I didn't know whether to laugh, cry or yell in anger when my wife informed me that the powers that be had approved the formulation of the General Conference review committees. Initially what came to my mind was Michael Palin from Monty Python, jumping out of nowhere and yelling, “Nobody expects the Adventist inquisition!”
As I began to think about the policy just passed, I realized that it centralizes authority. It also establishes a system that could be easily abused. Most importantly, there just seemed something very un-Christlike. After a while, images of the real Spanish Inquisition flooded my mind. I could see pastors, administrators, teachers, professors and maybe even elders, deacons and parishioners being rounded up and shipped off, never to be seen or heard from again. I realized that this whole thing has the potential to get very ugly.
Of course this may seem extreme, but humans are prone to extremes. In fact, I would say that pushing people to one extreme or the other is one of Satan's most effective tools. For example, at the time of Christ's first advent, the people of God were bitterly divided. The Pharisees and Sadducees in particular were busy with doctrinal arguments. There was also a huge focus on man made laws and traditions. In looking at these two extreme factions, you could say that the Pharisees of Christ's day were much like the ultra conservatives of the church today, while the Sadducees were much like super liberals.
I understand what the General Conference is attempting to accomplish, and I share some of their concerns. But I say with the deepest conviction that this is neither an effective way to ensure that the church remains true to the Word of God, nor is it God's way. Just like the bickering of the Pharisees and Sadducees, I fear that all this may accomplish is to create even more division and to scare people away from the church, especially people who are vulnerable and most in need of Christ.
In Matthew 13:24-30–the parable of the wheat and the tares–Christ gives us instructions on how to root out heresy. He doesn't tell us that we should grab those with whom we disagree and pull them kicking and screaming from the church. He doesn't say that we should hold trials and inquests. He doesn't say that we should uproot and expel the tares from among the true believers. Jesus says, “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn” (Matthew 13:30 KJV).
Why doesn't the landowner order the tares rooted up immediately instead of waiting? Because, “lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them” (Matthew 13:29 KJV).
Ellen White eloquently expands on this point in her book “Christ’s Object Lessons.” She says, “As the tares have their roots closely intertwined with those of the good grain, so false brethren in the church may be closely linked with true disciples. The real character of these pretended believers is not fully manifested. Were they to be separated from the church, others might be caused to stumble, who but for this would have remained steadfast” (COL 72.1).
She further goes on to say that, “…Those who differed from the established doctrines have been imprisoned, put to torture and to death, at the instigation of men who claimed to be acting under the sanction of Christ. But it is the spirit of Satan, not the Spirit of Christ…” (COL 74.1).
Really, that entire chapter, “Tares,” is incredibly pertinent to this situation. As I read her words for myself, they seem to resound like thunder within me and strengthen the conviction that this “inquisition,” as I like to call it, is not the work or will of God.
Most importantly, as we stand and quibble over doctrines, an entire world of souls that we have been called to save is slipping through our fingers. Don't get me wrong; doctrines are very important, but only if they are connected to Christ.
If we are to truly be ready for Christ's second coming, we must avoid the extremes of the left and the right. I do not limit this article to simply discussing these recent developments because I see these issues between left and right as the true heart of this the matter. This inquisition that is being set up by the right is a symptom of a greater issue that must be addressed.
This left-and-right extremism is a trick that the devil has been using since the first advent. He seeks to divide and conquer. As a result, the professed people of God were caught unprepared when Christ came the first time. We must avoid the extremism that is being manifested in our time if we are to avoid the fate of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists’ Annual Council voted Sunday, Oct. 14 to approve a new process of compliance for its constituents by a vote of 185-124. Many expressed their opinion across multiple social media platforms. The Southern Accent accepted Letter to the Editor submissions on the topic which are included in this section. Letters to the Editor can be submitted to accent@southern.edu.
~ Tierra Hayes, editor-in-chief