Adventist culture Tees here!

[Gail]

Check it out, all you homeschool hotties and haystack fans!

http://www.eighteenfortyfour.com/index.html

[Woody]

I'm sorry but ...

"The things you love about being an Adventist"

Calling people who eat meat or drink coffee ... HEATHENS ?

This is just what I don't like about SDAs. I don't think we have any right to call those who drink coffee ... HEATHENS.

No Thank you.

[Gail]

I think this is a reflection of what has been faced by our people within the organization

Noteworthy...

Think it's time to change the perception, Redwood? I think in many respects it has been changed already, but it will take a long time to erase some of those memories in some folks.

Gotta work to do!

[Liz]

These are funny. I may get one or two. I don't get the Rook Champion though, what does that one mean?

[Woody]

Liz. I used to be one of those Rook Champions. It is the Adventist Vegge poker game. And many SDAs particularly in college would play this. It was a way to play cards without being 'evil'.

[Woody]

I think this is a reflection of what has been faced by our people within the organization

Noteworthy...

Think it's time to change the perception, Redwood? I think in many respects it has been changed already, but it will take a long time to erase some of those memories in some folks.

Gotta work to do!

Well said .... Thanks Gail.

[Liz]

Thanks Red, I get it now. They could have also put a bicycle on the Great Controversy one.

[carolaa]

Interesting. I wonder if there is really a market for that kind of thing.

[Woody]

I am seriously considering getting the 'Coffee is for Heathen' for myself and then get a 'I Love Coffee' for my wife. It would be great to wear them to church. For those who don't know ... I don't drink coffee but my wife does.

On second thought ... that might impact my wife's employment.

[Gail]

I think what is being highlighted here is hypocrisy and irrelevancy. Our young people certainly got that message as they were growing up, and we can see the fruits of that now as they are leaving (or have left) the church in droves.

I have thought much about this, and it has made me look at the way I minister and witness to others, especially to those of the postmodern era.

We need to preach Christ, preach His healing and reconciliation, and His power to guide our hearts.

A generation ago the young ones put up with focus on "majoring in minors", only to leave the church as adults. Today's generation is not waiting that long.

Now we are at the point where we need to explain things such as what sin is and why this matters. The windows of opportunities in our western society are toughening up!

[cricket]

We need to preach Christ, preach His healing and reconciliation, and His power to guide our hearts.

Above all else, yes we need to preach Christ, His healing and reconciliation! Amen, and good to hear this.

All to often on Adventist websites and in church and Sabbath school, I hear the message that Christ really isn't loving--that He's looking to condemn the world, not to save it--and yes I often hear that anyone who uses pepper, eats meat or drinks caffeine is a heathen.

I'm afraid these t-shirts would do nothing more than make a mockery of the Adventist faith--and anyone who'd buy them for their children to wear should be ... well, never mind.

Our homeschooling kids have enough ridicule and struggle with society as it is; why add another burden on them as walking billboards for a faith gone berserk?

[Woody]

But surely those of us 'in the faith' can be brave enough to witness to those gone 'berserk' SO that it won't ever go berserk again or go further in berserkism.

[Liz]

Hmm, I just saw these shirts as a way for us to laugh at ourselves. I personally liked the Homeschool Hottie one, I just need to get back into shape, so that when I wear it, it isn't an oxymoron.

But to each his own.

[Gail]

Quote:

Our homeschooling kids have enough ridicule and struggle with society as it is; why add another burden on them as walking billboards for a faith gone berserk?

I'm sorry that this is your experience... and homeschooling is not the rare experience that it was years ago!

Quote:

All to often on Adventist websites and in church and Sabbath school, I hear the message that Christ really isn't loving--that He's looking to condemn the world, not to save it--and yes I often hear that anyone who uses pepper, eats meat or drinks caffeine is a heathen.

Sometimes I wonder if we ourselves are at least partly to blame by making a mockery of Christ with steamrolling attitudes (trying to force others to be a certain way) or by being extreme with secondary issues.

Whatever the case, this is the perception to at least some of the population out there.

Question is- how can we help change this perception?

[Gail]

But surely those of us 'in the faith' can be brave enough to witness to those gone 'berserk' SO that it won't ever go berserk again or go further in berserkism.

Hear hear- and give the faith the dignity of our Lord that it should have

[Woody]

Hmm, I just saw these shirts as a way for us to laugh at ourselves. I personally liked the Homeschool Hottie one, I just need to get back into shape, so that when I wear it, it isn't an oxymoron.

But to each his own.

I just showed the shirts to my wife .... she modified what we should do ...

I will wear the 'Coffee is for Heathens' ... she will wear .... "Then I am the Heathen."

[Gail]

Hmm, I just saw these shirts as a way for us to laugh at ourselves. I personally liked the Homeschool Hottie one, I just need to get back into shape, so that when I wear it, it isn't an oxymoron.

Better than the name my daughter came up with- Homeschool Hannah!!

[cricket]

I'm sorry that this is your experience... and homeschooling is not the rare experience that it was years ago!

I, too, am sorry this has been our experience (as well as the experience of other homeschooling families I know). What saddens me most is that the bulk of the struggle we face comes from the Adventist membership--insistent that our children are not receiving a "proper Adventist education", and that they rather should be in the Adventist school system.

Aside from those experiences within the Adventist culture, however, are the sneers and snide remarks from others in the community--as if by homeschooling our children we automatically are unkempt religious zealots who refuse to vaccine our kids, who brainwash them into thinking God is somehow *real*, who don't allow our children to socialize, dance, watch television, listen to music, or do anything that resembles "normalcy".

I just can't see how wearing a shirt that says "Homeschool Hottie" will help to further the cause of widespread acceptance of homeschooling. Nor can I see how wearing apparel with the logo "Meat eaters are heathens" will help to further the Three Angels Message. To me, it is promoting the idea that Adventists are legalists even further, and would serve as a great turn-off rather than a soul-winning device for Christ.

/offsoapbox

[cricket]

Question is- how can we help change this perception?

I don't think the answer is by wearing apparel that pokes fun of the questionable "legalistic" practices held near and dear to so many Adventists.

[Woody]

When does one stand up for Truth then? I realize that we don't want to hurt our legalist friends. But at what point do you share with them the REAL love of God? And it ain't in the message that coffee drinkin is sin.

[cricket]

Right. It's not in the message that coffee drinking is a sin. It's in the message of love. And these t-shirts do not promote love--they promote ridicule.

Redwood, you used to have the signature line, "Love won another." I happen to think that's one of the most important, if not THE most important message we have to share.

I'd like to wear a shirt that says, "Jesus loves me. He loves you too. Oh yes, He really, really does."

[Neil D]

First off, I don't any legalistic family would ever allow thier daughter to wear "Homeschool hottie" tee-shirt. And any family that does, is poking fun at our culture in a good way. It promote homeschooling, and it is of creative thinking...something that I greatly promote....

Second off, Redwood, I think you need to give one tee to your wife that says- Coffee drinking is for heathen. And you need to create one for yourself that says "I love my heathen." I would find that rather humorous if upon questioning "Blanche" that she was a coffee drinker....

Third, I think some of these tee are good things, provided the people wearing them are able to give an answer in season. For example, the 1844 tee would be a great intro to bible studys in general....The "I [heart] haystacks" would also be a great introduction to vegitarianism as well as the "Meat eating is for heathens"...Wear them at Disneyland...and have fun...

[Woody]

Right. It's not in the message that coffee drinking is a sin. It's in the message of love. And these t-shirts do not promote love--they promote ridicule.

Redwood, you used to have the signature line, "Love won another." I happen to think that's one of the most important, if not THE most important message we have to share.

I'd like to wear a shirt that says, "Jesus loves me. He loves you too. Oh yes, He really, really does."

Cool. And just for you ... I brought back the Love Won Another ....

Thanks.

Yes. I think that it critical to remember.

[Woody]

First off, I don't any legalistic family would ever allow thier daughter to wear "Homeschool hottie" tee-shirt. And any family that does, is poking fun at our culture in a good way. It promote homeschooling, and it is of creative thinking...something that I greatly promote....

Second off, Redwood, I think you need to give one tee to your wife that says- Coffee drinking is for heathen. And you need to create one for yourself that says "I love my heathen." I would find that rather humorous if upon questioning "Blanche" that she was a coffee drinker....

Thanks Neil. I like your suggestion. I will mention it to Blanche. But, I will have to wait. She is out cultivating the poppies.

Which brings me to another point ... Do you have a suggestion for poppy growers as far as Adventist shirts go?

[Neil D]

"Get high on the Bible and E G White"