thought that would be going against Gods will. Quote John 3: 16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life."
Moderators Bravus Posted March 31, 2008 Moderators Posted March 31, 2008 But doesn't that leave open the possibility that when she used the word 'fiction' she perhaps meant a particular type or class of novels, rather than 'any story without a strict one-to-one correspondence with reality'? (This issue has been raised before in this thread.) In other words, her diatribe was against the former, not the latter. I'm interested in the distinction you draw, Nightingale, between stories that could have happened and stories that couldn't. I guess that would pretty much eliminate science fiction of any kind, while actually allowing pretty much any kind of erotic fiction. (Or, for that matter, reading factual accounts of actual sexual experiences.) So presumably there are guidelines for content as well as for verisimilitude... Quote Truth is important
Woody Posted March 31, 2008 Posted March 31, 2008 I think she was rather specific in this statement ... Quote: "Even fiction which contains no suggestion of impurity, and which may be intended to teach excellent principles, is harmful." CT 383 Quote May we be one so that the world may be won. Christian from the cradle to the grave I believe in Hematology.
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.