Daryl, I'm sorry, but I posted those quotes above before I realized you posted your ideas on diet and salvation. Again, please take the time read what she said about the importance of health reform. I suspect you'll change your mind about it.

Thank you, Charlene, for sharing those quotes. "I cannot think that in the practice of flesh eating we are in harmony with the light which God has been pleased to give us." God is good.

Temperance----PG- 161

Satan is no novice in the business of destroying souls. He well knows that if he can lead men and women into wrong habits of eating and drinking, he has gained, in a great degree,
the control of their minds and baser passions. In the beginning man ate of the fruits of the earth, but sin brought into use the flesh of dead animals as food. This diet works directly
against the spirit of true refinement and moral purity. The substance of that which is taken into the stomach, passes into the circulation, and is converted into flesh and blood. . . ."

I'm a bit curious, Daryl, why you would think diet is not a salvation issue.

Here's how I look at things. God will take anybody to heaven who would be happy there; anyone who is a friend of His. He can't take rebels. He can't take people who hate Him. In order to win our friendship, He sent Jesus Christ to reveal His lovely character to us. If we are open to this revelation, we will be transformed into the same image; we will be made like Christ. We learn to live our lives in harmony with the principles of God's government; principles of living for others, principles of love.

God communicates to us through our minds, which are connected to our bodies. If we do things to our bodies/minds that impacts how well God can communicate with us. If we take drugs God will have a lot more difficulty communicating with us. If we cannot understand what God is trying to tell us, that may lead to our being lost. Filling ourselves with sugar would be an obvious example of how diet could effect our ability to understand God's Good News. This could impact our salvation. Similarly anything that we do which leads to our dying earlier than we otherwise might have could be an issue of salvation if we die as unbelievers.

MARK

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Diet and health reform are the right arm of the 3AMs.

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I don't understand how diet and health reform are the right arm of the 3AMs. Can you please explain what you mean?

In another post you suggested that we read EGWs Counsels on Diet. I am currently a quarter of the way through EGWs Counsels on Diet & Food. It has lots of commendable information in it. However it also has lots of stuff that I would call dribble. As such, I find it extremely difficult to believe that it was inspired by God. That being the case, I now question EGWs authenticity as a prophet of God.

Why is it that food is such a big issue for SDAs? Food, food, food, always food. I am soooo sick of it. Do this, do that, don’t do this, don’t do that, don't eat this, don't eat that. AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH @#%$@*?!

I give up! I don't think I want to be an Adventist anymore. It is toooo hard. I don't want to belong to an organisation that seems to focus more on food than on Jesus.

Like many organizations, SDA's have a great deal of diversity. There are those who have different emphases. You can notice that by reading through the threads.

Regarding not being an Adventist because it's too hard, I can say I understand your frustration, but it's based on a misunderstanding of God's character. Following God is not a hard thing to do. Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." To Paul Christ said, "It's hard to kick against the pricks." What's difficult to do is resist the Holy Spirit. It's easy to take Christ's yoke.

God only asks us to do things which are in our own interest. God communicates to us through the mind. The mind and the body are connected. By taking care of our bodies, we take care of our minds. It's really as simple as that.

Counsels on Diet and Foods is a compilation. I certainly wouldn't recommend reading it for anyone who's not an Adventist. There you get a lot of do's and dont's as you say without any context. It creates a false impression.

If you are unsure whether Ellen G. White is a prophetess, read The Desire of Ages. That's a beautiful book which reveals the character of God and expresses the essential principles of Adventism in context.

Shelley, I'm sorry health reform is such a turn off for you. It is just the opposite for me. Poor health has devastated my extended family for years. So many of my loved ones suffer terribly. But not me. At least, not any more. I became an Adventist largely because of health reform. My reasons now include much better motives, namely, I love Jesus and want to live eternally with Him and my friends and family.

Health is very important, but most people do not realize it until they begin to lose it. I got my education to serve the church as a pastor at Weimar College in Northern California. They specialize in health reform. People come from all over the world to learn how to recover their health and then how to maintain it. I met lots of precious souls who cannot praise the church enough because of our health message. And not a few became members. Living in harmony with God's will and law is not a bummer for them, that's for sure. Health reform saved their lives.

Shelley,
I wouldn't get too worked up about the misconception one must eat grapfruit and wheat in order to get to heaven. Your salvation is not dependant on eating vegetables only since we have genetically modified vegetables which happen to have genes which come from animals. This is something to consider when you think that you are eating something healthy and uncontaminated.
There is wheat that has genes from animals, and corn also.

Don't fret Shelley, and don't let the devil discourage you from your walk with Christ who by the way.. ate Fish!

So none of the arguments such as :

1. Well you see fish was different 2,000 years ago.
2. Meat was Ok since it was not present truth.
3. Eat vegetables only to get to heaven.

Those arguments hold ZERO weight. Being pure and righteous comes from Jesus and not via a fruit (I think we have a case for idolatry here).
The state of affairs is that vegetables are contaminated, meats are contaminated, the air you breathe is contaminated that contain chemicals, and particles harmful to your body which by the way everyone knows so no one can be without excuse. So unless you decide to start breathing water (which by the way is also contaminated) then you may have been better off not being born.

Depressing isn't it when you are told you won't go to heaven cause you eat fish, or chicken, or turkey. However eating fruit and grain will get you to heaven they imply.. The diet that Adam and Eve had is WAAAYYYY different than what we have today. Anyone care to look into the actual vitamin and mineral content of the land on which these vegetables are grown by the aggroculture industry? I think you may as well add some honey to cardboard and eat that and get more fiber.
Eden was perfect something we will never in this lifetime have..Adam and Eve were immortal.. something we in this lifetime will never have, Adam and Eve were perfect something NO ONE HERE can say they have because.... We were conceived in sin, live in a world of sin, sin is around us, and sin has altered the genetic makeup of everything for the past 6,000 years.

No escaping it.. So Shelley the devil will use anyone to get to you and and if you submit yourself to God and resist the devil he will flee!

If you feel that you want to start changing your diet to improve your health then by all means do so. I think its excellent to have a balanced diet, and your overall well being will improve and maybe shed a few pounds

Pretty tought times we live in. However rest assurred Shelley that as you grow in Christ He will lead you and guide you in all that you do.

God Bless,
Will

Will, your words seem to implicate the counsel God gave to Sister White to share with His remnant people. Please carefully compare what you just posted to what God posted through Sister White. Do you see any difference?

FW 43
None who have had the light of truth will enter the city of God as commandment-breakers. His law lies at the foundation of His government in earth and in heaven. If they have knowingly trampled upon and despised His law on the earth, they will not be taken to heaven to do the same work there; there is no change of character when Christ comes. {FW 43.2}

CD 21
Knowledge must be gained in regard to how to eat, and drink, and dress so as to preserve health. Sickness is caused by violating the laws of health; it is the result of violating nature's law. Our first duty, one which we owe to God, to ourselves, and to our fellow men, is to obey the laws of God, which include the laws of health. If we are sick, we impose a weary tax upon our friends, and unfit ourselves for discharging our duties to our families and to our neighbors. And when premature death is the result of our violation of nature's law, we bring sorrow and suffering to others; we deprive our neighbors of the help we ought to render them in living; we rob our families of the comfort and help we might render them, and rob God of the service He claims of us to advance His glory. Then, are we not, in the worst sense, transgressors of God's law? {CD 21.2}

Mike,
I choose what the Bible says any day. Its that easy, and my faith is rooted in the Word of God, and not what Sister White says, she was strongly opposed to what is being done today where people say "Ellen White says.." and the expected response is something along the lines of being quiet as if she is the final word.

You know what God says about stuff like that?

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Revelation 22:18,19
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

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Very clear and concise. Thats why God said that the Word is powerful, and will cut, and separate the bones, and joints even to the soul. Thats where we find Jesus.
God Bless,
Will

Will, it would appear, and please correct me if I've misunderstood you, that you believe Sister White's views on diet and salvation contradict the Bible. Also, do you feel living in harmony with God's law includes the new light and present truth revealed in the SOP?