20 March 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, Is Ted Wilson a bad person? Signed, Kinda Don’t Like Him. Dear Kinda Don’t, In the movie The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy says to the Wizard, “Oh… You’re a very bad man!,” and the Wizard replies (truthfully), “Oh, no, my dear! I’m a very good man! I’m… just […]
Category: Features
Why do church leaders only speak up after they’ve retired?
14 March 2022 | Dear Aunty, Why do church leaders and pastors suddenly develop courage and speak up on critical issues as soon as they retire? Signed, Suddenly Brave, Dear Suddenly, While this is undoubtedly true of the church, it is true of all professions to some extent: the job of a leader in an […]
Does the Bible say that braiding your hair is a sin?
7 March 2022 | Dear Aunty, Please help me. I am confused about hair plaiting (braiding). I am an African woman, and here some preachers preach strongly against plaited hair. If I leave my hair without plaiting, maintenance becomes a problem. I don’t know whether plaiting is really prohibited in the Bible or not. Signed, […]
Aunty, why is our church still racially segregated?
28 February 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy: Why are our congregations often racially segregated? Signed, Concerned Dear Concerned, Your question is one that is often asked. Aunty asked one of AT’s excellent African American writers, Christopher Thompson, to address it. “The simple answer is that we are naturally drawn to people with whom we have […]
Why is ours a church of “don’ts,” Aunty?
21 February 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, Your advice is always so kind—keep up the good words. My question is: Why do Adventists have so many dos and don’ts? Signed, Over ruled Dear Over ruled, As churches take on a distinctive identity, they naturally develop a list of beliefs that define themselves. Especially in conservative […]
ATSS: Dr. Katrina Blue on Spirituality and Seventh-day Adventists
17 February 2022 | What is Biblical spirituality? Seventh-day Adventists speak of spiritual experience, of feeling God’s presence, but in practice much of our spirituality seems rooted in doctrines and interpretation. Ellen White encourages us to experience God, but also says we shouldn’t trust feelings and experiences. Our top church leaders warn against meditation and […]
Jesus Married?!
Was the son of God also the divine Bachelor? Was Mary Magdalene the wife of Jesus? These questions and more tackled by Matthew Korpman in a new Valentine’s edition of Bible Scholar Reacts, a YouTube series proudly sponsored by Adventist Today. To comment, click here.
What’s the deal with Adventists and carob?
14 February 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, Recently my Adventist friend dropped off a plate of brownies at our house. I took one bite and I, um, kinda gagged. I didn’t know my friend was such a bad cook! Later she called and said, “How did you like the carob brownies? Just as good as […]
ATSS: How Headship Theology Distorts the Gospel
by Olive J. Hemmings | 9 February 2022 | Jamin Hübner critiques the headship argument in terms I like. He says: “It is an unbalanced, reductionistic, and simplistic approach. And it bears all of the marks of a theology born out of contemporary culture wars, not centuries of scholarship and contemplation.”[1] I would revise that […]
Has the church hidden gospel writings it doesn’t want you to see?
7 February 2022 | Are there secret gospels that the church has hidden? Does the History Channel give actual history? These questions and more are answered (with the addition of a good laugh) in a new episode of Bible Scholar Reacts—sponsored by Adventist Today. To comment, click/tap here.
Can I go to weddings and funerals on Sabbath, Aunty?
7 February 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy Should we go to weddings or funerals on the Sabbath? Signed, Not Sure, Just checking Dear Not Sure, The Bible’s pattern for Sabbath isn’t much like ours, so it’s hard to make a perfect comparison. There is little evidence, for example, that prior to the Babylonian captivity there […]
Matthew Korpman: Was Noah an Alien from Outer Space?
There are many difficult questions from the Bible. But is the biggest one whether Noah was an alien? Watch Matthew Korpman react to History Channel’s show Ancient Aliens! To comment, click/tap here.