As you might have feared, the SDA Church has issued a statement about the war in Israel. (The statement is carried by both the Adventist News Network and the Adventist Review, but I do not see any differences between the ANN version and the Adventist Review version.)
This was not necessary for many reasons, one of which is that Adventists do not believe that anything happening in the modern state of Israel has prophetic significance. (In this belief, we differ markedly from many conservative Christians.) The prophet Daniel was told that 490 years were appointed for his people, the Jews, after which the righteous line would pass from the Jews to the Christians, who are “spiritual Israel.” The 490 years ended in 34 AD, after which Israel’s probation as a nation, although not as individuals, came to an end.
But perhaps the most important reason not to make these statements is that they are opportunities to look foolish and embarrass the SDA Church.
The statement begins:
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is issuing an urgent call to prayer in light of the deeply alarming events that erupted between the state of Israel and Hamas.
Jihad war by Muslims against Jews and Christians is anything but “alarming.” Rather, such war is routine in the borderlands where the “Dar al Islam” (the House of Islam) rubs against the non-Muslim world, which Muslims call the “Dar al Harb” (the House of War), because Islam demands that all Muslims fight against non-Muslims until the entire non-Muslim world submits to Sharia law and feels that they are subdued.
Muslims fight particularly fanatically to regain any territory that once was within the Dar al Islam, but now is back in the Dar al Harb—which describes the modern state of Israel. Hence, there has been almost continual war between the Muslim world and Israel since the latter declared its status as an independent nation in 1948, including major wars in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982, and ongoing conflicts of attrition in southern Lebanon (1982-2000), the first intifada of the Palestinians (1987-1993), the second intifada (2000-2002), another Lebanon war in 2006, and rocket attacks culminating in an IDF incursion into the Gaza Strip in 2009.
What is really is alarming is that someone at GC headquarters who is allowed to make public statements on behalf of the SDA Church believes that war by Muslims against Israel is “alarming.”
Moreover, “events” did not “erupt between the state of Israel and Hamas.” Rather, Hamas carried out a surprise terror attack on Israel. To say that “events erupted” is to equate the “events” with a natural disaster like a volcanic eruption, and thereby to divest them of agency, freedom of choice, and moral meaning. To say clearly what actually happened—Hamas launched a surprise terror attack on Israel, an attack that focused on killing civilians and taking female hostages—is to re-infuse the narrative with moral meaning, and that seems to be what the writers of the GC statement would avoid.
Which is okay—well, not okay but certainly to be expected—if you are a reporter for a “mainstream” (read: Marxist) news organization. But if you are speaking on behalf of a church, a Christian denomination, do you really wish to appear morally obtuse? Don’t you feel some residual Christian obligation to point out evil and condemn it?
“Strikingly, the conflict broke out on Sabbath — a day traditionally observed as a time of peace and worship by both Jews and Adventists.”
Yes, by both Jews and Adventists, because no doubt Hamas’ main concern was to mess with Israeli Adventists who, the statement later tells us, are believed to number 839. In the entire nation of Israel. Clearly, the Muslims of Hamas wanted to teach us Adventist Sabbath-keepers a lesson we won’t soon forget.
The real reason for attacking on a Sabbath morning is because it is the Jewish Holy Day, and it was a Sabbath at the end of the seven day holiday of Sukkot (September 29-October 6th) which is the biblical Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. It is a common stratagem of war to attack the enemy on his holidays (e.g., the Tet Offensive) and the strategy worked well in the 1973 war against Israel launched by Egypt and Syria.
The 1973 war is known as the Yom Kippur war because the attack came on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16), which is the holiest, most solemn day in the Hebrew calendar. In 1973, Yom Kippur fell on October 6. Hence, yesterday’s attack was launched 50 years almost to the day after the start of the Yom Kippur war. Muslims have an acute sense of history, and the timing of this attack is unlikely to have a been a coincidence.
Many have noted that September 11 was the day before the Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa launched his final assault on Vienna, Austria, in 1683; to celebrate his coming victory he killed 30,000 Christian captives. But as he was making his final assault the next day, Jan Sobieski’s Polish cavalry descended on him and dealt his army a crushing defeat, forcing his retreat to Hungary (where a disappointed Sultan had him strangled to death). So September 11, 1683, was the high point of the Turkish Muslim empire, a fact not lost on the 2001 terrorists.
Reports indicate a devastating land, air, and sea attack launched by Hamas, involving 5,000 rockets and significant infiltration into Israel.
Yes, “launched by Hamas.” Why didn’t we start with this sentence? And of course it is not just “reports” that indicate that, but thousands of videos and pictures. We have no reason to doubt the reality of those “reports,” but, again, if we acknowledge that realty, we must place blame where it belongs: on Hamas. On the Muslim terrorists who carried out this attack with many atrocities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called up reserves to support the country during this conflict and there has been a tragic loss of life and injuries on both sides. We acknowledge the pain and suffering experienced by all those affected by this conflict.
Oh, no. We are back to euphemisms like “conflict” and “tragic loss of life” “on both sides.” We can be much more specific than “conflict”; this was a well-planned terror attack on southern Israel. It was directed at civilians, at least 200 of whom were murdered, and several of the bodies paraded on camera for all the world to see. These people are proud of their atrocities, because they were done to advance the Dar al Islam; they expect great reward in heaven. This attack was in the planning for a long time; Hamas had been saving up and storing those thousands of rockets for years.
The misuse of the word “tragedy” is appalling. I have had several occasions to complain about this in the past. As I wrote over seven years ago:
“A tragedy arises from a situation that could not have been avoided given the best of intentions. A deadly hurricane or tsunami is a tragedy, cancer is a tragedy, an infant dying from SIDS is a tragedy. A terrorist attack is a crime, an enormity, an outrage, an atrocity, and an act of evil, but it is not a tragedy.
A terror attack has moral meaning, because the person who planned and carried out the attack had freedom of choice and hence can be condemned for the terribly wrong choice he made. A volcano or a hurricane does not have freedom of choice. (Please note that when I wrote, “cancer is a tragedy,” I did not know that the pharmaceutical-industrial complex was even then creating “vaccines” that would cause “turbo-cancers.”)
Whoever undertakes to be the aggressor in an unjust war is responsible for “the loss of life and injuries on both sides” and the “pain and suffering experienced by all those affected.” In other words, all of the suffering death on both sides is the fault of Hamas, the Muslim terrorists who carefully planned and launched the attack. Again, why does our church wish to appear morally obtuse and untutored?
The Adventist Church has a modest but meaningful presence in Israel, with 15 churches and 839 members. At this time, none of our congregations have been directly impacted by the current conflict. The escalating violence poses challenges for our church members in Israel, including concerns for their safety and the continuation of regular church activities. The situation also raises questions about how best to offer spiritual and, where possible, humanitarian support during these trying times.
As long as we Adventists are okay, everything is fine. Seriously, the insularity and parochial preoccupation of this paragraph beggars belief.
“As we navigate these turbulent times, our collective prayers are focused on several crucial areas. We fervently ask for an immediate halt to the hostilities, praying that God will open avenues for diplomatic discussions to bring a quick end to the violence and prevent further loss of innocent lives. Our hearts and prayers also go out for the protection of all civilians caught in this conflict, including our Adventist community members in Israel. We pray for God's protection and for safe havens in these perilous times.”
You can pray all you want, but there is not going to be “an immediate halt to the hostilities.” Attacks of this type are not going to end until the Palestinians are expelled from the Gaza Strip, and I think the Israeli public understands that now. And remember that neither Jews nor Muslims are Christians. They both believe in revenge, and Israel is going to exact revenge in this case. You can count on it.
“While Adventist teachings indicate that wars and conflicts will arise before the second coming of Christ, it does not diminish our desire for peace or our commitment to being ambassadors for Christ’s love in a world in desperate need of both. We invite our global Adventist community to unite in prayer and purpose, trusting that God will work in miraculous ways.”
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Romans 12:18