Cultural Adventists

[CGMedley]

Is your faith a divine experience with God or just a vehicle for a healthy lifestyle? What does it mean to be a cultural Adventist? Clifford Goldstein explains.

http://www.adventistreview.org/2005-1517/story4.html

[Nicodema]

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If I wanted culture, I'd go to France (and believe me, after the past presidential election, it's tempting ...)

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I think I have a newfound respect for Clifford Goldstein.

[Dr. Shane]

I have always respected Brother Goldstien and corisponded with him a few times. I have not had much contact with self-professing cultural Adventists. I am an Adventist out of conviction as I believe most are.

[wicklunds]

In case you didnt see, there is another thread on this in free for all. Maybe you wanted to start your own.

[Dr. Shane]

Maybe we wanted one here where Greg Matthews can moderate it.

[Gregory Matthews]

RE:"Maybe we wanted one here where Greg Matthews can moderate it."

Thanks for the affirmation. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/coolhello.gif" alt="" />

[DaveM1936]

I have always had trouble with Goldstein's theology.

Your friend,

Dave M

[Nicodema]

I am also an Adventist out of conviction, because when I first met God at age 16 He "downloaded" the entire Great Controversy theme from heaven into my brain and caused me to know all the principles involved. I was NOT raised an SDA; I was raised nominally Catholic (meaning we went to mass on Sundays but were not devout or religious at home). When I began attending a prophecy seminar from a flier that conveniently came in the mail the very next day (!) you can imagine how surprised I was to find out, gradually, that an entire denomination already existed who knew what I knew, that I was not alone somehow or the only one who knew those things. So that's why I joined the SDAs and that's why even though I've wandered all over the place, the only church I can conceive of belonging to when I'm seeking God is the SDA church.

[Dr. Shane]

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I was raised nominally Catholic

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Could one say you were raised a cultural Catholic?

[Nicodema]

Quote:

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Could one say you were raised a

cultural

Catholic?

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No. But one might say I was raised a "secular Catholic."

[Michelle]

This is such an interesting topic to me. When my brother got married a little over 2 years ago, several of his friends and I were talking about our experiences with the church during our adult lives (they were all late 20s/early 30s) and what two of them at different times and not in earshot of each other told me was, We are fed up with the church (structure, politics, etc), but we don't leave because there is nowhere else for us to go. I think it goes farther than just "cultural" (knowing the right food to bring for potluck, knowing what you can/can't say/wear/eat/drink/think/etc). We've all looked deeply at our beliefs and decided to stick with the church which espouses those beliefs, lumps and all.

However, sometimes it is easy to just go along with the "culture" of Adventism rather than question why we do things one way or another (where did we come up with *haystacks* anyway?). Perhaps that has some bearing here. True, different peoples do bring some of their own *culture* to the church, but I've been really surprised at how North American (and New England, to get technical) many churches around the world are in their worship.

What would you say if you saw Masai warriors dancing to worship God? What would you say if you saw an Adventist worship service that looked "Jewish"? "Muslim"? Would you be offended? Why? Must we all sing 18th century hymns, properly translated into all the local languages?

Perhaps a *cultural* Adventist is one who would be threatened that someone else's Adventism looks different than his/hers, or what is perceived to be "the norm."

M

[cardw]

Adventism is a culture. If you are born into it, you are a part of the culture, whether one leaves it or not. For me, being a cultural Adventist isn't something I chose. It was something I was born into.

Its not the only thing that I am. Its just the best description that I have for my involvement with Adventism. If Adventism chooses to tightly define itself as a certain set of beliefs and says that I am not an Adventist cultural or otherwise then so be it.

Richard

[Gus Foster]

The discussion of culture and religion or even culture verses religion can be quite stressful when mandated by conference execs to open up cultural activites which on the first glance seem to vacate church principals and doctrines. Such is happening in Ohio, and I fear we are widening the gate that Jesus called narrow. My fear is that of following other religons that absorb any cultural practice into their worship and traditional practices, such as incorporating voodooism, or any other unacceptable idium. This may seem extreme, but when I heard the steel guitars with the booming drums, and was introduced to Bill Hibel's manual for church programs, red flags were raging.

The whole goal seems to get more people; reminds one of the Corinthian church of yesteryear.

[Taylor]

BTW Bill Hybels is not an SDA. I have been to his church, however, about 14 years ago and think there are many things we could learn from him such as their descipleship program, the very careing church atmosphere etc. Sure, there are things I do not agree with him on either, but he does have some good programs going which would be neat to incorporate into an sDA Church (and I am not talking about worship style, but ministry outlets etc.)