Thursday, June 7, 2012

Ellen White

Questions for Adventists:

Have you ever really thought about why you believe Ellen White's writings? Why do you think they are authoritative? Because your parents or pastors told you?

Do you believe her because of her visions? Because there were hundreds of people at the time she was alive claiming to have visions too--including Joseph Smith? Every kook in America was claiming special revelation from God and many of them amassed a devoted following. Why was Ellen's visions different?

Why do you believe her visions? How do you know she wasn't just having hallucinations from her head injury?

Really examine why you believe what Ellen wrote more than St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Dr. Martin Luther, Dr. John Calvin, or any other Biblical scholar? Why was she above all of them when she didn't have but a third-grade education and couldn't read Hebrew or Greek?

Her take on lots of texts were unique in all Christian history. And that isn't a good thing. Why believe her opinion--when she wasn't anointed by God or mentioned in the Bible or anything. She expected her followers to have faith that her visions were from God and held as much authority as the Bible. How did she get this authority to say her visions were from God?

Please explain why anyone should believe what Ellen wrote, when Joseph Smith claimed the same thing and had all kinds of miracles accompany his claims (including the stars falling!). Why should we believe Ellen over other contemporary messengers of God who had visions and miracles, etc? 

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