Michelle here.
Loma Linda, California, is not quite the same for Adventists as Salt Lake City is for Mormons — more important meccas of Adventism can be found in the Midwest and East Coast — but it is predominantly an Adventist city. I spent some time there over a decade ago and was amused that there was postal delivery on Sunday but not Saturday.
"The city is best known for Loma Linda University Medical Center, where in 1984 doctors performed the world’s first infant cross-species heart transplant: ‘Baby Fae’ was given the heart of a baboon.
"Less known is that the university and medical center are run by Adventists. Loma Linda, home to at least 7,000 Adventists, one of the largest concentrations in the world, has been governed exclusively by church members since it incorporated more than three decades ago.
"Adventism, a conservative Christian denomination, and the church’s holistic devotion to people’s health and spiritual well-being dominate daily life in Loma Linda, where biblical creationism and cutting-edge medicine exist side by side.
"The city has a Ronald McDonald House to shelter the families of ailing children — but no Golden Arches. Most Adventists are vegetarian."
(Nod to Bill Cork for the link.)
Late in 2004, when my father was dying of terminal illness, we managed to have him admitted to the hospice nursing unit of Loma Linda’s Veterans Administration Hospital. (San Diego’s VA did not have any openings.) Despite the difficulties for us in visiting him, we were pleased for him that he could be at the Loma Linda VA because that meant he would have access to Adventist chaplains. The Loma Linda VA had three chaplains, two Adventist and a Catholic priest.
Although early in his stay at the VA Dad did get one visit from the Adventist chaplain and another visit from an Adventist pastor who was a friend of the family, as the end approached the chaplain who responded to my calls for chaplain’s visits was the priest. (I did not request him; I only requested whoever was available.) At the end, it was the priest who visited Dad just before he died and who prayed with us afterwards. I never met either of the Adventist chaplains.
Which goes to show that even in an "Adventist city" I guess it is possible for Adventists to be prepared for death by a Catholic priest.
Michelle,
I am very sad to read of the death of your father, but I am glad that a priest was able to comfort him.
My prayers are with your family.
Yes, Michelle, my condolences on losing your father.
I lost my Dad in 1984.
Isn’t Adventism strongly anti-Catholic?
“Isn’t Adventism strongly anti-Catholic?”
Yes, which only sharpens the irony of the story. Thanks for the prayers, guys. It’s greatly appreciated! 🙂
Some Protestants are anti-Catholic. I don’t really place Seventh Day Adventists in that category.
Adventists believe God told them that Catholcs are evil. I usually get sad pittyable looks from Adventists I know. They don’t try to convert me or anything, they just assume my soul is going to be annihilated.
I would say that Adventists are anti-Catholic institutionally but not personally. They believe that the Church is the Whore of Babylon, but they tend not to apply that belief to individual members. I’ve known a lot of other Protestants like that.
Shell,
Don’t you think you should have mentioned that Dad was a 7th-Day Adventist?
April
“Don’t you think you should have mentioned that Dad was a 7th-Day Adventist?”
I assumed that by the end of the post. I think it was clear enough.
I agree with Joel that most Adventists (and most Prots I know) are institutionally anti-Catholic, but not so much on a personal level.
“Don’t you think you should have mentioned that Dad was a 7th-Day Adventist?”
I intended for that to be clear by mentioning that we were glad that he could have Adventist chaplains and by the last sentence.
For the record, yes, he was an Adventist. I apologize for any misunderstanding.
Don’t feel bad, Michelle. My dad’s family was Adventist, too. They left Adventism when he was a boy, after their house burned down in Walla Walla (another SDA enclave). My grandfather said he sat in the ashes with his wife and kids and watched people walk past on their way to Sabbath services. The only person in town who gave them any help was, ironically, a Catholic.
(I wish I could say that they turned Catholic beccause of that, but they didn’t. Instead, they were browned off with religion altogether, and only ever went to any church thereafter for a wedding or a funeral.)
Joel,
Are you suggesting that Shell shouldn’t feel bad because her father was an Adventist, or for not explicitly stating that he was in her original post?
I have the impression that you intended the former…
April
I was raised in a Seventh-day Adventist family (now, through the grace of God, converted to Catholicsim last year) and I can certainly say this: You cannot be a TRUE Adventist without being anti-Catholic. Period. Their doctines, sadly, are anti-Catholic by nature. In a nutshell they believe that the Catholic Church, being led by Satan, will pass a “Sunday Blue Law” which will require every Christian to worship on Sunday (contrary to Adventists who worship on Saturday) and if you don’t you will be persecuted. They also believe that the pope is the anti-Christ relating to the number 666 in Revelation 13:18.
These and many more in depth misconceptions they hold on to. That is why we must pray the Rosary very hard for their conversion and continue to be good Christian friends and examples to them.
When I converted to the Catholic Church it was the start of an uproar of rumors and gossip among my Adventist friends and their entire church. It was a very hurtful experience especially when one of the old members came up to me and said “Dearie, you have no idea what you’re getting into. That Church is evil and I will pray for you.” But that is what they believe
But no matter what they or any other church believes or teaches, It was Christ who gave His promise only to His Holy Catholic church that “…The gates of hell shall NEVER prevail against it.” (Matt 16:18) and “Behold, I am with you always, untill the end of the age.” (Matt 28:20)
The Catholic Church will go through many trials and sufferings through misconceptions, hatred, and disobedience of its members and those outside. But through Christ’s power, it will triumph over all and will live untill His second coming!
God bless all.
Seventh Day Adventists in that part of California have the longest lifespans in the country of any single group. Apparently there are (like in Mormonism, Islam, and Hinduism) certain dietary prohibitions and also many focus on organic foods. The sense of community (through religion) and family is very strong.
I am not a member.
7th Day Adventists do live a long time, prohibitions on alcohol and tobacco are part of that, also stresses on family, religion and community (like the Italian Catholic PA Roseto affect) apparently also good health care and organic food, no pork either
GOOD HEALTH
April,
No church or community is safe per se. Jewish nation was elect, wasn’t it? But there were conditions for all the beautiful promisses about ETERNAL blessings (equivalent to your ‘NEVER prevail’): “Love the Lord your God, obey him and be faithful to him, and THEN you and your descendants will live long in the land that he promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deuteronomy 30:20, my emphasis)
Jesus belonged to the Jewish church (yes, nothing short of church; cf. 1 Cor 10:2), and with tears He wanted to save them, but they wouldn’t come to Him, the only One through whom any person can get salvation (Acts 4:12) That’s why they eventually lost their privileged position. And that’s the only reason Jesus organized another community – the Christian church. If the chosen people apostatized and was rejected, what makes you think that the Christian church, if apostitized, would be treated any different?
I would like you to compare the texts you quoted with these words: “Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do. When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God’s message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!’ Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!’” (Matt 7:21-23) Being Christian (calling Jesus one’s Lord) and performing miracles – even casting out demons – without the last part, translated by KJV, ‘I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity’ (for the Greek word here is ‘anomia’ meaning lawlessness), is really not genuine, and so wothless. Jesus, tragically, doesn’t recognize them as His.
This means that NO church will be saved. It will be the believers who will be saved. The true disciples, that is. “Jesus told the people who had FAITH in him, “If you KEEP ON obeying what I have said, you TRULY are my disciples.“” (John 8:31; emphasis mine)
So it is not about having any certificate of belonging goten from people (churches), but about enquiring and following the teaching of Christ, not Chtistians.