Seventh-day Adventists?

The history of this church is so very rich, and involves most other denominations, but for some reason the other denominations don't really acknowledge it. i was just wondering what other people think of/ have heard about this denomination.

I have friends who go to this church and they just love it. They loved it so much that they all drove 70km (about 50 miles) each Saturday to attend their church in our nearest city. They now have their own service here in our United Church on Saturdays.

This church was an off-shoot of another larger well-known denomination, and has been around for quite a long time; it is just small. Many people just don't know much about them or they confuse them with the Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses becuz a few of their doctrines are similar. But, they are really just a lovely, Christian denomination; and I actually like most of their creed.

They basically believe that Saturday is the true Sabbath (which it is); and they believe that men and women are equal in GOD's eyes (and so should be in ours); and all the other basic Christian stuff. They also believe that we should take good care of our bodies as much as we do our spiritual life and our minds (for good health reasons). So, they think we shouldn't eat pork (becuz it's too fatty), or anything else that is deemed unhealthy for our bodies; or take too many drugs (but medicines are allowed for health reasons, of course), and so on.

Although they do celebrate Christmas and Easter, they acknowledge that the actual date of Jesus' birth is unknown (which is true); and, they think that excessive commercialsim can take away from the true spiritual point of the holiday (they are not alone in that belief).

My friend likes their equalitarian beliefs, although she struggled with the pork issue at first, only becuz you have to watch all the labels on everything; and that includes bacon, ham, luncheon meats, weiners, and other pork meats; but some people don't eat them for health reasons alone anyways.

You can GOOGLE this church to read all about them, like I did after my friend joined their church. There is a lot of info available about them on their main site; I know that I was impressed with them. They are a humble group, who regularly have conferences to review their beliefs as they grow!

Pork is also forbidden in the OT (unclean), and I believe that's why they avoid it.

Wonderful description of Seventh Day Adventists!

THey also don't drink alcohol.

I read a wonderful article about them in National Geographic, spotlighting the fact that they are known for their longevity, primarily because of strong faith, clean eating habits, and taking a true Sabbath rest every week. Made me want to convert (but I don't think I could give up my red wine...)

my husband is a seventh day adventist, i go to church with him and hold almost all the beliefs in common with them, i just struggle to understand what other Christians think of this denomination, that's why i made the thread.

On the red wine issue...not all SDAs avoid alcohol like the plague. it's an issue of moderation. we drink the occasional smirnoff ice or bacardi silver, but never enough to get drunk. the more conservative sda's will say never to drink, but not everyone agrees on that issue 100%.

A little red wine can be good for your heart (antioxidants) but too much can be bad for your liver. We just keep that in mind when we drink. It's all about motive. The bible doesn't reprimand drinking, it reprimands drunkenness.

HEPMELLY ~ I agree about your points about moderation for drinking alcohol; I may have a glass of wine (becuz I like it) or a small amount of beer (for its direuretic properties and other reasons) on occasion. My friend has accepted and declined a glass of wine at dinner at different times.

MOM2MOLLIE may be correct that they discourage eating pork becuz of the old testament rules, which also forbade eating animals with paws (like bear) and wild hare, which both my friend and I have eaten in the past. We didn't realize it at the time; I was a little surprised by that when I came across that in a bible study. I wonder what they think of domesticated rabbit; both of us have eaten that too; my parents used to raise them. We live in the far north and this is common here.

She told me that they asked her to do a study on the health aspects of pork on the body; and that they told her she could make up her own mind about that and alcohol issues. There was an emphasis on "EXCESSIVE" use of drugs and alcohol, etc.

I have also always wondered about the story that JESUS told about the prodigal son who was working for the pig farmer and ate with them. During that story, He never said anything about the pigs (being good or bad); I thought that was interesting that He used pigs in his story, considering His heritage (He could have said goats or chickens).

And PAUL said that we could eat anything in the marketplace (I Cor 10:25/26); and it was up to us what we chose to do (Romans 8:8) eat meat or not eat meat (vegetarianism). He seemed to be saying that it was a matter of FAITH (Romans 14:22).

Some of my other Christian friends have brought this pork issue up to me lately as well; there seems to be a lot of confusion about this topic: SHOULD WE BE EATING PORK OR NOT? I'd be interested to know what any Jewish people here think was the original reason that GOD forbade people to eat pork.

Was it becuz it was too fatty, or unhealthy (meaning, prone to be a disease carrier), or some other spiritual reason that we are unaware of? There wasn't any refrigeration back then; and meat can spoil quite quickly. A friend told me that in England they are having a really hard time with diseases in their pork and beef industry; makes you wonder ...

Just some thoughts and some questions; LOL!

Here is what we are taught, and I believe as a Lutheran.

Unclean Foods

Q. What is the Lutheran policy on eating pork or shellfish? I've heard from other Christians that they are not allowed to eat these because of the scripture in Leviticus. Are there other certain foods that Lutherans need to abstain from?

A. Lutherans teach that Old Testament ceremonial laws regarding "clean" and "unclean" foods are not binding on Christians, having been fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ. As St. Paul teaches in Colossians 2:16-17, "Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ."

THANX for your response, GARY ~ I have always believed what you shared myself; and, I have eaten pork my whole life (although we try to keep it lean for health reasons). Lately, it seems that this topic is coming up a lot; it has been circulating on the net, and on some television shows for some reason ...

When my friend changed denominations, these questions came up again; I explained my beliefs to her at the time. In the end, she decided to give up eating pork becuz she likes her new church that much, and said that she didn't really miss it after awhile.

I have even heard people on this site refer to "eating clean" or "unclean"; I'm not really sure what they mean by that; but maybe that would be opening up another kettle of fish ~ LOL! No, I won't ...

EDIT ~ found more info ( Romans 14:14) ... there is nothing unclean in itself, except that you esteem it as unclean ... I'm satisfied with that.

The pork issue has been coming up a lot in my life, too.
I've read that pigs do not have a built in toxic dispenser like other animals (cows have four stomachs, etc.) and they are basically garbage disposals and build up waste in their systems.
When Jesus told the story about the prodigal son, I think it was basically to signify how very LOW he had fallen (living and eating with pigs, the most unclean animal in the bible) for his shortsightedness and dishonor of his father and inheritance. And also to show that no matter how far we stray from our heavenly Father, that He will gladly welcome us back when we're ready to repent.
Shellfish are likewise garbage disposals or "bottom-dwellers": if you watch catfish, shrimp, lobster, oysters, etc., in a fish tank, you'll notice they're cleaning the bottom of the tank (eating the leftovers and poop of the other fish). IMHO, they really can't have too many beneficial nutrients in their systems.
We don't bring any of these kinds of foods into our house. My take is that if God forbade them to his chosen people, there must be some good in avoiding them.
That said, we do have an occasional pizza or piece of shrimp when we're eating out. But since i have been avoiding pork, I ALWAYS get bad gas when I do eat it!!

The clean versus unclean foods that people are talking about on 3FC are mostly processed, added sugar, added this or that, versus they way God put food on the planet to be eaten. The healthiest way to eat something is when you can easily figure out how it got from the vine/tree to your mouth. Eating a whole, fresh tomato is better than eating tomato sauce, and eating tomato sauce is better than eating ketchup. The closer it looks to the way it did at the beginning, the healthier (i.e. "cleaner") it is. The less added sugar, fat, etc, there is, the better. Hope this helps!

THANX MOM2MOLLIE ~ thanks for all the explainations and thoughts; all very insightful and helpful. I get your point about the bottom-dweller thing for the fish and other creatures; and your thoughts about the prodigal son story were very interesting as well.

My father was a domesticated pig farmer for awhile and we helped feed and care for them. Our pigs ate only vegetation and they were very clean, as my father was very fussy about them. I know things are different now; cuz you hear a lot of gross stories these days; but are they true, or just myths started by fear-mongers? I don't really know; but you imagine that some may have some truth in them ...

I don't think we are what you would call extreme; as I said, we do have the occasional pork chop, as they are DH's favorite choice over beef steak. As for fish, we mostly eat things like cod, haddock, sole, salmon, or tuna, etc.

Now I will know what these ladies are talking about when they ask "Are you eating clean?" We grow many veggies in our own garden; and we also use our own homemade compost; and we buy some stuff from our local farmer's market as well and we try eat whole grains as much as we can ...

Unless properly stored or cured, undercooked/improperly stored pork and wild game (i.e. things with paws) can carry a parasite called Trichinella. If you eat something with Trichinella, you get Trichonosis (it's TRUE), where the parasite multiplies in your body and you wind up with headaches, nausea, GI upset (aka the runs), fever, and, possibly death. If you don't die, you will take a few months to get well. I believe that this is the foundation for the no-pork, no-wild-game rules, as I believe in ancient times, people got sick from eating such products. Result: DON'T EAT THEM OR YOU'LL GET SICK became a dietary law, memorialized in the OT.
I believe the same philosophy follows for shellfish, whereby parasitic infection due to undercooking also occurred and led to the dietary laws.

That is the same thing we are taught Ezmoney. The old ways don't hold us under most circumstances because all that changed with Christ. Don't think it hurts anyone if they want to live by the old ways. It does say, let no man pass judgment on food or drink.

This church is real big around where I live. They are everywhere. It is my church that is hard to find. I am Pentecostal.