WALKING THE GOOD WALK
Thank you for Bill Knott's editorial, "Walking in the Way" (Oct. 28, 2004). I started my walk with the Lord at the much older age of 22. This editorial makes me all the more anxious to redeem the time, to live for Christ more than I ever have before. I cannot help but wonder what my life would have been had I yielded to the Lord much earlier in life.

Martin Mato

THE DIALOGUE CONTINUES
William Johnsson's editorial about the recent series of Adventist conferences on science and religion ("Reflections on a Unique Conference," Nov. 2004), rightly celebrates the fact that Adventists take both Scripture and science seriously. But it is simply not true that other denominations are not interested in these topics.

Every year the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago offers a series of lectures on the topic of science and the interpretation of Genesis. They open their lectures and discussions to the public (a step Adventists could emulate). This weekend (Nov. 5-7) a Roman Catholic group sponsored in Milwaukee a conference on Science, Sex, and the Sacred. Many inter-denominational events such as the annual meetings of the American Academy of Religion sometimes feature creationism, the role of science, and the role of Scripture in contemporary ethical issues. While the interpretation of Genesis holds special supports and interpretive problems for Adventist theology, that is no reason to ignore what other Christians are saying and doing in their attempt to faithfully interpret Scripture in a scientific culture.

Graeme Sharrock
University of Chicago

William Johnsson's statement, "We do not have all the answers, but we have enough answers," is certainly a declaration of faith, given that "much data . . . appears to contradict a short time for life on earth," and "we have limited understanding of the past."

One wonders why "We can be proud of Adventist scholarship"; that is, why go to the effort of trying to learn more if we already have "enough answers?" Why support scholarship if you are willing to accept only those results that agree with your previous conclusions?

John Hess
Peru, New York

SPECIAL SABBATH SCHOOLS FOR SPECIAL PEOPLE
The article, "Football Helmets in Sabbath School" (Oct. 21, 2004), is long overdue and was very well done. These are God's children too, and they do learn.

Our son, now 22, is non-verbal with a low developmental level. He learns from pictures and knows Jesus and most all Bible characters by picture. Yes, it's very challenging; and we parents need more insight and understanding as to how to continue to work with these individuals in this most important area of their lives.

Reggie Dockham
Riverton, Wyoming

DOES HE, OR DOESN'T HE?
In her article, "Does God Kill?" (Oct. 2004), Leslie Kay presents a dilemma for the Seventh-day Adventist Church: How does one relate to Ellen White's writings? The position that Ms. Kay argues against is developed upon certain words of Ellen White. Kay does not use those words in her response but chooses other words of Ellen White to refute the position that God does not kill. Mrs. White wrote in several places: "The character revealed by Pharaoh is similar to that of all the impenitent. God destroys no man; but after a time the wicked are given up to the destruction they have wrought for themselves" (Youth's Instructor, Nov. 30, 1893).

This dilemma has placed within the Adventist Church a battle of Ellen White quotes. Many would agree when Kay uses Ellen White's words, "to sin, wherever found, God is a consuming fire" (Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 62). But like the first quote above this is not a biblical answer. If God was a consuming fire to sin then Satan long before would have been destroyed, and so would Adam and Eve after they sinned and God came looking for them.

Instead of answering this dilemma, Kay's article compounds it with more Ellen White material that likewise is not found in the Bible. Whereas the Bible makes it plain that Jesus was killed by humans (see Acts 3:15, etc.), the quote from Ellen White in the article says: "It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father's wrath upon Him as man's substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God" (The Desire of Ages, p. 753). This quote was actually used to substantiate the so called Second Death experience of Jesus on the cross, even though the book of Revelation makes it clear that there is no resurrection from the Second Death. Neither does the New Testament anywhere state that God's wrath was poured out upon Jesus.

While this article may seem to some as a devotional, it is only so because so many have accepted certain premises that have no biblical support. Christians should hold to the biblical standard. This is something Ellen White would certainly approve.

So the matter is far from answered. It is only confused by extraneous material and comparisons. The Bible gives several examples of death caused by God. We need to determine whether those deaths were rare, special occurrences for special cases or God's normal mode of operation.

This is less difficult to understand when we look upon Jesus Christ, God incarnate. Though, as always, the future appears murky at best, it seems logical to trust the love of God, even when the mechanics of the situation may be unknown.

Ron Corson
Olympia, Washington

Thanks for printing this valuable discussion on the character of God. These questions need to be asked. Many people struggle with whether or not religion holds any answers; or if, perhaps, they are worshiping a God of their own design.

A basic question underlying that is whether or not God actually keeps any of His commandments, or if these are just nice ideas for the "little people."

Linden Reeves

In her article, "Does God Kill?", Leslie Kay took on a challenging question. Might the deeper, more informative question be: What are God's emotions at the loss--passive or active--of one of His creatures?

Wrath is made up of two components: action and emotion. In human wrath the action is destruction and the emotion is destructive to the holder of the emotion (James 1:20, Eph. 4:31, Col. 3:8). In God's wrath the action is destruction and the emotion is split; concerning sin--destruction, concerning His creatures irretrievably entwined by choice with sin. Look to David at the death of Absalom (2 Sam. 19:4). Look to the Lord in Hosea 11:8: "How can I . . . how can I . . . How can I . . . How can I . . . My heart recoils, all my compassion kindles" (Moffatt). Or Jeremiah 4:18, 19: "How bitter it is! How it pierces to the heart! Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain" (NIV).

See then the children running to the divine emotional component of wrath in Matthew 21:14, 15, and at the cross pavilioned in darkness see "The Father . . . with His Son." (not "against" as was Nimrod LXX) in all that "with" entails (see The Desire of Ages, p. 753,754).

I envision at the end of Revelation 20 Christ with the Father sitting, like David, head in hands crying aloud, "O my child, my child, my child." And I pray that each one of us will be sitting with them--for a time overcome with inexpressible void . . . until the Father lifts His head in rejoicing (see Zeph. 3:17).

Gayle R Wilson
Dallas, Oregon

"Does God Kill?" is a great article, one that needs to be read by all Seventh-day Adventists. So often we hear today of a marshmallow God who does not destroy anything. This view attributes God's dealing with the antediluvians, Sodomites, Dathan, Korah, and Abiram, and of course the Second Death--as just some natural result of sin without God playing any active part. Not so.

Daniel Winters

The author seems to think that fear should never motivate one to worship God. While the fear of God should not be a constant motivator to worship God, the Bible and Ellen White both teach that fear can lead us to serve God from love (see Jude 22, 23). Ellen White wrote: "We must realize how terrible are the pains of the second death" (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 620).

We need sermons about the mark of the beast occasionally (it, of course, being Sunday worship--The Great Controversy, p. 448), or how will people know how to avoid it if they don't even know what it is?

Howard Loewen
Honolulu, Hawaii


For a more comprehensive treatment of this complex and controversial topic, readers are invited to read Leslie Kay's and Jennifer Jill Schwirzer's new book, A Deep But Dazzling Darkness: Exploring God's "Dark Side" in the Light of His Love," available from Adventist Book Centers and Amazing Facts.

WHY THE LONG FACES?
Some or most of the photographs used in the photo gallery of the General Conference Annual Council portray the attendees as either bored, sad, or unhappy; not the joyful Christians we should be.

Marlene Eichelberg