UPSTREAM
In the August, 2002, North American Division edition of the Adventist Review, Leslie N. Pollard wrote a column entitled "Upstream" in which he asks if Loma Linda University (LLU) "as a faith-based, confessional institution has the prerogative to hire persons consistent with its faith community?" This was in reply to someone who questioned LLU's position on the hiring of homosexuals.

Without a doubt, we need to consistently stand against the downward thrust of secularism, but all Adventist hospitals hire employees who are not Adventists and frequently not even Christians. As an educational institution, Loma Linda University and all other Adventist educational institutions should follow the General Conference Working Policy on employment in higher education: "A Seventh-day Adventist college/university . . . employs fully-committed, professionally competent Seventh-day Adventist teachers who are actively involved in their local church and who integrate faith and learning . . . in nurturing their students" (p.39). Loma Linda University, like almost all higher education Seventh-day Adventist institutions, has winked at that policy by hiring full-time teachers who are not Adventists. Professors who are not of our faith cannot honestly transmit Adventist beliefs, heritage, and lifestyle, or equip students to uphold Seventh-day Adventist doctrines.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in the equality of all people before God (inclusion). The Church welcomes all people into a loving relationship with Jesus. It also believes in racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity. As a result, I find it curious that we are willing to go "upstream" in regards to sexual orientation, while hiring individuals who are not Adventists or Christians to be mentors of the youth and teach and work in our colleges, universities, and hospitals. Such workers do not honor the Sabbath nor believe in our other doctrines. The logic and Christian ethics in Pollard's reasoning smacks of specialized exclusion, homophobia, and inconsistency. Perhaps one's acceptance of Jesus Christ as personal Savior, a strong belief in the mission, goals, and doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and one's commitment to treat everyone as Jesus did would be a better basis for both our hiring practices and benefits packages.

George P. Babcock, Executive Director
Institute of Ethical Leadership
Southern Adventist University
Collegedale, Tennessee

I was both embarrassed and sorely disappointed with the column by Leslie Pollard. Reading his response to the questions posed to him by the others in the meeting made me feel ashamed of being a part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. To display such ignorance and blatant discrimination and then put it in print is nothing to be proud of.

I hope both Loma Linda University and my church will take another look at the issue of homosexuality and domestic partnership and study what the Bible really does, or doesn't, say about it.

Floyd Poenitz
Dallas, Texas

As an alumnus of the Loma Linda University School of Medicine, I was saddened, embarrassed, and appalled to read "Upstream," by Leslie N. Pollard.

Saddened, because Dr. Pollard's position singles out homosexuals in a harsh fashion. How does Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center (LLUAHSC) determine if someone is a "practicing homosexual"? (Does the Center determine if someone engages in pre-marital or extra-marital sex, also?)

Embarrassed, because his position, stated at a national conference, ignores statements by the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, the National Association of Social Workers, and the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding homosexuality.

Appalled, because while LLUAHSC has the prerogative to hire personnel, I believe that excluding known "practicing homosexuals" creates an atmosphere of fear and isolation for students, professionals, and patients who are gay or lesbian. Exclusion of homosexual staff would be a loss both to the institution and to the patients that it serves.

Gays and lesbians who commit themselves to working in Adventist institutions are truly the individuals who are "swimming upstream."

Harry C. Wang, MD
Sacramento, California

Leslie N. Pollard's column raises an important question. Loma Linda University employs full-time faculty merely on the basis of their professional ability and without any regard to spiritual belief. When I consider this in relationship to Dr. Pollard's article, it appears that Loma Linda discriminates between the hiring of homosexuals and others who do not conform to Adventist policies. Maintaining this double standard places Loma Linda in jeopardy. It is legally questionable and appears hypocritical. In my opinion, that threatens the credibility of Loma Linda and the Seventh-day Adventist church in an unfortunate manner.

John Young

DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE
After reading the article, "The Divorce and Remarriage Challenge" (Aug. 22, 2002), I felt the need to react about some aspects of it.

I'm professor of Biblical Languages at the Salève Adventist University, France. Before, I edited the Italian Adventist Magazine and the Youth Review. I'm now 33, and I'm involved in youth ministry. I'm detailing my professional experience only to help you understand my background and my point of view. I tried to read the article from the viewpoint of some dear friends who have suffered this experience, and whose pain has been greatly increased by the church's attitude and "theological understanding." I'm not divorced, so I'm not personally involved in this painful matter.

1. Having been an editor, I found the illustration at the beginning of the article to be insensitive. If I were a divorced/remarried person, I would stop reading the article immediately. Just as we try to be careful on matter of race and gender, we should be careful not to hurt people's feelings (as well as when we speak about people being "marked" by a permanent trauma).

2. The author speaks about the complexity of the Church discipline concerning adultery, divorce, and remarriage. You have the impression that the evolution of the Church Manual has been caused by the practical difficulty of handling church discipline. There is no trace of a theological, biblical reflection about the meaning of the passages involved to justify the Adventist position. Like the original document from the General Conference Session in Toronto, there is not a clear reflection about what is really the biblical foundation of the "distinction" between the cases that allow remarriage and the ones that don't.

Finally, one gets the impression that the Seventh-day Adventist position has been motivated on one hand by the historical Adventist tradition on the subject, on the other by social change; and that in the end social change leads the Church to adapt its position. A careful, well-informed, and sensitive biblical reflection doesn't appear to be involved as a primary agent of change.

Even the conclusion is simplistic. Yes, prevention is important. But when the problem arises, what is the foundation of our ethics? The Adventist subculture? The Bible, and by what kind of hermeneutics? Are you sure the discussion at the General Conference had been inspired and led only by thoughtful consideration of the Bible, and not by multicultural/political issues?

Manuela Casti
Saleve Adventist University
Collonges-sous-Saleve, France

MATTERS OF FREEDOM
Thank you for your report on International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) meeting held in Manila ("Congress of the Bay," Aug. 8, 2002).

The article about the IRLA reminded me of my participation in the 1989 conference in London. Mr. Prem Bahadur Shakya, then a member of parliament from Nepal, was invited by Bert Beach. I went with him as his secretary. He gave a speech in Nepali, which I translated into English spontaneously. The IRLA congress was a revelation to him. It gave him a vision about what it means to honor people of different faiths. He was prejudiced toward Christianity, associating Christianity with being mercenary, still a common attitude among Nepalese. But the Lord made me a stepping stone to help him get rid of that attitude and many times he proved to be a friend of Christians. He was instrumental in pulling together the government ministers, social workers, and educators to have a luncheon in honor of Neal Wilson, the first one of such to honor in Nepal our General Conference president.

Now Shakya is a peace activist in Nepal, the country that gave birth to Buddha and is falling to pieces now due to political instability. From time to time meetings take place in his home, where people of various degrees attend, like religious and political leaders, etc.

I am incubating the idea of having a future IRLA conference in Nepal, the only Hindu kingdom in the world. Hindus believe theoretically in religious freedom, but practically it allows for no change in religion. Therefore Nepal's constitution does not guarantee the same religious freedoms accorded by the United Nations charter, though she is one of its signatories. However due to the multiparty democracy, Christianity is spreading like wildfire. Unfortunately, so are the Maoists, and that is taking a toll in this country. Hindus are waking up and getting alarmed at the number of Christian conversions. There were approximately 45,000 Christians in the country before 1990; and since multiparty democracy was restored we have around 600,000 Christians in Nepal.

Thank you again for the Review that I enjoy so much.

Bhaju Ram Shrestha
Nepal

In the article titled, "U.S. Church Leaders Urge Caution on School Vouchers" (Newsbreak, Aug., 2002) the writer from the Adventist News Network portrays the Seventh-Day Adventist leaders in North America(NAD) as being neutral towards the school voucher program. "We intend to wait and see what the ultimate results of this plan will be in practice," said Clarence Hodges, NAD vice president and public affairs director.

The article was informative and remained neutral until the last paragraph. The writer then decided to refer to the voucher system by calling it a "scheme;" a word used of something that is crafty and most always evil. Did the writer think that Adventist Review readers are so naive that they would not pick up on the writer's obvious slant against the voucher system?

Well, this Adventist isn't. While I also am cautious about the program, I think in principle it's a great idea. Using money that is, after all, my money to start with( where do you think the government gets its money?) to send a child to a school of my choice is a freedom I would like to have. It could mean the difference in many children being taught in an atmosphere that promotes love for Jesus, or not. I don't think we need to jump on the bandwagon of fear that the antichrist is going to get a grip on our church. I would hate to know that fear was keeping many children from a quality education.

Let's "wait and see," like Clarence Hodges said.

Tim Hufstetler
Rome, Georgia

SEXUAL ABUSE AND THE CHURCH
After reading the interview with Calvin Rock ("Sins of the Fathers," web exclusive) concerning the scandal in the Catholic Church about sex abuse, I was thinking about something just as severe, and that is sex addiction among our own members. You see, I'm a sex addict and I need help!

But where does one go to get help in our church? Our church is too busy telling its members to get ready for the coming of Jesus and the close of probation. That's important; but when someone tells a sex addict to pray and read the Bible and get ready, he just falls into more despair and hopelessness because he (I) knows he's not ready. He knows that what he does is destroying him, and he wants out, but is afraid to say anything because of the fear of what other members might think that would get him kicked out of the church.

I love my church and I love the Lord; I want to serve Him and obey Him and do what's right; but I find myself doing the very things that I don't want to do. The shame and guilt and loneliness is too great for me to bear. I'm so lonely. Just about every denomination has a place where one can go to get help for sex addiction, but not ours. I want out, but where does one go for help in our church?

This is a common problem in our church. Let's address it, show compassion toward those who struggle with this insane addiction, and get them the help they need before it's too late.

Name withheld

The issue raised in Dr. Rock's interview about sexual abuse by the clergy is very real. We need to deal with this sensitive issue out in the open rather than deny that these things exist, as it was with most of the church in the 1960s Adventist subculture.

Duane Sandvick

ELLEN FOR US
Praise the Lord that the trustees of the Ellen G. White Estate, the Review and Herald, and the Pacific Press had the courage to publish two new books based on Ellen White classics: The Messiah and A Call to Stand Apart. These books have been a blessing to me personally and I believe they perform three valuable services for Adventists. ("Ellen for Us", June 20, 2002)

They help us prize gift of prophecy more highly.

They help us avoid the pitfalls of claiming to believe in "thought inspiration," while practicing the principals of "verbal inspiration."

They help the Holy Spirit enrich our minds with fresh new insights that were partially obscured by the dynamics of language or by being too familiar with the original.

Of the two books, I prefer the style of A Call to Stand Apart for one very important reason: this paraphrase gives references so one can trace the thoughts to Scripture and the original quotations from Ellen White. This allows the reader to check the original and appreciate both renditions. It does for inspiration what harmony does for melody. It highlights the scriptural foundation on which the gift of prophecy stands.

Some may criticize the publishing of these books. But if they ever taught an academy Bible class where students get stuck on the nineteenth century use of words like "intercourse," applying to non-sexual social contacts, they would appreciate the delicate and sacred task of keeping the gift of prophecy useful for new generations trying to cope with ever-changing language.

Glenn Aufderhar