ATS Not "Centrist"

James Hilton's letter-to-the-editor characterizing the Adventist Theological Society (ATS) as representing the fundamentalist end of the SDA spectrum is right on target. I too wish to say: Shame on Adventist Today for publishing the ATS propaganda line that ATS is "centrist!"

All one has to do is read the latest issue of the ATS Perspective Digest (vol. 7, no. 2, 2002) to see the truth of the matter. C. Mervyn Maxwell has an article about the "Genuine Adventist" and Jack J. Blanco (the recently retired holder of the Ellen G. White Chair at Southern Adventist University) has an article on "The Genuine Church." According to Maxwell, "genuine Adventists" have no questions about what they believe, "love" the writings of E. G. White, and are members of "'the' remnant movement (i.e., the SDA Church) not 'a' remnant movement." Blanco quotes the late Gerhard Hasel, the former theological dean of sophisticated fundamentalist SDA theology, as supporting the position of the Bible as the "infallible Holy Scriptures." If these quotes are not classic SDA fundamentalism, I don't know what is!

Felix Yellen Loma Linda, California

Thompson on Presbyterian Schools

I noticed in your reprint of "Adventists and Education: Can the Marriage Be Saved?" (AT March-April, 2002) by Dr. Alden Thompson continues the errors of the original article. I corresponded with Dr. Thompson and pointed out a specific factual error. The statement by the academic dean from Whitworth College "that of all the Presbyterian colleges founded in the 19th century in the U. S. only Whitworth has retained an explicit Christian identity. All the others have gone secular." Since my daughter was considering Grove City College in Grove City, Penn. for her education, I knew this to be incorrect. Grove City College has a strong Christian identity and was founded in 1876. King College in Bristol, Tenn. founded in 1867 also has a strong Christian commitment. Both of these colleges are listed as Presbyterian USA schools on its web site. If you compare Grove City and King Colleges web sites with other Presbyterian colleges you can appreciate the significant difference as these schools hold to an evangelical faith in the middle of a liberal denomination. How did they maintain their Christian identity? Maybe we have something to learn from them

Ralph Weitz Via the Internet

Taylor on BRISCO Report

In the Nov/Dec 2001 issue of AT, Erv Taylor reported some highlights of the most recent BRISCO meeting. I'm glad he did, because that meeting truly was an historic one, marking a paradigm shift in Adventist creationism away from the traditional picture of Earth history provided by so-called Flood geology, toward one in which non-Flood geological processes are considered responsible for most or all of the fossil record. However, while he reports the broad outlines of the meeting fairly, I wonder about the veracity of details I cannot directly confirm because of the way in which my own contribution was treated.

When he writes that I presented a paper that "proposes a means of salvaging the current Adventist Flood model," Taylor grossly misrepresents me. Instead, I am in agreement with the majority of the Earth scientists who spoke at BRISCO in saying that Flood geology has got to go. I said so very clearly for twelve pages of the paper and ten minutes of the talk to which he refers. In fact, in the very same paragraph of the paper from which Taylor quotes me complaining about the grossly apologetic methodology essential to Flood geology, I state that my intention is to replace Flood geology with a new framework for creationist research. If this weren't enough, I corrected him on the point twice personally before he submitted his article-once over lunch, once via a solicited e-mail.

Dr. Taylor's criticisms of Adventist creationism are well known, and I for one am glad to have them. I do hope, however, that in the future he will try harder to lend others the same attentive, respectful, sympathetic ear he wishes they would lend to him. Voicing criticism is a valuable contribution, but critics do well to apprehend good news when it happens too.

Richard Peters Loma Linda, California

Biblical Literacy

In your Winter 2001 issue Letters column, the editor's reply to John Hughes's query as to whether the apostles wrote the gospels contains some interesting new information. Many will be surprised to hear that Mark was an apostle. This earliest canonical gospel was attributed to Mark by Papias and not even Eusebius thought him to be correct. No one knows who Matthew and John are.

Neither gospel reveals authorship. Contemporary scholars doubt that Matthew was the Simon of the other gospels. We must quit automatically accepting positions just because we have believed them a long time. The church that does not change when new information is available is destined to become an anachronism. More biblical literacy, please.

Paul Hughes Redding, California

Culture and Change

You are right about culture and change in your article (AT March/April 2001) "Changing church." . . . [When] I come into the SDA church to find God's solution to the social, cultural, ethical issues that [my ancestors] fought so vehemently about . . . [do] I have to disown my heritage and accept the heritage of whoever. . .is in power? . . . Do . . . I have to forget where I come from in order to fit in?

Appreciate AT

We appreciate Adventist Today, its goals and content, and wish to contribute.

Bonnie Starr San Diego, California

Likes and Dislikes in AT

I have been a subscriber to Adventist Today since your beginning. I have always looked forward to each issue, and when it arrived, sat down, and read it cover to cover. I felt that reading the Review, Ministry, Spectrum, and Adventist Today, I was getting a well rounded information on the happenings in our SDA church. Seeing the cover of your last issue (AT Jan/Feb 2002) I thought, what is happening to Adventist Today?

The article by Pastor Gregory Hoenes, on his wife's miscarriage, though sad, did not belong in AT. . . . Then the article on Abortion, and "Why My Empty Arms?" . . .

I liked the article, "Plain and Fancy Christians," by John McLarty, but not . . . "Listening for a Talking God: Beyond Protestantism." . . . He informs us there must be articles on drug addiction, abortion, obesity, income inequity, pornography, environmental degradation, immigration policy and slavery. Are these the topics that will be covered. . . in the future? If that happens I will certainly drop my subscription.

May I suggest some topics. . . . The Muslim people . . . What is happening in the Holy Land. . . . The religion department at Walla Walla. . . Articles by Dr. Cottrell I would like to see an article of his choosing in every issue.

Maria Schulte Patterson, California

Where's the News?

I subscribe to Adventist Today for one reason: independent news and analysis of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. You have provided excellent coverage of numerous events in recent history: controversy at the Walla Walla College School of Theology; the shuttering of Greater Boston Medical Center; and the departure of Robert Folkenberg from the GC presidency are some of the more memorable stories for me. Timely or not, you have kept me up to date on what's really going on in my church. I just received your latest issue yesterday, and it begs the question. Where is the news? I just don't see it anywhere. All I could find is an article about Adventist Today fundraising activities. If that is indicative of the type of "news" you intend to publish in the future, please cancel my subscription.

Larry Witzel Vancouver, Washington

True heart of Adventism

I really appreciated your article (AT XX ). I hope that you have some kind of authority to represent the beliefs of millions of fellow Adventists, and that this article is consistent with their beliefs. If so, I am impressed. Overall, I find that the Adventist "Plan of Salvation", or "God's story" as you may call it, is very close to the Bible, and indeed very different from the apostate "Mystery" of the Catholic Church.

However I would like you to expound a bit, in a reply to me, where you find scriptural authority to support the claims that : - God created the earth because he wanted friends- The millenium will be a "question-and-answer free-for-all".

These two points made me smile a bit, but I believe they are very relevant, especially the first one, and I am not aware of any passage of scripture to support them. Further on, the Holy Ghost doesn't witness to me that they are true.

I would greatly appreciate if you could answer my questions. I am truly interested.

Nicolas Connault via the Internet