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The
Pantheism of A. Graham Maxwell |
Club Those Adventists Forum
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| This is a debate from an old forum: | next newest topic | next oldest topic |
| Author | Topic: WAS JOHN HARVEY KELLOGG A PANTHEIST? |
| benherndon Member |
posted 08-05-2000
21:13 Be nice, folks. Disagree agreeably. The only legitimate sources of information as to whether Kellogg was a pantheist is to read The Living Temple (about 500 pages---few here have read it, I venture!) and the Kellogg papers, a short-hand interview with Elds Bordeaux and Amadon and Kellogg before the latter was disfellowshiped from the Battle Creek Church. The pantheism charge was totally false. Do not trust Schwarz or Walton or anybody else--they have an axe to grind it seems to me. Don't believe what others may have said or written. Check out the definition of pantheism in your dictionary. A pantheist does not believe in God but believes all the universe and this world and everything is god. Kellogg never gave a bit of evidence that he didn't believe in the same God you and I believe in. What is it that keeps your heart pumping and your brain working this very second? You're allowed one guess--that's all! (Now go read The Living Temple.
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| Eugene
Shubert Member |
posted 08-06-2000
01:21 benherndon, If some of Kellogg’s closest associates in theology were pantheists, wouldn’t that be compelling evidence against Kellogg? Surely you don’t deny that Dr. E. J. Waggoner was a pantheist? I ask you to read a short web page called, Adventism’s Past Pantheism. By the way, I have read The Living Temple and I firmly believe that Kellogg was a pantheist!
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| benherndon Member |
posted 08-06-2000
18:22 Eugene: Can you state that Kellogg didn't believe in the God of the Heavens, the same God that you and I believe in? I don't have the book The Living Temple with me but I read it from cover to cover about 15 yrs ago looking particularly for (1) God was in the tree---type of statement and (2) and that he did not believe in God, the same God that you and I believe in. It simply wasn't there! I have been in communication with a man at the White estate and received from him his quotes that he thought were "pantheistic". I disagreed with him a lot. Kellogg never lost his faith in God. Disbelieving in God is the sine qua non of pantheism. Kellogg himself emphatically denied pantheistic beliefs. It was all, I said all!, a trumped up charge because he doubted some statements of EGW that she got certain information from God. He knew that some things she said could not have been true. For this and some other people, noteably, Dr. Stewart (read his little Blue Book), having doubted that some of EGWs statements and charges were in fact from God. This and Kelloggs refusal to turn over the San to preacher control is what really really caused his disfellowshipping. Read The Living Temple and the Kellogg Papers. Don't go by hearsay---grossly unfair!! There is a blurred line between saying God's spirit is in the tree versus God IS the tree. Just what is it in you, dear friend, that keeps your heart beating this very moment?--is it a spring that is winding down?--or is it the spirit and power of the God of the heavens who created you and me? Bottom line is that Kellogg believed in God--that alone puts a lie to any charge of pantheism!
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| Eugene
Shubert Member |
benherndon, Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. This is what is going on. Kellogg and his followers were so overjoyed by the doctrine of God being so very near in the things around them that they appeared to ordinary minds to be pantheists. For example: If you’re jumping up and down with great delight when you take a shower because you think that God is in the water and you’re splashing God filled water all over yourself, then I think it’s fair to call you a pantheist. Likewise, if your greatest enthusiasm for evangelism is in telling people to drink water because they’re being filled with the life-giving Spirit of God, then again, I think you’re a pantheist. The same enthusiasm has been expressed for God literally being in the healthy food we eat and in the pure air we breathe. For absolutely terrifying examples of this, click on the hyperlink for the web page that I mentioned before.
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| benherndon Member |
None of you have supplied any documented evidence that The Living Temple or any other writings or words of Kellogg show evidence that he believed in pantheism and did not believe in the same God that you and I believe in. How can intelligent honest people do this UNLESS you are trying to defend the SOP statements THAT ALSO do not supply any evidence. Let's see some quotes from the Living Temple or the Kellogg papers that shows he was a pantheist. Remember to look up the definition of pantheism in your dictionary. (how do I look up the web page you mentioned? On page 24 of the Kellogg papers "...when Prof. Prescott preached a sermon on Friday night against me and against the Living Temple, in which he did not read a line our of Living Temple, but he read out of Spiritualist books, heathen books, pantheistic books, and the theosophical books,---read all those things, horrible things, making those people believe he was reading out of my book all the time. It was the most horrible thing; I could not stand it, and I came pretty nearly shouting out at the time. Somebody asked him what book he was reading from , and he would not tell them; then he went on and told this awful tale, these awful heathen doctrines, and said, 'This is the doctrine that is being taught among us by this book that has been circulated.'...he stated {publicly} that we had circulated 50,000 copies...and it was a falsehood, and he knew it..when he told it,--of the Living Temple" Kellogg Papers Go read the Kellogg papers friends and read the Living Temple and you cannot find a slight hint even that Kellogg didn't worship the same God you and I do. Also go read #646 in the SDA church hymnal, "This Is My Father's World", 2nd stanza, "...He shines in all that's fair, In the rustling grass I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere..." I don't call that pantheism but I suppose you might. Let's be honest and fair. There is a slub in the fabric of Adventism and the slub involves the need for great integrity in our dealings. We need love and fairness and unimpeachable honesty in our dealings with each other and our exegesis of the scriptures instead of being 'teachers of the law'. So many good Christians have been let out or punished on trumped up charges that have gotten the historic Adventists riled up. Kellogg a pantheist?? Show me the proof! I don't care if somebody else was, show me that Kellogg was a pantheist! Show me he didn't believe in God. Then, I might apologize all over the place for being wrong. Walton is in my opinion just not an honest author, or Schwarz either. Both are biased IMO. Unconscious bias is still a mistake but conscious bias is FRAUD!! |
| Eugene
Shubert Member |
benherndon, Did I or did I not illustrate one form of pantheism in my second post, dated 08-06-2000 20:55? If I can show you that that is the aberration Kellogg believed in,
would that make him a pantheist? |
| benherndon Member |
Eugene I went back and read your post 8/6/00 and my answer is NO, I will not accept because some of his friends were pantheist that is evidence Kellogg was also. How ridiculous! Do you work with Catholics or Protestants in your jobs daily? Are you therefore like they are? Of course not. And, you've never provided evidence Kelloggs associates were pantheists either, so far! Darwin, you and Eugene are just like I was UNTIL I read the Kellogg
papers in about 1980. When I first read the Kellogg papers was the time of
the Ford and Rea crisis, Glacier View etc etc. That was when I cut down my
practice and spent beaucoup time studying everything I could get my hands
on. All that transpired then was the 'mindspring' that made me
search--which I am still doing and I try to maintain an open mind. But on
this subject, don't bring me flimsy evidences of hearsay. Bring me proof
from Kelloggs own words to counter the words we have in rather surprising
detail from him in the Kellogg Papers. If anybody reading this has new
evidence for me, please let me see it. If I am proven wrong I will
apologize right here (if I'm still alive and able) |
| Eugene
Shubert Member |
quote: benherndon, In truly Kelloggian style, you alter my question and answer something altogether different. You say:
quote: The question I asked was relevant because of the allegation by Ellen G. White that Kellogg was the ringleader of a movement and the chief advocate of demonic doctrines aiming to overthrow Adventism. If you are affirming that Kellogg was not a ringleader in the promulgation of a controversial theology, then maybe you should save us some time and just point us to a web page that answers all the charges leveled by Ellen G. White against Kellogg.
quote: What do you know of commonly accepted forms of proof in courts of law? The testimony of eyewitnesses to the teachings of Kellogg is not hearsay. Furthermore, if I allege that Kellogg promoted “scientific theories which are akin to pantheism”, and you wish to debate that, then you need to reply to the subtle form of pantheism that I think Kellogg taught (08-08-2000 04:07; 08-06-2000 20:55).
quote: Of course it’s there. I quote it on my web page. You get to the web page I mentioned by clicking on the hyperlink. Put your cursor over the underlined text Adventism’s Past Pantheism and click your mouse button as usual and the page I mentioned will open up for you. aB wrote,
quote: aB, are you like benherndon and do not understand my illustrated definition of Kelloggian pantheism? |
| benherndon Member |
Eugene I probably know about as much evidence supplied in a court as you do unless perhaps you are a lawyer. But, Walton is a lawyer and he has certainly supplied no credible evidence, just like you, that Dr. K was a pantheist! You don't define pantheism properly at all. Here is the Webster dictionary--"pantheism" (1)the doctrine or belief that God is not a personality, but that all laws, forces, manifestations, etc. of the self-existing universe are God; belief that God is everything and everything is God (2)the worship of all gods." This is the 'sine qua non' of pantheism--that there is no God such as the God of the Bible. You see, in your lazy--nesses you haven't even got the definition right. Waggoner??--who cares? We have Dr. K's testimony--if we hang him we do on what HE says, not what somebody else says WHEN we have what HE says! "Living Temple" shows no evidence Dr K had any signs of pantheism. Also, Kellogg papers are extremely clear---"..I am not a pantheist; and I don't believe in pantheism...if I were a pantheist I would be out worshipping the morning sun...I believe Christ died for sinners; that he is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; and that there is no other salvation except through Christ..these charges that Prof Prescott has made.. that I denied the atonement in a conversation with him, are absolutely false...Sr.White..in last interview..that I believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as I always had believed in Him; that I prayed to the Lord every day of my life and many times a day, and that I was doing my best to hold of all the principles that I ever have held up..."---and I could go on and on! The charges of pantheism against Dr. K were an excuse seized upon for other purposes. There was an agenda brewing at that time based on other problems. They will not stand the test of integrity and fairness. Many were ignorant of what pantheism even was--but note that DR. K knew the definition. His accusers didn't. They were grossly improperly made, were unfair and the whole incident a blight on their own Christianity. To those of you who 'surf' this thread I say, do not take my words or those of Eugene Shubert, Schwarz and Walton and a host of others but go read the Living Temple AND read the Kellogg papers then make up your own minds. Dr. K did surgery as have I. Who heals these people we 'butcher'-up?
What power is it. Where is that power. Is there somebody up there waving a
magic wand or winding a coil spring---OK, Eugene, you explain what it is
in my 300 avocado trees that when I cut them down to the trunk 3 ft from
the ground, shoots begin to come up from the bark and within 3-4 yrs again
bearing beautiful tasteful avocados. Buy lots of them. |
| Eugene
Shubert Member |
Benherndon, I agree that Kellogg never worshipped the morning sun. I believe he worshipped the morning bath. Who’s the prosecutor here? You may think it’s your choice but it isn’t. Do you remember EGW advising that no one attempt to refute the arguments of pantheism because they would screw it all up? EGW rightly insisted that Volume 8 of the Testimonies were a sufficient answer; nothing else could compare. Obviously the accusations of Prof. Prescott are irrelevant in my court of higher opinion. The official charge must be that Kellogg promoted “scientific theories which are akin to pantheism” because these are the words of the Prophet. You accuse me of not defining pantheism properly at all. I say that if you want to appoint the accused or an incompetent prosecutor to try this case, that’s fine. I have no interest in sham trials. I accept the Webster dictionary definition of pantheism, but remember, the inspired accusation is about something akin to pantheism.
quote: If you wish to defend Kellogg, I sure would feel more comfortable if you said something that indicated that you understand the charges. Thank you, Eugene Shubert |
| benherndon Member |
Eugene, respectfully as possible, after reviewing your web site I have concluded there is no use continuing this interchange. May God have mercy on us all. |
| Eugene
Shubert Member |
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This topic continues here. |
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