Are the Seventh -Day Adventists a cult?

Question

I have struggled with this church for years ,and recently returned ,however there are too many restrictions that make me feel like God does not want me to enjoy life. Please can anone shed some light on this for me.

Answer 1

A cult typically has a charismatic leader with extreme authoritarian rules.



The Seventh-Day Adventists are governed by a General Conferance elected by church members from every region of the globe under a democratic process similar to any other in the western world. The President of the Seventh Day Adventist church is voted in by members of the General Conferance.



Every organised religion has rules that govern membership. The Adventist church can be conservative by nature. The rules that apply for them may seem tough for people more accustomed to doing what they want when they want. The fact you may like or dislike those rules does not necessarily make that religion a cult. In every religion there are people that are strict adherants to the letter of the law and those that aren't. It largely depends on the culture of the community where you are.



My advice to you - if you want to be a Christian then follow the template set out by the life of Jesus. If you don't want to be a Christian then don't. You need to figure out what you really believe and stand by it. The Adventist church takes its principles and rules directly from the Bible. If you wish to query those rules, then ask somebody in the Church to show where those rules are backed up by the Bible. Jesus life is the template all Christians should follow, whatever their interpretation. So when you lose your way - that is where you go.



The question you need to ask yourself is this - what is more important - doings things purely for self, or following jesus example. It is your faith, and your conscience - choose wisely.

Answer 2

I used to be a Seventh-Day Adventist. In some of their teachings they, I believe, are right. for example, the Sabbath day (saturday) as the day for worship, and if I ever find a evangelistic church that worships on the Sabbath, I would like to know more. However, the SDA's are very leagalistic and as you know keep all the laws including dietary laws. I sometimes think that they have taken parts of the NT which do not fit in with their vision, and thrown them away. For example, Mark 7:18,19. It is not what goes into the body that makes a man unclean... Acts 15:28,29. The letter from the council in Jerusalem to Gentile Believers. Acts 10:9-16. The vision of Peter.

They take the claims of James 2:14-25, faith without works is dead. they emphasis works and faith but not Grace by which all believers are saved. The problem with this approach is to present the act of Grace as being insuffecient and therefore needs the work of mortal man to supliment it. This is what I could not agree with.

I notice that in one of the replies an Adventist has said to look at what Jesus did. Good advice, providing the cotent is in the right context. By this I mean, the SDA, and sometimes the Church on the whole, forget that Jesus was not a Christian, he was born a Jew and was therefore subject to the laws as given to Moses, that is he was subject to the old covenant which we believe was renewed through Jesus. Which means we are not subject to the old but to the new covenant as given us by Christ.

When I came out I had problems, in what I actually believed in, because the doctrination is quite powerful, a little like ex-JWs expeirence when they come away from their church.

Answer 3

In that they follow the teachings of and venerate one person (Ellen White) they have some cultic charactaristics. However, the True Church of God is ALWAYS going to be called a cult by those who are following false christs and false doctrines.



There is a movement in the SDA Church to move towards even more Biblically based worship in that some of them are coming to see that not only the Sabbath and the dietary laws are binding on all God's people, but the Feasts of the Eternal are binding too.



Christians should worship God on the

day(s) HE made holy and not a day(s) that the RCC adopted from paganism.



The list of worship days should include:



7th Day Sabbath (Sunset Friday to Sunset Saturday)



Passover



Days of Unleavended Bread



Pentecost



Trumpets



Atonement



Feast of Tabernacles



Last Great Day



For an introductory study into the validity of these days in Christian worship please go to the following link:



http://www.ucg.org/booklets/HD/



http://media.pcog.org/en/Literature/PAG_EN_05.pdf

Answer 4

Any non Adventist is going to say yes and every Adventist is going to say no. So the best thing to do is go to their website and decide for yourself. Also it depends on your definition of a cult. If size of a church is your definition, then every christian group at some point was a cult. If not following whats in the bible and instead following the view points of some mysterious leadership is your definition, then the Catholic church and followers of televangelist are the biggests cults in the world.

Answer 5

Seventh-day Adventists are Christians! Technically speaking, all of Christianity is a cult in that we are devoted followers of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.



Unfortunately, "cult" is a word that is often carelessly used, misused and/or used to defame someone with whom one disagrees.



The primary dictionary definition of "cult" actually applies to nearly all religions and/or faiths:

1: formal religious veneration: worship

2: a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also its body of adherents.



Most often only the 3rd (primarily), and 5th definitions are actually what is intended:

3: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also: its body of adherents

4: a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator (health cults)

5 a: great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work.



All forms/systems of religions and religious faiths have certain "standards" or belief systems by which those who choose to associate with the group agree to and accept. (The same is basically true for many social organizations, such as clubs, political parties, philanthropic organizations, etc., etc.)



A number of Christian denominations and even other non-Christian religious faiths require or request one or more beliefs and/or standards in common with the Seventh-day Adventist church.



Because the Seventh-day Adventist church is a well-established, organized Protestant denomination, accordingly, it is inaccurate to refer to us as a "cult" in the negative way.



As for your personal struggle -- I believe that God does want us to enjoy life - but that He has laid a framework within which we can both be happy and be in harmony with His will for our lives!



I believe that every human being has at least one "fatal sin" (some of us struggle with more) - it is the one sin that we struggle with, and which is hardest for us to let go of. God, however, wants 100% of us. Whether you were a Seventh-day Adventists or not - only you can decide whether you want to follow God's plan for your life or not!



Finally, this is too important an issue to leave up to Yahoo! Answers!! It is a matter of eternal life and death.

Answer 6

They used to be considered a cult, but I think that they have

changed a lot of things & are now more in line with christianity

So no I do not think they are now a cult, we all have a long way to go, & no one congregation has the whole truth.

Answer 7

AQny group that imnsist writings other than Scripture are essential is a cult. God DOES mean you to enjoy life. Grace is free.

Answer 8

No, the Seventh-Day Adventists are a Protestant Sect of Christianity.

Answer 9

I don't know if they're a cult, but if you're not comfortable there, then you should listen to your gut and not remain somewhere that doesn't seem right.

Answer 10

all religions are cults, its their size that varies.



They all tell everyone they are evil if they dont follow their rules etc..

Catholic church, is the biggest, Islam is one too, if you speak against it look what happens.



What right does any society or person have to tell you how to live your life, when there is zero proof, do give any church, religion your money, they are living off you.



Just leave the church and do what you want to. Does not mean you are a bad person unless you do bad things. Imagine if all that time you wasted in church was spent helping those in need, would that not be better.

Answer 11

Define a cult.

.

Answer 12

Felt same way about school, so I dumb as snot.

Answer 13

I would consider them on the fringes of Christendom. They tend to be very legalistic, which can be poison to a believer saved by grace. If you are not being fed there and believe you belong elsewhere, leave, find a good, solid Bible believe, grace filled, Bible teaching assembly.

Answer 14

I consider them to be a cult - they have no tolerance for the beliefs of others, and no tolerance of their own who have questions of faith

Answer 15

I consider them to be one. I recommend you leave for your own happiness.

Answer 16

As being in the Seventh Day Adventist Church 6-1/2 years; I have struggled with them too. As being in it; I did learn some new stuff, but at the end of the 6-1/2 years the SDA's were doing things opposite of God's Word that they shouldn't of, so I believe they are a cult. (Cults try to control you)

{Definition of Cult} http://members.aol.com/carol2180/wcult.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult

{SDA's a cult?}

http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en&client=pub-6807258685122891&channel=9400434304&cof=FORID%3A1%3BGL%3A1%3BS%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%3BL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fintl%2Fen%2Flogos%2FLogo_50wht.gif%3BLH%3A74%3BLW%3A163%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BLP%3A1%3BLC%3A%230000ff%3BVLC%3A%23663399%3BGFNT%3A%230000ff%3BGIMP%3A%230000ff%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3B&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&q=Seventh+Day+Adventist%27s+a+cult&btnG=Search

http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en&client=pub-6807258685122891&channel=9400434304&cof=FORID%3A1%3BGL%3A1%3BS%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%3BL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fintl%2Fen%2Flogos%2FLogo_50wht.gif%3BLH%3A74%3BLW%3A163%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BLP%3A1%3BLC%3A%230000ff%3BVLC%3A%23663399%3BGFNT%3A%230000ff%3BGIMP%3A%230000ff%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3B&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&q=SDA%27s+a+cult&btnG=Search

(note: they even force you to be a vegetarian

http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=Seventh+Day+Adventists+stress+vegetarianism

when the Bible says we can eat the clean meats. They even

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Seventh+Day+Adventists+forbid+marriage&btnG=Search

forbid marriage in the last days--1Tim.4:1-3). (see SDA's don't follow their own prophetess and Marriage Sanctify Not Stressed down below in site).

http://www.giveshare.org/churchhistory/sda/064.sda.html

That's when I went to God and asked him what to do. He guided me and (2Tim.1:9)called me out of the SDA and into his church. When I left the SDA; they put me down and told me that I was lost. So if they can persuade and control you; I believe they are a cult like I said. However; don't forget the truth you learned --there is some truth and some error in the SDA Church.



See the History

The SDA's came out of the Church of God.

God's Church through the Ages

http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/cgi-bin/tw/booklets/tw-bk.cgi?category=Intro&item=1104363708

History of early Christianity

http://www.cogwriter.com/earlychristianity.htm