15 August 2022 | My church wants to disfellowship me for not believing in the work of Ellen G. White. Should they be allowed to do that? Signed, Believer—Except for This Dear Believer: Not only should the church not disfellowship someone who does not have faith in Ellen White, it is forbidden to do so […]
Category: Features
Aunty, why are our young people leaving the church?
7 August 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, I’m dismayed by how many young people leave the church after academy or college. Is the church doing anything to address the issue? Why do you think they don’t want to stay? Signed, Sincerely Heartbroken Dear Heartbroken, Many in the church spout theories about why young people are […]
Aunty, which Old Testament laws still apply to us?
25 July 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, How do we decide which parts of Leviticus apply to the church today, and which parts were only for the ancient Israelites? Sincerely, Confused reader Dear Confused, That is an excellent question for Seventh-day Adventists—we who say so often that we take the entire Bible seriously. We do […]
ATSS PRESENTS: “Genetics, Sex, Gender, & Sexual Attraction”
24 July 2022 | Despite the traditional interpretation of a scattering of “clobber texts” that are assumed to prohibit gender nonconformity and same-sex sexual relationships, the Bible gives little to no direct guidance about how LGBTQ+ individuals should be treated by believers, and certainly does not support condemning such individuals as sinful. From New Testament […]
Aunty, what’s the Antiochus IV Epiphanes argument all about?
18 July 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, Why do Bible scholars argue so much about Antiochus IV Epiphanes and his significance in the prophecies of Daniel? Signed, History student Dear Student This can be answered in ridiculous detail, but here is Aunty’s simple explanation: Antiochus IV Epiphanes was the Greek leader of a Syrian kingdom […]
Aunt Sevvy: Does Romans 13:1-7 apply to Covid vaccines?
11 July 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, The Scriptures say we are to be obedient to the laws of the land because it’s God who put them in charge (Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-17). So why did some Christians object to being vaccinated, since what the government asked does not contradict our faith or belief […]
Aunty, am I wrong because I don’t see the need to witness to my good Christian neighbors?
27 June 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, All my life I’ve been urged to witness to my friends and neighbors about Adventist beliefs. But I just don’t feel like my good Christian next-door neighbor needs to be convinced of all the things Adventists believe to be loved by God. So, sorry, Aunty, in spite of […]
Aunt Sevvy, did Ellen White “plagiarize” other authors?
21 June 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, People tell me that Ellen White didn’t plagiarize, because copying from other authors was a commonly accepted practice in Ellen White’s time. Is this true? Signed, Truth Seeker Dear Seeker, When in the 1970s Adventist scholars began to notice that significant amounts of Ellen White’s writings (in some […]
Aunty, can we really just “Let go and let God”?
6 June 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, “Let go and let God.” I’ve heard this phrase frequently. People tout it as the answer to their prayers. It doesn’t work for me, no matter how I try to apply it to my life’s situations, nor can I find satisfactory examples in scripture. Is there, or is […]
Praying in Texas: A Poem
by Sigve Tonstad | 4 June 2022 | They are praying again in Texas, the governor praying, too, politics of the pious, praying is what they do, and now the news from heaven, fresh from a first-hand source: the prayers will go unanswered: “The prayers show no remorse.” ’Twas time long ago to admit it, […]
Poem: A Psalm for the Earth and Its People
by Patti Purdy Hansen Tompkins | 3 June 2022 | When You made us keepers of Your earth, O God, You expected a lot of us. But we have become careless with Your trust. The oceans and the firmament, the forests and living creatures, All the works of Your hands have been tainted by our […]
Aunty, should we celebrate Memorial Day in church?
30 May 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, This weekend was Memorial Day in the United States, when we are supposed to remember our servicemen and women who died fighting for our country. Every year on Memorial Day Sabbath in my church, an elderly veteran arranges for the uniformed Pathfinders to march in (with barked military […]