Reader's Testimonies
The testimonies published from readers on this page is only with the writer's approval. If you wish to send your testimony, please send your permission for publication. We only choose a few to publish from the hundreds that are sent each month.
See Robert K. Sanders' testimony linked here. He is the founder of this web site.
From: Kerry Wynne
Subject: PAPER - FROM SUNDAY TO SUNDAY
Robert:
It was the reading of two of your short articles on the Sabbath at TRUTH OR FABLES that opened my eyes to the need to study the Sabbath question for myself.
As a result of leaving the Seventh-day Adventist Church, a whole set of amazing circumstances developed on my wife's side of the family. One of her two sons would never set foot in an SDA church and did not go to church or have any interest in going to church. When we began to attend the Dayton Vineyard, the praise band had a great saxophone player, and her son, Kevin, had played the saxophone in high school. My wife, Charlene, asked Kevin to go to church with us on Sunday morning, and to our amazement he said YES.
The Holy Spirit was powerful that morning. Kevin came back the next week. The Holy Spirit was powerful that morning also, and Kevin gave his heart to Jesus by the end of that second service. He started bringing his children to church. My wife has another son, David, who had even less interest in going to church than Kevin. David's wife would go sometimes with her mother. One Sunday morning at the Vineyard, the pastor who specializes in healing had the service. Near the conclusion of the service, this pastor said that he was impressed that there was someone or even several people who had a problem with their shoulder or wrist. He asked us to raise our arms toward Jesus and pray that this person or persons would be healed. Along with the others in the congregation, we all raised our arms toward to ceiling. I was sitting next to Kevin.
About 10 years ago, Kevin broke his right arm in several places. Since he didn't have medical insurance, he didn't seek medical care. As a result, he had a range of motion in that arm of 40%. He could not bend his arm up toward his shoulder even half way. This fact is well-documented by four sides of the family, friends, and work associates, including his bowling team.
The service concluded. Nothing unusual seemed to have taken place. Out in the church lobby I was talking to friends when Kevin and his son, Kyle, made a bee line toward me. Their excitement was written all over their faces. Kevin said, "Kerry. Look! My arm has been healed! Then he took his right arm and touched his shoulder with his fingers.
This is a 100% certified and genuine miracle. There are so many witnesses to Kevin's range of motion deficit that if a delegation of atheists were to come to Dayton, Ohio to do a paranormal investigation, they would be forced to acknowledge that a genuine miracle took place!
David, Charlene's son who had even less interest in going to church than his brother, was in church with us the very next week and has hardly missed a service since. He is bringing his entire family, including my wife's two grandsons! Both boys are talking to their un-churched father, my wife's ex-husband, about going to church. This is a greater miracle than the healing of the arm.
But the story doesn't stop with this. Another family member who would never go to church is now attending the Vineyard with all of her children, and her mother, who never attended church, is there every Sunday morning. Kevin's wife will not attend. She comes from a very heathen background and is living a wayward life at this time. We are all praying for her. The husband of the young mother who is bringing all her children to church will not attend. We are praying for him too.
Here is an extreme way to look at things. All these people might have ended up in HELL if I hadn't read your two articles on the Sabbath. The story is far from over. Kevin and all of us are still telling the story of his healing to our friends who don't go to church. In eternity, who knows how many people may have come to know Jesus as a result of the fact that I read your two articles on the Sabbath at TRUTH OR FABLES. Not a single family member I have told you about would ever have agreed to set foot in a Seventh-day Adventist Church. My wife's sons have always thought Adventists, including myself, were weird.
Kevin testified about his healing at the second service the morning he was healed. I wonder how many people in the service might have made a decision to follow Jesus as a result of hearing his testimony. At the Dayton Vineyard, about 3,000 people attend between two services on Sunday and one service on Saturday evening. There were probably about 1,000 people who heard Kevin's testimony at the second service.
While you are putting those countless hours into developing and maintaining TRUTH OR FABLES, I hope stories like this will encourage you to keep doing what you are doing.
From: Cherokee
Subject: Website Appreciation
I just wanted to say thank you for your website. It has really helped me a lot. I have been told that prominent members of the local SDA church (of which I used to be a member) think that I am the anti Christ. I would talk to anyone who would listen. I was blissfully oblivious to the gossip about me and just plowed ahead and shared the truth with anyone I could. I realized the affect I was having when the pastor did a whole sermon about not listening to doubts about the church and how those who left the church would turn to smoking, drinking, drugs, sexual immorality, etc. Then he prayed a prayer asking God to protect the church from those who were seeking to destroy it. He was almost standing in front of me when he said this prayer. I was standing their praying too, loud enough for those next to me to hear. I prayed that God would protect us from lying lips and false preachers. Thinking back on it, it all seems so funny now. I used your form letter for requesting to have our names removed from the church. Since then I have not given them another thought or care, but apparently I made such waves that almost a year later they are still talking about me. I was told the other day by a member of the church that attendance has dropped from 200 to 80 people. I don't know if his word can be trusted and really don't care if what he said was true or not. But I thought it was interesting. I once read that book by that ex-Jesuit priest called the keys of this blood. He wrote a small paragraph about the sda church in which he predicted that they would get smaller and smaller and eventually disappear. I recall being offended at the time. Now I hope he is right.
Their is life after the SDA church, but it takes strength and courage to live it. If it is only fear of ridicule or harassment that keeps us tied to a false church then we have truly counted Christ's suffering as nothing and hence deny Him by our fear to stand for truth. It is not always easy to stand for what is right. But how much stronger we become when we do."
best wishes, Cherokee
From: Andrew Heyn
Subject: SDA Church
Hello Robert,
My name is Andrew. I was brought up a SDA all my life (I am now 20). After seeing your web site, I see how the teachings of EGW have perverted my mind. At first I was in denial about what you have presented, but that was short-lived, seeing the very obvious nature of the lies of EGW. I then thought that I could go to a SDA church that did not present EGW in any forward manner, but then realized that this already proven-unreliable and liar's teachings go much further than quoting her at the pulpit. They have infiltrated the interpretation of the Bible in the SDA church, making much of their information full of lies. I believe it is clear that salvation isn't to be burdened by the old covenant laws, other than what is listed in Acts 15:28-29.
All this opening of my eyes from the many false teachings of the SDA church has been quite a shock, and I am still in the process of accepting and proving it all, to myself. However, I believe my faith in God is strong enough to persevere these tests, and I will come out stronger in God because of it.
Thank you,
Andrew
From: RACHEL SINCLAIR
Subject: Re: Daniel 8:14
Dear Robert,
You must have been praying for me!
I finally got through the Daniel 8 prophecy as written on your "Truth or Fables" web site and understand the whole lot! Praise God!
I am from the blue mountains in the NSW state in Australia. Technically I am still a SDA but have sent my letter of resignation in.....am waiting for a reply...etc.
I Have always had many problems with SDA teachings, because many of my questions where never answered in an adequate way. I always felt like I was being taught to earn salvation, even though they never bluntly said it like that.
I always new that the Holy Spirit would call me out of the SDA church but the time wasn't right, I didn't have the scriptural knowledge base, But I know a lot more now, and if questioned I can give them proper Bible based reasons why I want to leave. Before, all I knew was the spirit telling me to GET OUT!
It all started when our small SDA prayer group prayed earnestly for the truth .......Back then we had no Idea what truth even was.....we all desperately wanted Jesus. We went on a Huge ride......now all the original members of the prayer group are out of the Church.
I praise God for the truth that YOU share with so many!!
Yours in Christ Jesus
Rachel Sinclair
From: Yolanda
Subject: Hi Mr. Sanders
Mr. Sanders,
First of all I want to thank you for putting my name on your list. I have a hunger to learn what the truth really is. I am sooooo glad I read the sites on Ellen G . White. Had I not read them I would never have run into TruthorFables.com. I thank God for this. I do have a question still about church. I know you say that there is no true church. Does this mean we are not to attend any churches? I want to know...so that while I read my Bible and might run into certain problems understanding certain parts of the Bible, where would be a good place to learn the things I don't understand if not a church? I know that God reveals things to us if
we only ask and believe. I think I mentioned to you that I have been a backslider for years. One of the reasons I left was because I was not always able to go to church every Sabbath. The guilt trip they would lay on me made me want to leave , among other things. But I still always thought it was the right church. I blamed myself for being weak and not doing what they taught me to be right. After all...we had the law over our heads. I felt that I could never measure up to them. When ever I would sin , I felt like I was committing a crime. After all according to the SDA's wanting us to be without blemish. Even though they would tell us that without Jesus we could not do this alone. They would still make us feel guilty. We are only human and we will sin. I always felt that we should go to God in prayer to forgive us. But the church always made me
feel like they were my God. If you only knew how relieved I feel that I saw your web site. Jesus says his yoke is light. Not heavy. There yoke was a very heavy burden.
Its going to take time to be DE-ELLEN G. WHITE -WASHED :o). I have a whole lot of learning to do again. Its strange how in 1981 I prayed to God to please just give me the right church and beliefs so I could follow his right path. The next day in the mail I get a brochure telling me about the Revelation seminar they were going to have at a church called Seventh-day Adventist. I started crying and was so happy. I figured God had answered my prayer. This was the main reason I stuck to the church for a while, believing it was God sent. But maybe God let me go through this to learn that this is not the right church. I use to study with the Jehovah Witnesses before that. And I had left that church because I thought they were overbearing. So when I got the mail from the Seventh-day Adventist and went to all the Revelation Seminars. I thought this was the answer. I loved going to them. I got Baptized and felt really happy. But as time went on things
changed and I felt the way I did when I was with the Jehovah Witnesses. I felt like I could not measure up. I see now that this is not a good thing. Jesus died for our sins that by his grace we are saved. This was the very reason he suffered. God did not want us to suffer the heavy burdens of the old testament. Subconsciously I always felt that was true...but the churches that I went to had me so brain washed by telling me that just believing was not enough to save me. We had to be perfect for Jesus to love us. Wow, Jesus did not come to save the perfect, he came to save the sinners. In a way its good that I experienced
these things in both churches. Had it not been for me going to these churches I would never have learned about them being wrong. Had I not been looking up the Ellen G. White sites, I would have never learned that Ellen G. White and the church was a big fraud. Maybe I'm having to go through these steps as part
of my growing experience of what God wants me to learn as a whole. May God Bless you and keep up the good work in exposing the Adventist Church.
Yolanda
From: Yolanda
Subject: Hello
Mr. Sanders.
I wrote you a letter before this one and asked you a question about if we had to attend church. Since I wrote that letter, I have been reading more of your pages. I found the answer. On the FAQ page. Everything I have been reading on your pages so far is so uplifting. Almost as if a ton of bricks have been lifted off my shoulders. May God Bless you for the work you are doing for many people in helping them to understand how we are saved by the Grace of God. First and foremost. I can't thank you enough for opening peoples eyes and hearts by making these web pages. No words can describe how happy I am to have run into TruthorFables.com. May God continue to Bless you and Guide you in his truths. Take Care Mr. Sanders :o)
Yolanda
From: Scott Parish
Subject: Re: newsletter subscription request
I haven't yet looked into getting my membership revoked, but at this point I don't consider myself one. Still I am attending Sabbath school, but only because the timing worked out so that I was able to convince the young adult class to study the 27 fundamental beliefs and use the Bible to prove them for ourselves.
So, basically I've been working my way out, and at this point am trying to figure out how I should live my life as well as how to find some non Adventist friends. I'll avoid monologue about my life since my story likely isn't all that different then anyone else leaving the SDA Church.
Thanks for the materials on your website! I especially enjoyed the "apologist" and "reply to rebuttal". http://truthorfables.com/EGW_Contradicts.htm
Having read the "issues and answers" stuff on the EGW Estate page, my intuition told me that their solutions were circular or crafted or not complete or something. Seeing just how lacking their answers really are was quite insightful.
I was raised an SDA, was home schooled, then attended 2 years of an SDA academy, and 4 years of Walla Walla College, as well as doing the student missionary thing. I've also been involved with the development and some of the maintenance of the Voice of Prophecy's online "Bible-study" site (Discover Bible schools).
My great grandmother several times pulled me aside and imparted knowledge to me: ``we are protestants, we are Adventists. we believe in finding the truth, in finding it for ourselves--not just taking whatever our pastor or whoever tells us. Since we believe in personal discovery of the truth, we are free to read, listen and think anything.'' She was always reading interesting things from other religions like the Catechism, the Book of Mormon or the Koran. How thankful I've been that she passed on this mindset.
Adventist life got harder and harder for me. Trying to balance reading the Bible and the verbosity of Mrs. White's pen was a big enough struggle, but the more of her that I read, the more I realized that the Adventist church (and my life) was at odd with what she wrote. Soon I threw all fiction from my life (that could make you go crazy you know).
Then there was diet which kept on being refined until I was eating almost no refined products (sugar, white flour, etc), no diary, and as little oils as possible. The harder I tried at these things, the worse it seemed I was; I was always kicking myself because I wasn't living quite perfect enough. Every time I turned around there was another truth to live up to.
Another struggle was dating. This seemed like an impossible situation, unless God somehow intervened, which He never seemed to for me. Here's the problem: from White's writing on courtship and marriage, marriage is a big deal; its something that can not only effect your life, but your eternity. Divorce is not an option. Thus it is imperative that I make no mistakes on this one! To avoid making a mistake, I should know a person REALLY well before I tie any knots. I also ran across a stern warning from White against tampering with hearts--leading some one on. To be around someone long enough to tell if they wouldn't screw up my life (and eternity), it would either have to be because of some shared activity or dating. Dating, though, was mostly out because that would be leading someone on since at that point i may or may not have any interest in marriage; furthermore, passions might be aroused which would keep me from clearly thinking on the suitability of a given person. Shared activities were, frankly, quite sparse: sports were out, so were movies, most hobbies seemed like a needless distraction of time and money that should be going towards the "big picture"... That pretty much left church, but church is so different from day to day life, its not a good place to get a feel for people.
I started trying to convince my mother that she needed to quit using dairy products. At first I used pseudo-scientific stuff. That failing, I started to resort to Ellen White to help wake my mom up. It was right around that time when I found myself reading http://www.ellenwhite.org/index.html To this day I can't recall how I ended up there, but it seems fairly providential. It didn't take much reading of that and related sites (such as your own) to realize there were some serious problems. Over the next two or three months I studied myself out of Ellen White and then (logically) Adventism. The words of Christ never rang so true: ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32.
When I talk with people about this process of going through and reevaluating everything I thought I knew, most condole saying, ``that must be so difficult.'' Actually, it hasn't. My great grandmother taught me to follow the truth. Finding freedom, and being able to quit condemning myself brings such joy to life. The hard part has been trying to build up a new social network--I'm finding that I have nothing in common with most people: I know nothing about sports, can count on a hand the number of movies seen in the last 5 years, no television, no music, no literature, have never been to a party, can't dance, and have hardly any hobbies.
Convention dictates that one use the last paragraph to bring summary and conclusion. Unfortunately I can make no such fit, but all the more fitting since my life is still open. Time alone will summarize and conclude just where truth and God are leading me.
Keep up the great work!
Scott Parish
From: Cathy and Terry McManus
Subject: RE: Please send us newsletter Truth and Fables
We recently attended a SDA Prophesy Seminar beginning of Nov. That was our first contact with SDA. Luckily, we saw websites about Ellen G White and the church itself, and gratefully spoke with Verle Streifling before New Years. We really feel tricked and brainwashed. Thanks for what you do.
Cathy and Terry McManus
From: K Lewis
Subject: Newsletter regaridng SDA
Hi I would appreciate receiving your newsletter. I was a member of the SDA in the UK and was sucked in like everyone else. I am so relieved to escape their satanically grasp and also grateful to find websites like yours for comfort. Both my husband and I were terrorized by the church and their influence on the surrounding community and it took a third parties threats of legal action to enable me to leave. They initially refused to remove my membership because apparently they didn't think I knew my own mind. I am fully sane and functioning, even running my own business but they would not let me choose to leave their organization.
Regards Karen
From: Judy
Subject: SDA beliefs on tithing
I just ran across your site by accident and read the article on tithing. Since I left the SDA church after 40 some years, I am continually finding new truths I never knew existed. As I was brought up in the SDA beliefs, I thought "the truth", was the Sabbath and Ellen White. It has taken me years of studying the SDA beliefs and comparing them to the Bible to come to the realization of what the "truth" really is. The truth is not "the seventh day Sabbath, E G White. One day, out of frustration I asked God to guide me to the truth and let me know what the "truth was if all I was taught was a lie. Then one night I opened my Bible and looked down at the page and read the first line I saw. It said "Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Light." Jesus is the truth was the answer I was searching for. I couldn't believe after all these years of trying to figure out truth and present truth re EG White, that it was that simple. I am still studying and finding out new things each day. I only wish I could share my long frustrating life as a SDA with others so they can be free from this burden too.
Thank you for responding to my e-mail. You said it all when you referred to the SDA beliefs as bondage. For the first time in my life I can say I am truly free in Jesus Christ. And yes, you have my permission to post my message on your site. I am so grateful to find it and all the enlightening information there. Thank you.
Judy
From: Young, David
Subject: Truth or Fable response and questions
Mr. Sanders -
Of course you can post this if it helps any.
After spending many hours reading off the internet site www.benabraham.com I was really caught up in its teachings until I came across Ellen White. I then did a search on her and ended up on your website Truth or Fables.
Sincerely and Gratefully,
David and Lisa Young
From: Jeffrey Fudge
Subject: Tithing
Mr. Sanders,
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It's been a while since I've e-mailed you, but I wanted to say thanks for the information that you've provided on TITHING. Since I've reviewed this material, I see how contrary our modern day gospel ministers are with regard to this subject matter.
See: http://www.truthorfables.com/Tithing.htm
I've tried to explain to those who I've had contact with that the tithe never consisted of money and when a rebuttal is made, I let them know that money (whether talent, shekel, silver, gold, etc.) did exist at that time.
Unfortunately, a lot of ministries are misleading their flocks with this doctrine and fail to understand that New Testament Christians are no longer governed under the law (Col. 2:14, Jer. 31:33 & Heb. 11).
As a matter of fact, it seems as though the tithes were meant to take care of the temple priests, widows, orphans, foreigners as well as allowing the tithe payer to reverence God by eating their tithe portion that was to be dedicated to Him. Churches today emphasis the tithing law continually, but never assist those that are in need and only seem to pay preachers sizeable incomes. I'm not saying that pastors/administrators shouldn't get paid because the Bible tells us that we should, but if churches are going to apply this law (which is non-existent), we should apply it the right way.
If you would like you can post this e-mail.
Again God bless you for caring to put out the TRUTH, because those that worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
God bless you,
Jeffrey D. Fudge
Dallas, TX
From:Ron Davis
Subject: GETTING TO THE ROOT OF THE SABBATH
Please add this to your billboard. I have recently came out of the SDA church and never knew what to do with the Sabbath. Well, Here it is!!
Why does the Bible not say, "And the evening and the morning were the 7th day." It is because the Sabbath was created to have a beginning but no ending. There is no other reason. The word "Sabbath" is synonymous with "rest". After the six days of creation, God ceased from His work of creating the world, but because the work was then finished, He did not intend to commence work again on the 8th, 9th, or the 10th day, nor did He ask Adam to do so!"
"The work of creation was finished, and because there was no more work to be done, man was to enjoy God’s completed work of creation forever! God did not tell Adam to cease resting on the 8th day and go to work. Man’s Sabbath rest was not intended to end with the closing of the 7th solar day. Adam and Eve were intended to continue resting in God’s completed work, or enjoying God’s Sabbath rest, as long as they lived, which was to be forever!" It was by sinning that Adam broke the Edenic Sabbath continual rest. By disobedience he broke the original Sabbath Rest God had given to the human race. It was Adam’s sin that brought the original Sabbath to an end, not the setting of the sun on the 7th day." The Sabbath was God’s eternal gift to man. He planned for man to enjoy HIS finished works every day of his life! In the Edenic Sabbath state, which was complete and perfect in every way, there was nothing that man could do but to enjoy and supervise God’s finished work. In the Sinless, Edenic environment there was no work that Adam could of done that would of desecrated the Sabbath environment. Therefore the gift of complete rest that God had given to Adam was not interrupted until he sinned. It was the entrance of sin that brought the original Sabbath to an end. God’s original Sabbath was not limited to a 24 hour day. It was a continuous experience that began after God had completed all the work of creation, and it continued day after day until Adam decided to add his works to what God had said was already completed. The original Sabbath Rest followed after creation was completed!" The message was clear. The original Sabbath of creation was not a literal 24 hour day. It was to be a never-ending, living experience in a perfect environment where man was not required to do any kind of work on his own behalf. He was simply to rule his Edenic domain 7 days of every week until he sinned. In seeking to understand man’s relationship to the Edenic Sabbath, it is imperative to recognize that Adam’s responsibilities did not include making provision for himself, or for any of God’s creatures. God had provided for all their needs. The 24 hour Sabbath Commandment that was given to Israel later says, "Six days shall you labor" but Adam was not commanded to work by the sweat of his brow, until the curse was pronounced as a result of his disobedience. God did not put Adam in a perfect paradise garden and then say, "Get to work!" The Bible does not teach this. Adam was told to "liesurely" tend the garden.(Gen.2:15) Humans having to go to work was the result of sin. The Sinai "six days shall you labor" had no merit in the beginning. This is proof positive that the theological position of 24 hour Sabbath day, could not of been in effect. The 7th day Sabbath that God later gave to Israel through Moses, was only a symbol, or a dim shadow, of the original eternal Sabbath rest that man enjoyed at the beginning of creation and that man would be returned to in the future.
Now lets look at Israel’s symbolic Sabbath. It parallels exactly with the Beginning of creation. In the story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt, God told Moses He would take them into a "Promised Land" flowing with Milk and honey, reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. He said He would provide for their food, clothing, shelter, protection, security, and if there should be opposition from enemies, He would drive them out with hornets (Ex. 23:28). In brief, God was about to restore them to an Edenic Sabbath environment where they could rest in His perfect provision once again. How-ever, because of their rebellion, they forfeited that offer, and the Promised Land became little more than another experience of toil and warfare. Because they rejected God’s offer by murmuring and grumbling, God took them to Sinai where in mercy He gave them a partial rest, the 24 hour Sabbath day. This is the 1st time the 24 hour Sabbath is mentioned in the Bible. Now, that sentence followed them into the Promised land, God commanded them to work for their livelihood for 6 days every week, and then on the 7th day to REMEMBER what might have been, had they not rejected His plan. As every 7th day ended, the Israelites no doubt had time to reflect on how wonderful it might have been, if they had accepted God’s offer of continuous Sabbath rest 7 days a week in His provision as the Edenic Sabbath was and that God was attempting to give them as they came out of Egypt. When they finally reached the Promise Land, instead of experiencing a total rest similar to that which Adam enjoyed before he sinned, and that God offered to restore to them when He took them out of Egypt, they were sentenced to fight unfriendly giants 6 days of every week. Then on every 7th day they were commanded to REMEMBER, and to meditate, on what might have been had they not rebelled.
Now lets jump ahead to the New Testament. The Jews were so shocked with Jesus and the disciples by the way they were conducting themselves in so much activity on the Sabbath, because their behavior was contrary to the "NO WORK" command of the 24 hour Sabbath of Sinai. Jesus and the disciples were practicing the Edenic Sabbath rest, not the 24 hour Sabbath rest. The original Edenic Sabbath rest means much more than abstaining from physical labor, for there was no physical labor to even need a day of rest until sin entered the picture later. God did not command Adam to go to work by the sweat of his brow. The introduction of sin brought forth the curse of mankind’s physical work by the sweat of the brow. The original Edenic Sabbath rest represented a spiritual rest 7 days a week forever, free from your own works but the Sinai Sabbath rest represented 6 days of labor of your own works and only one day for rest. The 7th day Sinai Sabbath was a penalty to Israel because of their rebellion for not walking by faith when God wanted to take them into the promised land, with the 6 days of work being the result of sin and rebellion. DO YOU SEE IT NOW!!!
We can either chose to live the 24 hour Sabbath of the Jew and have one day of rest and rely on our own works the other 6 days, or be blessed in living the Edenic Sabbath 7 days a week with our spiritual rest being Christ and trusting in God alone that He will make provision and supply our every need 7 days a week. Because most churches have got the beginning foundation of the Sabbath wrong, this has led to totally different doctrines being produced contrary to the perfect flowing truth of the Bible. "It all adds up!!!
God Bless
Ron Davis
From: Langlois, Mary Jane
Subject: Mrs. White
I just want you to know that I feel your website is a wonderful thing. I was a third-generation Adventist. My grandfather worked with Kellogg, and knew Mrs. White. He alienated his whole family being the legalistic, judgmental, persecuting person he became. My father had a hellish upbringing, and tried not to carry that over, although he still firmly believed the same things. I believe my young years could have been much better without the guilt instilled in me because of the "all-knowing" Mrs. White.
I have always felt "uneasy" about Mrs. White's writings and the way the Adventist Church used them to bludgeon people who disobeyed them, while ignoring what they (the church leadership) felt did not apply to them. Having attended church school from grade 6 through two years at CUC, I had many, many classes based almost solely on her writings. In college I had many disagreements with others about what I felt was "stupid" or "ridiculous" in what she had written. They always had the standard answers, but I was never convinced they were right.
When my children went to church school, my daughter through 6th grade, and my son just for 7th and 8th grades, I told them had the right to believe whatever they wanted where Mrs. White was concerned. I told them the teachers will try to convince you she was a prophet, etc., but you have the right to make up your own mind. My children have never had the torture I went through with that.
When we lived in Tennessee (from 1990 through 1996) we attended a church where there were some people who seriously questioned Mrs. White. One of our best friends thought "her writings have a lot of good in them", and could not totally throw them out.
When we moved away, we were at that time considering asking for our membership to be removed from the church list, and about two years later, finally put that in writing. We have done this twice, so far, and they have not followed our request. This has made me quite angry with them.
The real anger I have, however, is that the "church leadership" knows Mrs. White's writings, prophecies, and visions were all hogwash, and they won't admit it. They still pour on the guilt trips, the unnecessary trappings, dos and don'ts, and make people so miserable they often come to the conclusion they cannot be saved, and give up. I, myself, am no longer sure there even is a God. I often wonder how a God who is supposed to be fair and just, can allow this sort of thing to go on. It's certainly a mystery to me---and how can people let themselves be brainwashed like this? As for me, and my family, we are not the type who will be easily convinced, especially after we have escaped from the horrible influence of Mrs. White.
I am so glad to be able to read your website, and know that we are not alone, nor crazy. It is such a horrible thing they are doing to people. All a person has to do is read a little of what she said about tight dresses, or wigs, or amalgamation, or so many other things, to know she was wacko!
I hope many other people have the blessing of your website!
M J Langlois
From: Susan Epp
Subject: Truth or Fables Newsletter Mar. 10, 2003
I just received your newsletter and I have a comment about SDA's and sports. My dad recently passed away at age 93. He was born into a SDA family and went to SDA elementary schools. He was taught as a boy that it is wrong, a sin to ride a bicycle. Later when he was getting older he told me he once asked the SDA preacher how come it is wrong, a sin to ride a bicycle. The pastor had told my dad those sort of statements by Mrs. White are not to be taken literally but rather are meant that we should not follow the fads and the fashions of the times because our money, time and energy should rather be put into proclaiming the soon coming of Jesus.
I say HOGWASH, she meant what she said and the only reason she didn't say the kids now days shouldn't play video games or use a computer or use the Internet or play with remote control cars, remote control airplanes, remote control anything, and the only reason she didn't say housewives shouldn't use microwaves, etc., is only because those things hadn't been invented yet. Had they been she would have had all that modern equipment up in a back room while telling her devotees they shouldn't have the goodies of life.
This has been proven over and oven again with instances like you wrote about with the ball games as well as her telling her followers not to eat meat, yet she ate meat, telling the mothers not to make fancy embroidery etc. on their little girls dresses yet at the same time she had a private seamstress (I hope I spelled that right. If I didn't then that's o.k. because I figure whoever sewed for her was probably really STRESSED!)
She told her followers to not give their tithe straight to their pastors but to send it to the conference but she gave her tithe direct to who she wanted it to go to, etc. It's sickening. I feel like puking when I think what a fraud she was and still is and how the SDA church promotes such fraud.
If the SDA church had any integrity at all the leadership would follow in the footsteps of the Worldwide Church of God. It's all about money grubbing and mind controlling big fraud operation.
And, it is so sad that most Christians really do believe that the SDA church is a regular Christian church only that they meet on Saturdays. I attend a Lutheran (ELCA) congregation. Me and another member come from SDA backgrounds and we have to explain to people constantly just how off track and away from Biblical truth the SDA church is. Most Christians have no idea.
And, you can put this letter on the Internet for all to see.
Susan Epp
rom: SLLV
Subject: SDA needs help!
I am a SDA that needs some advice and help. In the last few months I've been on the internet and looking at different sites. I typed in Ellen White and I couldn't believe my eyes so I printed off several things and invited my pastor over to discuss what I've learned and he took everything home. Then a month later he came back and we discussed it. I was really disappointed at what his response was. He said it was taken out of context, sour grapes, not true, and other things.
I told him I've seen to many things for it to be all false he didn't even act surprised at the things that were off the wall and not in the Bible. Or even all the false prophecies of EGW. Are they instructed on how to respond to people like me? I have recently watched the video, Spirit Behind Adventism and I have the book The White Lie coming in the mail.
Now THE BIG CHALLENGE is the pastor's mentor a 25 year experienced minister with several years of college is doing a Revelation seminar at my church. Two days ago he spoke on the Spirit of Prophecy and he taught Ellen White really well to the people as being a prophet. But all the facts on her were not given and I kept a tight lip but I was furious not wanting to disrupt the meeting or be labeled as a trouble maker.
I feel I can't just keep my mouth shut anymore. My pastor has told his friend about me and his mentor is just waiting for me to speak up. I feel I am wrong for holding my tongue because members and possible members should know all the facts so they can make a educated decision, but I know I will be shunned. if I don't speak up to the church body could you at least give me some tips suggestions procedures words anything in silencing my pastor and his mentor if I should debate with them ..I get really angry when I hear the name Ellen White in church.
THANKS,
YOUR FRIEND SLLV
From: [name withheld]
Subject: Former SDA's Testimony
I feel that she {EGW}is satanic, demonic, a witch. She should've been stoned. I've thought that if good SDA's heard the way I would talk about Mrs. White they would drop their teeth. I mourn for my lost childhood. I want the entire world to know what a demonic fraud she was. Hopefully, God will provide me with that opportunity. I will keep praying that he will.
Thanks for your newsletters.
[name withheld]
From: Cara Davidson
Subject: You have my permission to post this, if you wish
Dear Sir,
I am so grateful for your website. I am a third generation Christian, never before exposed to the teachings of Ellen White before I accidentally came upon them on the internet nearly two months ago. In an attempt at keeping an open mind, I spent hours and hours reading, trying to discern if the teachings were biblical. I believe that we as believers must cross denominational lines, focus on the Gospel, and come together. I was trying desperately to determine if this line, the line of the teaching of Ellen White could be crossed.
It cannot. The teachings of Ellen White are NOT in keeping with the Gospel. Thank you for helping me come to this conclusion. Most of the websites I visited were, at best, misleading, and at worst, complete lies. My heart breaks for those people out there who are not as fortunate as I am to be brought up in a true bible-believing home. God is my Father, Jesus is my Savior, and the Bible is His Word. I know this, and I thank the Lord for wonderful parents who led me in the right direction. And I thank the Lord for people like you who have the strength to stand up and speak the truth, that Jesus is the only Way.
Keep on teaching! God Bless you and yours,
Cara Davidson
From: Robert Hedge
Subject: Thank you for providing this Information
Dear friend, I recently found your web site, and after reading through almost all of your articles on Ellen White and the Seventh-day Adventist Church, am convinced that I have been misled since 1985 when I first accepted the Adventist message. Thank you for your forceful presentations on what the Bible really teaches. I guess I never really saw the errors in her writings and how they slanted my perceptions of what the Bible really teaches. I guess the hardest thing for me to be convinced about was the Law being abolished, since the bible says that sin is the transgression of the law and the old Adventist reasoning that if the 10 commandments were done away with then there is no sin in murder, coveting, false gods, etc.
But after reading your article on why you don't keep the Sabbath anymore, the light came on, and I realized that if the Sabbath were really in effect that we would also be required to keep all the laws surrounding its observance I.E. stoning our fellow believers for breaking it. This made me realize that maybe my perception of what sin was might also be slanted, and I needed to reevaluate that. I was taught as an Adventist that transgression of the law is the only Bible definition for sin. but since reviewing my Bible, the Bible gives many definitions of sin " Whatsoever is not of faith is sin" and in Hebrews 3;17-19 it makes it clear that unbelief is also a sin. I am now sure that there are probably many more definitions for sin that I am not aware of , and I am convinced that everything that I have taught and been taught for the last 17 years I will now have to go back and re-study again.
I am still in awe that I didn't see this before, and cringe to think of all the countless dollars I spent on books of error that could have been spent on my children, or how I refused to get life insurance for myself, and how I refused to join the local union, and how I almost lost my job for refusing to work on the Sabbath, how I lost my first marriage because I strictly followed EGW teachings and how I would have been willing to go to any length even to laying down my life to maintain my convictions and stay true to my conscience.
In closing this letter I must again thank you. Jesus has said that the truth will make you free. I am now free, and am looking forward to finding another church, although this time I will be far more cautious about what is taught, and will prove all things by the bible alone.
Once again, thank you.
Your friend in Christ
Robert Hedge.
From: Mike Koleosho
Subject: HELLO AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Dear Bob,
It's been a while that I have communicated with you (as far back as year 2000 just prior to changing jobs and moving back down south).
But I continually visit your website to update myselfand others (still in the Adventists fold) about the various deceptions of SDAs. Thank you for your ministry which is indeed comforting and upholding the truth of the "Word (Jesus) of God". It was good to finally put a face to your name and your wife with the photo sent to us (on your mailing lists) on your recent anniversary. I was grateful for you, and may God grant you and your family many more dynamic truth revealing years to come.
It looks like I shall require more orders (at least another five) of The Whitewash book by Syd. Cleveland as I continue to open SDAs eyes to the bitter truths about these sects. Please give me more details as tohow to send you monies etc...The last set that I bought I sent you travellers' cheque or postal orders can't exactly remember now (it one or the other), would that be the same method? If you don't have any more copies in your possession can you please give details of place to order them from.
Also I realized that you were getting rid of old SDA books etc., I did not require Ronald L. Numbers book at the time but now I do, I just wanted to know if this was one of the books you were getting rid of and if it is still up for disposal, otherwise again advice whether you can easily get it over there in USA as we are never privileged with resources like that in the UK. If you can get me a copy I will also be glad and sent money to you ASAP.
I have made it a duty of mine to remain like a plague that will never disappear from these people (especially with my wife and her entire family rapped and bondage ...I think ....for life in Adventism) to continuously make the "can of worms" always open every worship days of theirs! Since I last communicated with you I have indeed grew bolder in the Word of God and have started Bible expositions in the way of studying with others especially does that are thinking of joining the SDA here in London, UK, and by the grace of God, this I will continue.
Never forgot that your ministry, and freeing the SDA slaves is indeed very powerful and is helping changed "chained and burdened" SDA lives to God-loving people...gradual in some cases but certainly effective, please never relent in your effort with this website ministry! More powerful than you might of thought.
May God Almighty richly bless you. I hope to hear from you soon.
Thank you .... Your brother-in-Christ,
Mike Koleosho
Dear Bob,
Thank you for the quick response to my email...
Please do help yourself to publishing my letter in any material you want to put it into to affirm that I am happily willing to be counted Adventist apostate!!!! It is my pleasure.
By the way, I want to remove my name and membership (??) from the Adventist record book, but I want to do it in a grand way, as it was done when I was baptized in 1997. My photo was shown in the Messenger, a UK edition of Adventist Sabbath Journal, so that just like all UK Adventists were a witness of my announcement to join them, they should quite appropriately and surely be aware of my withdrawal and rejection of their creeds, teachings and doctrine of Satan too. My withdrawal was imminent, and has been long coming since I discovered your website and various other (honest) anti-SDA websites, and now I believe is the (natural) time to quit, as I feel no guilt anymore, I am secure in the court of our Lord and Saviour of this world - Jesus Christ the son of the Living God Jehovah!
I am and will eternally be gratefully to you for the revelation of your website, it is that which showed me the light towards the truth!! Everyday, Imagined if there were no internet (as most older generations of SDAs would have preferred it), then I probably would still be in darkness of Adventism because there would not have been any evidences to confirm one's thoughts and doubts, but God allowed man to bring about this fantastic medium, and information that would have remained unreachable, became available instantly. To God be the glory.
As the White Estate are daily finding ways to prevent anti-SDA websites (as recently revealed in Dirk Anderson's website) using their own corrupt brains, the beauty of the truth is that we have God, they have Ellen, therefore the victory is ours!!
Your Brother-in-Christ...
Mike Koleosho
From: Fel iCia
Subject: former SDA
Hi Mr. Sanders,
I don't know if you remember me but maybe a year and a half ago, we spoke via email, I hope you don't remember! Ha! I was a dyed in the wool SDA who was outraged and scandalized by your website. I was certain that you were wrong and hateful. But I couldn't lay to rest the questions that your website raised. I attempted to discuss these questions with my pastors, other SDA's even an Amazing Facts evangelist by the name of Brian McMahon.
While they were all very nice they were not at all comfortable discussing EGW. They gave me books to read, Steps to Christ, The Great Controversy, health books etc... and told me to read them and decide for myself and that God would give me the answers. I found this approach to be extremely confusing because it almost seemed like they didn't even know why they believed in EGW. They would warn against those that spoke ill of her but then refused to tackle the objections head on, as if they weren't confident in their beliefs either. Their attitudes made me more determined to ferret out the truth about EGW so that at least I would be able to defend her if anyone came to me with these questions. But after studying her writings and the questions raised on your website I found myself in a position I had never imagined possible. I found myself at a crossroad. Do I acknowledge EGW as a false prophet and leave her church or stay and attempt to change it from within. I left because I do not handle conflict very well and I was afraid to mess with peoples eternal souls and I was just so confused.
My family was shocked and disappointed. But they refused to discuss my questions or sit down with me and carefully go over my objections. They threw the standard line at me, "read her books for yourself and you will see." They kept claiming that they had received such great blessings and closer relationships with God through her writings and that this was enough evidence for them. But I wasn't satisfied with their answers either. About this time God brought to my attention the Christmas and Easter paganism and that brought about a fresh line of questioning. From this new round of discussions the most authoritative response I got was that EGW had celebrated these holidays and felt there was nothing wrong with them.
Normally, this would have shut up most wayward SDA's and settled the debate, however, I no longer trusted the writings of EGW, so it didn't stop me. My brother practically told me that I was going to go to hell for leaving the church. When I asked him if that was really what he meant to say and did that mean that EGW was really the person I was suppose to believe in for my salvation, he became angry and hung up.
It has been almost a year now since I left the SDA church and it has been very difficult. I miss the church, I miss the people, I miss potluck! I have practically taken a hiatus from religion because of the emotional toll this seeking for truth brought about and the shocking revelations that unfolded.I have only recently returned to a hungering for God's Word and I have to admit that I am a much more humble, compassionate and forgiving person than I was before when "I had all the answers." Our family is still seeking a Sabbath keeping church. My son misses Sabbath school and I hunger for a church that teaches the meat of God's word. We have tried many different churches in our area and none of them seems serious enough about teaching the meat, they mostly just dish out milk and cookies.
Please pray for us, I feel like I am under such a strong spiritual attack right now. My husband is out of work and we are struggling financially like we have never had to struggle before. I pray to find a sincere family of fellow believers to help end the spiritual loneliness in my heart. Thank you for your website and for speaking with me and arguing with me and making me angry and frustrated enough to seek the truth on my own.
May God bless your ministry,
Felicia Weever
From: Román Quirós
Dear Mr. Sanders:
Truth or Fables has proven a true revelation and a blessing to me. I was a member of the Adventist Church here in Panama nearly all my life. In 1982, one other elder and myself were disfellowshipped on charges that we had been undermining the Law and speaking against the Spirit of Prophecy, as Adventists call Ellen G. White. What we had been doing, however, was preaching justification by faith as presented by the Apostle Paul in his letters to the Romans and Galatians.
Personally, I served the local congregation as Sabbath School teacher, treasurer, elder, preacher. I had never doubted Ellen White´s writings or the Church doctrines until the church gave evidence of upholding works, understood to mean obedience to the Law, as a means of attaining justification before God.
Adventists are in dire need of this material, but most of them are Spanish speaking only. I worked as a translator for about 17 years. I am requesting your permission to translate material from your Web site, material which I plan to distribute among the members of the local Adventist community. Maybe we can help some of them turn to the Scripture, and the Scripture only, as their sole source of inspired revelation. Of course, no compensation of any kind will be solicited or accepted for this material.
Yours truly,
Román Quirós
From: Skip Baker
My wife and I spent the 1970s working for the Seventh day Adventist Church in Takoma Park, Maryland. As she worked for the Church's head lawyer and I worked as the photographer for the Review, we were privy to nearly everything that was going on. What amazed me was how well they controlled the information flow going out to the people, and how well they could put over any lie they wanted to.
It seemed that if people read it in the Review they accepted it as the truth, not daring to ask a question. We watched as they lied about what really happened at Glacier View Ranch when Des Ford was put on trial and it was about that time that I was able to photograph Ellen White’s letter to Bates that is in the Vault at the White Estate. From that we knew the entire thing had been a fraud form day one and that each generation that took over the leadership at the top knew all about the cover-up and all the lies.
Since they could "sell" Ellen White as a "true prophet" knowing all along she was a fraud, they realized that they could pull off anything in other areas of the church too. Each time they would condemn some employee as a heretic or charge them with something they knew "the little people" would believe their side of the story. It happened to Des Ford, and many others. What amazed us was the amount of "Church Money" they were willing to spend on lawyers to fight against anyone who crossed their path. The "Head Lawyer" would simply "farm out" any work that needed to be done in this area and kept an entire battery of law firms busy fighting against people who had the truth on their side. It didn't matter to them if they won or lost in court, as long as they did what they could to "keep the secrets."
It's a vast cover-up of corruption and evil.
Skip Baker
From: Patricia Carr
Dear Bob,
Yes, you have my permission to put my story on your website.
"My grandparents converted to Adventism before I was born. I attended Sabbath School from the time I was very small. When I met my husband, we thought our marriage was "ordained by God" because he also had been raised in the SDA church. His grandfather attended Kellogg College...big SDA factory. We didn't attend church until our oldest daughter was 3 and I was expecting our second. During that time I read everything Ellen White wrote, and had come to the conclusion that no one could be saved unless they had read Ellen White's writings. My baby was due on the 16th of December, 1961, which was a Saturday. Believing it would be a sin to cause the hospital employees to work on the Sabbath, I prayed that the birth be delayed. My daughter was born on Sunday, December 17th. How precious of the Lord to honor my heart felt prayer.
The church had forbidden me to listen to a local Christian radio program because it wasn't SDA. I disobeyed because the station merely played hymns and read from the scripture. Guilty!!!
A "normal" afternoon, I happened to be studying my Sabbath School lesson while feeding my baby. I read a quote from Ellen White, "Many whom God would use as His instruments have been disqualified at their birth by the previous wrong habits of their parents." I looked at my innocent little one and said, "That can't be true." I threw the book across the room. I prayed God would show me if the church was wrong. Shortly after that I was preparing for the Sabbath, i.e. cleaning the house. I had the radio tuned to the forbidden station and the plug on my vacuum pulled out of the wall. The man on the radio said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." I snarled at the radio and said, "I wish it was that easy." A small thought came to mind, "he was reading from the Bible." OH! OK!
Some months after I began to question the church I received a call from my SDA friend. We, our families, had been seen at the park on Sabbath. We had actually allowed our 4 year olds to swing on Sabbath. YES...almost the unpardonable sin. However, if we repented and never allowed it to happen again, we could be forgiven. I protested...questioning the church authority because by this time I had quite a list of church beliefs that didn't seem to add up with scripture. We never saw our friends again. We must have been declared "untouchable" because the church officials questioned my husband's brother regarding us. No church official ever confronted us personally.
I had met a Christian woman in my neighborhood. Of course, to an Adventist, there was no such thing, but her witness told me she WAS all she claimed to be. She took me and my children to her church. My husband refused to go. My mother-in-law told me the "devil" had gotten me...but God, in His grace, bit by bit, opened to me the errors of the SDA.
That was many years ago. My oldest daughter is a grandmother now. Very few Adventists ever escape the teachings of the church. My husband still has problems believing that he could be saved.
Bob, I read your testimony. I'm sure you and your wife went through much agony in the process of separating from the church. We did. I attended the church here in the small town we relocated to. The minister walked out clothed in robes and carrying the Bible in one hand and the book of E G White in the other. They lost me right there. The church hasn't changed. My heart aches for the precious, sincere people in the church who truly love the Lord. Since He reads the heart and He does all things well...I'm sure there will be "joy in the morning" for them.
Your friend in Christ,
Patricia Carr
More testimonies are available here. [offsite]