Beware This Cult!

One of the more distressing perversions I have discovered in Mrs. White's writings indicates that God is not just. John 5:28-29 indicates that, at the resurrection, all shall come forth from the grave, some unto the resurrection of life, the others unto the resurrection of damnation. Mrs. White had other ideas! She has written,

"God cannot take the slave to heaven, who has been kept in ignorance and degradation, knowing nothing of God, or the Bible, fearing nothing but his master's lash, and not holding so elevated a position as his master's brute beasts. But he does the best thing for him that a compassionate God can do. He lets him be as though he had not been. (Spiritual Gifts Vol. 1, p. 193)

Mrs. White describes the destruction which takes place at Jesus' second coming. "The false watchmen are the first to fall. There are none to pity or spare. Men, women, maidens, and little children perish together." (Great Controversy p. 575) I am not exactly sure of how 'little' these children are that are perishing. It seems that she is describing very young children (who have not sinned). She makes it appear that our just God is going to wipe out little children, in fact, they will 'perish'. Of course, God wiped out many little children in the records of the Old Testament. But this only indicates a first death and does not really leave us with the idea that these children will not receive justice. However, at the end of time, these little children 'perishing' have not been translated. Therefore, they will suffer the second death also. Do you believe that your God will do that?

According to Ellen White, it seems that God made a dreadful mistake at the time of the flood.

"After the flood everything had been destroyed upon which man could subsist, and therefore, the Lord in their necessity gave Noah the permission to eat the clean animals which he had taken with him into the ark." (Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 3, p. 121)

Some people say that the people were crying and begging for meat and that is why He allowed Noah to eat it. But apparently Noah had never eaten meat previously. There was nobody left but he and his family. I can't imagine that they were begging God for meat. If all the food was destroyed at the flood, and no provisions were made, how did all the other carnivorous animals survive? Ellen White thinks God made a mistake! I don't believe her.

Mrs. White’s writings do much to malign the purity of Jesus Christ. Let us look at this example.

"His countenance did not wear an expression of grief and repining, but ever one of peaceful serenity." (Steps to Christ, p. 120) Here we are told that Jesus' face always appeared peaceful and serene. What sort of expression do you think was on His face when He wept over Jerusalem? What did His face look like during His cleansing of the temple when He was overturning the money changers' tables? Can you imagine the look of anguish on His face in the Garden of Gethsemane? Then picture the scene on the cross begging forgiveness for His executioners; giving His mother into the custody of apostle John. Imagine the tortured look when He cried out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Why does Mrs. White try to paint a false picture of Jesus? Isn't He well known as the 'man of sorrows'? There is no doubt that Jesus had the 'peace of God', but to describe His facial expression as above is nonsensical. If you believe that statement you have to ask yourself the question, did He really come and suffer for me?

Mrs. White also indicates that Jesus was a doubter and was hopeless. Picture Jesus in agony hanging on the cross.

"Hope did not present to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror or tell him of the Father's acceptance of the sacrifice. He feared that sin was so offensive to God that their separation was to be eternal." (Desire of Ages p. 664)

On the cross did Jesus really doubt that He would be resurrected? Did He doubt that His sacrifice would be accepted by the Father?

Here we have a picture of a hopeless and doubting Saviour. If we hold on to this picture how can we possibly have any hope ourselves? This description of Mrs. White's makes Jesus more of a doubter than was doubting Thomas! This is completely unacceptable to me and in my opinion is blasphemous. It is against every precious feeling I have for my Saviour.

As if it was not bad enough to have Jesus doubting on the cross, He was still not quite sure whether His sacrifice would be accepted later. Picture this. He had risen. According to Ellen White, Jesus returned to heaven almost immediately after His resurrection. This may be true; it is not quite clear in the Biblical account and is not an important doctrine anyway. However, the reason for His return there is important. She says, "Jesus refused to receive homage (as He entered heaven) ... until He had the assurance that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father." Can you imagine Jesus doubting on the cross, still not quite sure when He walked out of the tomb alive, and needing to go up to heaven, confront His Father, and ask whether His sacrifice had been accepted? What a horrible teaching! This degradation of Jesus' character is the hallmark of the cults. Any group detracting from the deity of Jesus Christ necessarily fulfills the definition of a cult.

Of course, on the cross, Jesus did cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" I realize that none of us can really understand the depth of the meaning of those words. However I do know that Jesus was not hopeless and he was not a doubter.

Mrs. White was rather fanatic at times, depending on which issue was currently on her mind. The next example really illustrates and shows how her own words betray her. Mrs. White was addressing herself to tithes and offerings under the heading, "The Only Way to Manifest Gratitude." (Counsels on Stewardship p. 18 & 19)--

"The Lord does not need our offerings, we cannot enrich Him by Our gifts ... Yet God permits us to show our appreciation ... This is the only way in which it is possible for us to manifest our gratitude and love to God. He has provided no other way." Notice that Mrs. White is saying no other way and that it is the only way to show our gratitude and love by giving tithes and offerings.

This is almost a doctrine of salvation by works. It does not live up to the standards put down in the Bible indicating to us how we should express our love to God. John 14:15 says, "If ye love me keep my commandments." Matthew 23:23 speaks of the qualities of judgment, mercy, and faith, and relegates things like tithing to a much lower position. Micah 6:6-8 indicates that we cannot please God with any or all of our riches, but that we must do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. I certainly cannot agree with Mrs. White's theology on this point. Besides, this is a very disgraceful way of soliciting money from poor gullible Adventists. With this type of brainwashing and guilt tripping, it is no wonder that Adventists are the highest per capita givers of any church. I wonder how many are truly 'cheerful givers'.

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