N JUNE 5, 2002, TWO SEVENTH-DAY Adventists were convicted of manslaughter in the death of their 6-month-old infant on March 29, 2002. A jury of seven women and four men found the couple guilty of "failing to provide the necessaries of life for three months before the boy died"¹ (New Zealand Herald, June 6, 2002).

The sad fact is that the death was totally unnecessary. Additionally upsetting is that the behavior leading to this death is claimed to be based on the Adventist health message. These parents belonged to a group called the White Horse Ministry. They claim to follow "the beliefs of Seventh-day Adventist prophet Ellen White."²

The White Horse
During the trial it became clear that the infant had been ill for several months. The parents were reported to be Seventh-day Adventists and vegans. They "abstained from eating fish, meat and dairy products." More grievous to their infant was their refusal to allow an injection of vitamin B12, their removal of this infant from medical care, and their subsequent hiding from authorities.

The judge, Justice Harrison, said there was uncontested evidence that the couple had been told that without treatment the boy would die.

The founder of the White Horse Ministry is reported in the same newspaper to have said that members of the group follow strict veganism, eating only "pure foods with plenty of nutrients." They "shun meat, dairy products, and sugar," and claim the Bible teaches that humans were to eat fruit, grain, and nuts. Unfortunately, some believe it to be the official stance of the church with regard to diet. The comprehensive package of the Adventist lifestyle is well described in the book Seventh-day Adventists Believe: A Biblical Exposition of 7 Fundamental Doctrines.

SDA Church Recommendations
As far as diet is concerned, the Seventh-day Adventist Church recommends a lacto-ovovegetarian diet (see SDA Encyclopedia [1996], vol. 10, p. 459). On the other hand, vegetarianism has not been made a requirement of church membership. The purpose for all health measures is that as Christians we bring praise and honor to God through our lifestyle. The death of this little boy does not do this.

How have we come to such a situation? The Adventist Church was blessed from its inception by the visions and inspired leadership of Ellen White. The Adventist lifestyle she promoted has resulted in the health of Adventists as a group being superior to that of the communities in which they live (Adventist Health Study). Much of this success is a result of the positive aspects of trust in our heavenly Father, exercise, fresh air, sunshine, adequate rest, clean water, temperance, abstinence from tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, as well as a vegetarian diet.

From the Pen of Ellen White
Ever since Ellen White was shown that a healthier diet was to avoid flesh foods, Adventists have aimed at a lacto-ovovegetarian diet. Early Adventists, and Ellen White herself, did not find this to be an easy diet. Many struggled to provide themselves essential nutrients. The struggle was not helped by the extreme views propounded in the health paper, the Health Reformer. For approximately two years, contributions by Russell Trall and the followers of Sylvester Graham, who were neither Adventists nor inspired, were very restrictive. Some of their recommendations continue to echo and reecho down the corridors of Adventism with their strong condemnation of salt, milk, eggs, yeast, sugar, oil, condiments, etc. It was in response to such messages that Ellen White wrote, "I have something to say in reference to extreme views of health reform. Health reform becomes health deform, a health destroyer, when it is carried to extremes."³

In the same letter she wrote, "While I would discard flesh meat as injurious, something less objectionable may be used, and this is found in eggs. Do not remove milk from the table or forbid its being used in the cooking of food."⁴ It would be difficult to find more explicit instruction than this. Her counsel was always to avoid extremes and to keep to the "middle path." She warned of the dangers of extremes; and when Dr. Kress was dying, his life was saved by her timely letters urging him to take both milk and eggs. We can see that the issues are not new. In The Ministry of Healing she wrote: "Those who understand the laws of health and who are governed by principle, will shun the extremes, both of indulgence and of restriction. . . . They seek to preserve every power in the best condition for highest service to God and man."⁵

In volume 9 of the Testimonies we read that "eggs contain certain properties that are remedial agencies in counteracting certain poisons."⁶ This indeed was prescient advice given before vitamin B12 had ever been discovered.

She continued: "Some, in abstaining from milk, eggs, and butter, have failed to supply the system with proper nourishment, and as a consequence have become weak and unable to work. . . . The work that we have tried to build up solidly is confused with strange things that God has not required, and the energies of the church are crippled."⁷

It is incongruous that in the pursuit of health there should be anemias, vitamin B12 deficiencies, and deaths such as that of the baby in New Zealand. Clearly the time is here for us to review our teaching and recommendations. On the same page that Ellen White wrote of debilitating or crippling diets, she conceded that a "time will come when we may have to discard some articles of diet we now use, such as milk and cream and eggs; but it is not necessary to bring upon ourselves perplexity by premature and extreme restrictions. Wait until the circumstances demand it and the Lord prepares the way for it."⁸

It is entirely understandable that Adventists awaiting the Lord's return should feel the time must be close. But the injunction is that circumstances will demand these "extreme restrictions."

This vegan diet was not to bring "perplexity" but to be a response to the final time of trouble, and the Lord would prepare the way for it.

The church still officially recommends the lacto-ovovegetarian diet. This is the diet endorsed and practiced by Ellen White. She is made to be a false prophet when teachings are attributed to her that she did not teach.

The Need for Vitamin B12
There are many who believe the time of trouble is upon us and have removed milk and eggs from their diet. There are many more equally devout Adventist Christians who believe otherwise. If and when the church needs to promote veganism, there will be no deaths resulting from the measure because the Lord Himself "will prepare the way for it." The vegan diet can be very satisfactory in situations in which vitamin B12 supplements and foods fortified with vitamin B12 are freely used. Unfortunately, the use of such supplements in an ongoing regular fashion has not always been emphasized. It is important to note that a diet dependent upon a pharmaceutical industry is hardly one we can recommend globally, especially in those territories lacking resources to provide such supplementation. The Adventist Church is a global church and as such must minister on a global scale, bearing in mind global circumstances.

It is time for us to be honest with ourselves, with the scientific data, and with our members. The manipulative way some use data to try and prove that a total plant-based diet contains vitamin B12 is, at times, scarcely short of dishonest. Any vitamin B12 in vegetable products represents bacterial and fecal contamination of the plants. The talk of not brushing one's teeth to permit bacterial growth of the dental flora with some production of vitamin B12 by these bacteria is misleading, unhygienic, and unhealthy.

Thousands of Adventists certainly could improve their health by giving up meat eating and adopting a lacto-ovovegetarian diet, especially when low- or no-fat milk is used and only three to five eggs per week are consumed. It is not nearly as obvious that to move to the so-called vegan diet would be as beneficial. In fact, these recent events show that significant risks attend the vegan diet if daily supplementation with sufficient vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D is not followed.

Consequences of Misinformation
The church could become legally liable if it were to advocate a restrictive diet that led to morbidity and mortality. Recognition of this possibility should cause church administrators and health promoters everywhere to consider the effects of their words and actions. Complicity in the promotion and teaching of restrictive diets in those communities already limited in their availability of well-balanced nutrition carries moral and legal liability.

We are not saved by diet, nor by compliance with the prescribed behaviors touted as ideal. Our salvation is through Jesus Christ. His graciousness and compassion for the sick manifest themselves always in tolerance and a nonjudgmental outreach. In our health ministries, let us seek to emulate Him and reflect His image.

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¹ Tony Stuckley, "Parents of Baby Caleb Found Guilty of Manstaughter," New Zealand Herald, June 5, 2002.
² Bridget Carter, "Prophet's Message Cost Baby His Life," New Zealand Herald, June 7, 2002.
³ Ellen G. White, Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 202.
⁴ Ibid., p. 203.
⁵ White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 319.
⁶ White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 162.
⁷ Ibid.
⁸ Ibid. (Italics supplied.)

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Allan Handysides is director of health ministries at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Silver Spring, Maryland; his associates are Kathleen Kuntaraf and Peter Landless; and Stoy Proctor is General Conference health education director.