SDA Book on Justice

[Gregory Matthews]

A new book on justice has come off the press in Australia:

 

Nathan Brown & Joanna Darby, Editors. DO JUSTICE: OUR CALL TO FAITHFUL LIVING.  Signs Publishing Company, Australia.  2014, 182 pages. 

 

I had planned to write a review of this book.  Instead, the link below will take you to a much better review than I would write at this time.

 

http://atoday.org/book-biblical-justice-available-adventist-book-center.html

 

I strongly suspect that some of you will want to purchase it.

 

 

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

maybe you *should* write a review... the only two reviews at Amazon.com are not particularly complimentary...

[Gregory Matthews]

Yes, those reviews on Amazon were written by Peter Veitch and Keith Paulusse.   Both are quite clear that they object to the book's failure to support justice for LBGT

people in the manner that they believe such should be supported.  [NOTE:  They also include in their objections a failure to support some other causes.] 

 

I believe, but I could be wrong, that Dr. Veitch is a physics professor at the University of Adelaide and probably a member of the SDA Church.

 

Keith Paulusse is clearly a member of the SDA Church who has had a rocky, unfortunate, relationship with the denomination.  He also lives in Australia.

 

The question as to how the denomination should relate to LBGT people and what justice is for them and those other issues is one on which SDA members will likely disagree.  This book clearly does not deal with those issues in that manner that the two critics would wish.

 

I would rather commend the book for taking a foundational approach that is necessary to get people thinking about the issues of justice.   If Dr. Veitch is a physics professor, he clearly knows that he cannot teach string theory, and quantum mechanics before he has taught a basic foundation of physics.  So also, SDAs need to be aware of basic foundational issues of justice before dealing with more advanced one.

 

As I will say in closing:  SDAS sensitive to issues of justice will in the end likely disagree on the issues that concern the two critics.

 

NOTE:  I am not taking a personal position on the issues that our critics raise,  in this post.