Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
More Fiction than Truth, December 30, 2007
This is the most laughable so-called documentary on SDAs I have ever seen. There's not one bit of academic honesty in this. Any intelligent person will notice the flaws in the arguments and the pure lies of the authors.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Typical Attack., January 19, 2009
This "documentary" is more of a witch hunt against the SDA church than anything else. It tries to connect SDA's with all kinds of crazy fringe things that the church itself rejected. Furthermore it gives the typical misconception that SDA's view White as equal with the Bible. From my research they view her as inspired, but not at the same level with the Bible. Their fundamental belief #18 states "as the Lord's messenger, her [White's] writings are a continuing and authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction." They also make clear that "the Bible is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested", showing that they hold the Bible as higher. There are a few SDA's that may view them equally but those are largely on the fringe of the religion. Even though some of the SDA's beliefs are dif. than typical evangelical protestantism calling them a cult is way too extreme and misleading.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Advent of the Adventists, December 1, 2008
"Seventh-Day Adventism:The Spirit Behind the Church" is a fascinating exploration of the Adventist church,whose spiritual relatives are the Jehovah's Witnesses and even the Branch Davidians of the '90s. In the mid-19th century, Ellen G. White was swept up into the apocalyptic fervor of the Millerites. When the promised parousia did not occur,she came up with her own theories about the endtimes and the cleansing of the Temple. While fellow Millerite Charles Taze Russell started the Bible Students (now the JWs),White focused more on the day-to-day.
Ellen G. White is a controversial figure. Adventists consider her works equal to the Bible. Though deemed a prophetess (with many that did not come true),women cannot be ordained pastors in the Adventist Church. She believed Sunday worship was the "Mark of the Beast" and that a vegan/vegetarian diet would also curb the male libido (the former Adventist men,now impassioned evangelicals,take umbrage at this) She was controlling. She even taught that those who weren't vegetarian couldn't go to Heaven.
White's enthusiasm for health was revolutionary for her time. Adventists now run a number of health institutions--like St. Helena Hospital,known for its cardiac health. Loma Linda,the only US community with the highest number of centenarians,is composed of Adventists. In contrast to the Mormons' "Word of Wisdom" with its emphasis on forbidding tobacco,alcohol,and coffee,Adventists focus on living a healthy lifestyle holistically.
"The Spirit Behind the Church" is informative. Former Adventists speak of feeling they were never "perfect enough" for God's love. White's questionable doctrines are questioned.
It is a well-researched documentary. It shows that White engaged in plagiarism. On the other hand,White was hardly a "cult leader." She was eccentric; some of her beliefs like "soul sleep" differ from evangelical Christianity. Still,calling the Adventists a cult is more than far-fetched;it's insulting.
"Spirit Behind the Church",being a Jeremiah Film,is inflammatory when it goes into "the Adventists are a cult" territory. According to their broad definition,ANY non-Christian religion would be a cult,and anything not having evangelical Christian beliefs would be deemed cultish. It's extreme. If evangelicals and Catholics are to engage in ecumenical dialogue with Adventists,it's more helpful finding common ground. All three groups believe in the Trinity,in Christ's divinity and the Resurrection... isn't the real "spirit behind the Church (as in Christianity in general)" the Holy Spirit?
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