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About Tom Norris
Expertise
I can answer most any question about church history and theology, starting from 1818 when William Miller articulated the 1st Angels Message that became the foundation of the Adventist Movement. While this first prophetic message terminated in the spring of 1844, it was followed by what Adventists refer to as the 2nd Angels Message, which dates from the spring of 1844 until the great disappointment of October 22, 1844. By 1847, the 3rd Angels Message had been developed and this Sabbatarian theology represents the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Moreover, I can explain the historical and theological development of the SDA denomination from its beginning and on through the great Battle Creek schism that forced the SDA's to retreat to Takoma Park. Here the 20th century church recovered from their internal battles that had erupted at the 1888 General Conference in Minneapolis over the definition of the law and the Gospel. Fearing another repeat of this disaster, President Daniels, determined to hide this debate. However, this policy led to more conflict, especially over the role and authority of Ellen White, a unique and accomplished religious writer that had remarkable spiritual gifts. However, by the decade of the 1970`s, the church once again erupted into debate. The hierarchy settled the turmoil in 1980 with the trial of Dr. Desmond Ford at Glacier View. Here Dr. Ford was exiled because he supposedly disagreed with Ellen White over the Fundamentals. But this controversial action resulted in another major schism that is still in progress today.

Experience
Tom Norris was raised as a Seventh-day Adventist in Takoma Park, Md. He attended SDA grade and High schools, moving on to study Adventist theology at Columbia Union College. He also spent significant time conducting independent research in the General Conference Archives and the Ellen G. White Estate. Over the years he has also interviewed a number of prominent Adventist scholars, theologians, and Pastors ranging from the late Arthur White to the exiled Dr. Desmond Ford. In addition, he has amassed a large private library, which includes numerous rare books and manuscripts about Adventist theology and history. He is presently the online editor of Adventist Reform, and can be found at Adventist for Tomorrow answering questions online about SDA theology and history as well as promoting Adventist Reform.

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Seventh-Day Adventists - SDA traditions

Expert: Tom Norris - 10/25/2009

Question
Dear Mr. Norris, I have been a SDA for 35 years. Amen! and I was researching today on the Internet some of the old Adventist traditions that I was taught - no wearing of pants or sleeveless clothes by women, no crossing of legs in church, no dancing or going to the movies and of course no jewelry, and stumbled upon your work. Amen! I have never been taught that adhering to these traditions/Laws brings salvation, to the contrary - God's grace is free, totally undeserved and an informed acceptance of this free gift is what "saves" us. I was happy to find your spiritual rants and am saddened by your tone - we must "like and thank Baptists" BUT hate Adventists and Adventism! All people must repent and be used by God - not just those cultish SDAs. I am constantly at the "foot of the cross upgrading my armor" (thanks Pastor S!) While I applaud your work - perhaps because it echoes conversations the Holy Spirit has taught me for several years - I wonder where is the line in your own mission as per "judging lest ye be judged". Further, my understanding is that change will come from within - with earnest, not self-serving, open heart acceptance of sanctification where God leads each of us to all truth and delivers us from evil. Sitting at home on Sabbaths is not an option for me or my family when we can gather at the Laodicean hospital and receive a blessing of healing from Him who advised us that the Sabbath is a seal between us and keeping it part of our testimony of being saved. My question - where can I find the origin of such traditions as I have outlined above? Many thanks, Kathleen

Answer
Kathleen said: Dear Mr. Norris, I have been a SDA for 35 years. Amen! and I was researching today on the Internet some of the old Adventist traditions that I was taught - no wearing of pants or sleeveless clothes by women, no crossing of legs in church, no dancing or going to the movies and of course no jewelry, and stumbled upon your work. Amen!

Tom said: Nice to hear from you. I have been an SDA for 57 years! I too remember many of these old traditions that you mentioned, including that it was wrong to watch TV. Not only on the Sabbath, not on any day.

I was also taught that man would never be allowed to set foot on the moon because God would not allow evil to leave earth. NASA destroyed this silly and absurd SDA teaching.

The SDA’s also taught it was sin for married couples to wear wedding rings, or for anyone to eat black pepper. So yes, there is a long list of traditions that have proven to be wrong and even dangerous. But few pay any attention to this legalistic nonsense anymore. Millions of SDA’s have left the church and the SDA’s are now widely seen as a corrupt cult

Kathleen said: I have never been taught that adhering to these traditions/Laws brings salvation, to the contrary - God's grace is free, totally undeserved and an informed acceptance of this free gift is what "saves" us.

Tom said: Most all SDA’s admit they were taught legalism. Most admit that they were taught obedience to the law determines salvation. So your testimony here, if true, is very rare and surprising.

Kathleen said: I was happy to find your spiritual rants and am saddened by your tone - we must "like and thank Baptists" BUT hate Adventists and Adventism!

Tom said: You have misunderstood my tone, as well as my objective. I am an Adventist, and my goal is to help the self-destructing SDA’s recover their mission and their message. If ever there were a time when the Adventists need to be wide wake, focused on Gospel eschatology, this would be the time.

However, before they can go forward, they must clean up the White Estate and set their house in order. They need to repent and re-organize, returning to the original interpretation of the Three Angels Messages that defines them. Without such repentance and reform, they will never be able to play any worthwhile role in last day events.

Kathleen said: All people must repent and be used by God - not just those cultish SDA’s. I am constantly at the "foot of the cross upgrading my armor" (thanks Pastor S!)

Tom said: You are correct. Every church and denomination in Laodicea has been judged guilty of false doctrine and great sin and thus they all need to repent in a corporate manner.

However, because the SDA’s have claimed to be smarter and wiser than all others, they get to go first. They should lead the way in humility and repentance, embracing Gospel Reform with both hands.

Kathleen said: While I applaud your work - perhaps because it echoes conversations the Holy Spirit has taught me for several years - I wonder where is the line in your own mission as per "judging lest ye be judged".

Tom said: Those who promote the genuine Gospel have little fear of the Judgment, even as those that stand on the Word are judged by the Word.

Kathleen said: Further, my understanding is that change will come from within - with earnest, not self-serving, open heart acceptance of sanctification where God leads each of us to all truth and delivers us from evil.

Tom said: Change will come to the SDA’s when the members understand that their leaders have not been honest with them about church history or doctrine. Change will come when the Adventist Community stands up to their corrupt leaders and demands honest reform.

Traditional Adventism, which features Sanctification and the IJ, is a very wrong system of religion that must be repudiated by all Adventists. Ellen White does not support TA, and neither does the NT.

Glacier View must be also repudiated and so too the false Gospel that features law keeping and Sanctification, as well as the IJ. No one is saved because of their obedience to the law, and it is time that the SDA’s admitted this theological fact and repent for their many doctrinal errors.

Kathleen said: Sitting at home on Sabbaths is not an option for me or my family when we can gather at the Laodicean hospital and receive a blessing of healing from Him who advised us that the Sabbath is a seal between us and keeping it part of our testimony of being saved.

Tom said: The Gospel Sabbath is not like the SDA Old Covenant Sabbath. It can be very active, if one so chooses. However, there is no salvation in Sabbath keeping as the SDA’s teach, nor is it a sin for any Christian to work or play on the 7th day. This is a great SDA error.

But the SDA’s are correct that Sunday is false doctrine. Now they have to move away from their Old Covenant Sabbath and learn to embrace the Gospel Sabbath that Jesus promotes in the Gospels. This will be new for them, but this is what they must do if they want to stay true to the Gospel.

Kathleen said: My question - where can I find the origin of such traditions as I have outlined above?

Tom said: Most all 19th century denominations were very conservative, especially as judged by our standards today. In fact, society in general was very religious, even up until the mid 20th century, when the 1960’s ushered in great changes that have dramatically changed our culture.

Consequently, many churches did not allow dancing, card playing, or drinking etc. The SDA’s were part of this conservative segment, and thus they had high standards of Sanctification, including careful Sabbath keeping and food laws, and many associated rules and regulations.

Thank you for your questions and I hope that you will continue to study the issues and move forward to embrace the spirit of Adventist Reform.

The time of Trouble, and the end of the world are near. It is time for the SDA’s to wake up and complete their eschatological mission to prepare the church for the Second Coming, and the Judgment Day.

It is time.

Tom Norris for All Experts.com and Adventist Reform

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