The Pope and CNN

[Ben Kenobi]

Seventh Day Adventist.

What is this about the state of the dead? Do you then believe that all Christians who die, are currently in heaven?

[Jon Miller]

no

we beleive that they don't exist (or something along those lines)

Jon Miller

[Ben Kenobi]

"The wages of sin is death. But God, who alone is immortal, will grant eternal life to His redeemed. Until that day death is an unconscious state for all people."

http://www.adventist.org/beliefs/index.html

Unconscious is somewhat different from not existing at all. No difference here from other Christian denominations.

[Jon Miller]

ah, I guess oyu are right

I thought some thought you were in heaven or something

Jon Miller

[Jon Miller]

I guess I consider the state nonexistence

so that is my belief more than an SDA one

hmm, there is the Sabbath issue

(I know in many things we are similiar to other denominations)

I don't know much about minenites (what youa re?) (there are many a fair ways back in my family tree), what differences are their between your denomination and SDAs?

Jon Miller

[Ben Kenobi]

Jon Miller:

You are right, some do consider people to go immediately to heaven, although most consider it a state of unconsciousness.

I don't know much about minenites (what youa re?) (there are many a fair ways back in my family tree), what differences are their between your denomination and SDAs?

Evangelical Mennonite.

Mennonites are anabaptist pacifists.

Anabaptist means that we do not baptise infants, unlike the other protestant denominations, Lutherans, Anglicans, Presbyterians, etc.

We are exactly the same as Baptists except for the pacifism aspect, in that members cannot do combat service.

The Evangelical qualification is a subsection of Mennonites. There are Conservative Mennonites, and Evangelicals. Conservative Mennonites are very close to the Amish, without the technology prohibitions.

Evangelical signifies a commitment to bible-reading and study, so that all members are able to share their faith with others. We're also big on missions.

As for the SDA's in particular, you have dietary restrictions and the Sabbath issue that set you apart from the rest of Christians.

[Jon Miller]

we use to be very pacifist

like most were COs during WW2

I think the NA churcha s a whole has grown less pacifist in the last 20 years though

Jon Miller

[Jon Miller]

I thoguht I remember getting in argmuents with people mroe than just diet restrictions and the Sabbath would suggest

I am not sure what denomiatinos they were, nor what the arguments would ahve been about (it hs beena while)

Jon miller

[Ben Kenobi]

I thoguht I remember getting in argmuents with people mroe than just diet restrictions and the Sabbath would suggest.

I think that you are tired. Check back when you get some decent rest, and you might remember more.

(can't sleep right now, myself.)

It's hard to scout the arguments without knowing the identity of the other denominations.

[Jon Miller]

I am tired

but I can't sleep

I drank coffee at midnight, and usually it puts me to sleep

but this time it kept me up

and I ahve a etst tomorrow (And would like to get an assignbment in)

Jon Miller

[Jon Miller]

a lot of them had to do wtih interpretation of the Bible I believe

and it might not have been denomination differences that much (a lto of members don't actually know that much of what there denomination beleives, I knwo I have my own twist on SDA beleifs)

as I think I ahve said, I ahve bveen to a few lutheran sevices and found them very weird

Jon Miller

[Ben Kenobi]

I'm starting to fade too. Boris would rip the grammar of my sentences to shreds.

Biblical interpretation is always a fertile ground for disagreement, most of the doctrinal differences emerge from different interpretations, symbolic vs. literal and so on.

as I think I ahve said, I ahve bveen to a few lutheran sevices and found them very weird.

Tradition is another thing entirely. I don't know much about Seventh Day Adventists, particularly with regards to tradition.

How did you find the Lutheran services strange?

[Jon Miller]

the cross thing

ahving the Lords Prayer said

how the guy prayed facing the other way

all the congregational response

the style of the sermons (thety don't call them sermons I think)

less hymms song by the congrgation, more by the choir

most SDA churchs seem to have a very different style than the Lutheran Church I Went to a couple times

of course, that church I went to was a college church, so it might have been atypical

Jon Miller

[Jon Miller]

if there is very little difference in Doctrine, I dont' see denomination matters much

it has always seemed to me that doctrine was different, but I could be wrong

I mean the Sabbath issue is important, but is not that huge of difference

Jon Miller

[Ben Kenobi]

"the cross thing"
Don't understand what you mean here. Crossing across the chest like Catholics do, when the priest says, Father, Son, Holy Spirit?

"having the Lords Prayer said."

Less emphasis in my church than the Lutherans, although we do say it during the service.

"how the guy prayed facing the other way."

Okay, I'm not sure what you mean here. Are you talking about the priest praying towards the congregation or away from the congregation or something else entirely?

My church prays towards the congregation.

"all the congregational response"

My sympathies to you. Very similar to a Catholic mass in this regard, everybody knows what to say, and they are quick. Mennonites generally don't have responses from the congregation, and so I have had to learn to keep up.

"the style of the sermons"

They are homilies, similar to the Catholic and Anglican services. Baptists and Mennonites tend to have long sermons, around 30 mins or so, as compared to this style.

"less hymms song by the congrgation, more by the choir"

Mennonites would be closer to you it seems than the Lutherans. We only have one or two hymns sung by the choir in isolation.