What do Seventh Day Adventists believe in?

Question

So I live in Arizona and I'm moving soon to another area. Mostly where I am there are basic Christians of all groups, and the LDS. Rarely do I ever see the Adventists, but I saw a sign for their church near my new house.
I like learning about new religions, but I'm not even sure what thye believe or if I would be welcome to ask them. Is anyone here a member of the church, or know what they believe? Are they just another Christian denomonation, or something else?

And any comments that are mean about the Adventists can be kept to yourself. I just want to know what their beliefs and practices are from them or people that have experience with them, I don't care if you like them or not.

Answer 1

I was an Adventist for almost 5 years and following is just a basic of what they believe.

1. The 7th day Sabbath
2. The food laws all the way back to the beginning (No Meat at all) all though there are some who do eat eggs and even fish but not many (this is an individual choice-not advertised to others).
3. They believe Ellen G. White was a Prophet.
4. This part (in #5) I am really not sure of since I left right after it happened (I can only tell you why I left)...
5. I was a member of a large church in Central California and even though at the time I could accept Mrs. Whites teachings as good to live by and maybe she was a Prophet, what I could not accept was the fact that (that) perticular church started calling her writtings "the Holy Scripture" and "Scripture" readings became more and more from her writtings instead of the Bible.
6. That was back in 1984 and like I said I don't know if all the SDA accepted or now accepts that or not.
7. I Still believe some of what they taught and as an Independent Pastor/Missionary I have no problems with those and that includes much of the Revelation teachings though I vary a little on that.

I hope that little bit helps you some.

Oh and by the way the SDA is where I learned the sacradness of "FootWashing" even I had been a Christian before I had no idea the sacredness and meaning behind "footwashing"...it is so beautiful when done with the right heart and meaning.

Answer 2

There are websites and books which talk about what we believe. The main thing that is different is that we observe the Sabbath the same way that Jesus taught us to...not legalistically as the Pharisees did, but joyfully with fellowship and relaxation. Often, we will volunteer to help others on Sabbath, but not for personal gain.
There is a good feeling, a peace that passeth understanding on Sabbath. We leave all our week long worries and cares at the threshold of Sabbath, Friday at sunset; we can pick them up afterward...I usually don't until Sunday morning...I enjoy time with my family on Sabbath....
SDA's maintain the doctrines based on the Holy Bible, and we don't observe the traditions of man in the same way as a holy day should be....
I don't know which church the former SDA member was attending but E G White's writings are not holy scriptures, and should never have been called that. I have attended some really weird SDA churches in my time too...but they're certainly not the expected norm. I am a fifth generation SDA member. I did many Bible studies, and compared what I learned with other churches...that's why I have not left the SDA denomination.
We believe that in the last days (which we seem to be in), many people will be called out of confusion to follow truth. There is a lot of confusion in Christianity today...the main reasons are not because people interpret the Bible differently, but because people want to add their own ideas, and traditions to replace what the scriptures say.
Most of the other answerers have given you true answers.

Answer 3

*raises hand* In theory, yeah we are vegetarian and all that, but not all are. We have a reasonable emphasis on health but its not like you're sinning if you eat meat..Some places are more strict than others tho
Yeah, its another Christian denomination. Main differences as already pointed out include that we have sabbath instead of church on sunday.I like taking a day out to focus back on God and not feel guilty about the other stuff that needs to be done- we don't do work, no.. but I wouldn't want to :) It might sound wierd, but as long as you don't get legalistic about it, it can be quite nice. We also believe that when you die, you wait in the grave until jesus comes and collects everyone at once- and there isn't an eternally burning hell, its just the effects that are eternal. Ie, once its burnt, it ain't coming back.. Um.. Baptism by immersion? Trying to think of main differences. Communion (footwashing, eucharist) 4 times a year.. I don't know.The basic stuff like God, the Bible, Trinity, Jesus, Salvation, Heaven, all pretty similar.You would be most welcome to ask them anything as far as I know.. although some people will be easier to work with :) I think the official main site (below) has stuff, but its fairly comprehensive and might take some wading through. The local church may have its own website if you wanted to ask them anything. Hope that gives you a bit of an overview

Answer 4

Hello! As an individual who grew up as a Seventh Day Adventist and attended one of their private schools, I am certainly qualified to answer your question. Their main difference with other religions is they believe Saturday is the Sabbath (seventh day). They also do not believe in eating meat, and; Pork is a sin. You cannot become a member of their church if you smoke, drink, or eat pork. They also frown on jewelry and dancing. They are basically good people at heart, for the most part. I do not agree with several of their beliefs, mainly the one about not being allowed to become a member if you smoke, drink, etc. Jesus said: "Come as you are!" Then again; I do not agree with the catholics not allowing priests to marry either since the apostle Paul specifically spoke against this in his letter to Timothy (1st Timothy 4:1-4. Oh! They also observe the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday; STRICTLY!!! You cannot leave church and go to work on Saturday.

Answer 5

Ahh.. having been a Seventh-day Adventist all of my life, I think I can help.

First of all... yes! You can go to the church. They will welcome you with open arms. If they don't, find another SDA church!!!

There are 28 fundamental beliefs in the Seventh-day Adventist church. There used to be 27, but I guess they added one here recently (grin). I am not going to list them all, but check out the website below to find out more.

Then GO... go visit. You'll have to go on a Saturday tho. SDA's believe that Saturday is the Sabbath of the Bible. It is the 7th day of the week... and they follow the 10 commandments on that one. History shows that it was changed to the 1st day of the week by Constantine in order to "marry" the pagan religions with the Christian community... it was his attempt to "unite" the world and thus be able to rule both religious factions. SDA's stick to the Biblical Sabbath because they believe it was never changed by God.

The other most basic belief of the SDA church is in the Advent. We believe that Christ's promise to return to this earth to take His people home (heaven) with Him was literal. We believe that prophecies in the bible point to this second coming (advent) of Jesus Christ... even tho no man knows the hour or day Christ will return.

The rest of the 26 tenants are basic protestant beliefs... but I'll let you read them for yourself!

SOME MYTHS that need to be addressed:
It is not a requirement to be vegetarian to belong. This is merely a lifestyle choice of some SDA's (and Buddhists, and Atheists for that matter)
It is not a requirement that you give up all sorts of "fun." I have lots of fun in my life, enjoy secular as well as gospel music, watch the occassional R rated movies (but only if it is a good one... lol), and enjoy my life!!! Amazing how Christ associated with sinners isn't it???
It is not a requirement that you stop wearing jewelry. Some very conservative SDA churches do not condone a lot of outward adornment... but it is not a "condition" for salvation by any means!

Now - get up tomorrow morning and go!! Enjoy the service. And honey, if THAT particular church doesn't appeal to you, find another SDA church. They are as different as night and day... some are conservative, some are liberal, some are middle of the road.... find the one that makes you feel like you are part of the family, like you are getting a blessing every time you sit down in the pew, and welcomes you into their church! You deserve that from ANY church... not just SDA!!!

Answer 6

The SDA are a conservative denomination, they believe the Sabbath laws still apply, and that the Sabbath is truly on Saturday (hence the Seventh Day). They also are strict vegetarians and keep the laws of the Old Testament, in particular the Sabbath and dietary laws. They tend to be hostile to the Catholic Church and often consider themselves the only members of the true church.

Overall they are good people and very devout. Trust me, never drive with a SDA I almost got in a car wreck with them because he slammed on the breaks because the light turned yellow/orange.

They're good people though. I see no harm in them keeping the dietary laws, and I actually like their idea of the Sabbath on Saturday. But their insistence on the SDA church being the only true church upsets me. I consider all Christians my brethren.

Answer 7

There's one behind my house and I was wondering the same thing. I don't know what they believe but I wanted to answer your question to watch the answers you get. I like the idea of worshiping on the original Sabbath. God bless!!

Answer 8

This is a works based religious system of belief that imputes an imperfection / inadequacy in the work of Christ to procure salvation; i.e. you have to earn your place in heaven by conforming to their laws of observance - which are an unholy hybrid of OT laws and Ellen White s .... imagination...

Answer 9

there just another christian denomonation.there view on the holy spirit is different though.and they worship on saturday not sunday.