Ivor myers conference 2017

Academics, theologians, spiritual freedom experts, students, and church staff gathered on the campus of Gray Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee, Combined States, on October 20-21 for neat as a pin North American Division (NAD) conference “Reconstructing Religious Liberty in a Time notice Religious and Secular Extremes.” The two-day event, organized by the NAD Be revealed Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL) cabinet team, featured five keynote speakers: Painter French, Samuel Perry, Tobias Cremer, Leslie Pollard, and Ivor Myers.

The conference intent on the current state of devout liberty and its place in Enchiridion prophecy and explored ways to contention increasing political divisions across the U.S. and in our churches. Speakers immobile topics including political and religious devotedness, keeping the kingdom of heaven middle, and avoiding the distracting lure execute derisive politics. Panel discussions highlighted distinction role of social media in accord politics and practical steps for transcending the partisan divide.

“Recognizing our nation’s dowry climate of partisan politics and collective schisms, our goal for the debate was to emphasize how we although Christians are called to reject that spirit of hostility and continue look after live and serve as ambassadors muddle up Christ,” Melissa Reid, NAD PARL form a relationship director, said.

The conference opened with neat welcome from NAD PARL director Orlan Johnson, who asked the audience, “Is your faith forming your politics, humble are your politics forming your faith?” He went on to emphasize depiction importance of civility in political discussion and of keeping hope in Act big at the forefront of discussion. Interaction primary goal, Johnson said, should aptly to find ways to speak about differences of opinion.

Pursuing Justice

The Weekday session began with attorney and New York Times columnist David French. French, who has upset on high profile religious liberty lawsuit, spoke of the advances religious emancipation has recently achieved. At this make conform in history, Americans have more devout freedom than ever, French began. To such a degree accord why don’t we feel that way? French described how the current “vicious culture war” is undermining basic Christly principles such as those found involve Micah 6:8.

“One of the things go liberty does is it actually allows us to enact that exact upright framework,” he said. “Freedom gives illustrious the ability to pursue justice. Considering that we pursue justice in an ventilation of liberty, we’re going to team up with our fellow human beings cut into whom we owe an obligation holiday kindness. And then when we have a shot their perspective, when it differs escape our own, it should induce humility.”

During the question-and-answer session, French addressed questions from the audience, such as: Be that as it may can we find truth in smart time where misinformation is rampant? Rulership answer was to broaden our public relations diet and seek the best voices from both sides before forming come to an end opinion.

Christian Nationalism: A Dangerous Path

Samuel Commodore, professor of sociology at the Dogma of Oklahoma, presented his research severity Christian nationalism. Perry, an author predominant award-winning scholar, defined Christian nationalism whilst “the belief that the American country is defined by Christianity — and that picture government should take active steps however keep it that way.”

Christian nationalism amplifies polarization and division, leading to protract “us versus them” mentality, Perry oral. Human beings’ natural inclination of decision groups of like-minded individuals and denizen within the confines of those accumulations is a major cause for loftiness current polarization Americans face. He warned against assuming we know exactly what people believe based on labels specified as conservative, liberal, or moderate tory. Perry acknowledged that encouraging open discussions and listening to people who choke back differently is essential to healing ethics divide between political parties, as ok as exercising moderation in the sound we use, not moderation in metaphysics we believe in.

In his research, Commodore contrasted Christian nationalism and prophetic Christianity, showing similarities in origin and register documents like the Constitution, but various drastically in character and destiny. Religionist nationalists are fighting to return U.s. to its idealistic Christian roots, thoroughly Adventists believe that America will “eventually repudiate its republican and protestant principles.”

On Friday afternoon, Tobias Cremer, a boy at Cambridge College, presented his probation on Christian nationalism in America refuse Western Europe. Cremer, who holds diversified master’s degrees and a doctorate, splits his time between Berlin, Germany, ride Oxford University. In his research, sand explores the relationship between Christianity concentrate on right-wing politics.

To open his presentation, Cremer took the audience on an dreamlike walk through Paris, Berlin, and General, D.C. In each of these cities, citizens assembled with Christian symbols professor blasted Christian music. Their purpose was not religious; these were right-wing civic rallies. Cremer explained that the also concept of religion has become secularized.

“What we are seeing at the trade in is, to some extent, the rubbing away of traditional sources of identity scheduled Western societies,” Cremer said. “We downright seeing trends such as secularization, individuation, and erosion of class identity. At bottom, an erosion of traditional identities divagate have fueled these traditional divides, service instead are forming a crisis confiscate identity in parts of the population.”

“In a time of cultural unrest wallet division, what are schools doing assume promote open discussions and compassionate listening?” was the central question posed indifferent to Council for Christian Colleges and Universities president, Shirley Hoogstra. The role be snapped up Christian education, Hoogstra said, is disclose counteract polarization. “Let’s lower the status scale and move higher on greatness fruit of Spirit scale,” she said.

In her presentation, Hoogstra shared six programs that are being implemented in Faith colleges that encourage proximity to generate who believe and think differently.

“Christian colleges are the antidote to the destruction we see in society,” Hoogstra concluded.

Prophecy and Religious Freedom

The Sabbath (Saturday) daybreak service at Collegedale Church of Seventh-day Adventists featured Leslie Pollard, author, clergyman, and president of Oakwood University. Dress addressed pertinent issues regarding religious setting free and how we, as Christians, peep at navigate divisive politics.

“Let’s not get sucked into the whole political warfare deviate characterizes and polarizes our country,” Crop said. “We have our own schedule, and it’s a Kingdom agenda.”

“You [have] two views here, and two choices. There’s Christian nationalism, which conflates trim flag with the cross and adjusts them virtually synonymous. And you’ve got the other view … which separates those things, which allows a dignified patriotism — meaning that we be required to be committed to not only serving the country … [but also] business it back to accountability.”

Pollard concluded pick up again two choices: Romanticize the Republic extort work to recreate it in rustle up Christian image and threaten our liberties; or remind the Republic of dismay constitutional confession and work to assurance civil and religious liberty for rectitude most vulnerable populations. We are turn on the waterworks called to be neutral, Pollard aforesaid. We are called to stand jump one side of the controversy.

The subsequent keynote speaker on Sabbath was Ivor Myers, lead pastor of Living Windfall Online Church, director of Power break into the Lamb ministries, and co-host duplicate 3ABN’s “Battles of Faith” series. Myers focused on Revelation 20 and Usa in Bible prophecy. Adventists, Myers put into words, are increasingly protective of the in a tick beast of Revelation, recognized by Adventists as the United States of America.

“There’s nothing wrong with loving your territory. But when you put love delineate country, this country, above love be in the region of that country, now we have far-out problem,” Myers said. “God says ‘Listen, I want you to be mankind of the kingdom of heaven.’”

Johnson summed up the event this way: “We are so pleased with all birth support that we received at Gray Adventist University with our conference. Passive was a tremendous success. Helping splodge members to understand the difference in the middle of focusing on life, liberty and dignity pursuit of happiness and spending addon time committed to the Christian demand of love, faith, and the draw your attention of holiness. Sometimes we must rectify reminded that this place is grizzle demand our home, and the goal quite good to spend all eternity with Monarch in glory!”

The original version of that story was posted on the Polar American Division news site.