Over the years I have watched a decline in the tenor of our churches periodicals. Granted I am writing from Southern California, which does jaundice my vision, as we run the gauntlet of inverted values.
An example of this decline would be the latest edition of the Recorder, where the imagery chosen would be ideally suited for a cannabis retail store advertisement. I also found the July’s edition of the same publication ‘let justice roll’ totally repugnant! The Adventist Journey is another such example and so are the Adventist Review and Adventist World.
The Wintley Phipps Article
In their respective June editions, they chose to run with the “story” “This Intractable Lie” by Wintley Phipps potentially fanning the flames of racism. In this article he conveniently forgets those who gave their lives to set America free from the blight of slavery. He also forgets the wonderful support and success he has garnered, in partnership with his white brothers. He goes on to describe systemic racism in the United States of America…hardly endearing! He should get out more, leaving the safety of the “white suburb” in which he resides, (as characterized by himself), and take a trip to Africa, maybe Southern Africa, for a start where they are butchering other races and where they attack fellow blacks from other African countries…racism in extreme. A utopian success story…hardly!
He then goes on to quote—amongst other secular leaders—a “council of churches” liberation theologian and a convicted Marxist terrorist, the head of none other than the South African Communist party! What about other parts of the world Wintley, where they do not have the luxury of criticizing the government or country that gives them food and shelter, where they have no freedom of speech, no freedom of religion and worse?
By the way, slavery still goes on in Africa, where fellow Africans are selling their brothers to Muslim traders and other willing buyers…an inconvenient truth that goes without mention! Am I surprised? No, because this is what I have come to expect, as our publications mirror the misguided and secular media that feeds on misinformation and falsehoods. They promise an oasis but provide a mirage in a desert where there will never be any water.
By the way “PASTOR” Wintley, what about encouraging people back to the Bible, encourage people to stop committing crime? What about encouraging strong family units where fathers are present, relevant and theocentric? But I digress.
In my naivety, I would have thought our SDA publications should be encouraging, inspirational, and biblically enlightening, echoing the Three Angels’ Messages, especially in these prophetic times. Instead, our publications are irresponsibly touting popular secular sentiments with Marxist leanings, instead of tried and trusted principled Bible teachings.
It would be unfair of me to say that there are no smatterings of religiosity, punctuated by the odd texts from Scripture, but the dominating impression would be that our publications have largely become brand building journals for corporate Adventism.
This being said, they have become a source of irritation as opposed to one of inspiration. I guess they are echoing the Division and Conference's obsession with tokenism, "social justice,” and political correctness as society moves backwards. This is eroding any semblance of decency, let alone guarding the foundations and pillars of our prophetic faith!
What an opportune time for our publications to provide HOPE during times of hopelessness, destruction, deception and discouragement. What a pity they have largely imbibed the foolishness of man and have drunk from the poisoned chalice of secular society.
Inflated Numbers?
Also noted are the publication’s inflated circulation numbers, quantitative maybe, but not qualitative. In this regard, I have conducted some rather informal “market place research,” from friends, colleagues, contacts and even spiritual leaders. I am not alone in the afore-mentioned sentiments. There are those so irritated by the publications, that they throw them away upon immediate arrival. The 35 gallon trash can at my local post office would bear witness to this fact. Maybe a picture here would be worth a thousand words!
In the light of what I have highlighted and the hullabaloo made about global warming, “mother earth” and “environmentalism,” I am requesting that these publications remove us as subscribers. We definitely do not wish to be considered part of the subscriber statistics or shirk our environmental responsibility by wasting ink and paper. Here I would hope that members join me and “vote” by terminating their subscriptions.
Hopefully the editorial staff will consider seriously the comments that I have made in good (though critical faith). My wish is that they change their publication’s trajectory with theocentric focus, the only fix for a broken world. I will however not be surprised if nothing happens and ‘our’ publications go from bad to worse. Pray to God there will be some exceptions. Whatever happens, I, together with those close to me, will no longer be part of the brain-washing process.
By way of an important footnote, I wish to state that many take umbrage to the hypocrisy of the NAD and GC as they justify, support and still keep “blacks only” Conferences, which are preserved so that blacks may have their own leadership and agenda without having to live together in brotherly unity and co-operation with other races…this while they have the gall to push diversity at the expense of well-qualified individuals.
Wow, how far we have moved from ideal of judging an individual by qualification, performance and character…as opposed to their “qualifying” gender, nationality or color.
I’ll end here as I dare not digress into the minefield of fashionable promulgation of “gender equality” and “gender confusion” in all its alphabetical glory…another thief of spiritual oxygen, yet another distraction from our Great Commission!
Blessings and sincerely,
Ray Cloete` - Loma Linda CA