Home 
Resources For SDAs Only Chronology of SDA Apostasy - 1918-1926
Resources For SDAs Only Chronology of SDA Apostasy - 1918-1926
| Chronology of SDA Apostasy - 1918-1926 |
 |
 |
Page 4 of 6
1918:
The leadership of the SDA Church in Germany declared in one of the newspapers: "At the beginning of the war our organization was split into two parties. Ninety-eight percent of our membership, by searching the Bible, came to the conviction that they are duty-bound, by conscience, to defend the country with weapons also on Saturdays. This position, unanimously endorsed by the leadership, was immediately announced to the War Ministry. Two percent, however, did not submit to this resolution and therefore had to be disfellowshiped because of their unchristian conduct." Dresdener Neueste Nachrichten, April 12, 1918 What The Seventh-day Adventist leadership declared in Germany in one of the newspapers 1919 (Bible Conference): A.G. Daniels: "We are to get our interpretation from this Book [the Bible], primarily. I think that the Book explains itself, and I think we can understand the Book, fundamentally through the Book, without resorting to the Testimonies [all the Spirit of Prophecy writings] to prove it up." A.G. Daniels:"It is not our position, and it is not right that the Spirit of Prophecy is the only safe interpreter of the Bible. That is a false doctrine, a false view. It will not stand. Why, my friends what would all the people have done from John's day down to the present if there were no way to understand the Bible except through the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy! . . What do those people do over in Romania? We have hundreds of Sabbathkeepers there who have not seen a book on [of] the Spirit of Prophecy! What do those people in China do? . . He [God] gave this Book, and He gave men brains and thinking power to study the Book." A.G. Daniels:"I have heard ministers say that the Spirit of Prophecy is the interpreter of the Bible . . J.M. Anderson:"And he also said 'infallible interpreter.' " C.M. Sorenson: "That expression has been canceled. That is not our position." A.G. Daniels: "It is not our position." A.G. Daniels: "Now on infallibility. I suppose Sister White used Paul's text, 'We have this treasure in earthen vessels,' as much as any other scripture. She used to repeat that often, 'We have this treasure in earthen vessels,' with the idea that she was a poor, feeble woman, a messenger of the Lord trying to do her duty and meet the mind of God in this work. "When you take the position that she was not infallible, and that her writings were not verbally inspired, isn't there a chance for the manifestation of the human? If there isn't, then what is infallibility? And should we be surprised when we know that the instrument was fallible, and that the general truths, as she says, were revealed; then aren't we prepared to see mistakes?" 1924: "Doing military service and taking part in war does not involve a covenant with the world, nor is it equivalent to taking sides with Babylon. Participation in war is a mere civil duty." P. P. Paulini, Prophecy, 1924, p. 41, SDA Church in Romania 1925: "According to the Bible standard, 'Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's,' Adventist Christians fulfill all their duties, including military duties. They conscientiously serve the army with weapons in time of peace as well as in time of war." Adventism, 1925, pp. 53, 54 SDA Church in Yugoslavia 1926: "Back in 1926, long before ecumenism was in vogue, the General Conference Executive Committee adopted an important statement that is now a part of the General Conference Working Policy (075). This declaration has significant ecumenical implications. The concern of the statement was for the mission field and relationships with other "missionary societies." However, the statement has now been broadened to deal with "religious organizations" in general. It affirms that Seventh-day Adventists "recognize those agencies that lift up Christ before men as a part of the divine plan for evangelization of the world, and. . .hold in high esteem Christian men and women in other communions who are engaged in winning souls to Christ." In the church's dealings with other churches, "Christian courtesy, frankness, and fairness" are to prevail..." ( Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, Second Revised Edition, 1995, Art. "Ecumenism,")
|