Adventism 101 (for Evangelicals)

Land of Confusion, by Christopher A. Lee, looks at the July 3, 2010, sermon of Ted N. C. Wilson, the newly elected president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. This sermon outlines the agenda of the leader of the worldwide SDA Church and shows that conservative Adventism is alive and well, despite progressive Adventists' claims to the contrary.

Cherry-Picking the Commandments: The Seventh-Day Sabbath, the Mosaic Law, and Evangelical Inconsistency, by Scott Klusendorf, first appeared in the Christian Research Journal in 2011 and is shared here by permission.  

The Great Controversy and the Seventh-day Adventist Worldview gives a bullet-point overview of Ellen G. White, SDA founding prophet and author of The Great Controversy.  Controversial quotes follow and are listed by topic, including the anticipated persecution of seventh-day Sabbath keepers by non-Sabbath-keeping Christians during the "time of trouble." 

The Great Controversy Project is a world-wide initiative by the SDA Church to get this book by Ellen G. White, the denomination's prophetess, into as many homes as possible. You may find it, along with tracts on the Sabbath, on your doorstep in the near future.

Is Sunday the "Christian Sabbath?" by author Dr. Robert A. Morey is a thorough study of the Sabbath topic, written for a Baptist audience.  We thank Dr. Morey for generously giving us permission to share his article on Sabbatismos! 

The Lure of Sabbath Deception by Mark Kellner illustrates Adventism's perception of Christians who teach Sunday as the Sabbath, from a 2008 issue of the Adventist Review.

Why Seventh-day Adventism is NOT evangelical is a 3-part series by Louis T. Talbot of Biola University, originally published in The King's Business in 1957.  In these articles, Dr. Talbot explains why Walter Martin's classification of SDAs as evangelical, in Dr. Martin's book Kingdom of the Cults, was not justifiable.  (See also: Part 2, Part 3)

The Apostolic Imperative & the International Adventist Challenge is an excellent video presentation by Christian apologist Paul Carden, who is executive director of the Centers for Apologetics Research (C/FAR), formerly a host of the "Bible Answer Man" radio program, and a one-time associate of the late Dr. Walter Martin at the Christian Research Institute.

10 Questions & Answers on Seventh-day Adventism is a laminated, fold-out pamphlet by Rose Publishing—a concise and attractive resource, available since 2010.

Comparison Chart of Adventist vs. Christian Teachings by Colleen Tinker, editor of Proclamation! magazine (downloadable, printable PDF available)

Proclamation!  is a magazine published by former Adventists, and it is an excellent resource for those interested in learning how to counter SDA teachings.  You may order a free subscription or read it online. 

A Comparison of Adventism to Evangelical Christianity audio message by former-SDA pastor and author Dale Ratzlaff.

Truth About Adventist "Truth"  by former-Adventist pastor Dale Ratzlaff is a compact but well-documented book for Christians to learn the main areas where Adventist theology differs from orthodox doctrine.

If you are familiar with Dr. Walter Martin's analysis of Adventism in Kingdom of the Cults, we recommend an enlightening series of interviews between Dr. Martin and an SDA leader on the John Ankerberg Show from the 1980s. (Scroll down linked page for 5-part program).

The Washington Post reports on the Seventh-day Adventist position on abortion, in an article by Julia Duin, January 24, 2011.  In a follow-up article of Jan. 30, 2011, Duin explains how the denomination's leadership subsequently asked Facebook to remove an "Adventists for Life" pro-life page on the social networking Web site.

The SDA teaching of "body + breath = living person" may play a part in the lack of respect for life in the womb.  If the baby has not yet taken a breath, is it really alive?  Furthermore, the Adventist doctrine of "soul sleep," which denies the spirit as an entity that survives independent of the body, underlies the SDA understanding of personhood.  Listen to SDA scholar Dr. Richard Rice, in a one-minute clip from the documentary The Adventists, connect the Adventist emphasis on healthful living (Ellen White referred to her health message as the "right arm of the gospel") with the Adventist doctrine of the state of the dead, which essentially teaches that at death one becomes non-existent until the resurrection.

Understanding Adventism video message by Trinity Evangelical Divinity School graduate, Evangelical Free pastor Phil Bubar

The February 2010 issue of Adventist World magazine features a couple of fascinating articles.  Connecting with Jesus relates the church's plan for getting the writings of Ellen G. White (also known as "the Spirit of Prophecy" in Adventism) to impoverished and newly converted members in non-English speaking countries.  Perhaps even more disconcerting, however, is Adventists and Muslims: Five Convictions by Dr. William Johnsson, who is featured on the series of John Ankerberg Show interviews linked above. This is a truly eye-opening piece, and we highly recommend it.

Thomas Nelson has recently published The Remnant Study Bible with E.G. White Comments for the SDA Church.  Sadly, the chain link reference system will easily enable any Adventist to proof-text their way to all the unique SDA doctrines such as the Investigative Judgment, the Sabbath, etc.  Click here to view an informative 3-minute commercial.

Have you heard about the plan to run a commericial during the 2011 Superbowl informing millions of viewers of the "right" day to attend church?  According to SDA pastor and evangelist Leo Schreven, the 7th-day Sabbath is "the truth that will set them free."  We thought that was Jesus Christ....

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