Was Jeremiah Wright -- Wrong? That's the question  Pastor Frederick Russell addressed in his message last Sabbath at Miracle Temple in Baltimore. Russell spoke to “the dangers of patriotism gone awry, so much so that it seeks to destroy anyone who speaks contrary to what it believes about itself.” When this "dangerous patriotism," which can lead to worship of the nation itself, demonizes a religious community and its pastor, "As a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, I must stand for religious liberty," declared Russell. more
 Politics and Prophecy. In this new book from Pacific Press, edited by Christa and Alan Reinach, nine Adventist authors collaborate to address current issues of religious liberty, building on "the conviction that there is more to modern culture-war battles than can be understood merely through policy analysis or moral discourse -- a conviction that prophetic perspective is essential." The book seeks to chart a way forward that avoids the pitfalls of both "pietism and power politics," instead helping the church "to fulfill a prophetic function: to speak truth to power." And your editor would be remiss if I did not mention the honor of authoring one of the chapters. more
Ellen White, Slavery and Politics -- III. How central was abolitionism to Ellen White's conception of Adventism. Her testimony on "The Rebellion" (1863) points to the political significance of living faith:
"There are a few in the ranks of Sabbathkeepers who sympathize with the slaveholder. When they embraced the truth, they did not leave behind them all the errors they should have left. They need a more thorough draft from the cleansing fountain of truth. Some have brought along with them their old political prejudices, which are not in harmony with the principles of the truth...."
To a "Brother A", a sympathizer with the Confederacy, her pointed testimony was, "Your views of slavery cannot harmonize with the sacred, important truths for this time. You must yield your views or the truth." more in Peacemaking Heritage 17
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Also in this Issue
*Ellen White, Slavery and Politics - III
Call for Papers
The Public Affairs & Religious Liberty (PARL) Department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada is sponsoring a Symposium on Conscientious Objection in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Anyone interested in submitting or presenting a paper at this symposium, please contact Tina Keys in the PARL Dept. at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada; phone 905-433-0011, ext. 2078, or email tkeys@sdacc.org with their proposal for a paper. The Symposium is planned for November 6-9, 2008, Oshawa, Ontario.
Given the militarism of Western Society, it is thought that this type of symposium would be of benefit to assist Adventist young people, in understanding what the Seventh-day Adventist Church teaches regarding Conscientious Objection.
Papers may be on any subject concerning Conscientious Objection, whether from a historical perspective, theological perspective or a religious perspective.
by N.T. Wright
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