We live in a strange world.
Many of us have seen this world change dramatically. For those who have lived to be a hundred years old, they can certainly verify that the times are definitely changing.
For the rest of us we can still see the changes. Even in my 40 years, I have seen a lot and witnessed a lot, and I’m still baffled when I see how the current culture is getting worse.
In today’s world if you’re not angry at something on social media or not standing up for a political cause, or just plain angry, you’re a weird or a hateful person, You’re supposed to be so sensitive that everything offends you. . . just ask the average social media warrior.
With the rising tensions in our world, we are seeing that political correctness is not necessarily the right thing. All it takes to deem something politically correct is to speak loudly in protest on Twitter or any social media platform. You can be wrong, but as long as you speak loudly and say you’re offended then the world has to bow to your wishes. The rest may become blacklisted. I have witnessed this in my life where I have found myself in the black book. How?
Strike One
I spoke up and defended a local church against a pastor who was telling me he knows the mind of Jesus —and I should follow him (the pastor) and throw away Ellen white and read Rick Warren’s books on how to be a better leader. He also said that his Conference was using Rick Warren’s books to learn how to conduct their church services.
I also have found that social media can not only make you lose your job—as we have seen in the past many times—it can also hinder you in the church. I recall several examples—the first was a simple misunderstanding.
On Facebook one day, I was watching a service and the pastor was a young gentleman who was new to this specific Conference. While I was watching the Facebook feed that Sabbath afternoon, I asked the pastor a question—out of curiosity—on the comment section. I asked why he doesn’t wear a suit to church, especially when he speaks. I observed this on many occasions.
His response to me was that it’s a style for all the ‘new Adventist pastors’. They dress this way, he said, because in the business world the standard on dress has changed and now the youth have adopted it into the church. That was his reason why. So now the younger pastors dress in nice jeans or sometimes dress pants and a button up shirt at church. I took his answer and said “Thank you for letting me know.” The conversation ended with a Facebook ‘like’ on my last comment, by him.
What I didn’t expect was the backlash by many people (who I later found out were spreading rumors of how I berated this young man) and how I was so awful to question him and how I had a bad character. Let’s just say my name was written again in the black book and many would use this instance as an excuse to make sure I had no influence in any church. Interestingly, this young man didn’t wear a suit to church to worship God but yet at his ordination service he wore a suit. I wish I could have asked him why.
Strike Two
Then there was another time that Amazing Facts got me into trouble—I had someone give me a good talking to. As many of you know, I am a graduate of A.F.C.O.E (Amazing Facts College/center of Evangelism school). It was a great course which teaches you soul winning in many different areas.
Some time after I graduated, I decided to start using my Facebook account to witness to all my friends—who were mostly non Adventist and non Christian. I figured if I did a post a day with an Amazing Fact study guide, hopefully someone will read them and like them and it’s an avenue I can use to get more Bible studies. Well at least I hoped it would work out that way.
Well I had many of these non Christian friends ask questions, and they seem to like some of the content. While nothing came of it, it was a positive experience. Even some Christians liked it, and while I didn’t get any Bible studies, I was able to show them Amazing Facts’ website, where they could find info whenever they wanted.
I did however get some negative feedback, but it wasn’t from the non Christian or the Christian from a different denomination. It was from the very denomination which I am a part of. It came from a member in the Seventh-day Adventist church. So what was the negativity?
Well, I got a call from a member who told me his wife was upset at me, and how dare I call his wife a ‘harlot’? I was baffled at this accusation.
I asked when did I do that? His response was “on Facebook.” Still puzzled I said “Where and when?” I asked him “Are you serious or just messing with me?” He was not amused and he was serious. Apparently his wife took exception to me posting the Amazing Facts study guide.
A Love that Transforms
On Question 14 about clothing and jewelry, Topic b, it says this,
Jesus sums it up by symbolizing His true church in Revelation 12:1 as a pure woman clothed with the sun (Jesus’ brightness and righteousness) and the apostate church as a harlot bedecked with gold, precious stones, and pearls (Revelation 17:3).
So because the study guide exhorted women to not wear jewelry and stated that those who follow God are like the women of Revelation 12, and those who wear adornment are backsliders like Revelation 17 harlot women. Then that means I called his wife a harlot or as he put it a whore. Now I’ve become the enemy and the story got shared and embellished many times.
I explained, “It’s an Amazing Facts study guide.” They said “We know.” I wondered why am I at fault for something I did not write. I wasn’t even thinking about this woman when I posted the study guide, because I’ve never seen her with jewelry..
Sometime later, a person of authority talked to me about how I offended this young lady. They said I need to apologize because they’re leaving the church because of me. He also said that Facebook is the devil and if I value my salvation I need to get rid of it because it’s an idol. BTW he says it’s a good thing today because of the live streaming that can be done.
Of course I hoped that he would hear my case, but he only believed that one side because they cried out the loudest. I didn’t make an issue out of it and they did. So here I am getting my name once again in a black book.
Strike Three
Recently, I shared a video of Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross giving a balanced view of Scripture and this virus issue. To my surprise, some were appalled that I would share such a thing! Those who got offended said this is a pandemic that needed to be taken serious and the government has issued the truth and we should follow and not use any reasoning (as Pastor Ross and Pastor Doug were suggesting). These were fellow Adventists, and after that they politely asked to be removed from my email listing. I did as they wished.
It’s amazing to me that many people are allowing themselves to be caught up in the pattern of being offended by everything when it may go against their beliefs. Whether it is founded in truth or not, is immaterial.
This was one of the reasons why I started up my Biblical Thinking Facebook page—so that we can talk about issues or topics that we can’t normally talk about because it may hurt someone’s feelings. I mean, I know we need to be careful because only those people’s opinions matter right?
There are people out there who have serious questions and want answers about certain situations in life. We have come to the place where we can no longer do them on public social media, or even in church because we might hurt someone’s feelings. After all that’s ‘unloving.’
When you ask hard questions, or don’t see the logic in some things because they are wrong you risk becoming an outcast; you become the blacklisted. Truth can become strange to them and people do not like strange because it takes them out of their comfort zone and causes them to think.
I remember reading about how the Catholics killed many people (40-60 million) because they were strange. Why were they strange? Because they were Christians and wanted to follow the Bible. Imagine that. Yet the church of the day thought it was heresy to preach, learn and read the Bible because they knew what was best.
Well today is no different. Just like the Pope censored individuals with a papal bull, today we are in danger of being censored with a character mark. “You’re unloving, unkind, you’re a legalist, you think you’re better, how dare you speak the truth, you should know your place.” My favorite is “You’re driving people out of the church because you’re telling them the truth.” I thought the Church was built on truth (Colossians 1:6; 2 Peter 1:2).
I never in a million years would think that I would not be allowed to speak at churches or not be qualified for a position in church, because I shared an Amazing Facts study Guide. I as of yet have not been blacklisted or had a talking to because I shared false information. No, it was because I said what was in Scripture. If that makes me strange, I’m in good company (Acts 17:18; Gal. 4:16). Truth is only hate speech for those who hate the truth.
We must not allow culture to dictate our characters. Our characters should be changed and transformed by reading Scripture. As my wife told me one day when discussing current events “Why are they getting offended by that? The Bible says much harsher things then that, yet no true Christian says the Bible offends them.”
I hope that we Christians worldwide will look to Scripture to guide us how to act and how to handle any given situation. It will.
We must not allow our feelings or worldly ways of thinking to lead us in our responses in life. God has the answer for every problem that we face!
By the way, Amazing Facts didn’t get me into trouble. They remain the best resource in the Adventist brotherhood for presenting biblical truth in a clear, encouraging manner.
“For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth” (2 Peter 1:12).
Ray Chavez is an AFCOE graduate and elder of his church in Albuquerque, NM. He is happily married to Jessica and they currently have four awesome children (two who arrived on the same day).