<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.6049" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/undergod/2011/01/adventists_and_abortion.html?hpid=sec-religion">http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/undergod/2011/01/adventists_and_abortion.html?hpid=sec-religion</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#008000 size=2>Christians of all denominations are
gathering on the National Mall today to protest the 38th anniversary of Roe v.
Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide. But
one denomination that may be sparsely represented is Seventh-day Adventists
whose large worldwide network of 170 hospitals allows elective
abortions.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#008000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#008000 size=2>This stance was revealed last week
when Maryland state regulators gave Holy Cross Hospital, a Catholic institution,
permission to build a hospital in growing northern Montgomery County, shutting
out the Seventh-day Adventists, who also wanted to build a hospital in the area.
Some abortion rights advocates opposed Holy Cross's selection because it does
not allow abortions. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#008000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>From the cited article by Kevin Paulson
[snippets - full thing at <A
href="http://sdaforum.com/page247.html">http://sdaforum.com/page247.html</A>]:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000 size=2>Historically, Adventists have been
keenly aware of the influence of tradition in shaping the beliefs and practices
of mainstream Christianity. We are not believers in "traditional
values." We hold instead to Biblical values. It was Christ who condemned
the ancient Jews for "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matt.
l5:9).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000 size=2>Some Adventists seem to be forgetting
this. Many are forming opinions about abortion, not from the study of
Scripture or the Spirit of Prophecy writings, but from listening to popular
Christian leaders like James Dobson, Tim LaHaye, Franky Schaeffer, and Bill
Gothard. Sincere though they may be, these men espouse many theological
errors and have no understanding of God's truth for this time. Seventh-
day Adventists should listen to such persons with extreme care and
discriminating judgment.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000 size=2>Moses, who was "learned in all the
wisdom of the Egyptians" (Acts 7:22), was no doubt aware of it. Yet the
laws he gave to Israel under divine inspiration say nothing specific about
it--despite a host of very specific injunctions about murder,
manslaughter, and sexual behavior.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000 size=2>In the Greco-Roman world of the New
Testament, abortion was commonplace (4), and at least one early Christian
document commands, "Thou shalt not murder a child by abortion" (5). But
the New Testament writers, like the Old Testament, say nothing about the
issue.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000 size=2>For the anti-abortion case to have
Biblical support, verses must be found which draw the line at conception between
life and non-life. No such verse or verses can be found. The issue
is in no way settled by merely citing the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill,"
since without clarification, this can be used to forbid the taking of any form
of life, even animals or insects. In fact, Ellen White specifically
denounced this particular abuse of the sixth commandment:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000 size=2>There are those who say nothing, not
even insects, should be killed. God has not entrusted any such message to
His people. It is possible to stretch the command "Thou shalt not kill" to
any limit; but it is not according to sound reasoning to do this. Those
who do it have not learned in the school of Christ (l4).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000 size=2>Notice she says, "It is possible to
stretch the command 'Thou shalt not kill' to any limit." Could the anti-
abortionists among us possibly have something to learn from this counsel?
This is not to say fetuses are in the same class as insects, only that
Inspiration has the exclusive right to define the meaning and limits of all
God's commandments, including the sixth.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000 size=2>We can't force Inspiration to speak
to issues which happen to be emotionally dear to us. What men and women
consider to be a "great issue" is not necessarily considered so by God.
The Lord says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8). God is
the One to set the church's moral agenda, not us.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Perhaps he doesn't consider this to be one of the
inspired laws:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#008080 size=2>Exodus 21:22-25 KJV If men
strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet
no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's
husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
[23] And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
[24] Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
[25] Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#008080 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#008080 size=2>If the baby is born prematurely due
to the trauma and survives, he pays a fine. Mischief must mean the death
or injury of the child, for which the punishment is the equivalent death or
injury.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#008080 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>God bless,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Stephen</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT color=#808000>--<BR>Stephen Korsman<BR><A
href="mailto:skorsman@theotokos.co.za"><FONT
color=#808000>skorsman@theotokos.co.za</A><BR><A
href="http://www.theotokos.co.za/adventism"><FONT color=#808000>The Theotokos
Website</A><BR><A href="http://www.theotokos.co.za/umtata"><FONT color=#808000>A
Rural Virologist</A> || <A
href="http://www.theotokos.co.za/umtata/rss/index_rss2.xml"><FONT
color=#808000>RSS feed</A><BR><FONT color=#808000><A
href="http://www.theotokos.co.za/blog/"><FONT color=#808000>Sabbath
Keepers</A> || <A
href="http://www.theotokos.co.za/blog/rss/index_rss2.xml"><FONT
color=#808000>RSS feed</A><BR><FONT color=#808000> <BR>IC |
XC<BR>---------<BR>NI |
KA<BR></FONT></DIV></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>