The General Conference Seventh-day
Adventist Church Position Adventist News Network
Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters
April 15, 1997
Statement on How Adventists View Roman Catholicism
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA ... [ANN] In response to inquiries from the church'svarious publics, as well as for media release purposes, the following statement on "HowSeventh-Day Adventists View Roman Catholicism," was recorded on April 15, 1997, bythe General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Administrative Committee(ADCOM) and released by the Office of the President, Robert S. Folkenberg:
"Seventh-day Adventists regard all men and women as equal in the sight of God.We reject bigotry against any person, regardless of race, nationality or religious creed.Further, we gladly acknowledge that sincere Christians may be found in otherdenominations, including Roman Catholicism, and we work in concert with all agenciesand bodies that seek to relieve human suffering and to uplift Christ before the world.
Seventh-day Adventists seek to take a positive approach to other faiths. We donot see our task as primarily pointing out flaws in other denominations, but preaching thegospel of Jesus Christ in the context of Christ's soon return.
The beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists are rooted in biblical apostolic teachingsand thus share many essential tenets of Christianity in common with the followers ofother Christian churches. However, we have a specific identity as a movement with acompelling message for Christians and non-Christians alike, as we communicate hope byfocusing on the quality of life that is complete in Christ.
As Adventists relate to Roman Catholicism in particular, both the past and thefuture enter into our thinking. We cannot erase or ignore the historical record of seriousintolerance and even persecution on the part of the Roman Catholic Church. The RomanCatholic system of church governance, based on extra- biblical teachings such as papalprimacy, resulted in severe abuses of religious freedom as the church was allied with thestate.
Seventh-day Adventists are also convinced of the validity of our prophetic views,according to which humanity now lives close to the end of time. Adventists believe, onthe basis of biblical predictions, that just prior to the second coming of Christ this earthwill experience a period of unprecedented turmoil, with the seventh-day Sabbath as afocal point. In that context, we expect that world religions including the major Christianbodies as key players will align themselves with the forces in opposition to God and tothe Sabbath. Once again the union of church and state will result in widespread religiousoppression.
To blame past violations of Christian principles on one specific denomination is notan accurate representation of either history or the concerns of Bible prophecy. Werecognize that at times Protestants, including Seventh-day Adventists, have manifestedprejudice and even bigotry. If in expression of what the Bible teaches Seventh-dayAdventists fail to express love to those addressed, we do not exhibit authenticChristianity.
Adventists seek to be fair in dealing with others. Thus, while we remain aware ofthe historical record and continue to hold our views regarding end-time events, werecognize some positive changes in recent Catholicism, and stress the conviction thatmany Roman Catholics are brothers and sisters in Christ."
End of Seventh-day Adventist Church Official Statement
The Creation 7th Day
Adventist Church Position*Revelation 14:9-12"(v.9) And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast [Romanism] and his image [Protestantism in compromise with Rome], and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,(v.10) The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:(v.11) And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast [Romanism] and his image [Protestantism in compromise with Rome], and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.(v.12) Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
The Great Controversy (page 50) Satan once endeavored to form a compromise with Christ.He came to the Son of God in the wilderness of temptation,and showing Him all the kingdoms of the world and theglory of them, offered to give all into His hands if He wouldbut acknowledge the supremacy of the prince of darkness.Christ rebuked the presumptuous tempter and forced himto depart. But Satan meets with greater success in presentingthe same temptations to man. To secure worldly gains andhonors, the church was led to seek the favor and support ofthe great men of earth; and having thus rejected Christ, shewas induced to yield allegiance to the representative of Satan--the bishop of Rome.
The Great Controversy (pages 165, 166) Earnest efforts were made to obtain Luther's consent toa compromise with Rome. Nobles and princes representedto him that if he persisted in setting up his own judgmentagainst that of the church and the councils he would soonbe banished from the empire and would have no defense.To this appeal Luther answered: "The gospel of Christcannot be preached without offense. . . . Why then should thefear or apprehension of danger separate me from the Lord,and from that divine word which alone is truth? No; Iwould rather give up my body, my blood, and my life."--D'Aubigne, b. 7, ch. 10.
The Great Controversy (page 298) Seeing the failure of his efforts to crush out the truth bypersecution, Satan had again resorted to the plan of compromisewhich led to the great apostasy and the formation of theChurch of Rome. He had induced Christians to ally themselves, not now with pagans, but with those who, by theirdevotion to the things of this world, had proved themselvesto be as truly idolaters as were the worshipers of gravenimages. And the results of this union were no less perniciousnow than in former ages; pride and extravagance were fosteredunder the guise of religion, and the churches becamecorrupted. Satan continued to pervert the doctrines of theBible, and traditions that were to ruin millions were takingdeep root. The church was upholding and defending thesetraditions, instead of contending for "the faith which wasonce delivered unto the saints." Thus were degraded theprinciples for which the Reformers had done and sufferedso much.
The Signs of the Times (02-19-94)
Romanism the Religion of Human Nature
It is souls like Luther, Cranmer, Ridley, Hooper, and the thousandsof noble men who were martyrs for the truth's sake, who are the trueProtestants. They stood as faithful sentinels of truth, declaring thatProtestantism is incapable of union with Romanism, but must be as farseparated from the principles of the Papacy as is the east from the west.Such advocates of truth could no more harmonize with "the man of sin" thancould Christ and his apostles. In earlier ages the righteous felt that itwas impossible to affiliate with Rome, and, though their antagonism to thissystem of error was maintained at risk of property and life, yet they hadcourage to maintain their separation, and manfully struggled for the truth.Bible truth was dearer to them than wealth, honor, or even life itself.They could not endure to see the truth buried under a mass of superstitionand lying sophistry. They took the word of God in their hands, and raisedthe standard of truth before the people, boldly declaring that which Godhad revealed unto them through diligent searching of the Bible. They diedthe cruelest of deaths for their fidelity to God, but by their blood theypurchased for us liberties and privileges that many who claim to beProtestants are easily yielding up to the power of evil. But shall we yieldup these dearly bought privileges? Shall we offer insult to the God ofheaven, and, after he has freed us from the Romish yoke, again placeourselves in bondage to this antichristian power? Shall we prove ourdegeneracy by signing away our religious liberty, our right to worship Godaccording to the dictates of our own conscience?
Christian Service (page 160)
Religious Liberty: Threefold Persecuting Union
Through the two great errors, the immortality of thesoul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the peopleunder his deceptions. While the former lays the foundationof Spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy withRome. The Protestants of the United States will beforemost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp thehand of Spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasphands with the Roman power; and under the influence ofthis threefold union, this country will follow in the stepsof Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience. (TheGreat Controversy, page 588.)
Early Writings of Ellen G. White (page 225) God raised up men to cry against the existing sinsof the papal church and carry forward the Reformation.Satan sought to destroy these living witnesses;but the Lord made a hedge about them. Some, for theglory of His name, were permitted to seal with theirblood the testimony they had borne; but there wereother powerful men, like Luther and Melanchthon,who could best glorify God by living and exposingthe sins of priests, popes, and kings. These trembledbefore the voice of Luther, and his fellow laborers.Through those chosen men, rays of light beganto scatter the darkness, and very many joyfully receivedthe light and walked in it. And when one witnesswas slain, two or more were raised up to take his place.
Early Writings of Ellen G. White (page 214) The people were wholly deceived. They were taughtthat the popes and priests were Christ's representatives,when in fact they were the representatives ofSatan, and those who bowed to them worshipedSatan. The people called for the Bible; but the priestsconsidered it dangerous to let them have it to read forthemselves, lest they should become enlightened andexpose the sins of their leaders. The people weretaught to receive every word from these deceivers asfrom the mouth of God. They held that power overthe mind which God alone should hold. If any daredto follow their own convictions, the same hate whichSatan and the Jews exercised toward Jesus would bekindled against them, and those in authority wouldthirst for their blood.
The Signs of the Times (02-19-94)
Romanism the Religion of Human Nature
The Lord has pronounced a curse upon those who take from or add to theScriptures. The great I AM has decided what shall constitute the rule offaith and doctrine, and he has designed that the Bible shall be a householdbook. The church that holds to the word of God is irreconcilably separatedfrom Rome. Protestants were once thus apart from this great church ofapostasy, but they have approached more nearly to her, and are still in thepath of reconciliation to the Church of Rome. Rome never changes. Herprinciples have not altered in the least. She has not lessened the breachbetween herself and Protestants; they have done all the advancing. Butwhat does this argue for the Protestantism of this day? It is the rejectionof Bible truth which makes men approach to infidelity. It is a backslidingchurch that lessens the distance between itself and the Papacy.
* The foregoing quotations are not to be considered the exhaustive list ofstatements to be posted in this comparison. If you have one to add,
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