As an Adventist myself, I don't always agree with the religious rules of my church's conservative wing (which is the majority). I have an aunt who is a nurse and works Friday through Sunday, and many of her colleagues know that she is Adventist. There have been people at our church who give her a hard time about it, but plenty of others who are just fine with it. After all, Jesus talked about the value of doing good on the Sabbath, and the profession my aunt is in certainly fits that bill. I often think that if the people I saw in church every week knew what I was doing Sunday through Friday, they wouldn't let me anywhere near them (just look at my screenname and my sig as evidence of that). I will confess that I have eaten non-kosher bacon and sausage, am not a vegetarian, drank caffeinated beverages, gone to plenty of movies, danced with several girls at my senior prom (which was a double whammy since started before sunset on a Saturday), gone to football games on Friday nights, wear a watch (jewelry), and like jazz and rock music. Many of the people in my church (including my own family) may not object to all those things, but Ellen White, Uriah Smith, Samuele Bacchiocchi, etc. would be appalled at all of those things. The majority in my church have plenty of rules that would make a Southern Baptist look permissive (though not always part of official church doctrine). My uncle and his family, who are also members of the same church as I am, have done many of these things too, and they always listen to contemporary Christian music while driving (also a no-no). I believe many people in my church don't even have TV sest in their houses. I may not be a "good Adventist", but I care more about being a good Christian. I also must admit that I am uncomfortable with people breaking the rules of their religion, including myself. However, I don't believe that I will go to hell for any of the above. I remain and Adventist because I believe they are closest to the Bible, but by any standard I am a Progressive Adventist. I certainly struggle with many of these things, and I am also bothered by other people breaking their own religious rules as well. I do believe in tolerance, however, and must remind myself of the words of Charlotte Elliott in one of my favorite hymns, "Just as I Am":
Sorry I got a little long-winded, but I have so many experiences with this that it's hard for me to know where to stop.
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