THE GREAT CREATION DEBATE
I am so thankful for the stand Clifford Goldstein has taken in his column, “Seventh-day Darwinians” (July 24, 2003). My first exposure to evolution as a viable theory almost two decades ago at an Adventist college was the beginning of my spiritual undoing for a time. I knew instinctively that evolutionary theory and the biblical account of creation are utterly incompatible, so I headed out the door. Through prayer, extensive research on the creation/evolution issue, and a thorough reading of the Bible--from cover to cover, my own faith was revived.

I have watched in amazement and sadness as evolutionary deism (today’s god of intellectualism) has made inroads into our church. We wonder why our youth no longer buy the inconsistencies and hypocrisy and are heading out the door, as I once did. They are more observant than we credit them. Is it any wonder that the Sabbath is losing its meaning and the Bible is losing its force and authority among our numbers?

Thank you, Mr. Goldstein, for drawing biblical lines. You must know that your effort shines a spotlight on a battle that has, until now, been fought in the dark in the Seventh-day Adventist church (i.e., our college classrooms). I suspect the battle will get much hotter in the near future. Not an inch can be yielded.

Like you, if I were to lose my Christian faith (and I could not), I could embrace a good number of other ideas, but I could never go back to evolution! The power, integrity, goodness--the very name of God--are on the line, just as they have been from the start! To uphold the name of God the Creator in this generation I would gladly give my life.

Conna L. Bond
Condon, Montana


Nobody makes a case better than Clifford Goldstein. In his most recent column he conclusively shows that his faction of the Seventh-day Adventist church has abandoned intelligence, logic, and reason. Instead it is now deeply into an irrational clinging to historical positions, regardless of whatever evidence may be found, or what new analyses may be made.

Unfortunately, since the Adventist Review repeatedly publishes Mr. Goldstein’s columns without any counter-balancing discussions, one is forced to conclude that his positions are the only valid positions for Adventists.

Oh well, as Mr. Goldstein points out, there are alternatives.

Bevin R Brett
Nashua, New Hampshire

HOW GOOD IS GOD?
Nathan Brown’s column, “When the Good Samaritan Is Not Good Enough” (July 17, 2003), is to the point. We need to become proactive in the distribution of our time, talents, and actions in our ways of life.

When people in our church drive a $50,000 vehicle with a fish and a cross symbol on the back to let the world know they have been blessed with material goods, there is a need for change. In our church we have no social network for members who are distressed, unemployed, hurt, or disabled.

We need to learn the principle Jesus taught in multiplying the fish and the loaves of bread. Simply reverse the equation: 50 companies x 100 x $10.00 = $50,000 to help Adventist families in distress.

At camp meeting, discussing this issue with a former pastor, I said jokingly, “Adventists in Distress.org (AID.org), a place where people could make known their needs and find encouragement in counseling and people to pray for them.”

I am grateful to Mr. Brown for reminding us to not accept the status quo. I picked up a hitchhiker this week on his way to India to study Buddhism. He left with a Sabbath school quarterly in his hand.

Is that good enough? I don’t think so.

Michel Kordas

REMEMBERING ROUNDELWOOD
When the Adventist Review, World Edition (July 10, 2003), arrived at my house this week, I experienced, in the words of Yogi Berra, “Déjà vu all over again.” The beautiful cover photograph of Roundlelwood and the accompanying article, "Shelves for Scotland," brought back a host of pleasant memories for me--from the two nervous student nurses who came rapping on the door of my bathroom after I had inadvertently activated the emergency call system, to the young American student missionary who volunteered to show us around the surrounding country on Sabbath afternoon. My time in Crieff at Roundelwood, and in Scotland generally, is a treasured memory.

Several years ago my mother wished to make a trip to the British Isles, but did not wish to go on a regular tour. So I volunteered to go along as her chauffeur and luggage handler. I had learned from a friend that Roundelwood opened its doors to tourists over the weekends when their health programs were not operating, and I made arrangements to spend our first weekend there.

After a memorable train trip from London to Edinburg, (four hours flat, including station stops), and the chaos of learning to drive in Friday afternoon rush hour traffic, only to then get lost twice en route, we arrived well after sundown at Roundelwood. By that time most of the house staff had gone home for the weekend, but we were greeted by a young assistant of Mr. Bell and a dear little Scottish woman who had volunteered to stay late in order to prepare supper for us.

The ministry at Roundelwood is in many ways a unique one, and one which, by all accounts, is a highly positive one for the church in Britain. They are to be commended for their ongoing, excellent programs.

Thank you for the informative article, and for the opportunity to reminisce for a moment about a most pleasant experience.

Bruce Wright

PERCEPTION, REALITY
I read with great interest Charles C. Sandefur’s article, “Perception Meets Reality” (July, 2003). I was delighted when he stated, “My Seventh-day Adventist Church is adaptable, very adaptable, not compromising.”

But later he wrote, to my dismay, “We play soccer on Sabbath.”

How is that not compromise? How does that fit into Isaiah’s description of Sabbath keeping, “not finding our own pleasure” (Isa. 58:13), and Jesus’ statement that the Sabbath is “to do good” (Matt. 12:12)?

Mildred J. White
Redding, California


If ever I need a reason to continue being an Adventist (and I do, from time to time), Sandefur’s article furnishes that reason.

It isn’t his soaring prose, his sense of wonder, his quoting of statistics. It’s much more--yet much simpler--than any of those. It’s his sense of community in spite of (or because of) the vast differences amongst us.

Bravo, Charles! You’ve made me burstingly proud to be an Adventist!

Fred Oppenheim
Colorado

HEALTHY TREND
Thank your for Wendi Roger’s news feature, “Adventist Church Plays Major Role in Health Trend” (July, 2003).

However, Ms. Rogers did not cover any of the history of Loma Linda Foods, its transformation to a “for-profit” corporation in the early 1980s, and its eventual sale to Worthington Foods in the early 1990s. Nor did she cover the realization on the part of church leaders in North America that the manufacture, distribution, marketing, and sale of health food products in the United States is a commercial enterprise subject to business income taxation (UBIT--the unrelated business income tax for tax-exempt organizations).

Our leaders eventually understood how difficult it is to compete effectively with large companies that can take advantage of their economies of scale as public corporations. I think they also understood that the church really doesn’t “need” to manufacture, distribute, market, and sell health food products to carry on the church’s primary tax-exempt purposes of evangelism, nurture, and education.

Remember, vegetarianism is not one of the church’s 27 fundamental beliefs. Teaching members and prospective members that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit is one thing; but requiring people, as a test of fellowship, to become vegetarians is quite another. Demanding that people eat or not eat certain things to join or remain members of the church is coercive and forceful. The church realized more than 100 years ago that God is not like that.

Praise God for His guidance in the history of the Adventist church!

John D. Anderson

KEEPERS OF THE LIST
I just read the editorial, “You Tell Us--Again” (May 22, 2003), from William Johnsson, about giving the Adventist Review to each newly baptized member. I think it’s a wonderful idea. But I have one problem.

Please tell me, how should it be handled when new members don’t get the subscription because the church secretary--or other person--doesn’t submit their names? I’ve been trying to get my daughter-in-law’s name on that list without success.

Also, would you write about why the Review is so important? I know, but trying to communicate it to others sounds like preaching.

Betty Green

A PEGAN PROPHET?
Angel Rodríguez did a masterful job presenting the available information on the role Balaam played in Israel’s history (“A Pagan Prophet?” July 10, 2003). I was unaware, before this, that his name had been discovered in extra-biblical inscriptions. Thanks for this little tidbit of knowledge. It helps to reaffirm my faith in biblical history.

Thurman C. Petty, Jr.
Burleson, Texas

ALL ABOUT PRAYER
I just finished reading Gordon Bietz’ article, “Why Do We Pray?” (July, 2003). I’ve had people ask me the same question and I’ve done a lot of thinking, studying, and praying about this topic. I’ve found an answer that completely satisfies me.

I agree with Gordon (I knew him when he was a little boy in southern California, when his father was the most wonderful conference president we ever had): the most important aspect of prayer is our relationship with our heavenly Father who loves to communicate with us, His children. If we would only take the time to do so we wouldn’t have as many questions.

The most recent compilation on the subject by Ellen G. White, Prayer, gives clear reasons why so many prayers are not answered. The assurance of answered prayer is based on what we ask for, and must be according to God’s will. "For the pardon of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christ-like temper, for wisdom and strength to do His work, for any gift as promised, we may ask; and the promise is ‘Ye shall receive’" (p. 63).

Yet, I know from personal experience that God hears and answers all kinds of other prayers that don’t especially fall into those categories. I stand amazed and overwhelmed at the way God has answered my prayers and cared for my needs even before I knew what I needed. He has surprised me with answering in even the smallest details, far beyond my wildest imaginations or fondest dreams. The more I get to know Him through Jesus, the more I love and appreciate Him. He is so good to me!

Lillian R. Guild
Newbury Park, California

GOING ONLINE
I appreciated the excellent article, “Should We Be Online for God?” (July 17, 2003). Although the Web certainly does provide a new and profound means to go “into all the world” for Christ, Mark Kellner mentioned that Christian scholar Quentin Schultze “argues that the ‘noise’ of the Internet threatens to drown out the ‘still, small voice’ of God that we need to hear.”

Schultz has a valid point. But I wonder to what extent television is the far more serious and evil culprit. Please think about publishing an insightful article on this very dangerous aspect of TV.

Will Barron
Norwalk, California