Reviewing the Adventist Review

August 14, 2008
Vol. 185s, No. 22

GENERAL COMMENTS
This Review is a one Bouquet and one Black Eye edition. The Bouquet is awarded to Church Needs New Mentality to Combat AIDS, GC Official Says, reported by Ansel Oliver.

Morality arguments are not enough, according to Pardon Mwansa, one of nine general vice presidents of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. He advocates the use of condoms. It’s about time “wisdom” prevails.

“That's not to say I don't believe in teaching, it's just that I want to prevent the worst disaster that can come. And, to be on a practical platform, people in the church are not beyond sin. Even people in the church do sometimes lose grip on the "thus sayeth the Lord." And when people lose grip, I think wisdom calls for us to still save them from the disasters and consequences of behavior by any lesser evils available.”

Bill Knott earns the Black Eye. The title of his editorial, Unholy Bypass, is reactionary and even offensive. His comment that, “only the biblically illiterate will insist that God must gladly accept whatever we offer up as worship [in music]” is presumptive.

Mark Kellner’s, The Lure of Sabbath Deception, is informative and well written. However, I have yet to read an explanation of SDA Sabbath observance doctrine that takes into account Romans 14:5.

While I agree with the sentiment expressed in The Devil’s Cheerleaders by Elijah Mvundura, the writing lacks focus, and the illustrations provided: the bright red silhouettes of youthful cheerleaders interspersed in the text, and a giant, “D” labeled megaphone that bleeds across the two-page spread, are distracting and mildly disturbing.

Articles of note include: Carlos Medley’s tribute to John Russert, The Passionate Seeker; Only a Touch by Virchel E. Wood; Religious Freedom Celebrated in Angola and Mongolia; and Lifetime Lessons by Joy Wendt.