11/25/96 (3rd typed req-I am not sure if you would have rec'd the others)
(I apologize for duplication if you have already received others)
Dear Pastor Mark Finley,
During Net 96 I attended several meetings. I am an Adventist and have been since 1989. For the most part I thought that the basic Adventist truths taught were very well presented! However, the sermon entitled "The United States in Bible Prophecy" raised some serious questions in my mind that I hope that you will be able to take the time to answer.
You used several quotes during this presentation supporting the freedom of practicing religion according to the dictates of one's own conscience. One of them was: "Every man conducting himself as a good citizen and being accountable to God alone for his religious opinions ought to be protected in worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience." I believe this. My question is does the SDA church headed by the General Conference really believe this? I am aware of the G.C. Corp. of SDAs suing other churches who are 'SDA' but not associated with the G.C. and seeking to prevent them from using the name, SDA. They believe God gave them this name and so their conscience says they should keep it and use it as who they are in their worship of God. They make it known that they are not affiliated with the G.C., so there should be no confusion or question about that. If the G.C. SDA Church believes in this religious freedom, why do they not practice it? How can they take this kind of action while claiming to believe this?
In order for the G.C. Corp. to be able to take this kind of action, it had to go to the government and trademark the name "Seventh-day Adventist". The government's power is then used to persecute or take away the religious freedom of these other groups. Some of these groups may be true to God and some not. But they should have religious freedom.
You quoted: "When religion is good, I conceive that it will support itself; and, when it cannot support itself, and God does not take care to support it, so that its professors are obliged to call for the help of the Civil Power, it is a sign, I apprehend, of its being a bad one." We should depend on God for our protection instead of going to the government. In the New Testament the disciples came to Jesus saying that others were casting out demons in Jesus' name. They were not part of their group. The disciples asked Jesus if they shouldn't be silenced. Jesus said to leave them alone! He did not say that the disciples should go and make certain that these people used some other name. He trusted God to protect His name. Jesus left His reputation with God. I believe that we should do the same and that if the G.C. SDA Church believed in these principles that you are teaching, they would do that also.
Please write back ASAP with your answers to these discrepancies.
Prayerfully yours,
Barbara Isenburg
P.O. Box 284
Spring City, Tn. 37381-0284
Email: Creation Ministries