Discovering the Spirit of Prophecy
Guilty as Charged I
magine being hauled before a court to answer charges, not for keeping the Sabbath, but for the Adventist health message. What would you say if a judge, staring down from the bench, asks, “Why are Seventh-day Adventists so big on promoting health?” Then banging the gavel, the judge demands: “Defend yourself!” If I were in that scenario, this is how I would answer. DEFENDING OUR PHILOSOPHY
Your Honor, if I may: The work of health care and healing is core to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Our mission statement says, among other things, that “affirming the biblical principles of the well-being of the whole person, we make healthful living and the healing of the sick a priority and, through our ministry to the poor and oppressed, cooperate with the Creator in His compassionate work of restoration.” In addition, Your Honor, in a book on our basic beliefs we state: 24
February 2020 AdventistWorld.org
“Because our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to care for them intelligently. Along with adequate exercise and rest, we are to adopt the most healthful diet possible and abstain from the unclean foods identified in the Scriptures. Since alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and the irresponsible use of drugs and narcotics are harmful to our bodies, we are to abstain from them as well. Instead, we are to engage in whatever brings our thoughts and bodies into the discipline of Christ, who desires our wholesomeness, joy, and goodness.”1 For this reason, Judge, Seventh-day Adventists abstain from the use of tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drugs and narcotics. Our denomination encourages a balanced vegetarian diet and avoiding unclean foods as listed in the Old Testament. Since the earliest days of the Adventist Church, health, wholeness, and well-being have been part of the organization’s DNA. As early as 1863, Ellen White,
Seventh-day Adventists and health
cofounder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, helped shape the church’s philosophy and emphasis on health. Long before medical evidence emerged, Ellen White spoke out strongly on the dangers of smoking and other issues, including the use of alcohol and poisonous medications, such as those containing arsenic and mercury-based drugs. She strongly discouraged the drinking of tea and coffee and the use of stimulants, as well as eating flesh food. She promoted a balanced vegetarian diet as best. In addition, she encouraged the use of fresh, clean water (inside and out), pure air, adequate exercise, rest, faith, appropriate exposure to sunshine, integrity, and social support. These principles form the foundation of our health education and practice today. PROMOTING TEMPERANCE
Sir, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Seventh-day Adventist
