olume o in - andrews

The three facesof love

Understandinghow nature works

The Adventistmessage and thechallenge of evolution

The synagogueand the church

VOLUME 8: NO. 2

PUBLISHED IN

English ❏✓FrenchPortugueseSpanish

2 Dialogue 8:2—1996

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Letters ........................................................................................................................... 3

EssaysThe three faces of love — Len McMillan ........................................................................ 5Understanding how nature works — J. Mailen Kootsey ................................................. 8The Adventist message and the challenge of evolution — Marco T. Terreros ............ 11The synagogue and the church — Jacques B. Doukhan ............................................... 15

ProfilesDialogue with Bertha Saveniers — Bernard Sauvagnat ............................................... 18Dialogue with Jon Johanson — Lee Dunstan .............................................................. 20

LogosTrue independence — Charles Taylor ........................................................................... 22

Open Forum ............................................................................................................... 23

Action ReportVenezuela: Students with vision and a mission — Orlando Ramírez .......................... 24Advance in Portugal ....................................................................................................... 25Dialogue in Romanian ................................................................................................... 25

First PersonThe education of a pathologist — J. D. Mashburn ....................................................... 26

BooksWhat the Bible Says About the End-time (Paulien) — Gosnell Yorke .......................... 28SDA Attitudes Toward Roman Catholicism, 1844-1965 (Bruinsma) — Enrique Becerra . 28The Fragmenting of Adventism (Johnsson) — Edison Samraj ..................................... 29

Interchange ............................................................................................................... 30

For Your InformationGenetic engineering: An Adventist response ................................................................ 32

EtceteraParable — Guido Delameillieure ................................................................................... 35

C O N T E N T S ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

College and University Dialogue,™an international journal of faith, thought, andaction, is published three times a year in fourparallel editions (English, French,Portuguese, and Spanish) under thesponsorship of the Committee on Adventist

Ministry to College andUniversity Students(AMiCUS) of theGeneral Conference ofSeventh-day Adventists:12501 Old ColumbiaPike; Silver Spring, MD20904-6600; U.S.A.

Vol. 8, No. 2. Copyright © 1996 by theAMiCUS Committee. All rights reserved.

DIALOGUE affirms the fundamental beliefsof the Seventh-day Adventist Church andsupports its mission. The views published inthis journal, however, are the independentthoughts of the authors.

CIRCULATION INQUIRIES should beaddressed to the Regional Representativelocated in the area where the reader resides.See names and addresses below.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S.$11 per year (threeissues). See coupon on page 16 for details.

AMiCUS CommitteeMATTHEW BEDIAKO, ChairmanBARAKA G. MUGANDA, HUMBERTO M. RASI,

AND RICHARD STENBAKKEN, Vice-chairmenJULIETA RASI, SecretaryMembers: RICHARD BARRON, JOHN M.FOWLER, JOHN GRAZ, JONATHAN KUNTARAF,GEORGE REID, MARIO VELOSO, ALBERT

WHITING, MARY WONG.

Editorial BoardEditor-in-chief: HUMBERTO M. RASI

Editor: JOHN M. FOWLER

Associate Editors: RICHARD STENBAKKEN,DAVID WONG

Managing Editor: JULIETA RASI

Copy Editor: BEVERLY RUMBLE

Editorial Assistant: MARY WONG

International Editors: JULIETA RASI (SPANISH)DANIELLA VOLF (FRENCH), EVA MICHEL

(PORTUGUESE).Editorial Correspondence:

12501 OLD COLUMBIA PIKE;SILVER SPRING, MD 20904-6600; U.S.A.TELEPHONE: (301) 680-5060FAX: (301) 622-9627E-MAIL VIA COMPUSERVE: 74617,1231

Regional RepresentativesAfrica-Indian Ocean Division: Japheth L. Agboka. Address: 22 Boite Postale 1764, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.Asia-Pacific Division: Hiskia I. Missah. Address: #10-01 Suntec City Tower, Temasek Blvd., Singapore 0103,Republic of Singapore. Eastern Africa Division: Hudson E. Kibuuka. Address: H.G. 100, Highlands, Harare,Zimbabwe. Euro-Africa Division: Ronald Strasdowsky. Address: P.O. Box 219, 3000 Bern 32, Switzerland.Euro-Asia Division: Harry Mayden. Address: Isakovskogo Street #4 Korpus 1, Stroghino, 123181 Moscow,Russia. Inter-American Division: Carlos Archbold and Alfredo García-Marenko. Address: P.O. Box 140760,Miami, FL 33114-0760, U.S.A. North American Division: Richard Osborn, Jose Rojas, and RichardStenbakken. Address: 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600, U.S.A. South AmericanDivision: Roberto de Azevedo and José M. B. Silva. Address: Caixa Postal 02-2600, 70279-970 Brasília, DF,Brazil. South Pacific Division: Lester Devine and Barry Gane. Address: 148 Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga,N.S.W. 2076, Australia. Southern Africa Union: Jonathan Julies. Address: P.O. Box 468, Bloemfontein 9300,Orange Free State, South Africa. Southern Asia Division: Edwin Charles. Address: P.O. Box 2, HCF Hosur,Tamil Nadu, 635110, India. Trans-European Division: Ole Kendel and Orville Woolford. Address: 119 St.Peter’s Street, St. Albans, Herts., AL1 3EY, England.

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L E T T E R S ● ● ● ● ●

Likes the illustrationsI was very much impressed by the

content of Dialogue 6:2 and especiallyby the outstanding illustrations thataccompanied the interview with NathanGreene. Is there a way in which I canobtain larger copies of “The Carpenter,”“The Family of God,” and “Chief of theMedical Staff”? We would like to frameand display them in our offices for theenjoyment of everyone who visits us.

ELIZABETH ARTEAGA H.Universidad Peruana UniónÑaña, PERU

The editors respond:Many of our readers also enjoyed the

portfolio of paintings of this greatAdventist artist, Elizabeth. You canobtain information on ways of acquiringcopies of his work for framing bycontacting The Hart Institute: 2223 EastAlvarado; Fallbrook, CA 92028; U.S.A.Telephone: (619) 723-8082.

Concerned abouthumor

Having just received my first twocopies of Dialogue (6:3, 7:1), I want tocongratulate all those involved in thepreparation of this journal. I thoroughlyenjoyed the articles and would like tocontinue receiving future issues tostrengthen my pastoral ministry. How-ever, I am concerned about the humordepicted in the cartoons. The one thatappears on page 21 (6:3) reveals badtaste in alluding to courtship, and the oneon page 14 (7:1) takes in jest the wordsof Jesus. The apostle Paul admonishes usto avoid “foolish talk or coarse joking”(Ephesians 5:4), and Ellen G. Whitecounsels that “amusement is not to beinterwoven with instruction in theScriptures” (Evangelism, p. 211). I prayfor your ministry and wish to meet youall some day soon in the New Earth.

DANIEL BARANOW

Jujuy, ARGENTINA

way from home, estranged from love and distanced from hope, they were captives camped by the rivers of Babylon. To their masters, the waters of Euphrates symbolized the timeless rhythm of life—ever flowing, never ending, feeding the city, protecting an empire. But to the captives,

those very waters meant loss of freedom, identity, and dignity. In that tension ofBabylon, the masters demanded the captives, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

Was the demand one of jest born out of religious bigotry? Or was it aresult of genuine curiosity that so often and so surprisingly leaps out of that latentimage of God buried somewhere in the lowest depths of the human soul?

Never mind the psychological analysis of the question. Sufficient wasthe opportunity to shout, to praise, to sing, and to say, “Our God reigns in Zion.”But the children of Israel missed out on the opportunity and chose to take pride intheir exclusiveness. Captivity or freedom, Babylon or Jerusalem, they were theexclusive ones, the chosen ones, and their song is their song is their song. “Howshall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” they said and retreated intothemselves (Psalm 137:1-4).

Fortunately, not all of Israel were of that mindset. We know of at leastfour who sang the songs of Zion, prayed the prayers of Israel, proclaimed thattheir God is able, and turned the tides of history. Daniel and his three friendsbecame symbols of hope. They turned the university of Babylon and the palace ofthe emperor into centers of witness and dispensers of hope, so that emperors oftwo dynasties could send out edicts acknowledging the sovereignty andsupremacy of God (Daniel 2:28, 29; 6:25-27).

That kind of opportunity to sing the songs of Zion in a strange land isavailable to Seventh-day Adventists even today. We may not be captives, but weare in a strange land, sometimes as pilgrims, sometimes as professionals,sometimes as leaders in an alien culture. Consider, for example, Adventiststudents in non-Adventist campuses around the world—150,000 of them. Forevery student in an Adventist college, there are three in a non-Adventist college.What an opportunity to sing the Lord’s song!

But the question always creeps up: How shall we sing? I suggest threesimple steps:

1. Know the song. The Lord’s song is about Him. He is my Creator,my Redeemer, my Friend, my Counselor, my Guide, my returning Lord. I havetasted Him. He is good.

2. Know the rivers of Babylon. They can be treacherous. They can bepolluting. But the dynamic of faith can keep us in Babylon but not of Babylon.We can dare to be a Daniel, a Nehemiah, an Ezra, or an Esther. We need not be aSanballat or a Tobiah.

3. Know your task, both immediate and distant. We need to handleboth without sacrificing one or compromising the other. We have an immediatetask—to study, to research, to teach, to govern. We also have a distant vision—toextend the kingdom of God, to sing the song that never fades.

John M. Fowler, Editor

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The editors respond:We carefully select the few cartoons

that appear in our journal. They are usedmainly to make our readers think and tobring balance to our more seriousarticles. The Bible, as you know, containsgood doses of humor. As an example,remember the sarcastic remarks ofprophet Elijah in taunting the priests ofBaal at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:26-29). Jesus used humor both to teachspiritual truths and to challenge Hiscritics. Recall, for example, His observa-tion that those who ignored His teachingswere as foolish as those building a houseon the sand (Matthew 7:24-27), or Hisironic statement that “it is easier for acamel to go through the eye of a needlethan for a rich man to enter the kingdomof God” (19:24). He sarcastically calledthe hypocritical Pharisees “whitewashedtombs” (23:27). Ellen G. White had ahealthy sense of humor, which she used inher writings and speeches—even in hersermons! (See Laughter and Tears of ourPioneers, by Paul Gordon and James R.Nix [North American Division Office ofEducation, 1989]).

Although we may not agree on theproper use of humor, Daniel, we arepleased that you enjoy the articles thatappear in Dialogue. Perhaps you shouldkeep on reading them and just skip thecartoons!

A modern story ofsteadfast faith

I enjoy reading Dialogue and espe-cially appreciated the profile of Dr. Pik-Yee Kan (7:3). As a Seventh-dayAdventist pre-medical student on a secularcampus, I face similar conflicts. AlthoughI have so far been spared consequences aschallenging as hers, my experience agreescompletely—we can only stand firm onthe big tests by standing firm on the littleones. “He that is faithful in that which isleast is faithful also in much” (Luke16:10).

I almost held my breath as I read theinterview question, “Did you sit for theexamination [on the Sabbath]?” And howI thrilled to read her answer, “No, I

didn’t.” It is my conviction that we denyGod the privilege of using us to exalt Hisname and character whenever we compro-mise principle. Thank you for this modernstory of steadfast faith among God’speople. And surely God will continue tobless and use Dr. Kan as His witness.

JOHN H. KELLY, JR.Shepherd CollegeHedgesville, West Virginia,U.S.A.

Surviving in a secularworld

As a 19-year-old Adventist studentpursuing a degree in agricultural econom-ics, I find the contents of Dialogue bothfascinating and fresh. How I wish I couldreceive each new issue regularly! The sadfact is that I have seen only three copies.We are only four Seventh-day Adventistsin a public college with more than 800students. We face religious opposition,which makes our faith grow stronger. Infact, thanks to God’s help, we are surviv-ing in a very secular world.

In Dialogue 6:2 (1994), I reallyappreciated David Wong’s “Editorial” and“The Survival Kit.” Both were enlighten-ing and challenging. Don’t you worry: ByGod’s grace we will hold on to our faithand continue to stand tall. Thanks for theencouragement your journal provides.We’ll keep on reading it, even if we getthem occasionally and late!

NIMROD S. MANGILOG

ASCA, Banga, AklanPHILIPPINES

The editors respond:We were thrilled by the content of your

letter, Nimrod. We are so glad to know thatyou and your Adventist fellow-studentsenjoy Dialogue, although copies reach youonly occasionally. We are mailing you acopy of a recent issue, to bring you up-to-date. In order to receive future issuesregularly, contact the education or the youthdirector of your union. They are responsiblefor the distribution of Dialogue in your area.We pray that God will continue tostrengthen your faith and help you succeedin your studies!

Wants to stay in touchI am a 25-year-old Adventist from

Zimbabwe who is studying medicine atCharles University in Prague. Some timeago I obtained a copy of a back issue ofDialogue and read its content withinterest. I want to stay in touch with thejournal and with Adventist universitystudents in other parts of the world. Theycan write to me at the address listedbelow. Thank you!

FORTUNATE MCHECHESI

Svehlova KolejSlavíkova 22; Prague 3CZECH REPUBLIC

An honor to be asubscriber

I consider it an honor to be a sub-scriber to Dialogue. The process ofsecularization that has been affecting,first, our world and, secondly, the Sev-enth-day Adventist Church, convinces methat the mission your journal has under-taken is extremely important. Your wiseselection of topics and authors, yourbiblical approach to the issues, your clearand positive style—all make Dialogue anideal vehicle to convey truth in publiccollege and university circles, whereconfusion increasingly reigns as we nearthe end of this century. May the HolySpirit continue to inspire and guide you,making your journal a vehicle of truth and,eventually, an instrument of salvation formany.

KATHLEEN GENOVER

NELSON, PH.D.North Ft. Myers, Florida, U.S.A.

Write to us!We welcome your letters, withreactions and questions, but limit yourcomments to 200 words. Addressthem to Dialogue Letters: 12501 OldColumbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD20904, U.S.A. You can also sendthem via fax: (301) 622-9627, or E-mail (via CompuServe): 74617,1231.If selected for this section, your lettermay be edited for clarity or space.

Continued on page 14

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erhaps the longest and simplest love letter ever written wascomposed in 1875 by Marcel de

Leclure, a French painter. His work oflove contained one phrase: I love you!1,875,000 times. But this figure repre-sents only a small portion of the actualtimes I love you! was spoken or writtenduring the production of this unusualletter. Marcel did not actually write thisletter himself, but hired a scribe to do itfor him. According to scribal tradition,Marcel dictated the letter—word forword. The scribe then repeated eachphrase back to him as he wrote it downon paper. The phrase I love you! wasactually spoken or written 5,625,000times during the composition of thislengthy love letter. Marcel was in loveand wanted his sweetheart to know it!

All of us want to be loved. Our needfor love is so great we are often frus-trated and insecure when our love needsare not met. But what is love? I suggestthere are at least three faces of love, as itmatures in life: the “if” face, the “be-cause” face, the “in spite of” face. Thesefaces show up, depending on our needs,wants, desires, and motivation.

The “if” faceThe “if” face is the easiest one to

spot. Most of us have seen this face oflove many times in our lives. It is amanipulative one at best and a destruc-tive one at worst.

Wendy was 18.* She sat across thetable from me with her two-year-olddaughter on her lap. She told me her sadstory of “if” love. Her boyfriend hadmanipulated her into having sex. He keptpleading, “If you really love me, it is allright.” She eventually gave in. Wendybecame pregnant, and the boy’s parentsforced him to marry her. Now he wasrunning around with other women. Shehad become nothing more than hishousekeeper and babysitter. “I’ve missedout on all my teen years!” she sobbed,burying her face in her hands.

Wendy deeply resents her husbandfor what he had done to her. She feelscheated and cheap. She feels she wasforced into becoming a parent. Her self-esteem is low; her life is miserable. Sherecognized too late the deceptive “if”face of love.

Many marriages are founded on thiskind of love. The “if” love can exert suchan overwhelming power and urge that

The threefaces of loveTrue love is unconditional and lovesthe unlovable.

some fail to recognize its deception. Theprimary target of this love is not theother person, but self. “If” love isinterested only in satisfying one’s ownneeds and desires. Many young peopleget caught up in this selfish drive towardfulfillment and realize too late that theyhave been deceived.

Tragically, far too many parentsoffer only the “if” face of love to theirchildren. Harry committed suicide

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because he failed his medical entranceexam. His father’s “if” love fuelled hisdepression. Harry knew how much hisfather wanted him to be a doctor. He wasconvinced that if he did not succeed indoing so, his father would reject him.Rather than witness the withdrawal ofhis father’s love, the young man took hisown life.

The “because” faceThe “because” face of love operates

on a more pleasant level than “if” love.This face places value on and is consid-erate of the other person. It says, “I loveyou because you are sexy; because youare a ‘hunk’; because you write romanticpoetry; because you bring strength andsecurity into my life; because you are agreat conversationalist; because youdrive a classy automobile; and so on.”Whatever reason “because” love choosesto take a second look, it places value onthe recipient of its glances. It offerspositive strokes to the one being loved.

However, the “because” face tendsto foster competition and insecurity.Those who receive “because” love feel

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they must continually prove that they arelovable. They are afraid of losing thequality that makes them loved. A youngwoman is loved because she is beautiful.A young man is loved because he isathletic and good looking. In some cases,the fear of future rejection can evenprevent them from enjoying the “be-cause” face of love in the present.Scripture reminds us, “There is no fear inlove, but perfect love casts out fear. Forfear has to do with punishment, and hewho fears is not perfected in love” (1John 4:18).** Fear and love cannot existin the same relationship. A love thatcreates fear of failure is not true love.

Judy was young and beautiful. Shehad won many beauty contests in highschool and was one of the most populargirls on the college campus. She wasengaged to a handsome young man. Butone day tragedy struck. As she wasworking in her father’s dry-cleaningfacility, the flammable dry-cleaning fluidexploded and burned her face, chest, andarms. She was so disfigured that shewould not allow the bandages to beremoved except in the presence of herdoctor. She was horribly disfigured.

Soon after the accident, her fiancebroke off the engagement. Her parentscould not face their disfigured “beautyqueen” and rarely visited her in thehospital. Even though they spoke to herover the telephone, it was not the same.In a few months Judy died, never havingleft her hospital room. Not from compli-cations. She simply gave up her will tolive, because the reason she was lovedhad been taken away from her. Herbeauty was gone.

The “in spite of” faceThis kind of love simply loves.

Unlike the “if” face, it is not based uponselfish motivation. It expects nothing inreturn. Unlike the “because” face, it doesnot depend upon the attractiveness of theother person. It looks past both the goodand bad qualities and gazes into the soul.It is able to love even when rejected. Itfinds beauty in the ugly. It finds infinitevalue in a finite being. It looks lovinglyon all who fall within its gaze.

Where do we find such a lovelyface? The ultimate expression of thatlove is Jesus. He came to love humanity“in spite of” them. He came to introduce

a face of love that had been missingsince the Garden of Eden. He brought tothis earth a love without conditions,fears, or selfish motivation.

Jesus did not bring a face of lovethat demands, “I will love you if you area good moral person. I will love you ifyou worship me. I will love you if youpay a faithful tithe.” Nor did He bring aface of love that reasons, “I love youbecause you pray each day. I love youbecause you attend church each week.”These are all measures of our love forGod, but they do not measure God’s lovefor us.

God did not place conditions uponHis love. In fact, “God shows His lovefor us in that while we were yet sinnersChrist died for us” (Romans 5:8). Goddoesn’t wait until we deserve to beloved. There are no “ifs” or “becauses”in God’s love. He simply loves! He islove! And that love continues in spite ofwhether or not we deserve it.

Jesus demonstrated the power of “inspite of” love when He wept over thedeath of Lazarus. Those who saw Himweeping said, “‘See how he loved him!’”(John 11:36). That was love in spite ofwho Lazarus was. Lazarus did not meritthe resurrection, but Jesus loved himenough to call him from the grave.

Which face is your face?Which face of love do you prefer?

The “if” face with its manipulativenature? The “because” face that must beearned anew every day? Or the “in spiteof” face that continues to love you evenwhen you appear unlovable?

It would be hard to imagine a youngman proposing to his girlfriend in thismanner, “Honey, I want you to knowthat I love you in spite of your manyfaults. I love you in spite of your crookedteeth. I love you in spite of your angrydisposition. I love you in spite of.…” Itwouldn’t take very many “in spite of”statements before that relationship wouldreach a traumatic ending. Few indeedreally want to be loved “in spite of.” Wewould much rather be loved “becauseof.”

However, hidden behind the face of“because” love is the root of all religiouslegalism. Many want God to love them“because” rather than “in spite of.”Surely our good works must count forsomething! Surely these works will atleast get us an apartment with a view on

“Epistles are the Apostles’ wives.”Reprinted by permission from Count Your Blessings

(Focus on the Family Publishing).

©

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the main thoroughfare in heaven. It isdifficult for us to admit that we bringnothing to the relationship except ourneed. It is difficult for us to understandthat God has no reason to love us, but Hedoes! It is difficult for us to comprehendthat any changes this new relationshipbrings into our lives is a direct result ofHis “in spite of” love and not the causeof His love. It means recognizing thatnothing we can do will make God loveus any more than He already does. Godis love!

Jesus pleads with us, “Love oneanother; even as I have loved you” (John13:34). This is actually a commandempowered by “in spite of” love. Onlythat enabling could make such a boldrequest and expect obedience. Learningto relax in God’s love does not mean tobe lax in upholding His standards.Rather, it means having confidence that“neither death, nor life, nor angels, norprincipalities, nor things present, northings to come, nor powers, nor height,nor depth, nor anything else in allcreation, will be able to separate us fromthe love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”(Romans 8:38, 39).

The meaning of loveWhat does having and giving “in

spite of” love mean? It means you can letChrist remodel your life without theworry and insecurity that someday Christwill abandon His remodeling project! Itremoves insecurity and fear of failure. Ittakes away the anxiety of rejection. Itmeans we no longer have to competefiercely in order to feel loved. It does notdiscredit another in order to add credibil-ity to one’s own account. It does not playgames with God in an attempt to gainHis love. It recognizes that God hasalready seen us at our worst—and stillloves us. It means not being underconstant tension or demanding our rightsfrom others because of our insecurity. Itmeans we can begin to share “in spiteof” love with our family, friends,neighbors, colleagues, fellow churchmembers—and even with that specialsomeone in our lives.

Tammy was a beautiful young wife.She always had a cheerful smile. Now,she lay on her hospital bed, after asurgery for a cancerous tumor on hercheek. The surgery had turned her faceinto a grotesque form, with her cheerfulsmile forever gone. The surgeon had

Guidelines for Contributors ollege and University Dialogue, published three times a year in four language editions, is addressed to Seventh-day Adventists involved in postsecondary education either as students or teachers, and also to Adventist professionals

and campus chaplains around the world.The editors are interested in well-written articles, interviews, and reports

consistent with Dialogue’s objectives: (1) To nurture an intelligent, living faith;(2) to deepen commitment to Christ, the Bible, and Adventist global mission; (3)to articulate a biblical approach to contemporary issues; and (4) to offer ideas andmodels of Christian service and outreach.

Dialogue usually assigns articles, interviews, and reports for publication.Prospective authors are urged (a) to examine previous issues of our journal, (b) tocarefully consider these guidelines, and (c) to submit an abstract and personalbackground before developing a proposed article.

● Essays: Well-researched and stimulating feature articles that focus, froma biblical perspective, on a contemporary topic in the arts, the humani-ties, religion, or the sciences.

● Profiles: Biographical sketches of Adventist men and women who areoutstanding in their careers or professions, and who are also activeChristians. Recommendations are welcome.

● Logos: A fresh look at a Bible passage or theme that offers insights andencouragment for the life of faith in today’s world.

● Campus Life: Practical ideas for the college or university student,chaplain or teacher who seeks to integrate faith, education, social life,and outreach in an academic setting.

● Action Report: News of activities by Adventist students, chaplains, andteachers, on a regional basis.

● Books: Reviews of significant books by or about Seventh-day Adven-tists, published in either English, French, Portuguese, or Spanish.Recommendations are welcome.

● For Your Information: Reports on events, activities or statementsrelevant to Adventist students and professionals.

● First Person: Individual stories of experiences by Adventist students orprofessionals that will inspire and encourage their peers.

Address your correspondence to: Dialogue Editors; 12501 Old Columbia Pike;Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600; U.S.A. Telephone: (301) 680-5060. Fax: (301)622-9627. E-mail via CompuServe: 74617,1231.

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done his best, carefully following thecurve of her jawbone to hide the scar, butthe tumor had been too large and theincision too deep. His scalpel hadsevered the nerves on the right side ofher face. The operation had left the rightside of her mouth pulled up into a half-open smile that never moved.

The young woman and her husbandlooked deep into each other’s eyes asthey discussed the future. When thesurgeon came in, Tammy asked, “Willmy mouth be always like this?”

“Yes,” replied the doctor, “I amafraid it will. In order to remove thetumor I had to cut the nerves. They maynever grow back. I’m sorry.”

Nodding, Tammy looked toward theceiling. A tear welled up in her eye and

dropped silently on her pillow. Herhusband reached out and grasped herhand in his. Their eyes met, searchingand questioning. Smiling broadly, helovingly assured her, “Honey, I actuallylike your new smile. It’s kind of cute.”

Isn’t it great to know God still lovesus in spite of our crooked smile?

Len McMillan (Ph. D., Ephraim MooreUniversity) is family life director at the PacificHealth Education Center; 5300 California Avenue,Suite 200; Bakersfield, California 93309; U.S.A.

*Names in this article are fictitious to protect theprivacy of the persons concerned.

**All Scripture passages in this article are fromthe Revised Standard Version.


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While we keep fitting pieces into thepuzzle of nature, we should be awarethat we are only working on a smallcorner and that the hope of dropping inthe last piece is beyond our grasp.

cientists attempt to find patterns in the things human beings see and experience. The most desirable and

useful patterns are those that cansummarize many observations into a

puzzle. Are we about to close the bordersand complete the pattern? Are we close tofinding the last set of laws needed todescribe the universe, giving us unlimitedunderstanding and capability for predic-tion?

In recent decades, we have discov-ered some patterns that don’t seem to helpcomplete the puzzle, but rather appear toextend it. These difficult ideas are nowaccepted as accurate descriptions ofnatural phenomena. The following is abrief introduction and illustration of threeof these concepts: dynamic systems,complexity, and chaos.

Dynamic systemsEarly researchers in almost every

field of science have regarded naturalthings as static and unchanging. The stars,for example, were seen as steady points oflight fixed on a rotating, hemispherical“ceiling.” Now we understand them to belarge, complex, and dynamic bodies,moving at blinding speeds in differentdirections, heating up or cooling down,exploding or contracting, colliding orflying apart. Stars only appear staticbecause their changes are slow whencompared to the time scale of humanexperience.

Bone is another example where astatic appearance is deceiving. Bones aresometimes compared with the steelgirders buried inside the walls of abuilding. Their function is to provide therigidity necessary to keep the bodyupright, but otherwise they are supposedto keep out of sight and not break. Thisthey usually do, but the similarity to steelgirders ends there.

Bone is a composite material, theinspiration for numerous high-technologymanmade materials. Strong crystals of acalcium salt are embedded in a matrix ofelastic collagen to make up a material thatis both light and strong. Fiberglass—combining the strength of glass fiberswith the flexibility of plastic—is a wellknown manmade composite. Otherscontinue to appear, such as the graphitecomposites used in making tennisracquets.

Even more important than itsstructural form, bone is a living structuremade up of a community of cells inter-spersed with small blood vessels. Onetype of bone cell secretes the elasticcollagen and helps form the crystals fromcalcium and phosphate in the surrounding

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Understandinghow nature

works:Last piece of

the puzzle?compact principle. For example,Newton’s laws of motion, compactenough to be written on a postcard,provide a simple and elegant picture ofplanetary orbits around the sun and at thesame time describe the motion of abaseball in flight, or a car on a highway,as well as all other kinds of motion wesee every day.

The striking successes of Newton’slaws of motion have led scientists tohope for other powerful laws to explainand simplify other kinds of phenomena.Each time someone discovers one ofthese organizing principles, the experi-ence brings elation to scientists—something like the satisfaction inmatching up pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.As each new law is discovered, theuniverse seems a little more understand-able. Each new success also invitesspeculation about the overall size of the

b yJ . M a i l e nKo o t s ey

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solution. Another type of bone cellbreaks down the collagen and dissolvesthe crystals back into solution. These twotypes of cells work in different regions ina manner something like urban renewal.Older parts of bone are dismantled insome areas while construction of newbone proceeds in other areas. The twoprocesses are carefully balanced so wealways have the right amount of bonenecessary for support. Hormones fromother parts of the body help with theregulation of this dynamic process, andeven external forces on the bone influ-ence the breakdown and renewalprocesses.

Steel beams are static and are thusunable to adapt to different needs or torepair themselves when damaged. Bonecharacteristics, on the other hand, can bechanged by subtle alterations of thegrowth or destruction processes. Thegrowth rate is normally in exact balancewith the rate of destruction, but if thegrowth rate is increased slightly, thebalance will tip in favor of growth, andthe size of the bone will increase. Thebalance could, of course, tip just aseasily in the direction of destruction, ashas been observed in extended spaceflights. Because bone construction isguided by cell internal instructions,bones can repair and restore themselvesby shifting the balance toward growth inselected areas. New bone is deposited torepair breaks, crooked bones cangradually become more straight, andbones with more stress can grow strongerto handle the load. As dynamic systems,bones are thus much more versatile andadaptable than static girders.

The methods used to study dynamicsystems are also quite different fromthose used to study static objects. For thelatter, the main tasks are naming,classification, and measurements ofphysical characteristics such as size,shape, color, etc. Dynamic systemsrequire many more measurements andobservations. It is necessary to knowhow such systems behave under differentconditions and in response to differentstimuli. Furthermore, it is difficult (if notimpossible) to summarize all thebehavior variations of a dynamic systemin a few words or mathematical equa-tions. The usual approach is to writeequations describing the way eachcomponent of the system relates to theothers, but it may be very difficult to

solve the equations to predict how thesystem will behave as a whole.

Dynamic systems are thus combina-tions of interacting components, andtheir interesting characteristics comefrom the changing relationships betweencomponents. One force is balancedagainst others, and the changing balancemeans changing behavior. Once werecognize the nature of the dynamicsystems, it becomes apparent that we aresurrounded by such systems. Frommicroscopic cells to the global environ-ment, we see complex forces andprocesses grouped together and interact-ing with one another. Instead of a fixeduniverse, we see one characterized byinteraction, change, variation, andresponse.

ComplexitySomeone has said that the “hard” or

mathematical sciences have succeededbecause they looked for and foundsimple things to study—sufficientlysimple to be described by the mathemati-cal tools available, such as Newton’slaws of motion. Physics textbooks, forexample, have been filled with exercisesassuming “frictionless” motion. Text-book writers know that we have to livewith friction in real life, but the math-ematical tools to make predictions arelimited. Hence, the actual situations havenot been given extensive treatment. Inrecent decades, computer technology hasgreatly expanded available mathematicaltools, permitting scientists to work onand think about systems of much greatercomplexity. Scientists in all fields arenow including more realism in theirstudies, instead of being limited toidealizations known to be greatlyoversimplified. In fact, a new branch ofscience now focuses on complexityitself.1

Consider, for example, the musclecells that form the heart and that causethe heart to pump blood. Functionally,these cells are small “motors” that useenergy derived from food to make theheart contract and pump the bloodthrough arteries, capillaries, and veins.The technology of mechanical motors iswell developed, but it is of little help inunderstanding heart cells because theprinciples on which they work are quitedifferent.

In the heart cell, the contractile forceis generated by large molecules withelectrical attractions. How these mol-ecules generate force and motion isinteresting and complex enough, but thatonly begins to describe how the muscleworks. The contractile molecules areheld in place by an elastic matrix and bythe thin membrane walls of the cells. Themembrane wall separates the fluid insidethe cell from the outside fluid and servesseveral functions, including regulatingthe fluid environment around thecontractile molecules and coordinatingthe contraction of the large number ofcells making up the heart. The number ofmolecules of all kinds inside the cell hasto be kept constant so that the forces ofosmosis do not shrink the cell or cause itto swell and tear apart. The energynecessary to power the contraction has tobe obtained from glucose circulating inthe outside fluid and converted into aform usable by the contractile molecules.Oxygen necessary to release the energyhas to be taken in, and carbon dioxideand other waste products removed fromthe cell. The calcium ions that initiate thecontraction have to be moved aroundinside the cell and their amount closelyregulated. Finally, each cell has tocommunicate with its neighbors to knowwhen to contract, so that the entire heartmuscle works together as an efficientpump.

Large molecules span the cellmembrane wall of the muscle cell tomove molecules in and out, making allthese processes work. At least a dozentypes of such transport molecules areknown to exist in heart cell membranes,and more may yet be discovered. Each islike a miniature factory with numeroussteps in the process that moves mol-ecules in and out. The transport mol-ecules do not work independently, butare affected by the results of all the othertransport molecules and by other factorsin their environment. As a result, theyare effectively linked together into onelarge, complex system.

Thus the microscopic heart cell—toosmall to be seen by the unaided eye—is asystem of incredible complexity withnumerous interacting parts, each highlycomplex in itself. We cannot predict the


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with limited growth. May programmedthe Logistic equation into his computerand studied how it behaved as hechanged the growth ratio (averagenumber of children per parent). For somesmaller values of the ratio, the equationpredicted a population of steady size. Alittle larger value of the ratio, and thepopulation oscillated back and forth—regularly—between high and low values.A little larger ratio and the oscillationsuddenly went twice as fast. Still a littlelarger value of the ratio and... chaos: thepopulation changed values irregularlywith no visible pattern.

Mathematicians had seen chaoticbehavior in mathematical equationsbefore the 1970s, but May was the firstto connect mathematical chaos with thereal world. The result was startlingbecause it weakened one of the funda-mental dogmas of science: mathematicalequations were considered to be thehighest form for expressing principles ofnature, and the solutions to mathematicalequations describing natural systemswere believed to be repeatable—nomatter who did the calculation or howoften it was repeated. That, after all, isthe basic use of mathematics in sci-ence—to make predictions precise andrepeatable. May showed that equationswritten to describe natural processes mayunder some circumstances give unpre-dictable results. Since May’s discovery,chaotic behavior has been found innumerous areas such as epidemics,heartbeat patterns, business cycles, andfluid flow.3

May’s discovery had two importantresults. First, scientists saw that theycould no longer ignore phenomena thatshow irregular and non-repeatingpatterns. Second, there was a realizationthat even when correct mathematicalequations are written to describe anatural system, and there is a way tosolve the equations, we may not be ableto use those solutions for the practicalpurpose of prediction because theoutcome may be chaotic or randombehavior. An example is the frustratingproblem of trying to make long-termweather predictions.

ConclusionThe understanding of the three

concepts described above—the ubiquityof dynamic and complex systems and

chaos—has helped mathematiciansrecognize the limitations of the scientificprocess and the wider scope of math-ematics. No longer do scientists antici-pate being able to describe allphenomena by applying a few lawsexpressed in mathematical form. Even ifa unified formulation of natural forcesand substance could be achieved,practical considerations such as limitedmathematical tools and computer powerand the possibility of chaos limit thepredictions that could be made. Whilewe do keep fitting pieces into the puzzleof nature, we recognize that we are onlyworking on a small corner and that thehope of dropping in the last piece isbeyond our grasp.

The three concepts described abovealso offer some new opportunities for thebeliever in a Creator God to enlarge hisor her understanding. If the principles doapply to nature, then they are—in somesense—characteristics of God Himselfthat we might expect to find in Hisrelationship with human beings. Learn-ing from experience with dynamicsystems, for example, we might expect tofind a God who can adapt and adjust Hisresponses to interact with human beingsin a wide variety of conditions. He couldwell be described as unchanging inprinciple of relationships, yet adaptableto changing times as human needschange.

Mailen Kootsey (Ph.D., Brown University) isvice president for academic administration atAndrews University. He likes to study complexbiological systems by computer simulation. Hisaddress: Andrews University; Berrien Springs, MI49104; U.S.A.

Notes and references1. W. Mitchell Waldrop, Complexity: The

Emerging Science at the Edge of Order andChaos (New York: Touchstone, 1992).

2. H. R. Pagels, Dreams of Reason: TheComputer and the Rise of the Sciences ofComplexity (New York: Simon andSchuster, 1988).

3. J. Gleick, Chaos: Making a New Science(New York: Penguin Books, 1987). Forearlier discussions of chaos theory in thisjournal, see Kevin C. de Berg, “A RandomUniverse? Order and Chance in Nature andScripture,” Dialogue 2:3 (1990), pp. 10-12;and David A. Thomas with Paul F.Barcenas, “Chaos: Crucible of Creation,”Dialogue 4:3 (1992), pp. 12-15.

behavior of the heart cell by simplyadding together what we know about itsindividual components (complexmolecules). It is necessary to know boththe behavior of its components and howthey interact with each other as a“community.” Only with powerfulcomputers has it been possible to evenbegin to understand how such a systemfunctions,2 and the most powerfulcomputers available today fall far shortof the capacity necessary to process allthat we know about heart cells.

The heart is, of course, only part ofthe circulatory system, the circulatorysystem is only one of the organ systemsin the body, and one person is only asmall part of a society. The task ofunderstanding a single complex systemis difficult enough, but nature seems tobe made up of an endless hierarchy oflinked and interacting systems. Ourmathematical tools (including comput-ers) struggle to cope with one or twolevels of this hierarchy at a time, but forthe whole they are completely inad-equate.

ChaosScientists have made a living

studying regular behavior. It isn’t thateverything we see is regular and repeat-able. There just didn’t seem to be anypoint in studying irregular behavior,since the whole point of science is tofind regularities. This approach made itimpossible to discover “chaos” as aprinciple in science until about 25 yearsago when Robert May started thinkingabout systems that produce unpredictableresults.

May was studying the laws ofpopulations and how their sizes changefrom one generation to another. If eachindividual in one generation producestwo offspring in the next (a relationshiprepresented by a very simple mathemati-cal equation), the result is an explosionof growth, given the name Malthusianfrom the person who first studied themathematics of such growth. A slightmodification of the basic growthequation gives the Logistic equation,

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Can Adventists believe intheistic evolution and yetproclaim the message ofRevelation 14:6-12?

“In the beginning God created theheavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1)*

The doctrine of Creation occupies animportant place in Seventh-day Adventistmessage and mission. The reason for thisis twofold: First, Adventists believe in afiat Creation; and second, they arecommitted to the proclamation of thethree angels’ message of Revelation 14.

The Adventist philosophy of originsaffirms that God in seven days created theworld. Adventists have no room forevolution, naturalistic or theistic, in theirbelief system. They not only accept thatGod is the Creator, but also believe thatHe took human flesh to become ourRedeemer, as pointed out in John: “In thebeginning was the Word, and the Wordwas with God, and the Word was God.He was with God in the beginning.Through him all things were made;without him nothing was made that hasbeen made.... The Word became flesh andmade his dwelling among us” (John 1:1-3, 14).

Thus in their proclamation of thegospel, Adventists emphasize bothCreation and redemption. This emphasisis predominant in their allegiance to theeverlasting gospel of Revelation 14.There we have the description: “Then Isaw another angel flying in midair, and hehad the eternal gospel to proclaim tothose who live on the earth…. He said ina loud voice…. Worship him who madethe heavens, the earth, the sea and thesprings of water” (Revelation 14:6, 7,italics supplied).

In this message for the last days, theeverlasting gospel calls for the worship ofthe Creator. Given that context, it isunderstandable why Adventists cannotsubscribe to any kind of evolutionaryexplanation for origins.

How evolution views originsEvolution accounts for the beginning

of life in one way; Genesis in anotherway. Evolution teaches that life origi-nated and developed by itself overextremely long periods of time. Genesisteaches a six-day creation.1 Either randomlife origin or random life development, orboth, or anything in between is inopposition to the three angels’ message.

Consider how the three branches ofevolution explain life origin.

First, naturalistic (or atheistic)evolution needs only a combination ofatoms, motion, time, and chance in orderto bring reality into existence, from themost simple to the most complex formsof life, from the most elemental livingparticle to human life.

The Adventistmessage and thechallenge ofevolution

Second, deistic evolution perceivesGod as getting the process started byproducing the first living matter. Heprogrammed the evolutionary process byfecundating matter with the laws that itssubsequent development has followed.Then, God withdrew from activeinvolvement, becoming, so to speak,“Creator emeritus.”2

Third, theistic evolution goesbeyond the deistic version by allowingfor God’s continual intervention. Thisand its claim to harmonize the biblicalaccount of Creation with scientificclaims have made theistic evolution thereigning paradigm among contemporaryevangelical scholarship. Therefore, itdeserves a longer consideration.

Theistic evolutionTheistic evolution presupposes that

“all material processes are divinelygoverned and directed; [and] evolution-ary processes are no exception.”3 Thus,evolution is not an end in itself; it is justthe means through which God bringseverything in the universe into existence.It is God’s “modus operandi.”4 It is the“ongoing expression of God’s strategy,”for the development of His creation.5 It isGod’s method of acting in the world6

through a continual creation.

b yM a r c o T.Te r r e r o s


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In an effort to harmonize biblicaland evolutionary positions on origins,particularly with the long periods of timethat all branches of evolution require,several Creation theories have beenproposed. These include, the Reconstitu-tion or Gap theory,7 the Day-Age orGeological Ages theory,8 the Artistic orLiterary theory,9 and the AbridgedGenealogies theory.10

Evolution, in any of these forms,runs counter to the heart of the threeangels’ message: the good news of thegospel. The news is good only becausethose to whom it is sent are in a desper-ate situation. To sinners it offers forgive-ness; to those in condemnation becauseof humanity’s fall into sin, it providessalvation. But in the evolutionaryprocess there is no Fall; there is no sin;only continuous progress. Any animaltraits present in human beings can beovercome through education andculturization. Hence, there is no need fora Savior.

Even the uniqueness of Jesus can beexplained away in an evolutionaryperspective. Notre Dame Universityprofessor Ernan McMullin writes:“When Christ took on human form, theDNA that made him son of Mary mayhave linked him to a more ancientheritage stretching far beyond Adam tothe shallows of unimaginably ancientseas.”11 If this is the accounting forJesus’ first coming, the Second Comingcan no longer be a realistic hope.

Yet the Second Coming with itsjudgment is the focus of Revelation 14,which adds a new dimension to the OldTestament exaltation of God as Creator.Thus Creation and judgment constitutethe eschatological motif of the threeangels’ message. If the world does notglorify God because of the first, it mustfear Him for the second. This pattern canbe perceived through the three proclama-tions. The first angel exalts the Creator;the second calls attention to a falsesystem that denies God; the third speaksof the judgment to come. The redeemedadore God for His love in creating. Thereprobate tremble before Him because ofHis righteous judgments.

Creation and judgmentJudgment is not taught just in

Revelation, but it, along with theCreation concept, permeates the Bible.The defilement of original creationbrought about God’s first universaljudgment, the Flood. In the last days,God’s eschatological judgments are sent“for destroying those who destroy theearth” (Revelation 11:18), with theultimate purpose of reversing whathappened after the Fall and creating anew heaven and a new earth.

Peter speaks of this Creation-judgment motif in strong words. Thosewho scoff about God’s activity in humanhistory “deliberately forget that long agoby God’s word the heavens existed andthe earth was formed out of water andwith water. By water also the world ofthat time was deluged and destroyed. Bythe same word the present heavens andearth are reserved for fire, being kept forthe day of judgment and destruction ofungodly men” (2 Peter 3:5-7).

Peter’s point is simple. History hasalways had its skeptics. In the early days,there were those who “deliberately”forgot that God created the world andthat He executed His judgment onwickedness through a universal flood.Similarly, toward the close of history,skepticism regarding God as Creator andjudge will be prevalent.

One major source of such skepticismin today’s world is the theory of evolu-tion. Indeed it is part of the “maddeningwine” (Revelation 14:8) of Babylon withwhich the world is drunk.

Creation and evolution:current debate

Currently, the Creation-evolutiondebate is carried on as part of therenewed interest in the relationship ofscience and Christian faith. This isevident in the creation of new organiza-tions, such as the John TempletonFoundation, with its Humility TheologyInformation Center (Ipswich, Massachu-setts), launched in 1993. This center,whose charter membership includes theworld’s top authorities in science andreligion, holds that theology is incapableof reaching a clear understanding of themysteries of the universe (hence thelabel “humility theology”). Therefore theneed to turn to science as the source foranswers.

Another much older organization isthe Chicago Center for Religion andScience, where scientists and theologiansalike are committed to evolution withoutrenouncing their faith in God. Based atthe Lutheran School of Theology, thecenter publishes Zygon, a leading journalon theistic evolution.

Another periodical devoted almostexclusively to promoting theistic evolu-tion is the Journal of the AmericanScientific Affiliation. The Affiliation,based in Ipswich, Massachusetts, countsover 1,000 holders of doctoral degreesamong its members. Originally organizedto promote creationism, the affiliation hasexperienced an “evolution” of its own tobecome an advocate for theistic evolu-tion.

At an individual level, we can detecta significant shift in the evolution-Creation debate: from a complete denialto a public admission of respect forspecial creation as a viable alternative toexplaining the origin of the universe. Thisis not to say that the discussion is closed;certainly it is not. Those dominating thedebate include Howard Van Till (CalvinCollege), Ernan MacMullin and AlvinPlantinga (both of Notre Dame Univer-sity), Philip Johnson (University ofCalifornia), and William Hasker (Hun-tington College). Van Till, MacMullin,and Hasker are on one corner of the ring,while Plantinga and Johnson stand on theother.

The first group argues for macro-evolution; the second for the inefficiencyof natural selection and the viability ofspecial divine intervention for explainingthe complexities of life on the planet. Thesecond group is not advocating an ex-nihilo creation with a short chronology.This option has, long ago, been rejected,and those who defend it labeled asfundamentalists and extremists. Plantingaand Johnson argue that God should beseen as interacting with the world.

Thus the trend is twofold: first, tofavor progressive creation where divineintervention is required, not only toaccount for the original life forms, butalso to introduce the first individuals ofthe major life groups in a constantlydeveloping creation; second, to movetoward a form of deistic evolution,preserving what Van Till calls “theintegrity of nature.” This means that Godcreated a universe in which His ends forall creatures, except humans, would be

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achieved, exclusively, in a natural way.12

The seriousness of the contestbetween the two groups is seen in thework of MacMullin and Plantinga, whoboth teach at the same university. Theyare on the opposite sides of the debate,writing and responding to each other.While Plantinga argues for specialcreation,13 McMullin is convinced thatall probabilities point away from thispossibility.

The most outspoken voices for arecent, ex-nihilo creation are the publica-tions and media productions of theInstitute for Creation Research (ICR),based in San Diego, California. Theirposition, called “scientific creationism,”is under constant attack by their oppo-nents.

The Seventh-day Adventist Geo-science Research Institute (GRI) has asimilar commitment to Creation,although it differs in some of theirpositions from ICR. The GRI publishesits research and findings in its respectedjournal, Origins.14

But these organizations, for the mostpart, are isolated voices crying in thedesert, to which the leading brains andthe scholarly community, which favorsevolution, are not paying much attention.

Recent publications from Europeindicate that the Roman Catholic Church,which officially endorses theisticevolution, is playing an important role inthe current worldwide debate. Thechurch seems to recognize in natural andbiological sciences new manifestationsof nature’s unity, and is urging itsmembers, as well as calling otherchurches, to correspond with thesetendencies. It is on the basis of these newtrends, rather than theology, that PopeJohn Paul II has made the appeal: “Asnever before in her history, the Churchhas entered into the movement for theunion of all Christians, fostering com-mon study, prayer, and discussions that‘all may be one’ [John 17:20 isquoted].”15 Even evangelical scholarshave supported the papal pronounce-ments.

Important implicationsWhat are the implications of this

trend toward a theistic evolution forSeventh-day Adventists? First, bydenying a six-day Creation, evolutionremoves the basis for Sabbath worship,thus preparing the stage for the world

recognition of Sunday sacredness—partof Adventist teaching of last-day events.

Second, if the Bible’s authority onorigins can be set aside so easily, whynot the authority of its moral law and itsdemands on human life and lifestyle? Ina future void of biblical authority,notions of human will, good, andpurpose, supported by science andhumanism, are likely to dominate muchof life, including worship. As LangdonGilkey has observed: “The most impor-tant change in the understanding ofreligious truth in the last centuries—achange that still dominates our thoughttoday—has been caused more by thework of science than by any other factor,religious or cultural.”16

Third, in view of the subtle on-slaught by evolution on the central thrustof the everlasting gospel, the challengefor Adventists is obvious: a renewed,power-filled commitment to worship andproclamation of “him who made theheavens, the earth, the sea and thesprings of water” (Revelation 14:7).

Fourth, theology can no longerflourish in isolation. Theology’s interac-tion with the sciences cannot be avoided.In the context of the church’s globalmission, we need to look at freshapproaches to people conditioned byscientific method and evolutionarydogma. The Adventist community,including academics, professionals, andadministrators, cannot afford to ignorethe problems related to theology andscience. They need to foster greateropenness toward inter-disciplinaryinterchanges, courses, and researchprojects in this area.

Finally, the challenge from evolu-tion—natural, theistic, or deistic—isreally a challenge to one’s faith. Creationis not optional for Adventists; it is a testof faith. Yes, we cannot fully understandall that is involved in Creation, just as wecannot understand everything aboutredemption. Understanding of both ispossible only through faith. Faith in God.Faith in what God has said in the Bible.As Ellen White wrote long ago: “I havebeen shown that without Bible history,geology can prove nothing. Relics foundin the earth give evidence of a state ofthings differing in many respects fromthe present. But the time of their exist-ence, and how long a period these things

have been in the earth, are only to beunderstood by Bible history. It may beinnocent to conjecture beyond Biblehistory, if our suppositions do notcontradict the facts found in the sacredScriptures. But when men leave the wordof God in regard to the history ofcreation, and seek to account for God’screative works upon natural principles,they are upon a boundless ocean ofuncertainty. Just how God accomplishedthe works of creation in six literal dayshe has never revealed to mortals. Hiscreative works are just as incomprehen-sible as his existence.”17

Marco T. Terreros (Ph.D., AndrewsUniversity) teaches theology as well as scienceand religion at Colombia Adventist University. Hisaddress: Apartado Aéreo 877; Medellín;Colombia.

*All Scripture passages in this essay are from theNew International Version.

Notes and references1. For an earlier discussion of the topic in this

journal, see Clyde L. Webster, Jr., “Genesisand Time: What Radiometric Dating TellsUs” (Dialogue 5:1 [1993], pp. 5-8) andRichard M. Davidson, “In the Beginning:How to Interpret Genesis 1” (Dialogue 6:3[1994], pp. 9-12).

2. See Millard J. Erickson, ChristianTheology (Grand Rapids, Mich.: BakerBook House, 1985), pp. 480, 481.

3. Howard J. Van Till, The Fourth Day: Whatthe Bible and the Heavens Are Telling UsAbout the Creation (Grand Rapids, Mich.:Eerdmans, 1986), p. 247.

4. In theistic evolution, sometimes called“biblical evolutionism,” the evolutionaryprocess is perceived as the manifestation ofthe work of God in nature. In this context,God’s creative work is considered to havetwo aspects: (1) The “foundational aspect,”in which the finite existence of the naturalworld is dependent in a moment-by-moment basis on God’s activity; and (2) the“progressive aspect,” in which newcreatures and new characteristics emergecreatively in the process of evolution. SeeRichard Bube, “Biblical Evolutionism,”Journal of the American ScientificAffiliation 23:4 (December 1971), p. 141.


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5. Van Till, p. 265; see also pp. 249-275 forVan Till’s fuller exposition of what hecalls the “Creationomic Perspective.” VanTill prefers this designation to the term“theistic evolution.”

6. See Brent Phillip Waters, “Christianityand Evolution,” in David B. Wilson andWarren D. Dolphin, eds., Did the DevilMake Darwin Do It? Modern Perspectiveson the Creation-Evolution Controversy(Ames, Iowa: The Iowa University Press,1983), p. 155.

7. The Gap Theory suggests that millions ofyears elapsed between Genesis 1:1 and1:2, and that Creation occurred in threestages: a pre-adamic period when theearth was beautiful; an intermediateperiod in which it became empty andformless; and the “reconstitution” perioddescribed in Genesis 1:3 ff.

8. Geological Ages Theory postulates thatthe Creation days were not literal days butvery long periods of time.

9. The Artistic Theory views the Genesisrecord as a literary and artistic accountintended to convey religious truth but notscientific reality.

10. The Abridged Genealogies Theory claimsthat if genealogies omit generations—assome certainly do—such omissions couldaccount for all the time necessary forevolution to occur.

11. Ernan McMullin, “Evolution and SpecialCreation,” Zygon 28 (September 1993), p.328.

12. See McMullin, p. 325. See alsoMcMullin’s article, “Plantinga’s Defenseof Special Creation,” Christian Scholar’sReview 21 (Special 1991 issue), pp. 55-79.

13. Alvin Plantinga, “When Faith and ReasonClash: Evolution and the Bible,” ChristianScholar’s Review 21:1 (September 1991),pp. 8-33.

14. Readers interested in obtaining a samplecopy and subscription information maywrite to Editor, Origins; GeoscienceResearch Institute; Loma LindaUniversity; Loma Linda, CA 92350;U. S. A.

15. See Robert John Russell et al., eds., JohnPaul II on Science and Religion:Reflections on the New View from Rome(Rome: Vatican Observatory Publications,1990), p. M3.

16. Langdon Gilkey, Religion and theScientific Future (New York: Harper &Row, 1970), p. 4.

17. Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts(Washington, D.C.: Review and HeraldPub. Assn.,1945), vol. 3, p. 93.

Letters…Continued from page 4

Why only three issuesper year?

I am a 24-year-old accounting studentand a great admirer of Dialogue. Thisjournal has broadened my view of theSeventh-day Adventist Church—itsspread, its challenges, and its people. Myregret is that you publish it only threetimes a year. Have you consideredincreasing the number of issues per year?We’ll love it.

HILDA PAISCECO

Hortolandia, Sao PauloBRAZIL

The editors respond:Thank you, Hilda, for your positive

evaluation of our journal. Several of ourreaders would like to see Dialoguepublished more frequently. The fact isthat, in order to control the cost ofproducing the journal, most of themembers of our Editorial Board donatetheir services. This, together with asubsidy provided by the AdventistChurch, allows Dialogue to be given freeto thousands of Adventist studentsattending public colleges and universi-ties. Perhaps some day a generousbenefactor will provide the fundsnecessary to add a fourth issue per year.We’ll also love it.

A powerful force foryoung adults

Within a few weeks I will obtain myM.Div. degree from the Seventh-dayAdventist Theological Seminary and willgo back to the Southern CaliforniaConference, which sponsored mystudies, to continue my work as aminister for the Lord and His church. Iknow of several young adults like myselfwho feel that Dialogue keeps themspiritually nurtured and in touch with theworld of ideas. The articles are current,relevant, and really interesting. I noticedthat even non-Adventist young adults,whether Christian or non-Christian withwhom I have shared the journal, find itappealing. In fact, I plan to share

Dialogue with more young adults withwhom I will come in contact andminister to in my new area of service.Thank you for making this tremendousresource available. I pray that this greatjournal will continue to be a powerfulforce for educated young adults in ourchurch all around the world.

JEFF ROSENTHAL

Andrews UniversityBerrien Springs, Michigan,U.S.A.

Help for campusministry

I’m an Adventist pastor with a largenumber of high school and universitystudents in my congregation, who attendnon-Adventist educational institutions. Ifeel a pastoral burden for these studentsin secular intellectual arenas. Myconcern is to find ways of keeping themin touch with Adventist faith, organiza-tion, culture, and mission. Can you help?

ISAAC SARVO

Ash-Town, Kumasi, GHANA

The editors respond:AMiCUS was established precisely to

provide support, through the worldDivisions, for pastors and churchleaders like you. We have four sugges-tions: (1) Contact our regional represen-tative, listed on page 2, and request acopy of the Sourcebook on AdventistMinistry on the Public UniversityCampus. (2) Send him a list of theAdventist university students in yourcongregation and ask him to include youin the distribution network of Dialogueso that they may begin receiving thisjournal regularly. (3) Consider thepossibility of organizing a local Adven-tist student fellowship for nurture andoutreach. (4) Write to leaders of Adven-tist student associations in other parts ofthe world, asking them for ideas thatwork in their context. You will find theirnames and addresses in the “ActionReport” and “Letters” section of ourjournal. By separate mail you willreceive 30 copies of back issues ofDialogue to help you launch yourministry. Best wishes!

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s his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day” (Luke 4:16, KJV).“Upon this rock I will build my

church” (Matthew 16:18, KJV).The first passage describes a custom

in the life of Jesus, something He didevery Sabbath. He worshiped in theJewish synagogue or the temple. Thiswas a custom the disciples followed lateras they went from town to town on theirmissionary journeys as recorded in thebook of Acts.

The second passage contains apromise: that Jesus Himself will buildthe church where He will be worshipedas the Lord and Saviour of the world.The apostles, even as they worshiped inthe synagogues, spoke much about thechurch as the body of Christ and as thecommunity of the believers in Christ asone sent by God.

That was the apostolic age. Butsince then, history has recorded nothingbut strife and conflict between thesynagogue and the church, between Jewsand Christians.

Is that strife necessary? Shouldhatred mark the relationship betweenthese two communities? Can we try tounderstand and learn from each other?The answer should be “yes” for threereasons: both communities have so muchin common; Christianity can learn muchfrom Judaism; and Judaism can learnmuch from Christianity.

The common groundChristianity and Judaism share

common roots. First, there is the Scrip-ture. Jesus and the disciples had only oneBible: the Old Testament. Indeed, theNew Testament builds on the Old andamplifies it.

Second, there is theology. BothJudaism and Christianity share a com-mon concept of a personal God whocreated our world. The story of the Fall,the call of Abraham, the ethos of thecovenant, the giving of the Ten Com-mandments, and the ethical emphasis ofthe prophets are all part of the commonheritage of the two religious groups.

Third, there is history. The philoso-phy of history that God is in control andthat history is moving toward its climaxon a linear basis is common to bothChristianity and Judaism. The Churchtraces its history to the church in thewilderness, and draws its support and

inspiration from the promises that weremade to the children of Israel. Moreover,the Church grew in the soil of Israel.The first Christians were all Jews whobehaved as faithful Jews. Jesus was aJew. The Old Testament, as well as themidrashim, the Jewish parables, were a

part of His teachings. All His discipleswere Jews. Most—if not all— of theNew Testament was written by Jews,who constantly referred to the JewishScriptures and traditions.

With so much in common, whyshould there be strife between the tworeligions? On the contrary, should theynot be learning from each other?

What Christianity can learnfrom Judaism

The Church can connect to Israeland learn from them their love for theScripture. The Hebrew Scriptures havebeen preserved by the tenacious work ofthe Jewish scribes, who carefully copiedthe ancient manuscripts, and also by thefaithful Jews, who read them throughoutgenerations at the synagogue. Moses,Isaiah, the Psalms, and the Song ofSongs are still chanted today in theoriginal language. Thanks to the Jews,Christians can have access to the Hebrewtext of the Old Testament, to the Hebrewthinking of the writers of the NewTestament, and even to the Hebrewprayers, through which Jesus Himselfworshiped. The role of the Scripture inJewish life and worship is somethingChristians can cherish.

b yJ a c q u e s B .D o u k h a n

The synagogueand the churchWhat can Christians and Jewslearn from each other?

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The Church can also learn fromJudaism the deeper meaning of the Law,the Ten Commandments, the dietarylaws, the Sabbath, and the whole ethicalcode. These have not only been pre-served in writing by the Jews, but theyare also being witnessed to by the peoplewho observe them in their lives. TheChurch needs the Jews to rethink thetheology of the law. Christians tend tostress grace so much that they have oftenignored the value of justice and obedi-ence. Emotions and feeling and thesubjective experience have been overem-phasized at the expense of faithfulness,will, and the objective duty of obedience.

Along the same line, the Churchneeds the Jews in order to rediscover theintrinsic value and beauty of studying theWord of God, as the Word from abovethat has its own truth to be discovered.Too often, the Bible is used to proveone’s point in a theological dispute or asa shallow sentimental inspiration forreligious devotion. True, the Christiancan expect the guidance and illuminationof the Holy Spirit to understand theScriptures, but it is naive to substitute theSpirit to personal searching of theScriptures.

Christians can also learn from theway Jews worship: their reverence of thesovereign God, their respect for theScripture, their corporate singing thatinvolves effort by the mind, aestheticsensitivity, and deep emotions, as well asthe motions of the body. An attention to

these might inspire Christians to maketheir worship services more creative andfulfilling.

Another religious value Christianscan learn from the Jews is the joy of life,the sense of the feast, and the ability toreceive the gift of God in Creation. Fromearlier stages, the influence of Gnosti-cism, especially of Marcion, Christianityhas opposed faith in the God of Creation,the beauty and senses. An attempt hasbeen made to distinguish between theGod of the Old Testament as God ofcreation and the God of the NewTestament as God of salvation. Thisdistinction is sometimes reflected in theChristian theology of Sunday interpretedas the sign of salvation versus theSabbath, a sign of Creation. Thisdualism has influenced generations ofChristians and produced a religion ofsadness that suspects laughter andenjoyment. Christians may learn fromthe Jews to pay attention to their physicalas well as their spiritual life. They canlearn from them a holistic view of life.What they eat, what they drink, whateverthey do affects their total being. Chris-tians, like Jews, can affirm that religionis a way of life and not just a turn of thesoul.

What Jews Can Learn fromChristianity

History has shown that Israel needsthe Church. Christians have made theGod of Israel known throughout the

earth. Christians have translated theHebrew Bible and taken its message toall the world. From Amazon to Africa,from Alaska to Australia, the story ofJoseph and the psalms of David havebeen heard by the simple and thesophisticated people alike. Jewishtheology of particularism has beencomplemented by Christian universal-ism, the latter being responsible fortaking the biblical truth to the ends of theearth. A by-product of this Christianmission is the knowledge of the peopleof the Old Testament and the existenceof Israel. This is one of the most ironicaland interesting paradoxes of history.Without the Church, Judaism might haveremained a small, insignificant, andobscure religion that might well havedisappeared.

The Jews have deliberately ignoredthe New Testament, although it waswritten by Jews even before the time ofthe composition of the Talmud. Jewswould benefit from the reading of thesetexts, for they not only witness to the lifeand belief of the first Century Jews, butthey also contain valuable truths thatmay strengthen and enrich their Jewishroots.

As a matter of fact, Jews well versedin their own Scriptures and tradition mayunderstand the New Testament evenbetter than the Christians themselves,who often project their own worldviewinto them. The Jews will discover thatthe New Testament is not as foreign asthey think. After all, it was written in thecontext of a worldview shaped by theOld Testament. Approached this way,the Jews may even get a better grasp oftheir own heritage. Often the meaningand the beauty of the Hebrew Scripturesare enhanced by the explanations of theNew Testament. The stories of theRabbi of Nazareth, His parables and Histeachings, will surprise them by theirJewish flavor and the high Jewish idealsthey convey.

Grace (hesed) is not unique to theChristian message. Judaism also cher-ishes grace. However, Jews can learnfrom Christians that salvation is notachieved through mitzwoth (law), butthrough the God who comes down inhistory and acts on behalf of His people.Jews need to learn more about theproximity of God, the God who goes sofar as to enter the complex process ofincarnation in order to speak with

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humans, be with them, and save them.Certainly Abraham Heschel thought ofthis reality when he observed that “theBible is not man’s theology but God’santhropology.”*

Learning about God’s incarnation,the Jews will understand better the Godof Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the Godwho spoke face to face with Moses, theGod who fought for Israel at Jericho, andthe God who spoke through the prophets.And this perspective will even bring newlife into their mitzwoth. The law will notjust be performed as a required chore,but it will blossom from the heart as afruit emerging from their personalrelationship with God.

The Seventh-day Adventistmission

The mission of the eschatologicalremnant to witness to the world wouldhardly fulfill itself without reference toits roots. The flower cannot blossom ifthe tree is not rooted: the future cannotbe produced without this memory. Thisrequirement contains a whole philosophyof witnessing. The responsibility tobring the message to the Jews and toother Christians implies the duty torespect them. It is not possible to preachto the Jews while being anti-Semitic;likewise, it is not possible to preach toCatholics while being anti-Catholic. TheAdventist adventure pertains to Jews, toChristians, and to everyone in the world.

We as Seventh-day Adventists areheir to both Jewish and Christian history.We also have the mandate of theeverlasting gospel of Revelation 14. Ourmessage is unique not only because weproclaim fully Jesus and the law, grace,and obedience, but also because wespeak of a definite future to come. Ourmission is not just of a historical nature,to proclaim a past event; it is also of aneschatological nature, to declare acoming event.

Our mission should, therefore, becarried out with humility, openness, andsensitivity, with the consciousness thatthere is always something to learn andreceive from others in order to reach outto men and women everywhere, Gentileor Jew.

Born in Algeria of Jewish ancestry, JacquesDoukhan (Ph.D., University of Strasbourg; Th.D.,Andrews University) teaches Hebrew and OldTestament exegesis at Andrews University. He is

The Ten Points of SeelisbergImmediately after the Second World War, Protestant and Catholic churchmen

concerned with the terrible force of anti-Semitism, which reached its climax withthe Third Reich, met with their Jewish colleagues to focus on 10 issues in order toavoid “false, inadequate, or mistaken presentations or conceptions… of theChristian doctrine.”

1. Remember that one God speaks to us all through the Old and the NewTestaments.

2. Remember that Jesus was born of a Jewish mother of the seed of Davidand the people of Israel, and that His everlasting love and forgivenessembraces His own people and the whole world.

3. Remember that the first disciples, the apostles, and the first martyrs wereJews.

4. Remember that the fundamental commandment of Christianity, to loveGod and one’s neighbor, proclaimed already in the Old Testament andconfirmed by Jesus, is binding upon both Christians and Jews in allhuman relationships, without any exception.

5. Avoid distorting or misrepresenting biblical or postbiblical Judaism withthe object of extolling Christianity.

6. Avoid using the word “Jews” in the exclusive sense of the enemies ofJesus, and the words “the enemies of Jesus” to designate the whole Jewishpeople.

7. Avoid presenting the Passion in such a way as to bring the odium of thekilling of Jesus upon all Jews or upon Jews alone. It was only a sectionof the Jews in Jerusalem who demanded the death of Jesus, and theChristian message has always been that it was the sins of mankind whichwere exemplified by those Jews and the sins in which all men share thatbrought Christ to the Cross.

8. Avoid referring to the scriptural curses, or the cry of a raging mob, “Hisblood be upon us and our children,” without remembering that this cryshould not count against the infinitely more weighty words of our Lord,“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

9. Avoid promoting the superstitious notion that the Jewish people arereprobate, accursed, reserved for a destiny of suffering.

10. Avoid speaking of the Jews as if the first members of the Church had notbeen Jews.

Published by the International Council of Christians and Jews in 1947.

also the editor of Shabbat Shalom and L’Olivier, aJewish-Christian journal published in English andin French. Among his books are Drinking at theSources, Daniel, and Hebrew for Theologians.

His address: Andrews University; BerrienSprings, Michigan 49104-1500; U.S.A.

Reference*Abraham Heschel, Man Is Not Alone: A

Philosophy of Religion (New York:Octagon Books, 1972), p. 129.

If you wish to receive a freesample copy of Shabbat Shalom(English) or L’Olivier (French), sendyour request to Dr. JacquesDoukhan, at the address provided.


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Bertha SaveniersDialogue with an Adventist sculptorin Belgium

Take a block of marble, a hammer, and a chisel, and place them in the strong hands of BerthaSaveniers, 60. Let her imagination and devotion go to work and, behold, we see in action themost creative woman sculptor in the Adventist world.

Honored in Belgium, known in other European countries, Bertha Saveniers has the rare gift ofturning inert materials into radiant symbols of life, faith, love, and hope. To reflect her Creator bya brilliant combination of mind and matter, to leap from a dominant faith to a spell- bindingshape, and to challenge her students to view sculpture as an avenue to construct meaning to life isthe work Bertha has chosen for herself. Her objectives are reflected in the name of her workshop:Bezaleel, after the leader charged with the magnificent work of building, furnishing, anddecorating the tabernacle.

Bertha was born in Borgenhout, near the city of Antwerp, Belgium. She was nine when World War II ended, and, as achild, she experienced the striking difference between war and peace, oppression and freedom, chaos and order. Nurturedin a Catholic home, her life revolved around religion and art. Even as an elementary student, she showed interest in thecreative arts. After completing secondary school, she enrolled in the Art Academy of Antwerp to study drawing andsculpture, and then moved on to the Graduate School of Fine Arts. After 10 years of study, she taught ceramics inAntwerp, and in 1966 began her career as a sculptor and teacher in Mol.

Since then, Mol has been her home, workshop, dream hub, and training center. Her atelier is filled with projects andcompleted works in paper, linen, wood, and marble. Her students come from all over the world. In 1991 she publishedMaranatha, a pictorial profile of her commitment to art and sculpture as they reflect her inner faith.

As an artist, Bertha shows a sublime sensitivity. A smoothness, a gracefulness, and a striving for unity mark hersculptures. Is her style symbolic, representative, realistic, or modern? Hard to categorize, but one thing is certain: She isinspiring, in both her life and work.

■ How did you land in the world of artsand sculpture?

My father died when I was three,and I was brought up by my mother. Shewas a very sensitive and affectionateperson. She loved nature and beauty, andshe wanted her children to develop that

sense of love for nature. Each Sundayshe would take us for walks along theEscaut River, which runs throughAntwerp. She made us familiar with allforms of culture, taking us to historicalmuseums, libraries, concert halls, andtheaters. Early in childhood I developeda taste for the graphic arts. I loved todraw, particularly models of dresses.But I chose sculpture because I loveshapes and forms.

■ Your style is unique. Tell us how youdeveloped it.

I suppose uniqueness is what makesan artist. That is not to say that I am notindebted to other influences. My per-sonal tastes and my teachers gave me agood start. Trips to Italy and Czechoslo-vakia, and studies on Middle Eastern andAfrican art have forged a cultural blendthat has influenced my work. My searchfor God and my commitment to thebiblical message help me to see love,beauty, and unity—factors that haveshaped my uniqueness. I stay away fromart without content and from imitatingthe work of others.

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■ You are perhaps one of the finestAdventist woman sculptors in the world.How did Adventism become part of yourlife and profession?

My mother was a devout Catholic,and she taught all her children to believein and lean on God, whatever thesituation. During the war years, her faithin God came through to us children inmany ways. She showed her religionthrough her love of people and herservice to the needy. I discovered Godthrough her. Later, as a student, I workedfor a Jewish family to pay for my fees.There I saw the difference between theirSabbath observance and our Sundayworship. I wished even then that I couldexperience that joy of Sabbathkeeping.

I became an Adventist after attend-ing public lectures conducted in ourtown. The Adventist evangelist focusedon Bible and archaeology. My artisticinstincts bonded with archaeology, and Istarted attending the meetings. My eyeswere opened to the Bible as never before.I was full of questions and foundanswers there. Soon I became a Seventh-day Adventist.

■ One of your sculptures depicts thesecond coming of Christ. Is this part ofyour Adventist experience?

The life of Jesus always fascinatedme. When I was still a Catholic I did asculpture of the child Jesus with HisMother. Then I depicted His death in a“Pieta.” I did these as expressions ofwhat Jesus meant to me as my Saviour.After I became an Adventist, the passageof Acts 1:1-11, which links the resur-rected and the returning Jesus, attractedmy interest. I reflected over this themeand studied it for seven years. As aresult, I sculpted “Maranatha,” takingseven months to complete it.

■ What is so special about“Maranatha”?

I wanted to emphasize the person ofJesus and at the same time depict Hisglory and transcendence. The result is asculpture of Jesus with His face com-pletely concealed in cloud. I chose whitemarble to reflect His purity and beauty.On His robes I engraved in Hebrew thetitle “King of kings and Lord of lords.” Iused the plates of plexiglass to symbol-ize the distance Paul is speaking of in 1Thessalonians 4, where Jesus is shown as

returning with clouds but not touchingthe earth. But I also wished to point outthat Jesus is coming to welcome thesaved home (Matthew 11:28-30). Isuggest this by having one hand pointedtoward the earth and the other open inwelcome. Finally, I wanted ever to bereminded of the price Jesus paid for itall, and so placed the marks of crucifix-ion on His feet. It’s a complicatedsculpture, but a wondrous one. Ofcourse, it cannot capture all the mysteriesand wonders involved in the person andmission of Jesus.

■ How do you choose your topic?I never know what will be my next

topic. I work on many projects simulta-neously. That way I need not get boredwith one subject. Inspiration for myspiritual works comes from the Bible.They are more difficult to conceive,because they demand a long study of theBible, much prayer, and an intenserelationship with the Lord.

As the year 2000 draws near, Iintend to work on themes related towomen, such as fertility and love, and tryto express the life God makes to shine inthe life of a woman.

■ Are you able to relate your work andChristian witnessing?

I think so. I want my sculptures toconvey a definite message, sometimesmore than one. For instance “Lazarus”teaches both the reality of resurrectionand the deliverance from sin. My worksare spiritual witnesses. Each year,thousands of people see “Maranatha,”“Resurrection,” and “Repentance.” Manypeople find in these sculptures a wonder-ful message of God and His love. Once apriest told me: “Madam, if we were nomore able to preach God’s Word, yourstones wouldn’t cease speaking forHim!”

■ As an art teacher, how do you relateto students?

A teacher of fine art can onlyaccompany his or her students. Mystudents often say that I have taught

them stone, sculpture, and shape. That’sone viewpoint. But for myself, I ammore interested in teaching them threesignificant principles: Be yourself; seekto help people understand what you aretrying to convey; and be an example.

■ If you had only one sculpture to make,what would it be?

Hard question! Every time I under-take a major work, I think that it may bemy last one. However, I have justbought four tons of marble… I amconvinced that it is God who has givenme the talent for sculpture. My hope isthat with Him my creative work willnever stop.

■ As a person, what worries you themost? What brings you the mosthappiness?

What troubles me the most is thechaos we see in society, in families, andeven in the church; the eagerness to seekpleasure, money, and power at any cost.But I find hope for the future. And thathope rests on the promises of God. I lookforward to the plentiful outpouring of theHoly Spirit. When our lives are commit-ted to God, we cannot fail. He gives mecourage to walk every day and be aliving witness of the great deliverancethat only comes from Him.

Interviewed byBernard Sauvagnat

Bernard Sauvagnat works in the Communi-cation Department of the Franco-Belgian UnionConference of Seventh-day Adventists, Paris.

Address of Bertha Saveniers: JacobSmitslaan, 76; 2400 Mol; Belgium.


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Jon JohansonDialogue with an Adventist record-breakingaviator from Australia

July 26, 1995. Oshkosh, Wisconsin, U.S.A. Jon Johanson taxied his self-built RV-4, parked itunder the wing of a giant Quantas 747, and stepped off to a hero’s welcome. He had just flownsolo from Adelaide, Australia, the farthest anyone had ever come in such a plane to the world’spremier light-plane air show. Jon’s lifetime dream had now propelled him into the record books ofaviation history.

But getting there wasn’t easy. His early school days had been tough. He grew up with low self-esteem and self-doubt. “You’ll never do any good,” his teacher once admonished him. Jon admitsthat he found studies difficult, but his heart was set on flying.

Jon grew up in Horsham, a rural town in eastern Victoria, Australia. After completing highschool, he finished a carpentry apprenticeship. About the same time, he spent every dollar he could

spare on the most consuming passion of his life: learning to fly. But he also wanted a profession and chose nursing. On theday he left home to Sydney to begin nursing training, he received his unrestricted private pilot’s license.

After graduating as a nurse, Jon worked as a volunteer in Southeast Asia, then returned to Australia to obtain hismidwifery certificate. He also improved his flying qualifications. A short time later, he went to Darwin, in Australia’s farnorth, to work as a pilot and nurse. It was during this time that his dream to fly to Oshkosh in his own self-built planebegan to materialize. He devoted every possible resource for two-and-a-half years to the fulfillment of that dream.

When he landed at Oshkosh to a tumultuous reception from 200,000 people, his journey had taken more than threeweeks. He returned home via Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, setting a record for circumnavigation of theglobe for his class of plane.

■ Nursing and flying. Do they gotogether?

I love them both. Nursing hasprovided me with a steady income thathelped me with my flying interests. Itgives me an opportunity to be close topeople in suffering. For instance, whiledoing some maintenance on my plane atOshkosh, I saw a man collapse nearbywith an apparent heart attack. Mynursing training allowed me to come tohis rescue. I applied CPR until paramed-ics could arrive. As for flying, I always

loved it, although I never thought I’d beable to do it. I didn’t think I was smartenough or good enough. From my earlydays, I had this problem of low self-image.

■ How come?Schooling didn’t help much. I had

this strange feeling that I was a failure.English was a special problem. I couldn’tspell and didn’t think it was important.As long as one could read, why botherabout spelling? And then there wereteachers constantly telling me that I wasa problem. May be I was, but theirtelling me reinforced that image. When Ileft high school, I came out believingthat I wouldn’t amount to anything. As

far as flying, I never thought I’d even geta license. And to have thought of it as acareer, no way.

■ But things have changed, have theynot?

My flying lessons helped. You can’tfly without that confidence that you cango up in the air and come down safely.You take control of a machine. If youcan do that, you can take control of yourlife. And what’s more, you are not alonein making out in life. As a Christian, Ibelieve God has made it possible for usto achieve. So I have learned to live withwhat people say and go beyond it.Whenever I visit schools I tell thechildren, “When people put you down,don’t get discouraged. Try to analyzewhat they say, pick what is worthwhile,discard the rest, and keep plodding.Never quit.”

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■ Can you recall any particular incidentthat challenged you in this way?

Once while I was working as amidwife, a female colleague said to me,“You men are useless. You can’t evenknit!” I reacted instantly. The next day Ishowed up with wool and needles andstarted knitting. When I finished my firstjumper, the penny dropped. I thought,Hang on, I can’t believe I can do this! Itshowed me that I could do whatever Iwanted to.

I still have trouble, though. I stilldon’t have a lot of faith in myself. But Iturn it to my advantage. On my businesscard I have the slogan, “Once started, toothick to quit.”

■ You have spoken about your faith inGod. You have established flying recordsaround the world. When you arenavigating your plane, do you have timeto think about God?

I’m a fourth-generation Seventh-dayAdventist. In a conventional sense, I’mnot a “good one.” But for me, God iseither everything in life—or nothing. Ichoose to accept God and His leading orI don’t. I could not have done what I’vedone—flying around the world—withoutdivine intervention. I remember the vividfeelings I had flying from Hawaii toCalifornia for 15-plus hours. I saw thesun set and the sun rise. These aremoments when you can’t help but thinkabout God and life and Creation. Allthrough the night I felt something quitetangible, as if I was carried by Him. Tosomeone who doesn’t know God, thatsounds silly. But to me, God is real andpersonal. Hundreds of people werepraying for me. I felt carried by thepower of prayer.

■ Tell us a little more about this globalrecord flight.

This was a long-standing dream. Ibought a RV-4 aircraft kit from acompany in Portland, Oregon. The kit isno more than a set of plans and manypieces of aluminum and boxes with13,000 rivets. It took three years to buildthe plane in a rented workshop, usingwhatever time I could spare after doingnight duty as a nurse. But the plane wasnot fit for long-distance flying, such asgoing to Oshkosh. It needed modifica-tions, and it had to meet various specifi-cations. My first long flight over water

was in February 1995, from Adelaide,Australia, to Auckland, New Zealand.The trip took 14 hours.

Then came the big dream to reachOshkosh. On July 3, I took off fromBrisbane, headed east across the Pacific,with stops at Fiji, Western Samoa,Christmas Island, Hawaii, and Califor-nia. Finally it was Oshkosh to a thunder-ous welcome. Never before had anyoneflown a home-built plane so far to be atOshkosh. From there our flight continuedto Maine in northeast U.S., to Spain,London, the Middle East, India,Singapore, and back home to Darwin.The entire voyage took 71 days and 19hours.

■ Do you still have dreams?There are other things I’d like to do.

One day I’ll build another aircraft—justbecause I want to do it. But one step at atime... My main goal is to share withothers, particularly with children—toshow them that everyone is precious inGod’s sight and that God enables all toachieve, even a person like me who as akid lacked self-worth. Whenever I get anopportunity, I tell young people thatachievement is within their reach. Theycan and must turn every disadvantage totheir advantage.

■ Do you see yourself as havingachieved your potential?

No, far from it. To have achievedsomething that is perceived to be as bigas what I’ve done is exciting in onesense, but in the broader sense, all theawards and accolades I’ve been givenmean little, because they’re accoladesfrom people. In the long run they don’tcount. That’s not to say I’m not appre-ciative. I am, but there’s so much moreto life. What I’ve chosen to do hasbrought this sort of success. But ifsomeone has worked hard to get wherethey’ve gotten, then they’ve achievedjust as much or more than I have.

■ Besides the great success, do yourecall anything special about this trip offlying around the world?

I had several sponsors, both indi-viduals and corporate bodies, and I amvery thankful to them. I acknowledgedthese sponsors by stickers on the plane.But two decals of fish I had stuck on theplane attracted more attention than anyother. People asked me about them. Itold them the fish represent my greatSponsor. You know, fish is a symbolused by the early Christian church todenote their faith in Jesus. I wanted toexpress publicly that I am a Christian.My faith means a lot to me.

■ You wear “Christian” heart on yoursleeve, Jon?

I teach flying to students from allover the world. I overheard one student,a Muslim from Oman, say somethingthat made me realize what I do. He said,“Jon teaches us more than just aerody-namics. He teaches us about life.” I’dnever realized it was like that before.What I consider to be important in mylife shows. And that’s a little frighteningsometimes.

Interviewed byLee Dunstan

Lee Dunstan is an editor at Signs PublishingCompany, Warburton, Victoria, Australia.

Jon Johanson’s address: 53 Winns Road;Coramandel Valley; South Australia 5051;Australia.


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you is good” (Romans 12:2, Phillipps).Jesus illustrated the independence-

dependence motif in the parable of thevine. “‘I am the true vine,’ He says.Instead of choosing the graceful palm,the lofty cedar, or the strong oak, Jesustakes the vine with its clinging tendrils torepresent Himself. The palm tree, thecedar, and the oak stand alone. Theyrequire no support. But the vine entwinesabout the trellis, and thus climbs heaven-ward. So Christ in His humanity wasdependent upon divine power.”2

Here is the most important relation-ship of dependency: “There is no limit tothe usefulness of one who, by puttingself aside, makes room for the workingof the Holy Spirit upon his heart, andlives a life wholly consecrated to God.”3

“If all were willing, all would be filledwith the Spirit. Wherever the need of theHoly Spirit is a matter little thought of,there is seen spiritual drought, spiritualdarkness, spiritual declension and death.Whenever minor matters occupy theattention, the divine power which isnecessary for the growth and prosperityof the church, and which would bring allother blessings in its train, is lacking,though offered in infinite plenitude.”4

Of John the Baptist we are told, “Hecould stand erect and fearless in thepresence of earthly monarchs, because hehad bowed low before the King ofkings.”5 His bold independence wasderived from his dependence on God’sgrace and power. True freedom bowsitself in submission to the One who is theAuthor of life and authentic freedom.

Charles Taylor (Ph.D., University ofMaryland), a former director of the GeneralConference Education Department, serves as astatistician for Adventist Global Mission. Hisaddress: 12501 Old Columbia Pike; Silver Spring,MD 20904; U.S.A.

Notes and references1. Ellen G. White, Education (Mountain

View, Calif.: Pacific Press Publ. Assn.,1952), pp. 13, 14.

2. White, The Desire of Ages (MountainView, Calif.: Pacific Press Publ. Assn.,1940), pp. 674, 675.

3. Ibid., pp. 250, 251.4. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain

View, Calif.: Pacific Press Publ. Assn.,1911), p. 50.

5. The Desire of Ages, p. 103.

Trueindependence

b yC h a r l e sTa y l o r

ndependence! How sweet the sound!Each one of the 236 countries listed by the United Nations cherishes the

concept of national independence, evenwhen local autonomy is the only practi-cal goal in some of the smaller nations.Through the centuries, millions havegiven their lives to secure self-govern-ment for their homelands. Almost everycity of any size in Latin America has astreet named Independencia or bears thename of the date when the countrygained its independence. Practicallyevery country has a city or a state namedafter its hero of independence.

Freedom is one of the five basicpsychological needs of human beings,along with love and three kinds ofapproval from others. Especially in theyears of adolescence is it important todevelop a separate identity. Evenchurches seek to establish their identitiesby achieving independence from a largerreligious body. I have sat in committeeswhere local Seventh-day Adventistcongregations, conferences, and evenunions have debated the need for

I independence, at least in certain matters,from the world church headquarters andits policies.

The academic world values indepen-dence when it gives examinations basedon the honor system, with the teacherabsent from the room. It stresses intellec-tual independence when theses anddissertations are checked for possibleplagiarism, conscious or unconscious.However, it values dependence whenresearchers are encouraged to providefootnotes and bibliographies acknowl-edging other sources of information,going back to generations past.

For the Christian, that dependencereaches beyond history. “We can tracethe line of the world’s teachers as farback as human records extends; but theLight was before them. As the moon andthe stars of our solar system shine by thereflected light of the sun, so, as far astheir teaching is true, do the world’sgreat thinkers reflect the rays of the Sunof Righteousness. Every gleam ofthought, every flash of the intellect, isfrom the Light of the world.”1

Our only secret of survival in ahostile world lies in exercising ourfreedom to choose the source of genuinepower. Christian life is a constantdependence on a power outside our own.Paradoxically, that is the secret ofindependence, of being free from thecontrol of the world around us. Paulspeaks of it in terms of renewal: “Don’tlet the world around you squeeze youinto its own mold, but let God remoldyour minds from within, so that you mayprove in practice that the plan of God for

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O P E N F O RU M ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Dialogue answers yourquestions

worldview can easily affect the interpre-tation of data. Furthermore, scientifictheories often change, and what isconsidered dogma today, may be heresytomorrow. Science used to teach thatmountains were formed by the contrac-tion of the earth as it cooled. Now theprevailing opinion is that they wereformed by the movement of large platesover the surface of the planet.

Caution is warranted in interpretingscientific data. The scientific model of anevolutionary origin of life is in seriousscientific trouble. There are manyreasons to believe in the truthfulness ofthe Bible.

Ariel Roth, Ph.D., Geoscience ResearchInstitute, Loma Linda, California, U.S.A.

Other scientists who believe in arecent Creation point out that very oldrock material might have been here on anempty earth long before the creation oflife during the Creation week, which tookplace a few thousand years ago. Some ofthose old rocks would have been incorpo-rated into the fossil-bearing layers duringthe Genesis flood. Dating the fossils bythese old rocks would give the falseimpression of an old age for youngfossils.

There is some scientific data thatsuggests that the long geological ages ofbillions of years are erroneous. Forinstance, the present rate of erosion ofour continents is very rapid—so rapidthat our present continents would havebeen eroded down to sea level severalhundred times over their assumedgeological ages. Since they are still here,it does not appear that they have existedfor the long time suggested by standardgeological interpretations. Other evi-dence of rapid action can be seen in thelack of evidence for long time periodsneeded for erosion, soil formation, andgrowth of plants at the many localities inthe geologic layers where parts aremissing. At these localities the underly-ing layers should show the evidence ofthe long time implied by the missinglayers. The lack of such evidencesuggests that the long geological periodsnever occurred.

It is sometimes difficult to scientifi-cally test evidences of the past becausethe conditions then could have been verydifferent from present ones. The world-wide flood described in Genesis wouldalter many interpretations. One’s

The age of fossils

requently press reports describe the finding of bones and fossils ofanimals that existed millions of

years ago. As a Bible-believing Christianand a creationist, my impression is thatthey can’t be that old. But I’m not sure.How can scientists determine the age ofthose specimens? How reliable are theirdates?

It is true that newspapers, sciencejournals, and textbooks, as well as mostnatural history museums, suggest thatlife evolved on earth over many millionsof years. This is in sharp contrast to thebiblical account of a recent creation byGod in six days. Many wonder which istrue.

Scientists determine the age of thefossils in a variety of ways, mostcommonly by their position in the rocklayers and their relation to other fossils.The rocks themselves are dated, using avariety of complex methods, the mostimportant being the radiometric datingmethods such as uranium-lead orpotassium-argon. Sometimes thesemethods give the dates expected by thescientists, and sometimes they don’t. Theproblem is that a variety of factors canchange the concentration of the elementsused in determining the dates. Forinstance, a recent lava flow in Hawaiithat was dated historically at only 1801A.D. gave a potassium-argon date of 1.1million years because excess argon wastrapped in the lava. Those who believe ina recent creation by God as described inthe Bible usually explain the old radio-metric dates obtained on the basis ofchanges expected during the upheaval ofthe flood described in Genesis.

F

Open ForumIs there a question you’d like to haveanswered by an Adventist specialist?Phrase it clearly in less than 75 words.Include your name and postal address,indicating your hobbies or interests.Mail your question to Dialogue -Open Forum; 12501 Old ColumbiaPike; Silver Spring, MD 20904;U.S.A. If your question is selected forpublication, along with an answer,you will receive a complimentarybook with our thanks.


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A C T I O NR E P O RT

he Venezuela Adventist StudentsSociety (VASS) was officially organized in 1990 as a ministry of

the Youth Department. However, it hadits beginning seven years earlier. InCaracas, the nation’s capital, a smallgroup of Adventist youth organizedthemselves to provide encouragementand support for Adventist students inpublic universities.

Next in Cumaná, a young Adventiststudying mathematics at the Universidadde Oriente was facing problems inSabbathkeeping and practicing hisAdventist faith and lifestyle. Each day heprayed, asking God to send to theuniversity other Adventist students fromwhom he could draw support. Thefollowing year, several Adventiststudents enrolled at the university, andan Adventist Students Society wasorganized.

Faith and lifestyleSoon the Adventist students’ faith

and lifestyle earned them the respect ofthe university community. Their quietsharing of faith has resulted in thebaptism of 20 fellow students and three

T professors in the past 12 years. IsabelLópez, now a successful professional,remembers those years: “It wasn’t easy.The difficulties we faced required agreat deal of prayer and even tears.Some of us could not complete ourstudies for up to three years because wewould not take exams on the Sabbath;but, praise God, we succeeded! Thanksto the perseverance of earlier students,now Sabbath is no longer a problemthere.”

During the first years, the StudentSociety in Cumaná involved only sevenAdventist students, but they stood firmin their Christian convictions. The firstpresident of the society, saidKasdanouche, not only graduated summacum laude, but was immediately invitedby the university to become a member ofthe faculty.

Growing strongAt present, the Adventist Student

Society has 22 chapters in Venezuelaand the Dutch Antilles, with approxi-mately 1,000 members. They have theirown constitution and regularly electofficers. Once a week, the chaptermembers meet on their respectiveuniversity campuses to have a shortdevotional, listen to concerns they may

A vocal group sings during a recent meeting of Adventist universitystudents in Venezuela.

b yO r l a n d oR a m í r e z

Venezuela:studentswith visionand amission

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Advancein Portugal

n April 1995, a group of Adventistuniversity students and professionals met in Monte Real, Portugal, to take

part in a spiritual retreat and to approvethe statutes of the Adventist UniversityStudents’ Association. Dulce Neto, ajournalist, led in the deliberations.Leaders of the Portuguese Union ofSeventh-day Adventists later endorsedthe document, and now the association isseeking government recognition. Thereare approximately 150 Adventistuniversity students and the same numberof Adventist professionals in Portugal.This year, a representative group willmeet again to develop a plan for futureactivities. Leaders of other Adventiststudent fellowships interested in ex-changing information may contact theassociation through Rogerio Nobrega,counselor: Portuguese Union ofChurches, Rua Joaquim Bonifacio 17,1199 Lisboa Codex, Portugal.

Dialoguein Romanian

he Romanian Association ofAdventist University Students (AMiCUS) and the Romanian

Union recently published a second issueof Dialog Universitar. It contains severalarticles on creation and a full-color artsupplement that originally appeared inEnglish Dialogue. The journal isdistributed among members of theassociation and also used for outreachamong university students and profes-sors. They welcome contacts with otherAdventist student associations throughBeniamin N. Rosca, counselor: StradaPlantelor 12, 70308 Bucharest 2,Romania.

TI

have in their studies, pray for oneanother, and plan future activities.Projects include distribution of mission-ary publications among students andteachers, public lectures, health fairs, andprograms of Christian music on campus.The approach that brings the best resultsis simply inviting their friends to thechapter’s weekly meetings. There theyfind a group of fellow students ready toprovide genuine love, understanding,support, and encouragement to face thedifficulties of university life.

While the situation has improved forour students, there are still challenges:political ideologies, promiscuity,derision from other students, publicridicule from some teachers, and classesand tests on Sabbath. In addition, theyare not allowed to use the auditorium tohold religious meetings. Unfortunately,some of our youth are overwhelmed bythe political and social pressures andleave the church while in school.

A significant roleThe Seventh-day Adventist Church

in the Venezuela-Antilles Union isyoung, with 75 percent of its membersless than 35 years old. Thus the univer-sity students’ role is significant, both intheir involvement with the local churchesand in their outreach on campus. Duringthe past five years, these activities haveresulted in the baptism of 100 fellowstudents and several teachers.

We thank God for the commitmentof these young adults, who have a clearvision of their mission. In the near futurewe hope to obtain the resources neces-sary to provide better support for thisgrowing sector of our membership,including a university chaplain andsufficient missionary publications.

The members of the VenezuelaAdventist Students Society welcomeexchanges with other Adventist studentassociations. They can be reachedthrough the education and youth depart-ments of the Venezuela-Antillian Union:Apartado Postal 78298; Caracas;Venezuela. Fax: (2) 242-2241.

Orlando Ramírez is education and youthdirector for the Venezuela-Antilles Union inCaracas. He also serves as sponsor for theVenezuela Adventist Students Society and Dialoguerepresentative in the region.


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●F I R S T P E R S O N ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

The 1940s were part of the so called“golden era” of Hollywood. Movies hadlanguage and scenes acceptable to familyvalues. At ASTC, they provided analternative to uninhibited parties anddances and often were really educational.So I was surprised when Mary Loudeclined my request. She said she did notgo to movies as a matter of moralprinciples. Her reply was gentle, kind—and stunning! Here I stood in the middleof a post-war social revolution, facing ayoung lady who refused to be a part ofthe usual campus social scene and stoodalone. Her words seemed strange, butstrong.

So, we did the only other thinggoing in town that week. We went to themid-week prayer meeting at the FirstBaptist Church!

My education beginsDuring that summer, I thought a lot

about Mary Lou. One day I received aletter from her explaining more aboutherself. She said she was a “Seventh-dayAdventist.” A “Seventh-day Adventist”?What in the world was that? I had a faintmemory of my grandmother telling of a“Seventh-day Adventist” farmer downthe road who always showed respect fora funeral procession by stopping hisplow and mules in the cotton field,removing his hat, and bowing his headuntil the procession had passed. Well,that’s pretty nice.

Then I went to the encyclopedia andread about a people predicting the returnof Jesus Christ, leaving farms, waiting inwhite robes. Not too good.

I asked the pastor of our interde-nominational church what he knew about“Seventh-day Adventists.” He said theonly thing he knew was that they werevery active in the mission fields. Not toobad.

When the 1948 fall session openedat ASTC, Mary Lou and I renewed ourfriendship. My education continued inpre-med—and Seventh-day Adventists.Not attending movies was a blessing tomy strained budget. Our dates consistedmostly of riding the city bus on the looparound town and back to the campus.Cost? Ten cents each. We were amongthe bus company’s “frequent travelers”that year.

The commitment of onecontributes to the edu-cation of another—inmore ways than one.

n the fall of 1946, I was 18 and readyfor college. My father’s income was modest, and I looked for a place

where the tuition would be low and theeducation would be good. My searchended when I enrolled in Arkansas StateTeachers College (ASTC). The college

I

Theeducation ofa pathologist

b y J . D .M a s h bu r n ,M . D .

was established primarily to train teach-ers, but it offered general courses inbusiness, pre-law, and pre-medicine. Ichose pre-med.

The crucial yearMy freshman year was routine. Then

came 1947, a year that would change mylife forever. That fall, a young high schoolgraduate from the oil fields of SouthArkansas turned up at ASTC. Early in theschool year, Mary Lou Johnson impressedme as pretty, quiet, dignified, and warm.But I did not have the courage to ask for adate until the following spring, just beforethe summer break. I asked her to go to amovie with me.

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Taking the Bible seriouslyMy next lesson came when I asked

Mary Lou out on a Friday evening. Iknew she went to church on Saturday forsome misguided reason, so Friday shouldbe okay, shouldn’t it? Well, Mary Lougave me a study as to how God kepttime—from sunset to sunset. You see,my problem was that I was a typicalChristian who believed the Bible ingeneral. I just didn’t know what it said!

And then there was the matter ofeating, of all things! Once we attended alocal church function for college studentsat which the main bill of fare wasdelicious ham sandwiches. Mary Louchose salad. She said she did not eat porkor other unclean meat. Had she neverawakened in the morning to the aroma ofcoffee percolating in the pot and baconfrying in the pan? Well, it was back tothe Bible again!

During the 1948-1949 school year,our friendship grew closer, and myeducation continued. Although I did notapply any of her “peculiar” principles tomy own life, I began to understand thereasons for her actions, and my apprecia-tion of her character and qualities tookdeep roots in my own psyche.

In 1949 our ways parted. In the fall,I entered the University of ArkansasSchool of Medicine at Little Rock, 30miles away from ASTC, where MaryLou remained. The next two years weredifficult ones, and a real test of ourrelationship. In spite of the distance andthe study load, I hitchhiked to ASTCduring weekends.

By then my personal finances hadreached a crisis. I was able to enter thefirst year of medical school because myaunt loaned me $480, her life savings.But now it was fall 1950, and my motherhad only one sister to come to my aid!Help came from another source, how-ever. I was offered a position as studentassistant in the anatomy laboratory. Butthe work load slowed down my classload, and I had to take an extra year tocomplete my medical studies.

A risk and a partnershipIn the spring of 1951, Mary Lou

graduated with a B.A. degree in homeeconomics. Then she did the only thing Ihave ever seen her do contrary to her

Seventh-day Adventist standards. Shemarried me—a non-Adventist. This wasrisky, and I wouldn’t recommend it toany young Seventh-day Adventist today.

I continued my second year as astudent assistant in the anatomy labora-tory. Mary Lou obtained a job as a first-grade teacher in the county schoolsystem. My lab job ended in the springof 1952, and I entered my junior year asa full-time student. Mary Lou’s incomeput me through the rest of medicalschool.

I received my M.D. degree in June,1954, and three months later our firstchild (a son) was born. Mary Loustopped working and stayed home to carefor the baby. We figured we couldsurvive with my intern’s income of $150per month. In addition, Mary Lou’sfather loaned us $1,000, a large sum inthose days, to help us through the year.

Although I possessed an M.D.degree, I still had many years of trainingand experience ahead before I couldbegin practice as a pathologist. Thesewere not easy years for Mary Lou. Ourfamily increased to three sons and adaughter. I was amazed with Mary Lou’sfaithfulness in observing the Sabbathfrom even to even; taking the children allspit and polished on time to SabbathSchool every week; regularly paying herlittle tithe; keeping the house clean andneat, with drawers full of clean, orderlyclothes, and our table laid out with hot,wholesome, and delicious meals.

A vegetarian by evidenceOh, yes, the meals. In the early years

of medical school, I learned in mybiochemistry and nutrition classes whatmedical science considered to be the bestfoods to promote good health. What Ilearned was identical to the conceptsadvocated by the Seventh-day AdventistChurch under the guidance of a womanwith a third-grade formal education.

As my training in pathology enteredthe 1960s, great advances were made inpreventive medicine. The relationship ofanimal fat to hardening of the arterieswas finally established. The U.S.Government took the official positionthat the use of tobacco was injurious to

health. Overwhelming statistics werepublished, indicting alcohol as thegreatest drug problem in our society. Iwas performing autopsies and seeing formyself the truths of these great healthprinciples of medical science—and theSeventh-day Adventist Church. Eventu-ally my experiences in the autopsy roomled me to become a vegetarian.

The final stepBut the greatest influence on my life

has always been Mary Lou. In goodtimes, bad times, difficult times, she hasstood by me—a loyal and faithful wife, aloving mother to my children, and mybest friend. All along she was patient,kind, loving—a true representative ofChrist in the home. This is what reallyled me to the Seventh-day AdventistChurch.

So in 1962 I decided it was time toclose the circle of faith in our home. Thespring of that year, I followed Jesus intothe baptismal waters and joined thefellowship of His commandment-keeping people. God has continued tobless our home and my professional life.For almost 30 years I have had theopportunity to serve Him at a Seventh-day Adventist medical center in the fieldof my specialty. God is faithful.

J. D. Mashburn (M.D., University ofArkansas) is chairman of the Department ofPathology at Washington Adventist Hospital andan elder at the Spencerville Seventh-day AdventistChurch. His address: 7600 Carroll Avenue;Takoma Park, MD 20912; U.S.A.


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●B O O K S ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

What the Bible Says Aboutthe End-time, by Jon Paulien(Hagerstown, Maryland: Reviewand Herald Publ. Assn., 1994; 159pp.; hardbound).

REVIEWED BY GOSNELL L. O. R.YORKE.

On the threshold of the thirdmillennium, all eyes seem to befocused on the future and the end-time, with the seemingly irresistible

urge to engage in sensational date-setting. Paulien’s book is anattempt to provide a calm, reasoned, and biblically soundresponse to this fascination with the future—a fascination thathas also gripped quite a few members of the Seventh-dayAdventist Church.

The author walks us through the Bible, from Genesis toRevelation. What emerges is a fascinating insight: The biblicalview of the end-time is not the same throughout the Scriptures.Rather, what we find is a progressive view: At the time of theFlood, it was a return to the “good old days” of Creation; duringthe prophetic period, it was the transformation of humansociety, human nature, and the natural world within the contextof the current world order; in the Gospels and Paul, it wasanchored in Jesus; and in the Book of Revelation, influenced asit was by the inter-testamental apocalyptic vision, the end-timepoints to a radically new heaven and new earth.

The author is not afraid to refer to inter-testamentalliterature like I Enoch and the Sibylline Oracles. Neither is heafraid to be creative, as when he deals with some interpreta-tional issues within the Book of Revelation. However, tworelatively minor details left me feeling less than fully satisfiedwith this well-written, semi-popular work. First, the title seemsto promise an exhaustive treatment of the subject when, in fact,the book does not and admits this (p. 95). Second, Paulien’stendency to generalize about Seventh-day Adventists when heclearly refers to middle-to-upper-class American Adventists inmost cases (p. 91).

Overall, I recommend this book as a useful tool to thoseinterested in the basic issues of end-time events—and that’s justabout every Dialogue reader.

Born in the Caribbean, Gosnell L. O. R. Yorke (Ph. D., McGillUniversity) teaches theology at the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton, andedits the Journal of Adventist Thought in Africa. His address: P.O. Box 2500;Eldoret; Kenya.

Book publisher’s address: Review and Herald Publishing Association;55 W. Oak Ridge Drive; Hagerstown, Maryland 21740; U.S.A.

Seventh-day AdventistAttitudes Toward RomanCatholicism, 1844-1965, byReinder Bruinsma (BerrienSprings, Michigan: AndrewsUniversity Press, 1994; 374 pp.;paperback).

REVIEWED BY ENRIQUE BECERRA.

This book is a slightly revisedversion of the author’s 1993 Ph.D.dissertation submitted to the Univer-sity of London. Bruinsma clearly

states the focus of his study: “Why has Adventism been able toshift its position with regard to other Protestant churches, but has(at least officially) not been willing to revise its estimate of theRoman Catholic Church?” (p. xi).

The first two chapters give the necessary background forthe study. First, the author deals with the anti-Roman sentimentsof Protestants in Puritan England and in colonial and earlyrepublican America because of a long tradition of anti-Catholicinterpretation of apocalyptic Bible prophecy. Second, he dealswith the Millerite movement and William Miller’s system ofhermeneutics and his interpretation of Daniel and Revelation,especially where these were applied to Roman Catholicism.

The three main chapters of the book cover 1844-1863, theperiod of Sabbatarian Adventism; 1863-1915, the formativeperiod of Adventism; and 1915-1965, Adventism in its maturestage, until Vaticanum II.

Bruinsma finds that, from 1844 until 1915, Seventh-dayAdventists were not more vehemently anti-Catholic than manyother Protestant denominations. However, from 1915 on, mostProtestant denominations gradually became less judgmental andmore open to the Catholic Church. But Adventists, while beingmore careful in their public pronouncements, have remainedunchanged in their convictions regarding Catholicism as anecclesiastical organization. One important contributory factor tothis position, according to the author, is the influence of Ellen G.White: Once she “had codified these views, it became virtuallyimpossible to re-evaluate them critically, without questioningher prophetic authority” (p. 297).

Bruinsma ends by pointing out two groups in the AdventistChurch today: one seeking to make Adventism relevant to thisgeneration; the other, more conservative, subscribing to tradi-tional interpretation of prophecy. The author concludes, “Itseems to me that Adventists must enter into some sort ofdialogue with Roman Catholics.... Many are unable, or unwill-ing, to see the many different faces of Catholicism in differentparts of the world, or to recognize the tremendous changes anddevelopments that have taken place within Catholicism.... [Thereis a] need for a fresh approach that will re-evaluate the tradi-tional Adventist views in the context of our time” (pp. 301, 302).

The question is, how do we do this and yet retain our

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historical approach to the interpretation of apocalypticalprophecy? The author does not deal with the issue. His focus islimited to Catholicism in Europe and North America. On page300, he even mentions that Adventists have had no need toadjust their attitudes toward Roman Catholics because thechurch’s growth has happened mainly in areas with lowconcentration of Catholics.

Evidently the author has not taken Latin America intoaccount. This area of the world has the largest Catholic popula-tion (more than 345 million). It is also the region where theSeventh-day Adventist Church has grown most rapidly, withadult membership surpassing the three-million mark. Add thisto Adventist members in Catholic countries of Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, and one realizes that more than 50 percent ofAdventist membership comes from countries with a Catholicmajority.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has not changed itsattitude toward Roman Catholicism, not because of a non-critical, traditional, hermeneutical position, but because thechurch still accepts the historical approach to apocalypticprophecy and still believes in Ellen White as a messenger to theremnant. Of course, these convictions will not prevent Seventh-day Adventists from treating every human being with Christianlove and respect, no matter what he or she believes.

Enrique Becerra (Dr. Sc. Rel., University of Strassburg, France) is anassociate director in the General Conference Education Department.

Publisher: Andrews University Press; Berrien Springs, MI 49104; U.S.A.

confronting the church. Johnsson’s treatment of independentministries is helpful, as he shows where they hurt the church andwhere they could be helpful. Such organizations hurt the churchby distorting the truth and distracting members from understand-ing the whole truth. They often manipulate the Scriptures and theSpirit of Prophecy to substantiate their claims. And they tend tobe hypercritical and judgmental about church administration. Yetif they could only direct their energy toward the proclamation ofthe gospel, how effective their ministry could be!

Johnsson is also concerned with divisive theological issueswithin the church. Eschatology is one such, leading to either atheological fever or a burnout, when in fact it should lead ustoward self-reflection and preparedness. A similar sense ofbalance marks his approach to the 1888 message: “When the 1888message captures the hearts of Seventh-day Adventists, the worldwill know it. That’s because grace liberates from competition…[and] will not fragment” (p. 105). He compares truth preservationin the early church and the modern-day church and assures us thattruth will triumph because it can stand investigation.

In his analysis on generational difference, Johnsson refers tothe work of William Strauss and Neil Howe on U.S. generations.He notes that the baby boomers (those born soon after World WarII) tend to lose interest in church. This can be checked by provid-ing them with appropriate roles within the church.

Johnsson is concerned about our educational system. Hesuggests that we can be proud of our young people’s achieve-ments in education, but points out that their critical studies haveled them to different answers and sometimes to fragmentation.Here Johnsson fails to take note of the programs initiated by thechurch’s Education Department such as seminars on integrationof faith and learning whose primary purpose is to tackle thedangers the author points out.

Johnsson fears that the spirit of the age—tendencies towardobsessive individualism, anti-authority and anti-leadership stance,pressure group tactics, collapse of institutions, decline in values,rebellious spirit, and tribalism—have the capacity to rip apart thechurch if we fail to deal with them adequately and in a timelyfashion.

But will the church split? It need not. Drawing from theBible and the Spirit of Prophecy, Johnsson offers the reader threesimple ways to deal with fragmentary forces: help others copewith change; clarify what it means to be a Seventh-day Adventist;and educate the membership on the implications of the gospel.

Useful as it is, the book lacks analytical rigor and concep-tual clarity. Some ideas are vague and lack depth. However, itoffers a useful overview of the dynamics at work and the chal-lenges confronting the church. It orientates the reader to thedestructive forces within the church, offers hope for the future,and helps to project the larger picture of the church.

Edison Samraj (Ph.D., Poona University) is the editor-in-chief of theOriental Watchman Publishing House, Poona, India.

Book publisher: Pacific Press Publishing Association; P.O. Box 7000;Boise, Idaho 83707; U.S.A.

The Fragmenting of Advent-ism, by William G. Johnsson(Boise, Idaho: Pacific Press Publ.Assn., 1995; 123 pp., paperback).

REVIEWED BY EDISON SAMRAJ.

Is the Seventh-day AdventistChurch fragmenting? What are someof the issues dividing it? How willthey impact the future of the church?How can we respond to them?William Johnsson, the editor ofAdventist Review, takes on the

unenviable task of answering these questions.A scholar, a preacher, a world traveler, and trend watcher,

Johnsson keeps close to the pulse of the church from local toGeneral Conference levels. Through this book he shares hisexpertise to alert and to provide hope.

Johnsson begins by highlighting what he calls “the miraclechurch”: membership increase, active youth participation, globaladvance, outstanding personalities, and a unique sense of univer-sality in belief and practice. Then he deals with several issues


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dventist college/university students and professionals interested in exchanging correspondence with

colleagues in other parts of the world:

Francisca Akwaboah: 24; female;single; studying toward a degree in businessadministration with a minor in computerscience; interests: reading, singing, sports,denominational history, and knitting; corre-spondence in English. Address: GriggsUniversity Extension Campus; P.O. Box 9358,Airport; Accra; GHANA.

Teresinha Anella: 46; female;divorced; a Social Security inspector; interests:travel, reading, music, computers, working forJesus, and making new friends; correspondencein Portuguese, English, or Spanish. Address:Av. Castro Alves, 35 - Santa Cruz; Iapira, SP;13970-000 BRAZIL.

Helen P. Araujo: 22; female; single;teaching at an Adventist school; interests:reading, religious music, and volleyball;correspondence in Portuguese or Spanish.Address: Rod. Dom Gabriel P. B. Couto, Km.65 (Dea); Caixa Postal 26; Jundiaí, SP; 13212-240 BRAZIL.

Yesenia Aravena: 20; female; single;studying toward a degree in English atUniversidad de La Serena; interests: meetingnew people, travel, sports, cooking, music,nature, and animals; correspondence in Englishor Spanish. Address: Alonso de Ercilla 688,Parte Alta; Coquimbo; CHILE.

Joseph Arloo: 34; male; a teacher;hobbies: gardening and sports; correspondencein English. Address: S.D.A. Junior SecondarySchool; P.O. Box 28; Bawjiase, C/R; GHANA.

Kossi Awoute: 34; male; married;father of two young sons; working at theheadquarters of the Sahel Adventist Union;interests: Christian music, religious films,reading about the rest of the world, and travel;correspondence in French or English. Address:Union des Eglises Adventistes du Sahel; B. P.2157; Lomé; TOGO.

Sandra Bagah: 27; female; single;studying toward a degree in nursing; hobbies:music, singing, flowers, and outdoor activities;correspondence in English or Malay. Address:#IP Adventist Court, No. 1 Midlands Drive;10250 Penang; WEST MALAYSIA.

Lolivie M. Baricuatro: 22; female;studying toward a degree in English; interests:music, sports, reading, collecting stamps andpostcards, camping, and cooking; correspon-dence in English or Filipino. Address: MSU -Buug College; 7009 Buug, Zamboanga del Sur;PHILIPPINES.

Beverly Sison Baruis: 20; female;single; studying toward a degree in accoun-tancy; interests: camping, travel, spelunking,mountain climbing, music, computers, andmeeting new friends; correspondence inEnglish. Address: Mountain View College;8700 Malaybalay, Bukidnon; PHILIPPINES.

Abraham Binzuwa: 26; male; aminister; hobbies: reading religious materials,listening to gospel music, and preaching the

Adventist message; interested in receiving usedChristian books to study; correspondence inEnglish. Address: Seventh-day AdventistChurch; P.O. Box 073; Takoradi; GHANA.

Amy Burrill: 24; female; single;studying speech-language pathology; interests:learning about various cultures, languages anddialects, hiking, baseball, and travel; correspon-dence in English. Address: 8890 Lawrence Dr.,Apt. 303; Kent, OH 44240; U.S.A.

Ernesto Callo: 35; male; single; atechnician in engineering equipment; interests:marathons, scuba diving, and photography;correspondence in Spanish or English. Address:Correo Central de Miraflores; Lima 18; PERU.

Ana Cruz Ucharico: 25; female;single; teaching language and literature at anAdventist school while studying journalism;interests: music and singing, collectingpostcards and stamps, poetry, and travel;correspondence in English, Portuguese, orSpanish. Address: Casilla 7; Puerto Maldonado;PERU.

Dina Esteves: 43; female; married;working as a secretary at a law firm; interests:music, poetry, and learning about othercultures; correspondence in English, French, orPortuguese. Address: Ed. “Altis”, 3o. “Q”;Cerro Alagoa, Lt. 10/11; 8200 Albufeira;PORTUGAL.

Liris Cristiane Calzado Ferreira:22; female; single; teaching pre-school at anAdventist school, planning to continue studiesin education; interests: reading, Christianmusic, crafts, camping, travel, and collectingpostcards and stamps; correspondence inPortuguese. Address: Rua 4A, No. 359 - VilaAlema; Rio Claro, SP; 13506-661 BRAZIL.

Giselle F. de Oliveira: 21; female;single; studying medical science; interests:reading, singing, snow skiing, practicing martialarts, swimming, travel, and making friends allover the world; correspondence in Portuguese,English, or Spanish. Address: 11 Birch Street;Danbury, CT 06810; U.S.A.

Geraldo Gabliel: 32; male; completeda degree in theology and plans to pursueadvanced studies; interests: swimming, cycling,collecting postcards and stamps, classical andgospel music, and making new friends;correspondence in Portuguese or English.Address: R. Apolinario Cortes, 38; Caixa Postal35; Ouro Preto, RO; 78950-000 BRAZIL.

Ruth M. Gomes: 20; female; single;studying toward a degree in language andliterature; interests: reading, swimming, goodfilms, and music; correspondence in Portu-guese, English, or Spanish. Address: Av.Amazonas 265, Apto. 21; Cohab. Carapicuiba;Sao Paulo, SP; 06327-270 BRAZIL.

Osei M. Joshua: 38; male; a teacher byprofession; hobbies: teaching, reading, andexpanding my field of knowledge; correspon-dence in English. Address: S.D.A. Church; P.O.Box 22; Kintampo, B/A; GHANA.

Mela Robyn Julin: 21; female; single;completing a diploma in nursing; interests:music, animals, collecting stamps, travel,videos, and gardening; correspondence inEnglish or Malay. Address: 1G, Adventist

Court; No. 1 Midlands Drive; 10250 Penang;MALAYSIA.

Rosemary Yaneth Lezcano: 28;female; single; a teacher of secretarial sciencesat Panama Adventist Academy; interests:singing, volleyball, cycling, travel, and workingwith young people; correspondence in Spanishor English. Address: Apdo. 365; David,Chiriquí; PANAMA.

Gilmer Liévano: 23; male; single;studying toward a teaching degree in physicaleducation; interests: travel, good films, mascotsand pets, and making new friends; correspon-dence in Spanish. Address: A A 1428; Ibagué,Tolima; COLOMBIA.

Eva Limbagan: 22; female; single;studying toward a degree in nursing; hobbies:journalism, poetry, playing the guitar, sports,and drawing; correspondence in English.Address: Philippine Union College; P.O. Box1834; Manila; PHILIPPINES.

Christopher J. Makwero: 21; male;single; studying toward a degree in accounting;interests: reading, listening to music, jogging,collecting stamps, and travel; correspondence inEnglish. Address: Solusi University; PrivateBag T-5399; Bulawayo; ZIMBABWE.

Gladys K. Mariita: 22; female;recently married; pursuing a degree ineducation (mathematics and geography) atNairobi University; hobbies: singing, sharingfaith, playing the guitar, and reading the Bible;correspondence in English. Address: Universityof Nairobi - Kikuyu Campus; P.O. Box 30197;Nairobi; KENYA.

Chamululu Mubanga: 35; male;single; studying toward a diploma in adminis-trative management; interests: swimming,Christian music, playing the organ and theguitar, singing, group Bible discussions, andtravel; correspondence in English. Address:P.O. Box 10195; Chingola; ZAMBIA.

Kim Mung: 18; studying at MyanmarUnion Adventist Seminary; hobbies: cycling,table tennis, soccer, and reading; correspon-dence in English or Myanmar. Address:Myanmar Union Adventist Seminary;Mosokwind Road; Myaung Mya Myo;MYANMAR.

Shadrach Myanney: 34; male; anoffice secretary; hobbies: writing and preach-ing; correspondence in English; Address: SouthGhana Conference; Box 803; Accra; GHANA.

Beatrice Rolline Ogembo: female;single; studying toward a degree in homeeconomics at Moi University; hobbies: reading,composing, singing and eventually recordinggospel songs with her group “The LighthouseAdventist Family Choir;” correspondence inEnglish. Address: c/o Mrs. Janett Ogembo; P.O.Box 146; Migori; KENYA.

Nelson A. T. Okenye: 29; male;single; a postgraduate student in commerce atIndore University; interests: music, sports,presenting sermons, nature, camping, andtraveling; correspondence in English orKiswahili. Address: P.O. Box 74; Etago - Kisii;KENYA.

Myrna C. Oligario: 34; female; single;holds a degree in agriculture; hobbies:

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swimming, reading, and singing religioussongs; correspondence in English. Address:Dapdap, Dolores; Eastern Samar; 6817;PHILIPPINES.

Jennipher M. A. Otory: 38; female;single; holds a degree in economics and worksas an employment officer in the civil service;interests: herbal remedies, cosmetology, acting,dressmaking, cooking; correspondence inEnglish. Address: P.O. Box 31282; Nairobi;KENYA.

Adriana Pacheco: 19; female; single;studying special education; interests: crafts,poetry, swimming, and exchanging photos;correspondence in Spanish. Address: 4300 -123; Palmares - Alajuela; COSTA RICA.

Estefenson Eduardo Prado: 21;male; single; studying toward a degree inbusiness administration; interests: playing thepiano, travel, coin collecting, and learning otherlanguages; correspondence in English, Spanish,or Portuguese. Address: Rua Pereira da Silva,330 - Ap. 403; Laranjeiras, Rio de Janiero, RJ;22221-140 BRAZIL.

Nyaniso Qwesha: 19; male; single;studying toward an accounting degree;interests: soccer, reading, and watching TV;correspondence in English. Address: P.Gorvalla Lodge; 3 Brand Street; Bellville; 7530SOUTH AFRICA.

Wenny S. Rosa: 22; female; single;studying toward a degree in secondaryeducation with a major in general science;active in the Movement of Adventist Students(MAS); hobbies: collecting stamps, singing,cooking, reading, and excursions. Address: 009Comique Compound; Sabado Street; PagadianCity; 7016 PHILIPPINES.

Claudia Sansón: 21; female; single;studying toward a degree in educationalpsychology; interests: reading, walking, Biblestudy, sharing my faith, outdoor activities, andpsychology; correspondence in English,Portuguese, or Spanish. Address: Chile 243;3360 Oberá; Misiones; ARGENTINA.

Doris Joy Santosidad: 22; female;single; studying toward a degree in nursing;interests: exchanging stamps, drawing, singing,piano playing, and making new friends;correspondence in English. Address: MountainView College; 8700 Malaybalay, Bukidnon;PHILIPPINES.

Noami Barnabas Sato: 22; female;single; completing a diploma in nursing;hobbies: cycling, jogging, listening to music,travel, and photography; correspondence inEnglish. Address: 1G Student Nurses Dormi-tory - Adventist Court; No. 1 PersiaranMidland; 10250 Penang; MALAYSIA.

Sarah N. Simiyu: 21; female; single;studying at Egerton University toward a degreein education and agriculture; hobbies: sports,Bible reading, travel, and making friends;interested in achieving higher goals and incorresponding with development-consciousreaders; correspondence in English orKiswahili. Address: P.O. Box 43812; Nairobi;KENYA.

Cynthia Anne Simon: 18; female;single; studying toward a diploma in nursing at

Penang Adventist Hospital; hobbies: music andsports; correspondence in English or BahasaMelayu. Address: 1M Adventist Court,Midlands Drive; 10250 Pulau Tikus; Penang;WEST MALAYSIA.

Emma Trujillo: 18; female; single; justcompleted an associate degree in business;hobbies: camping, music, travel, and makingnew friends; correspondence in English orSpanish. Address: # 33 Paraiso Village; CorozalDistrict; BELIZE.

Nana Tuffour: 23; male; single;pursuing a degree in theology with an Englishminor; interests: exchanging photos and makingnew friends; correspondence in English.Address: Valley View College; Box 9358,Airport; Accra; GHANA.

Marcela Alejandra Valdiviezo: 25;female; single; a physiotherapist working at aprivate clinic; interests: helping people,personal development, and expanding theinfluence of the gospel; correspondence inSpanish. Address: Jacinto Ríos 278, BarrioGral. Paz; 5000 Córdoba; ARGENTINA.

Ismael Valenzuela: 37; male; nevermarried; a health administrator, holding amaster’s degree in health services administra-tion and a law degree; interests: churchactivities, reading, water sports, music, travel,and outdoor activities; correspondence inEnglish or Spanish. Address: 99 Main St., #157; Stoneham, MA 02180; U.S.A.

María Magdalena Vásquez: 38;female; single; a public accountant involved inbusiness; interests: reading, music, and travel;correspondence in English or Spanish. Address:Apartado Postal # 215; San Pedro Sula;HONDURAS.

If you are an Adventist college/university student or professional andwish to be listed here, send us yourname and postal address, indicatingyour age, sex, marital status, currentfield of studies or degree obtained,college/university you are attendingor from which you graduated, hobbiesor interests, and language(s) in whichyou would like to correspond.Address your letter to DialogueInterchange: 12501 Old ColumbiaPike; Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600-U.S.A. Please type or print clearly.We will list only those who provideall the information requested above.The journal cannot assume responsi-bility for the accuracy of the informa-tion submitted or for the content ofthe correspondence that may ensue.

Correspondents in China?

F. John Adams, a Seventh-day Adventist who taught English in China, hassent us additional names of several of his former students who desire to establishcorrespondence in English with Dialogue readers. They are planning to graduatein 1996 and become English teachers. Most of them have been given Bibles, buthave only a general acquaintance with Christianity. The mailing address for all ofthem is the same: [Name of the student] Class 9252; Foreign Language Depart-ment; Xaingtan Teachers College; Xaingtan, Hunan; 411100 CHINA.

Deba: 22; female; single; interests:reading, fishing, sewing, gardening, cooking,and making new friends.

Helen: 19; female; single; interests:classical and popular music, reading, stampcollecting, sports, and skating.

Hidy: 21; female; single; interests:swimming, travel, watching TV, reading, andmaking new friends.

Holly: 20; female; single; interests:reading, singing, knitting, cooking, andmaking new friends.

Kathy: 19; female; single; interests:classical and popular music, playing theguitar, painting, poetry, badminton, and travel.

Lucy: 21; female; single; interests:singing, reading, watching sports and TV,travel, and making new friends.

Margaret: 20; female; single; interests:sports, reading, music, knitting, calligraphy,

and travel.Vicky: 21; female; single; interests:

swimming, singing, reading, volleyball, andtable tennis.

Johnson Cao: 21; male; single;interests: sports, reading, swimming, learninglanguages, travel, and making new friends.

Shirley Chen: 19; female; single;interests: reading, music, travel, stampcollecting, flowers, cycling, badminton, andgardening.

Brenda Dai: 19; female; single;interests: reading, cycling, cooking, singing,swimming, stamp collecting, and watching TV.

Daisy Hong: 21; female; single;interests: badminton, volleyball, basketball,table tennis, reading, fishing, and travel.

Nancy Liu: 22; female; single; interests:music and singing, reading, knitting, ice-skating, poetry, and travel.


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F O R Y O U RI N F O R M AT I O N

accountable for the use of this power notonly to global humanity, but also to everyrealm of created life that God hasentrusted to our stewardship. Ultimatelywe are accountable to the Maker of theuniverse who holds us responsible for thecare of each other and of the earth.

When creation came forth from theCreator’s hand, it was “very good”(Genesis 1:31). The genetic endowmentwhich Adam and Eve received from theircreator was without defects. The geneticdiseases from which humans now sufferare not the result of normal variation.They have developed through harmfulmutation. In restoring the human genometo a healthier condition, modern sciencesmay attempt to recover more of creation’soriginal condition. To the extent thathelpful genetic interventions can beconducted in harmony with Christianprinciples, they are to be welcomed ascooperation with the divine intention ofalleviating the painful results of sin.

Any attempt to state comprehensiveprinciples of ethics for genetic interven-tions must confront the complexities of arapidly changing field of science. Sincethe discovery of the molecular structureof DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), knowl-edge of genetics across an ever widerrange of life forms has burgeoned.

Many of the increases in informationand technological ability have beenaccompanied by significant ethicalconcerns. We can only begin to imaginefuture questions that will arise as geneticscience progresses. The complexity of theissues and the pace of change make itlikely that statements of relevant Chris-tian principles will require expansion andmodification as time passes.

One example of an area of rapidchange is genetic mapping. An interna-tional, scientific effort known as theHuman Genome Project is attempting toconstruct a detailed genetic chart, or“map,” of all the human chromosomes.The goal is to provide a comprehensivedescription of the sequence of themillions of DNA base pairs which humanchromosomes contain. Researchers planto use this information to facilitate theidentification and isolation of humangenes, thereby providing a helpful aid inunderstanding human development and intreating human diseases. New detailsabout the identity, role, and function ofhuman genes are continually emerging.

Increased knowledge about the

ecent developments in science and technology have opened new possibilities in genetic engineer-

ing. These, in turn, have created ethicaldilemmas for Christian believers. Aftercareful study of the issues involved,leaders of the Seventh-day AdventistChurch have approved the document“Christian Principles of GeneticInterventions,” prepared by the Chris-tian View of Life Committee of the

R

Geneticengineering:

An Adventistresponse

General Conference. The statement ispresented here for the information andreflection of our readers.

IntroductionMost of the new developments in

genetics are the result of increasedknowledge concerning the fundamentalstructure of genes, not only in humansbut throughout all the realms of life onearth. Among these developments aregenetic mapping, new means for genetictesting, new possibilities for geneticengineering, and a variety of eugenicstrategies that would have been unimag-inable only a few years ago. In short,new genetic knowledge has producedunprecedented power. With that powerhas come the potential for immense goodor harm. And with such great power alsocomes great responsibility. From thestandpoint of the Christian faith, we are

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identity of human genes has given rise toa variety of new possibilities for genetictesting. In the past, genetic informationabout an individual was largely inferredfrom the person’s family history orclinical observations of the person’sphenotype, or physical expressions of aperson’s genes. Today, a growingnumber of sophisticated genetic analysesmake it possible to identify defectivegenes that cause genetic diseases such ascystic fibrosis, Huntington’s Chorea, andsome types of cancer. Many of thesetests can now be performed prenatally.The potential exists for identifyinghundreds of genetic characteristics,including a wide range of geneticdisorders.

A further result of basic geneticknowledge is the capacity to alter genesintentionally, or genetic engineering.Through the use of enzymes which areable to excise specific segments ofgenes, it is possible to change the geneticmakeup of cells by deliberately inserting,removing, or changing specific genes.Genetic engineering presents astonishingnew possibilities, including the transferof genes across biological boundaries,such as from animals to plants. Thepotential for improving life forms seemsendless. Genetically engineered plants,for example, can be made more produc-tive, more resistant to diseases, or lesssusceptible to internal processes ofdecay.

Genetic engineering has directlybenefited human medicine. It has madepossible, for example, the production ofhuman insulin and human growth factor,neither of which was previously obtain-able in sufficient quantities. Geneticengineering also makes it possible totreat diseases through genetic alteration.With this type of treatment, a patientwhose cells have missing or defectivegenes receives needed genetic material.No one knows how many geneticdiseases may eventfully be treated in thisway, but initial successes with diseasessuch as cystic fibrosis give hope thatother genetic disorders may be treatable.

Increased genetic knowledge alsoproduces new possibilities for eugenics,or endeavors to improve the gene pool ofvarious species, including human beings.In broad terms, such attempts fall intotwo categories. Negative eugenics usesstrategies whose goal is to preventharmful genes from being inherited.

Positive eugenics uses strategies whosegoal is to promote the transmission ofdesirable genes. An example of negativeeugenics, common in the past, is thesterilization of individuals considered tohave defective genes capable of beinginherited. An example of positiveeugenics is artificial insemination bydonors who have been selected for traits,such as high intelligence, that aredeemed desirable.

Ethical ConcernsIn order to provide focus, it is

helpful to consider a sampling of currentethical concerns for which we seek tostate Christian principles These concernscan be placed in four basic categories:the sanctity of human life, the protectionof human dignity, the acceptance ofsocial responsibilities, and the safekeep-ing of God’s creation.

Sanctity of human life. If geneticdeterminism reduces the meaning ofhumanhood to the mechanistic outworkings of molecular biology, there isserious potential for devaluing humanlife. For example, new capacities forprenatal genetic testing, including theexamination of human pre-embryos priorto implantation, generate questions aboutthe value of human life when it isgenetically defective. How serious musta genetic defect, prenatally diagnosed, bebefore it is an ethically legitimate reasonfor discarding a pre-embryo or forinducing an abortion? Some conditions,such as trisomy 18, are generally deemedincompatible with life. But the relativeseriousness of most genetic defects is amatter of judgment.

Protection of human dignity. Theprotection of personal privacy andconfidentiality is one of the majorconcerns associated with the newpossibilities for genetic testing. Knowl-edge about a person’s genetic profilecould be of significant value to potentialemployers, insurance companies, and tothose related to the person. Whethergenetic testing should be voluntary ormandatory, when and by whom thetesting should be done, how much andwith whom the resulting informationshould be shared are matters of signifi-cant ethical concern. Difficult decisionsmust be made about whether there areexceptions to the usual expectation ofconfidentiality and privacy when personsmay suffer considerable harm because of

a lack of information. At stake is theprotection of persons from stigma andunfair discrimination on the basis of theirgenetic makeup.

Another cluster of concerns relatedto human dignity stems from the possi-bility of intentionally altering the humangene pool. Medical interventions forgenetic diseases may be aimed either atthe treatment of bodily cells that aregenetically defective or at the alterationof reproductive cells. Changes in humanreproductive cells could become apermanent part of the human gene pool.Interventions may also extend beyondthe treatment of disease and includeattempts to enhance what have formerlybeen considered normal human charac-teristics. What are the implications forthe meaning of being human, forexample, if interventions aimed atenhancing human intelligence orphysique become available?

Acceptance of social responsibili-ties. The power that results from newgenetic knowledge also raises concernsabout the ethics of social policies and theboundaries between individual libertiesand social responsibilities. For example,should society develop policies designedto encourage either positive or negativeeugenics? Should individuals withserious genetic disorders be given fullprocreative liberty? Another area ofsocial concern has to do with the use ofsociety’s resources. Questions can beraised about the amount of socialresources that should be spent forinterventions in human genetics whenmore basic health care is not fullyavailable. Other questions arise concern-ing the distribution of the benefits andburdens of genetic interventions and howthey will be shared by rich and poorwithin society.

Stewardship of God’s creation. Asthe powers of genetic engineering arefurther developed, many changes couldbe made in various species that inhabitthe earth. These changes have thepotential for being both permanent and,to some degree, unpredictable. Whatlimits to genetic change, if any, shouldbe accepted? Are there boundaries thatshould not be crossed in transferring


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genes from one life form to another? Wemay hope that genetic changes areintended to enhance life on our planet.

But there are reasons for concern.For example, consideration has alreadybeen given to genetic alterations for thepurpose of developing new biologicalweapons. The exploitation of other lifeforms for purposes of military security oreconomic gain should call forth careful,moral scrutiny.

It is with ethical concerns like thesein mind that we state the followingChristian principles for genetic interven-tions.

Principles1. Confidentiality. Christian love

requires that trust be maintained inhuman relationships. The protection ofconfidentiality is essential to such trusts.In order to safeguard personal privacyand protect against unfair discrimination,information about a person’s geneticconstitution should be kept confidentialunless the person elects to share theknowledge with others. In cases whereothers may suffer serious and avoidableharm without genetic information aboutanother person, there is a moral obliga-tion to share the needed information(Matthew 7:12, Philippians 2:4).

2. Truthfulness. The Christianobligation to be truthful requires that theresults of genetic testing be honestlyreported to the person tested or toresponsible family members if the personis incapable of understanding theinformation (Ephesians 4:25).

3. Honoring God’s image. In all ofGod’s creation, only human beings werecreated in the image of God (Genesis1:26, 27). The Christian acknowledg-ment of God’s wisdom and power increation should lead to caution inattempts to alter permanently the humangene pool (Genesis 1:31). Given currentknowledge, genetic interventions inhumans should be limited to treatment ofindividuals with genetic disorders(somatic cell therapies) and should notinclude attempts to change humanreproductive cells (germ cell alterations)that could affect the image of God infuture generations. All interventions inhuman beings for genetic reasons shouldbe taken with great moral caution andwith appropriate protection of human lifeat all stages of its development.

4. Prevention of suffering. It is aChristian responsibility to prevent orrelieve suffering whenever possible(Acts 10:38, Luke 9:2). For this reasonthe primary purpose of human geneticintervention should be the treatment orprevention of disease and the alleviationof pain and suffering. Because of thetendencies of sinful human nature, thepossibility of abuse, and unknownbiological risks, attempts to modifyphysical or mental characteristics withgenetic interventions for healthy personswho are free of genetic disorders shouldbe approached with great caution.

5. Freedom of choice. God valueshuman freedom and rejects the way ofcoercion. People who are capable ofmaking their own decisions should befree to decide whether or not to be testedgenetically. They should also be free todecide how to act on information thatresults from testing, except when othersmay suffer serious and avoidable harm.It may be the morally responsible choice

to avoid known risks of serious congeni-tal defects by forgoing procreation.While such decisions about procreationand genetic testing are deeply personal,they should be made by the individualwith due consideration for the commongood.

6. Stewardship of creation.Safeguarding God’s creation includesesteem for the diversity and ecologicalbalance of the natural world with itscountless species of living creatures(Genesis 1). Genetic interventions withplants and animals should show respectfor the rich variety of life forms. Exploi-tations and manipulations that woulddestroy natural balance or degrade God’screated world should be prohibited.

7. Nonviolence. Using geneticmanipulation to develop means ofwarfare is a direct affront to Christianvalues of peace and life. It is morallyunacceptable to abuse God’s creation bychanging life forms into weapons ofdestruction (Revelation 11:18).

8. Fairness. God loves all humanbeings, regardless of their perceivedsocial status (Acts 10:34). The benefitsof genetic research should be accessibleto people in need without unfair dis-crimination.

9. Human dignity. Created in God’simage, human beings are more than thesum of their genes (Genesis 1:27, Acts17:28). Human dignity should not bereduced to genetic mechanisms. Peopleshould be treated with dignity andrespect for their individual qualities, andnot be stereotyped on the basis of theirgenetic heritage.

10. Healthfulness. Christians have aresponsibility to maintain the health oftheir bodies, including their genetichealth (1 Corinthians 10:31). This meansthat Christians should avoid that which islikely to be genetically destructive tothemselves or to their children, such asdrug abuse and excessive radiation.

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E T C E T E R A ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Parable

© by Guido DelameillieureCollonges-sous-Saleve, France

Exegesis: Love—inGreek, Agape.

These intellectuals!All talk and no action.

In this worldnone of us canescapesuffering…

It clearly differs from filial loveand eros love…

Because God is Love.1 John 4:16

This is a keyword in

theologicaldiscourse.

Their “Love” is a joke.

But we must have faithin God.

They have no ideaof what it is!

Dialogue for you, free!If you are a Seventh-day Adventist student attending a non-Adventist

college or university, the Church has a plan that will allow you to receiveDialogue free while you remain a student. (Those who are no longerstudents can subscribe to Dialogue, using the coupon on page 16.) Contactthe director of the Education Department or the Youth Department in yourUnion and request that you be placed in their distribution network for thejournal. Include your full name, address, college or university you areattending, the degree you are pursuing, and the name of the local church ofwhich you are a member. You may also write to our regional representa-tives at the address provided on page 2, with a copy of your letter sent to theUnion directors listed above. In North America, you can phone us toll freeat 1-800-226-5478, fax us at (301) 622-9627, or send an E-mail message viaCompuServe: 74617,1231. If these contacts fail to produce results, write tous at our editorial address.

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