Dear Power of Pride,
We’ve lived next door for all our lives. The Bible says to love your neighbor as yourself, and we take this command seriously. In every way possible.
We’re Adventists because we like the love and tolerance. But it seems that not everybody in the church is into love.
There are Adventists who hate themselves, the handicapped, and the world in general. At our church, we pray that the world might have more love.
Theresa & Lauren
!!YOUR ANSWERS FROM POWER OF PRIDE – GAY ADVENTIST NEWS!!
Dear Girls,
The Christian life calls for love:
“[34] A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
[35] By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another”. John 13
In fact, this is a requirement to love your neighbor LIKE YOU LOVE YOURSELF!
37Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22 NIV
ALL THE REASONS IN THE WORLD TO LOVE THEMSELVES AND THEIR FELLOW CHRISTIANS
Seventh-day Adventists have tons and tons of truth. And some pretty neat people in the church:
“You know, but again, the upshot of it is, is I think (slicks back hair), I, and I guess it’s kind of neat that I have the job that I do as the editor of the Bible-study guide.” (Cliff Goldstein, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6lnMNjBFyo
BUT THERE ARE SOME SELF-HATING ADVENTISTS
But in spite of this, there are some Adventists who hate themselves. And their brethren.
COLIN STANDISH PICKED UP ON THIS
Years ago, Dr. Colin Standish became aware of this tragedy: there were “articles which attack self-supporting ministries”. For doing anything wrong? Of course not: “the issue comes down finally to one issue – whether we follow the Word of God or the word of Man”. (Colin Standish, Russell Standish, Tithes and Offerings: Trampling the Conscience, Hartland Publications, 1997, p 9)
AND BERT BEACH KNOWS THE REASON
The issue had been simmering for a while. Simmering until Dr. Bert Beach 
shone the spotlight on this issue: “Our feelings of inadequacy are, no doubt, often real“. (Bert B. Beach, retired “director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Silver Spring, Maryland”, No, I Can’t, Adventist Review, 19 Nov 2009, p 14)
AND WIDESPREAD
“Men hate who they are. Guys feel inadequate, like they’ll never measure up to what the world expects from them.”
“If someone praises me for who I am or what I do, I hesitate to accept the compliment because I just don’t see it. I can’t imagine that I actually have something good or worthwhile in me.” (Heather Bohlender, Start a Revolution: Stop Hating Yourself, The Clocktower, 4 Nov 2009, p 2)
WORD IS OUT
Dr. Standish knows. Dr. Beach knows. Word has been getting around.
Now even Union College knows. “Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, is a Christian institution of higher learning affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church”. http://www.google.co.za/search?hl=de&q=union+college+adventist&start=10&sa=N
Union is a mission outpost located in a war zone where outfits like “18th Street, Bloods, Crips, and Lomas 13″, and the Union College coffee shop cc: beans are competing to supply local addicts. (full story here)
STRONG ACADEMICS
While Union has plenty of strong departments, the journalism division is what puts this college on the map. Specifically — the college newspaper The Clocktower. Talented young writers come from all over the country to develop their writing skills at this top institution.
JOURNALISTIC PHENOMENON
This year’s shooting star, Heather Bohlender, has seen enough of this self-hate. She’s written a HUGE article: “Start a Revolution: Stop Hating Yourself”.
SAYING IT LIKE IT IS
“We hate ourselves or some part of ourselves and talk about it to feel better.” (Heather Bohlender, Start a Revolution: Stop Hating Yourself, The Clocktower, 4 Nov 2009, p 2)
HORRIBLE, MEAN, AND STUPID SELF-HATE
“Why are gay men sometimes so horrible, mean and stupid, to me, to everyone and to each other? It seems as though too many of us hate ourselves, really hate ourselves.
Despite all our progress, our gay marriage and Pride parades, too many of us still take self-destructive and foolish risks, too many act as if we think we are worthless pieces of shit.” (Joseph Couture, Gay men need to face self-hate head on, National, 17 November 2008)
DR. SCRIVEN IS “RECONSTRUCTING SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISM”
“Charles Scriven is president of Kettering College of the Medical Arts and chairs the Adventist Forum/SPECTRUM board.” (Alexander Carpenter, 
Reconstructing Seventh-day Adventism – Charles Scriven, 26 June 2008, http://www.spectrummagazine.org/
podcast/2008/06/24/test)
His publication has confronted this problem head-on:
“There are too many of us who are not sick, or inverted, or perverted, or even “effeminate,” but who just have a knack for falling in love with people of our own sex. When we have been damaged, it has not been due to our homosexuality but to your and our denial of it. The burden of proof now is not on us, to show that we are not sick, but rather on those who insist that we would be better off going back into the closet.” reference
“Owned and operated by Kettering Medical Center, KCMA is an integral part of the educational mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.” http://www.kcma.edu/AboutUs/sdaInfo.html
SELF-HATING ADVENTISTS
Just as in the gay community, the Adventist community includes people who are: “horrible, mean and stupid, to me, to everyone and to each other? It seems as though too many of us hate ourselves, really hate ourselves.” (per Couture, supra)
HATING OTHER ADVENTISTS AND HATING THEMSELVES
We’re talking here about people who can’t stand it when handicapped people attend religious meetings, and, needless to say, love to abuse elderly Adventists. Sure these people get a paycheck from the church. You’d think gratitude would be logical, but no, they call their supervisors “washed up”.
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 1 John 3:10
DERISION FOR A PRINCIPLED LIFESTYLE
Consider this graphic from Dr. Scriven’s publication. Its described as a “satirical take on Adventism”. http://www.spectrummagazine.org/
node/926
Satire: “A literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit.” www.answers.com/topic/satire
There’s nothing funny about not smoking or eating meat. No irony here either. So — its derision!
SELF-HATE IN ACTION
Dr. Scriven’s publication is making fun of the classic Adventist lifestyle.
There are some Adventists who don’t consume alcohol.
In some cases, these Adventists don’t even enjoy smokes, meat eating, movies, or dancing.
And what do these champions of holy living get from Dr. Scriven’s publication? Satire! Derision!
“Those who can’t, and therefore have no business, will make your business their business. Moses was heavily criticized, both openly and by covert murmuring. Even his own family at times complained and conspired against him. That, too, may be our experience. But here’s this from Ellen G. White: “To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few—this will be our test” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 136).” (Beach, supra)
So what does Dr. Scriven think these people should be doing? Partying all the time?
“He says he became a popular figure on the Toronto gay club circuit.
“I thought I was glamorous because I did drugs and partied all the time,” he says. “Everything I did said, ‘Look at me, I’m so cool.’ But what I was really highlighting for everyone to see was what a fucked-up mess I was.”" (Couture, supra)
Dr. Charles Scriven’s website likes to have “cartoon fun”:
“Saying what must be said about Revelation Seminars…
Just when you thought that it was safe to come out again, the Adventist Caricaturist returns with another satirical take on Adventism. This time it is a pithy summary of the whole of Adventism.
You can find more Adventist cartoon fun at the Caricaturist’s website. If you’re feeling lucky.”
http://www.spectrummagazine.org/node/926
MAKING IT UNSAFE FOR CLOSETED ADVENTISTS TO COME OUT
Timid Adventists would really like to come out, and live the life as described by the Great Prophet, but then along comes Dr. Scriven’s publication with its satirical attack on the classic Adventist lifestyle.
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 1 John 4:20
“Michael De Corte, for example, says he nearly self-destructed before he managed to turn his life around. He grew up in conservative northern Ontario. He was in high school when he came out to his parents. His worst fears were realized.
“My mother’s reaction after I told her I was gay was to tell me that she was afraid friends and family would stop visiting her because they would be scared to use the same toilet seats as me,” he says. “It was particularly devastating to me because I always thought of myself as a mama’s boy and here our relationship was being destroyed. It really hurt.”
De Corte says his self-esteem plummeted as his family and society taught him that gays are bad people.
“What made matters worse was that I lived in constant fear of having the shit kicked out of me at school for being gay,” he says. “It was hell.”" (Couture, supra)
Timid Adventists find that their self-esteem plummets as Dr. Scriven’s publication teaches them that serious Adventists (not just talk, but also walk) are bad people. Those at liberal Adventist schools can come to live in constant fear of persecution for their lifestyle.
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. Revelation 18:2
AND WHAT IS THE END RESULT OF ALL THIS SELF-HATE?
The insecurities of the self-hating Adventist can have serious consequences.
“When he eventually landed in Toronto he brought his small-town ghosts and insecurities along with him.
“I turned to every addiction imaginable for comfort: cocaine, crack, pot, alcohol, cigarettes, food, you name it, I abused it,” he says.” (Couture, supra)
SOLUTION
There will always be some self-professed Christians who pour out hate and contempt on those trying to live a holy life. But decent people need to band together against this satanic hate.
The church should be a place where sinners are loved, but also a place where those on the upward path should receive acceptance and encouragement, rather than satire and scorn!
STOP THE HATE
“Start a mind-blowing revolution: stop hating yourself. Because the truth is, you are good enough. The world may always ask more of you than you can offer, but whose standards are most important? Do you want to spend the rest of your life trying desperately to keep up with celebrities, your neighbors, your co-workers?
I believe there can be peace within ourselves, but revolution takes time. Remember, you are everything you need to be because you are human, and that’s always enough.” (Bohlender, supra) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. 1 John 4:18
RELATED READING:
Union College Top Rated for Friendliness and Affection in “a traditional Seventh-day Adventist environment” – Love Comes to Lincoln, Nebraska
Graphics:
http://www.publishing-solutions.com.au/booklist/religion/prophet.jpg
http://cache.20minutes.fr/img/photos/20mn/2007-06/2007-06-11/article_gay_pride.jpg
http://www.maltagayrights.net/files/gay-flag.jpg
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http://www.bagofnothing.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/toiletseat.jpg
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http://xenophilius.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/love-and-hate.jpg
http://int.freedommag.org/img/pg24_2.jpg
http://media.photobucket.com/image/bloods%20gang/doodie4evabubblez/Gangz%20Stuff/BLOODS_IN_THE_PARK.jpg
http://www.indiancreekcamp.com/images/Team%20ID/heather.jpg
