Why Not's of Adventism: Taught By God

The following article appeared in The Student Movement January 16-22, 2008, written by Malcolm Salunga Douglas:

It was in the last year that I met someone who was raised Adventist, but concluded that she should become an Atheist because how could God exist? Eventually I had discovered that she did not really think that God did not exist, but that the church was really messed up.

I guess one could say that she attended a typical Adventist church that was not very active nor godly. Even two of her closest friends became lesbians, and she was really disgusted with not just church but any formalized religion.

Within the next month I continually challenged her with one thought, “Have you studied your Bible? Why are you really leaving the church? Did you ever give God a chance?” These were questions that she never really thought about. And she basically concluded, like many Adventist today are concluding, that Ellen White was not a prophet, Sabbath doesn’t really matter, worship is personal, its all and only about relationships, what is that sanctuary thing, and eventually that one doesn’t need the Bible, and especially not formalized religion.

I wanted to challenge her to believe for herself. One really has to find Jesus for themselves. As one may see, if they will but study the word of God and really search the scriptures they will find Him (John 5:39b). The Bible is something that people throughout the last two hundred centuries were willing to die for, why not in this age where we have it at our connivance take time and open its pages. Why not put the iPod down, the video game aside, the video on hold, the phone on silent, and the computer down, and the life on pause?

We, as human beings have been gifted with the ability to learn for ourselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit that which are spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:12-14). God has even been willing if we will really seek Him to comprehend the deep things of God (1 Cor. 2:10). Jesus even once told others to “search the scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life” (John 5:39). The Bible also teaches that we are to study to show ourselves approved unto God (II Tim. 2:15). Why not study the Bible? Why not?