June, 2009 - Vol. 5, No. 6

GENERAL COMMENTS

June 11, 2009 - Vol. 186, No. 16

GENERAL COMMENTS

This issue contains some inspiring and informative articles. Unfortunately, Adventist writers and scholars, not to mention evangelists, are hung up on the book of Daniel. I am aware that downplaying its significance, in this case the cover article MAKING SENSE OF DANIEL 11 by Zdravko Stefanovic, is like touching the "third rail" of Adventist theology, but I urge the reader to read the entire book again.

In this post, I want to turn to look at the thought of yet another medieval figure—St. Anselm. Previously I have argued that Aquinas shows us a way to think of faith and reason in harmony (with faith completing the aspirations of reason). Augustine’s biography shows us a way that reason can lead to faith. Anselm, I propose, provides us with inspiration to think about the role reason can play in the life of the believer, or in his own words, the importance of “faith seeking understanding.”

Bonnie has shared an article from 1983, the year that "Thriller" debuted. Here's the full version of that film. It's interesting to see Michael Jackson's warning at the beginning regarding the occult.

Introduction by Bonnie Dwyer / Article by Gary Patterson

We’ve been vividly reminded of 1983, the year that Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video debuted, by his recent death. That was also the year that the last episode of MASH aired. Parties were planned across the country to celebrate the well-loved show, which garnered the highest ratings in TV history that night. Ordinary television was quite memorable.

As a mathematician and scientist who engages in cross-disciplinary research, I have had to spend a lot of time thinking about how various disciplines differ and how they fit together. My interest in this subject first began, however, in college and graduate school where I was regularly exposed to the quarrels and prejudices between academic disciplines and sub-disciplines. Distaste often develops along the lines of “pure vs. applied”. For example, some pure mathematicians disdain applications and consider the methods of physics to be “hand-waving”.

One of my favorite prayers is one penned by St. Augustine:

"Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness.

Today expressions of grief continue to pour in from around the world at the sudden loss of pop superstar Michael Jackson. Jackson's life might be described as anything but normal, but it was Sabbath, he says, that provided sanctuary from the stages of Hollywood and the crowds of concert halls, and offered times of normalcy.

In this diavlog, NPR religion reporter Barbara Hagerty talks with Nonzero author Bob Wright about recent research into how humans experience God.

Discussed:

• The mystical experience that inspired Barbara’s new book
• Is mind-reading for real?

Journeyman Pictures consistently creates thoughtful short TV documentaries. This one runs twenty-seven minutes and is relevant as it's never been more apparent that religious fundamentalism underlies the world's most intractable problems.

I’m going to make a suggestion that will probably sound a bit strange to many reading this—Adventists (former and present, along with their friends) living in the 21st century. In light of the challenges of secularism, post-modernism, evolution, etc. (the list goes on and on) to our community, I believe revisiting, or perhaps visiting for the first time, the thought of Thomas Aquinas would prove to be instructive and beneficial.

I am increasingly aware that behind so many of the debates that happen on this blog (and most others) and behind most of the theological and administrative hand-wringing that is, I guess, an irreducible part of Adventist life, is fear. Fear of the other, fear of a loss of identity, fear of a loss of “ground” that has been gained over many years through difficult debates.

Introduction by Bonnie Dwyer / Article by Nancy Vyhmeister

The early 80’s were a rocky time for the Adventist Church in North America. The decade started with the contentious Glacier View meetings on the findings of theologian Des Ford concerning the heavenly sanctuary. One year later, a financial scandal involving union and conference presidents and other church leaders with the investor Dr. Donald Davenport garnered national press attention. In California, there was controversy over the Burbank Church.

As I have been observing (and to a limited extent participating in) the ongoing discussion over the teaching of evolutionary theory in Adventist colleges and universities I have been pondering a book by Eastern Orthodox theologian David Bentley Hart, The Beauty of the Infinite: The Aesthetics of Christian Truth.

The intensive internet discussion of origins that has taken place at multiple Adventist web sites in the past month moved to the General Conference this week when the issue made its way onto the agenda of the committee of church officers known as PREXAD.

Today (Friday) a statement was released by Jan Paulsen appealing to all “engaged by our church in the ministries of administration, preaching, teaching, and writing to articulate and reflect our stand as a community on Creation.”

1. Science education at Adventist universities is called to be truly university-quality education, not indoctrination. This means that students must be taught:

BREAKING NEWS: Two men with ties to Adventist education made headlines this week in unrelated cases involving allegations of sex with minors. One charge involved the principal of the Eastern Shore Junior Academy in Sudlersville, Maryland. The other involved the former boys dean at Ozark Adventist Academy in Gentry, Arkansas.

May 28, 2009 - Vol. 186, No. 15

GENERAL COMMENTS
This review is a “feel good” edition. Kids are really WHY WE CARE. Wilona Karimabadi and the KIDS VIEW gang along with Ellen White’s piece, JESUS, GENTLE SHEPHERD remind us that children are the future, and they need and expect us to help them prepare for it, in this world and the next. I asked my 8-year-old grandson about Kids View the magazine, and my report and comments will conclude this review.

Stephen Chavez’ editorial comment, DON’T PANIC, was refreshing in that it was wise rather than religious.

It’s hard to believe…but, summer is here. And with summer comes time spent with great books. So, re-church is announcing a Summer Reading Group. We will be blogging through What Would Jesus Deconstruct?, by John D. Caputo. This is an enjoyable and challenge jaunt into postmodernism, Derridian deconstruction and the gospel.

The current intense discussions concerning La Sierra curriculum, evolution and Genesis have generated much passion and polarization mingled with some reasonable questions and concerns. It has also produced some suspect reasoning.

Arguments have been presented suggesting that deviation from believing in a literal Genesis, especially a 7th-day Sabbath in this creation context, does serious damage to Adventist doctrinal positions. Consequently we should resist these viewpoints to prevent harm to the church.

Consider, for example, comments made recently on various websites:

In part one of this two-part series, I took note of the fact that individuals coalescing around the “Educate Truth” banner have thus far neglected the most fundamental task--qualifying what they mean by “truth.” I noted that in Genesis, there are two distinct creation accounts that have two unique understandings of creation and of God. This suggests a need for more specificity when we talk about "the truth" of creation.

Based in Takoma Park, Maryland, Tiffany King owns The Pajama Squid, a children's store that carries a wide, if quirky, variety of quality toys, clothing and books.

Twenty-five years old, she blogs at sincerely squid about small business life, crafts and chillens, working out, and a bit o' Adventism. -AC
___________
"why are you closed on saturday?"

Under the somewhat pretentious title, “Educate Truth,” a movement seeking to reign in academic freedom in Adventist higher ed is gaining momentum on the Internet. Many proponents of the “Educate Truth” movement have added their name to a petition addressed to Adventist church leaders.

I would like to propose an approach to evolutionary theory that does not answer all of the vexing theological as well as scientific questions that have been raised on this site and elsewhere but that might help to re-frame the debate for Adventists and clarify what is and is not at stake.

Karl Giberson, Ph.D., is an internationally known scholar of science-and-religion and one of America’s leading participants in the creation/evolution controversy. Giberson has been on the faculty of Eastern Nazarene College since 1984, where he teaches interdisciplinary honors seminars and the history of science. He is also the director of the Forum on Faith and Science at Gordon College.

Introduction by Bonnie Dwyer / Article by Lawrence Geraty

Given that recent discussions concerning the teaching of creation and evolution have frequently invoked the 28 Fundamental Beliefs of the Adventist Church, I thought it might be helpful to review what took place when the Beliefs statement was first voted at the General Conference session of 1980.

May 2009 - Vol. 5, No. 5

GENERAL COMMENTS
Adventist World is worth reading, and it’s free to Adventists worldwide. It is also available online free of charge. For that reason I rarely quote extensively and never discuss every article, editorial, or letter. My comments reflect my interests and concerns, my reactions and my biases.

COMMENTS

Take some time to listen to Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel talk about his experience in the Buchenwald concentration camp as well as his strong words about the absurdity of war. Encouraging us to not demonize those with whom we disagree, he mentions much more recent anti-human rights attempts to purge and cleanse such as Cambodia, Rwanda and Darfur.

In the recent heated discussion here on the Spectrum blog about creation and evolution, a comment after the first article, by a Brandon shows that this is not really about evolution, but a general attack on Adventist higher education.

There he writes:

"If half of our students realize the work that has been ordained for us as Seventh-day Adventist in proclaiming the Three Angels Messages' our modern schools of Adventist education would be bankrupt."