BY MICHAEL D. PEABODY

andles dance against the darkness of the cave as the coven prepares its sacrifice. The goat is bound to the altar as a circle of witches chant. Outside the cave, a couple of blocks away, the sun shines as cotton clouds hang overhead. Flowers are in full bloom this spring day. The doorbell rings.

"Hello, I'm here to visit good Adventist people like yourself." It's a well-dressed man holding a Bible. "How would you like to be part of the perfect church?" "Of course, I'd really like that," you respond, thinking how nice that would be. Your church could certainly use some work.

"Come to a meeting we're having. Some of your friends from church will be there."

You arrive early to see a few other people that you know as well as some strangers. The man you met quotes Scripture and related materials extensively to support his position that you are a sinner. No quarrel there. He goes on to explain how Christ is our example-and that Christ can forgive sin, and therefore we are to forgive sin. He talks for several minutes. You may not have heard it put this way before, but it does seem plausible.

"I am here to forgive you," he abruptly announces. "You must confess your sins to me, right now!"

You look around and are alarmed to see that your friends, who always seemed intelligent before, appear to be complying with the strange request and begin to announce their sins loudly and publicly. You make a move for the door as voices of people you thought you knew start filling the room with their tales of woe. Later, you find out that some of those friends have left their families to go live in a compound.

What Is a Cult?
It is easy to think of a satanic coven as a cult, but more often a cult can look like a "normal" organization or even masquerade as a local Christian church.

Classically defined, a cult is "a religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader" such as Jim Jones, Charles Manson, or David Koresh. 1 In most instances a cult will be committed to a few very highly regarded principles and will envision an "us versus them" mentality, with the rest of the world considered "infidels" or "unbelievers."

The teachings of the cult leader, who soon turns into a messiah figure, become absolute truth and overshadow biblical truth. The leaders apply extreme pressure to coerce members into submission, often requiring members to leave their families and friends. Most teach that salvation is achieved through following the teachings, or methods, of the cult leader. They gain power when people surrender their minds and faith and lose their ability to critically evaluate what they are being taught.

Most cult members have never said, "Today I am going to join a cult." The process happens gradually, and the steps naturally progress. Initially a person is skeptical about what is being taught. Then, through plausible stretches in logic, a person is drawn to the place where they seriously consider that the speaker is telling the truth, regardless of how strange it seems. New converts look to other members within the cult as examples and reason that the teachings must be correct. Scripture soon loses its independent validity as cult members look to the cult's teachings for guidance. Once the process is complete, a cult member is willing to do almost anything-to the point of suicide-for the leader.

A few months ago headlines around the world screamed, "Adventist Sect Parents Jailed for Manslaughter." Two Adventist parents in New Zealand had been sentenced to five years in jail after their child died because they had refused medical treatment on the grounds that conventional wisdom was "Satan's way" and that their son's vitamin B12 deficiency could be treated "with prayer, herbs, and vegetables." Vitamin B12 is most commonly found in meat, fish, and dairy products.

Adventist officials quickly distanced themselves from a potential public relations disaster by responding that these people did not follow the teachings of the church and had acted on their own.2 This story bothered me on a number of levels. First of all, I could not understand how intelligent people could let their child die a terrible death. Second, it irked me that our church is often put in the position of defending itself against the bizarre actions of unbalanced individuals, from these parents to the Branch Davidians and any number of groups in between. I began to wonder why so many of the members of my denomination are attracted to such strange beliefs.

Seekers of Truth From the Start
Born out of the Great Disappoint-ment of 1844 and having an emphasis on the prophetic "end of time," Adventists historically have seen our future in light of eschatology filled with demonic, symbolic monsters and draconian future legislation. The joyous hope of the Second Coming is seen through a bloody prism of a time of trouble replete with tragedy and ultimate victory.

Adventists are diligent students of the Bible who earnestly search its pages looking for signs of the blessed hope. We also read prophetically inspired writings for greater understanding. We believe that God's truth continues marching on, and we are open to learning more about His will as it is revealed. The idea that God continues to reveal His will is one of our central beliefs.

The problem surfaces when openness to new ideas is not tempered by the pragmatism of critical thinking and immediate application of scriptural safeguards. When many Adventists hear a new idea promoted, the first impulse is not to reject it out of hand, but to provide it an opportunity to present itself. If it appears amply supported by Scripture, we feel guilty if we attack the proponent, because we may close the door on what God is trying to tell us. Unfortunately, Satan very rarely wears a red suit with a pointy tail. To cite an overused phrase, "the devil is in the details," and only discerning individuals with a foundation in biblical truth can detect what is happening. Satan lurks between misquoted Scripture and writings that have been taken out of context to create some very bizarre beliefs.

External Behavior, Internal Belief Lifestyle, particularly what we eat and don't eat, is another facet of Adventist religious experience that sets us apart. And like other aspects of our lives, what we do externally shows what we believe internally. One summer when I was about 7 years old, a neighborhood kid asked me about my religion. "I'm a vegetarian," I proudly responded. Since then I've had the distinction of eating the fruit plate at business luncheons. I've asked the guy at McDonald's to "hold the sausage" on Egg McMuffins more times than I can admit, and I've developed numerous explanations of why I think that a chicken and a fish are meat. Common sense says that fried mozzarella sticks are probably not much healthier than a turkey-and-lettuce sandwich, but it still jarred me when a carnivorous friend suggested that my "I'm a vegetarian for health reasons" explanation was "moronic." She didn't stop there. She said that if I really cared about health, I would be eating a lot more carrots and a lot less cheese. Then she got me. "Why don't you just admit that you're a vegetarian because of your religion?" She was right. If I hadn't grown up in a traditional Adventist household where Special K roast and Linkettes seemed normal, "flesh food" would probably be a regular part of my diet. The problem was that an affirmative response to this inquiry might have led my friend to think that I believed that the pathway to hell was paved with pepperoni. It is hard to explain that though I believe something to be correct from a religious perspective, it is not a matter of salvation. We tend to place emphasis on external characteristics because they are so easily observed. Here's some food for thought: Is it important that we know why we do what we do?

Weird offshoots are nothing new to Adventism. In the early days the denomination was assaulted by a number of strange ideas ranging from pantheism to the "holy flesh" movement. One of the denomination's founders, Ellen White, confronted these threats directly throughout her writings. In fact, she specifically described how cultic error can take over: "How do men fall into such error? By starting with false premises, and then bringing everything to bear to prove the error true. In some cases the first principles have a measure of truth interwoven with the error, but it does not lead to any just action, and this is why men are misled. In order to reign and become a power, they employ Satan's methods to justify their own principles. They exalt themselves as men of superior judgment, and they have stood as representatives of God. These are false gods."3

In the early Adventist Church the leaders purposely avoided creating a church "creed" that would specifically indicate what we were to believe on various theological issues. However, according to my research during the early 1900s some leaders began to develop an authoritarian bent as they sought to achieve purity through control. They began telling members what to do, what to believe, what is right and wrong, how to behave, and even how to dress. Principles, which had previously been applied by individual members, became rules of behavior.

Principles do not change, but the standards that reflect them change from time to time. There was a tendency among some authoritarians to place emphasis on external characteristics-probably because they are so easily observed. In Adventist schools, skirt length was measured for shortness. Men's hair was measured for length. The rules were pretty much the same as those on any conservative school campus, but rather than simply state that these were rules, some enforcers could not resist the temptation to speak about the external rules in the same breath as the Ten Commandments. The resulting confusion could easily be predicted.

On the other hand, academic skepticism about the core beliefs, not only of Adventism, but also of Christianity itself, began to spring up. These topics involved such central themes as Creation and the miracles of Christ. People were encouraged to question Scripture when it conflicted with the scientific and secular history of the day. This twist could be described as follows: "Some have thought it an evidence of intellectual keenness and superiority to perplex minds in regard to what is truth. They resort to subtlety of argument, to playing upon words; they take unjust advantage in asking questions. When their questions have been fairly answered, they will turn the subject [and] bring up another point to avoid acknowledging the truth."4

In both situations, whether led by the authoritarian or the skeptical, these people were encouraged to submit their beliefs to the scrutiny of individuals rather than Scripture. The ultimate effect of both authoritarianism and unbridled skepticism is a lack of confidence in one's salvation. In reality, Ellen White believed that "you need not stand where you say, 'I do not know whether I am saved.' Do you believe in Christ as your personal Saviour? If you do, then rejoice."5 The fact that there remains so much confusion today on this issue is nothing short of tragic.

The Application of Truth
When it comes to truth, one cannot rely on the beliefs or opinions of others regardless of how qualified they may seem. "In matters of conscience the soul must be left untrammeled. No one is to control another's mind, to judge for another, or to prescribe his duty. God gives to every soul freedom to think, and to follow his own convictions. 'Every one of us shall give account of himself to God.' No one has a right to merge his own individuality in that of another. In all matters where principle is involved, 'let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.'"6

There is no question as to the dedication of those who have a living, breathing faith in God. However, it seems we have spent way too much time as a church arguing over small issues and ignoring discussion when it comes to the larger principles on which they are based. For instance, rather than go through the process of explaining the principles of economical stewardship and simplicity and encouraging children to learn how to apply these principles in their own lives, children were strictly prohibited from wearing jewelry. In fact, by being told, "Don't do it," they were given the impression that it was a sin to wear jewelry, but they didn't learn how to apply the principles behind the rule. As a result, we ended up with odd situations such as a church elder driving a Mercedes with a very expensive gold package telling a young child that she could not wear a $2 plastic necklace to church.

The result is a rules-only environment in which there may or may not be an application to principle. In 1992, for example, the board of an Adventist academy had heard enough complaints from teachers and students about a rule on the books that prohibited wearing jewelry. Most of the teachers could not explain the reason for the rule, and the reasoning that did exist was not "sticking," because many students ignored the concept when they were at home or on the weekends. The issue had long been a point of dispute because students mistakenly equated the rule with the idea that the church believed it was a matter of salvation. The board took a chance and voted to allow students to make the individual choice when it came to applying this principle. Interestingly enough, once the students were allowed to choose, the issue stopped seeming more important than it was.7

When we fail to teach young people to think for themselves and act on their convictions when it comes to small issues, we send them into the world armed with little rules but ill-prepared to apply eternal principles to new situations as they arise. Those who will offer to think for them expose some to possible victimization as the rules of behavior that held them up like a scaffold throughout their youth disappear, leaving their spiritual muscles weak.

So Who Are We?
There are many rumors that continually circulate about Adventists. We have often been confused with denominations outside the scope of mainstream Protestantism, such as Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. Some people have even labeled us a cult.

Some Adventists are probably very uncomfortable as ideas are challenged, but the very disagreement that is present on many issues in the church is evidence of our theological and academic vibrancy. We are not a monolithic cult that depends on the whims of authoritarian leaders, but are rather subjected to the Word of God alone.

We recognize that God has set us aside as a "peculiar people" to achieve His goals as we move toward the Second Coming.8 But we also feel the pressure to appear less isolated, more friendly, and even a little more "normal." It is hard to fit in as a citizen of earth while thinking the foreign thoughts of heaven, and this is very difficult for those who have never learned to make their faith their own.

When it comes to what we believe, we cannot afford to teach people to accept any of our beliefs based on face value and our own persuasive ability-regardless of how "true" it may seem. Our beliefs must be compared with and supported by Scripture to be valid; and knowing the "why" is just as important. Christians should be masters at listening carefully and evaluating issues on a case-by-case basis in order to apply scriptural principles to new situations, not simply rely on "one fits all" answers. It is this ability to analyze, coupled with a close relationship with God, that prevents people from falling prey to the intellectual slavery of cults.

Says Mrs. White: "While they trust to the guidance of human authority, none will come to a saving knowledge of the truth. . . . We need to study God's word for ourselves, and pray for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit."9

The Berean church in the New Testament provides the best example of how we should approach the issue of truth in doctrine. "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true" (Acts 17:11, NIV).

True religion is a combination of individual faith, action, understanding, and reliance on the power of God.

"'Come to the edge,' he said.
They said: 'we are afraid.'
'Come to the edge,' he said.
They came,
He pushed them . . .
and they flew."
-Guillaume Apollinaire

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¹ See http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=cult.
² "Adventist Sect Parents Jailed for Manslaughter," Associated Press in Auckland, The Guardian, June 14, 2002, at www.guardian.co.uk/child/story/0,7369,736987,00.html.
³ Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers, p. 364.
⁴ Ibid., p. 108.
⁵ White, "The Need of Missionary Effort," General Conference Bulletin, April 10, 1901.
⁶ White, The Desire of Ages, p. 550.
⁷ See Ellen G. White's Child Guidance, pp. 429, 430.
⁸ In "God's Peculiar People," of the book That I Might Know Him (p. 317), as well as in several other places in her writings, Ellen White says that God's peculiar people are to be known for "their exemplary character and their principles of unselfish love."
⁹ White, The Desire of Ages, p. 141.

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Michael D. Peabody is an attorney in Malibu, California, specializing in employment law and religious liberty topics. He is an active member of The Place, a growing Adventist congregation in Newbury Park, California.