A Response to the Video:
Seventh-day Adventism, the Spirit Behind the Church

by Bob Pickle

Answers to Questions Raised by:
Mark Martin, Sydney Cleveland
Dale Ratzlaff, The White Lie
. . . and Others

Discern Fact from Fiction

Table of Accusations Covered
Whether Fact or Fiction, Implied or Stated

Initial Points

1. All quotes of Mrs. White in the video are from official sources.
2. Adventism is based around her teachings and philosophies.
3. She was the founder of the Adventist Church.

The Millerite Movement

4. William Miller was a powerful preacher.
5. He taught that Christ would return in 1843.
6. He taught that Christ would return on October 22, 1844.
7. That date was not the Day of Atonement in 1844.
8. Miller's meetings were marked by emotionalism and hysteria.
9. This picture depicts the radical fanaticism of his meetings.
10. When Christ did not return, Mrs. White said she was in a "hopeless condition for months."
11. She was depressed when Christ did not return.
12. She could not admit her mistake of expecting Christ to return.
13. Miller did admit his mistake.
14. Mrs. White's first vision said that the 1843 chart should not be altered.
15. She claimed God hid the mistake.
16. She claimed God made the mistake.
17. Her first vision was controversial.
18. It forced the readjustment of many Adventist dates and doctrines.
19. It adjusted the 1843 date to 1844.
20. The 1844 date was still an error.

The Role of Mrs. White and Her Writings

21. Mrs. White became the absolute authority figure.
22. Her writings grew to be seventeen times larger than the Bible.
23. Adventists view her writings as inspired as the Bible.
24. Church publications use her writings as the last word on doctrine.
25. Adventism's twenty-seven fundamental beliefs say that the Bible is a source of authority.
26. They also say Mrs. White's writings are an authoritative source of truth.
27. Some of her writings are unavailable, locked in a vault.
28. These writings are her more embarrassing ones.
29. She claimed an angel came and talked to her.

Her Predictions and Views

30. History shows that her prophecies did not come true.
31. She said Jerusalem would never be built up and grow.
32. She said she would be alive when Jesus came.
33. She said the second coming was only months away.
34. She said that some present at an 1856 conference would be alive when Jesus came.
35. She would have been stoned in Bible times for being a false prophet.
36. She predicted the downfall of the United States during the Civil War.
37. She predicted England would declare war on the United States. [p. ix]
38. These prophecies were utterly erroneous.
39. She predicted world war during the Civil War.
40. She predicted the humbling of the United States in defeat.
41. She claimed to travel to other planets in vision.
42. She said animals and people crossed sexually.
43. She believed that this produced the black race.
44. Her visions are unbiblical.
45. Adventists say her writings are as inspired as the Bible.

The Investigative Judgment and Shut Door, and Their Ramifications

46. The investigative judgment doctrine was a reinterpretation.
47. Miller's prediction of October 22, 1844, failed.
48. Adventists believed that the door of mercy was shut on October 22.
49. They've got to be wrong if they believed that.
50. With prophetic authority Mrs. White supported the shut-door-of-mercy doctrine.
51. Her first vision taught this doctrine.
52. When reprinted, that part was left out, though the preface said there were no changes.
53. The other shut-door-of-mercy passages were dropped after 1851.
54. Or else they were reinterpreted.
55. Adventists never admitted their error regarding expecting Jesus to come in 1844.
56. Mrs. White immediately put God's endorsement on Edson and Crosier's explanation of why Christ had not come.
57. Certain doctrines were soon adjusted to fit their cleansing of the sanctuary and investigative judgment doctrines.
58. The shut door was then opened.
59. Soul sleep was introduced because of the investigative judgment doctrine.
60. The prophecies of Daniel and Revelation were reinterpreted to fit the investigative judgment.
61. It was a time of doctrinal reversal.
62. The idea that an angel is recording everything we do, and that we will be judged by such a record, is harsh.
63. Mrs. White taught that we would be judged for trying to have some leisure time.
64. The investigative judgment doctrine is unique to Seventh-day Adventists.
65. It can't be supported by the Scriptures.
66. It states that a believer's works determines their salvation.
67. It is blatantly unbiblical.
68. Seventh-day Adventism is not a legitimate Christian denomination.
69. The investigative judgment doctrine teaches that believers will be lost if they have unconfessed sins.
70. Even forgotten sins.
71. It requires perfect obedience to the Ten Commandments.
72. Especially the Fourth Commandment.
73. It is diametrically opposed to the gospel of grace.

Bible Versions and Footnotes

74. Seventh-day Adventism is a man-made religion.
75. Adventists have their own version of the Bible.
76. It's called The Clear Word Bible.
77. In it, the words and ideas of Mrs. White are inserted into the biblical text.
78. It adds 300 words to Daniel 9.
79. Daniel 8:14 is a blatant example of such alteration of the biblical text.
80. It's called The Clear Word Version.
81. It was written to support their prophetess.
82. It manipulates and distorts Scripture.
83. And then we have their Study Bible.
84. It was published by the Seventh-day Adventists.
85. It contains quotes from Mrs. White.

Other Doctrines; the Jehovah's Witnesses

86. Adventists teach that Christ's atonement on the cross was incomplete.
87. They teach the heresy that Michael is Christ.
88. They teach that there is no hell.
89. They teach doctrines contrary to tradition.
90. Many of their doctrines are similar to Jehovah's Witnesses.
91. N. H. Barbour was an early Adventist.
92. Both Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-day Adventists teach the heresy of soul sleep.
93. Both teach the heresy that Michael is Christ.
94. Early Adventists like Uriah Smith and James White denied the deity of Christ, just like Jehovah's Witnesses. [p. x]
95. Both Jehovah's Witnesses and Adventists have produced altered versions of the Bible.
96. Both have set dates for Christ's return.
97. Both claim to be the only remnant church.

Jehovah's Witnesses, Cont.; Plagiarism

98. Both plagiarized.
99. Both really were guilty of this crime.
100. Walter Rea's The White Lie was dedicated to those who would rather believe a bitter truth than a sweet lie.
101. Mrs. White's inspiration was borrowed from others without credit.
102. Her major books contain "stolen" material.
103. Sketches from the Life of Paul was plagiarized in its entirety.
104. This resulted in a lawsuit.
105. The book was then quickly taken out of print.
106. The evidence is irrefutable that she "stole" her inspiration from others.
107. The main line of defense in The White Truth was regarding copyright laws back then.
108. It says that there were no copyright laws back then, so Mrs. White didn't break the law.
109. This sidestepped the issue.
110. The Adventist hierarchy has never responded to Rea's challenge:
111. "Prove that 20% of Mrs. White's writings are original."
112. Her visions which she claimed came from God were shaky.

Health Counsel, Wigs, and the Reform Dress

113. The Seventh-day Adventist ministry is not a Christian ministry.
114. Mrs. White's early health documents produce a rude awakening because of their fixation on moral purity.
115. Most of her health advice dealt with suppressing the male sexual urge.
116. She thought this urge was excessive.
117. [Not in all editions of the video.] She felt she had been given special light on the subject of masturbation.
118. [Not in all editions of the video.] Here is a list she gave of diseases caused by this practice.
119. [Not in all editions of the video.] She said kids who do this get green skin.
120. She said that meat inflames the passions.
121. She said rich and highly seasoned foods act as aphrodisiacs.
122. She said, "Sip no more the beverage of China, no more the drinks of Java."
123. She advised skipping all suppers in order to bring the male sexual appetites under control.
124. [Not in all editions of the video.] She said not to sleep on feather beds.
125. [Not in all editions of the video.] She hypocritically used a feather bed.
126. [Not in all editions of the video.] The Battle Creek Sanitarium used hydrotherapy to treat "secret vice."
127. [Not in all editions of the video.] This picture shows how that treatment was done.
128. Mrs. White controlled her female followers through directives on dress.
129. She was against wearing any kind of wig.
130. This picture of a skeleton looking through a window illustrates the kind of wig she didn't like.
131. After she dealt with wigs, she introduced the reform dress.
132. She tried to force it on people.
133. This dress was hot.
134. It was uncomfortable.
135. It was bulky.
136. It was long.
137. Faithful sisters struggled with it.
138. It was cumbersome.
139. Mrs. White gave no explanation for why she quit wearing hers.
140. She said those who aren't vegetarians when Jesus comes can't go to heaven.

Salvation, Grace, and Obedience

141. She taught that you have to keep the law to put yourself on the road to salvation.
142. She wrote this quote which denounces the doctrine of justification by faith.
143. She had no patience with those who believe in Jesus and say, "I am saved."
144. Adventists believe that Jesus made the down payment for our salvation.
145. But they believe that we must make the monthly installments.
146. They do not rely upon the grace of God alone. [p. xi]
147. They are striving to be rigidly obedient.
148. They are inflexible, guilt-ridden legalists.
149. Mrs. White said, "No one is saved who is a transgressor."
150. We don't have to worry about obeying the law, since we are under the New Covenant now, not the Old Covenant.
151. And Christ is the end of the law.
152. We are not under the tutorship of the law.
153. Christians will keep God's commandments out of love.
154. Being under the law leads to sin.
155. Being under grace leads to holiness.

Salvation, Cont.; Conditional Immortality

156. A pre-advent judgment of works is incompatible with the gospel of grace.
157. Soul sleep was introduced because of the investigative judgment doctrine.
158. The doctrine of soul sleep is unbiblical.
159. Conditional immortality flies in the face of two Scriptures.
160. Adventists do not teach the biblical doctrine of hell.

The Fourth Commandment

161. The Adventist view that Sabbath keeping is a mark of true loyalty to God is wrong.
162. After hearing about the Sabbath, Mrs. White obliged by conveniently having a vision.
163. This vision introduced the Sabbath to her followers.
164. Adventists weren't following what the Bible says about beginning the Sabbath at sunset.
165. Mrs. White decided to have another vision.
166. This vision was intended to settle the matter with the dissenters.
167. A delegate reported that "After the conference, . . . the vision was given, establishing those undecided on the sunset time."
168. But Adventists continued to ask questions.
169. Why did Mrs. White have visions saying that the Sabbath should be kept from 6 pm to 6 pm?
170. It required another vision to stop the questions.
171. In this vision she promised to question the angel.
172. The angel said, "Not yet, not yet."
173. She died without ever giving the promised explanation.
174. The promised explanation was never given.

The Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast

175. After the change of time for keeping the Sabbath, the Sabbath came to be understood as the seal.
176. It was seen to be of prime importance in determining who would and who wouldn't be saved.
177. The Great Controversy supports the idea that people already have the mark of the beast by keeping Sunday.
178. Adventists believe that failing to keep the Sabbath resulted in receiving the mark of the beast and losing eternal life.
179. Their view today on the subject is severe.
180. They teach that Sunday keeping is a mark of rebellion.
181. Even today, they make salvation ultimately dependent on which particular day . . .
182. . . . one worships.
183. The New Testament says that the seal of God is the work of the Holy Spirit, not the keeping of the Sabbath.
184. Mrs. White has no support at all for identifying the Sabbath as the seal of God.

Sunday vs. the Lord's Day, and the Scapegoat

185. The day Christ rose from the dead is the Lord's Day.
186. His early followers met regularly on the resurrection day for worship.
187. They did not meet regularly on the Sabbath.
188. The resurrection day was when the disciples usually broke bread.
189. They did not break bread on the Sabbath.
190. The Sabbath is Jewish.
191. Adventists teach that Satan becomes the sin-bearer.
192. Thus, they differ from the teaching of Scripture that Christ bore our sins on the cross.

Wrapping Up the Case

193. Adventists strive to be included as mainline, evangelical, Protestant Christians.
194. An Adventist pastor supplied the following five marks of a cult. [p. xii]
195. There is a "total reliance" by Seventh-day Adventists on Mrs. White.
196. She is revered by all Seventh-day Adventists.
197. Her comments overshadow the teachings of the Bible.
198. Adventists view her comments on the Scriptures to be more authoritative than tradition.
199. She pressured people into submission.
200. She publicly aired reproofs sent to people.
201. Usually the person conformed . . .
202. . . . under the pressure.
203. The type of pressure she used is one of the marks of a cult.
204. Acceptance and fellowship are very often withheld today from those who question the church's teachings.
205. Such treatment is a characteristic of a cult.
206. Adventists originally denied the deity of Christ.
207. They must discontinue the doctrine that "Michael" is a name for Christ.
208. This teaching contradicts Hebrews 1:13.
209. But they can't discontinue this doctrine without admitting that Mrs. White made a mistake.
210. It is impossible to accommodate both doctrines, that Christ is divine, and that Michael is Christ.
211. Adventists have added the investigative judgment to salvation by grace through faith.
212. They've also added Sabbath keeping.
213. They've added obedience to the Ten Commandments as requirements for salvation.
214. They've added obedience to other Old Testament laws as well.
215. They believe that the world's sins have been placed upon Satan . . .
216. . . . rather than upon Christ.
217. They believe that Christians must stand before God without Christ as their mediator.
218. This contradicts Hebrews 7:25.
219. Adventists believe that salvation comes by placing sin upon Satan.
220. This view of salvation is not the salvation taught in the Bible.
221. Four of the five marks of a cult apply to Seventh-day Adventists.
222. These five marks of a cult are very important.
223. Adventist leaders deceptively espoused the view of salvation by grace alone in the 1950's.
224. Many followers felt betrayed by this.
225. They began searching for themselves, and made lurid discoveries.

Testimonials, Documentation, and the Video Jacket

226. "The Adventist Church had deceived me."
227. "I was never presented with [Mrs. White's copying] in the school system."
228. ". . . when I saw that . . . . I felt like I had . . . been lied to."
229. ". . . the [Adventist] church was inconsistent theologically and politically."
230. This is a good reason for not being a member.
231. "When expedient, they . . . contradicted Ellen G. White . . . ."
232. "The last three years have been the most spiritually rewarding of my thirty-one years as a Christian."
233. "I am part of the family of God that truly upholds the Bible as the sole authority of both faith and practice."
234. "Jesus saves us not by our deeds . . . ."
235. "Because you're not going to be able to get this information from your church."
236. The documentation package substantiates the information contained in the video.
237. A number of former high-ranking Adventist Church leaders are featured on the video.
238. The video contains answers based on the best scholarship.
239. It contains answers based on a firm adherence to the truths of God's Word.

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