Not sure if you've seen this but...

[Norman Byers, N.D.]

Interesting indeed....

Late in 1980, a professional survey was conducted which enabled researchers to discover, among other things, the differences between the Christian attitudes and behaviors of Seventh-day Adventists who regularly read Ellen G. White's books and those who do not.[1]

<http://www.whiteestate.org/issues/whitelie.html> The results were very revealing. Eighty-five percent of those who read Mrs. White's books indicated that they had an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, while only 59 percent of the non-readers did. Eighty-two percent of the readers had the assurance that they were "right with God," while only 59 percent of the nonreaders did. Daily personal Bible study was a habit with 82 percent of those who read Ellen White's writings regularly, while only 47 percent of

those who did not read Ellen White studied their Bible regularly.

And so it went, in category after category. Those who regularly spent time reading from Mrs. White's writings felt better prepared for Christian witnessing, engaged in witnessing more often, felt more at home with their

fellow church members, prayed more, gave more to support local soul winning, were more willing to help their neighbors with personal problems, and had family worship more regularly. In short, their religious experience was

stronger, more active, and more positive.

These actual survey results present a far different picture from that set forth by Walter Rea in his recent book, The White Lie.[2] www.whiteestate.org/issues/whitelie.html> On the dust jacket of the hard-back edition, the author likens the Seventh-day Adventist regard for Ellen White's prophetic gift to the tragic fascination of Jonestown's

inhabitants for their demonic leader, Jim Jones. The book sets out to describe what it calls "the depths of that cult's [Adventism's] far reaching ramifications over the past 140 years and the millions of souls it has affected." Indeed, the book claims to be "every whit as shocking in its

expose as the horrendous Jonestown tragedy wherein only a few hundred were involved and died." Like this one, many of the author's claims are either so lacking in substance or so harsh and sarcastic that they fall of their own

weight.

[Dr. Shane]

My first reaction is to question cause and effect. Are the more spiritual Adventists more spiritual because they read from the SOP OR are do they read from the SOP because they are more spiritual?

I find the SOP very helpful in my walk with the Lord. While I don't take every word Sister White wrote as if it came from the mouth of God, I do place more importance on her counsel than I do on other theologians, pastors or Christian writers.

[Gerr]

Since the thrust of her writings is for a closer walk with God and always pointing to the Scriptures even to the point of spending a "thoughtful hour" daily on the life of Christ, wouldn't you expect a cause and effect relationship, i.e. SDAs who read her writings would be more spiritual and study their Bibles more?

Gerry

[Guest]

how can a person assess their own spirituality? We lie to ourselves and often believe what we say to ourselves.....