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“The discussions in the 1970’s and 80’s regarding perfection and justification by faith produced a mental shift in the minds of Adventist leaders in the United States, Australia, and Europe. As a result, at the beginning of the twenty first century, the Adventist message is no longer the imminent return of Jesus Christ but the proclamation of the salvation Christ obtained at the cross (justification by faith). At the same time, subtle changes in the liturgy of Sabbath worship, primarily in the areas of music and more subtly in the preaching, reveal an opening to secular culture, and a withdrawing from the Word of God. These tendencies have produced a growing conviction among Adventist leaders and believers that lifestyle is not related with salvation. In other words, it is assumed that salvation and the way I live my life are not the same thing, but two completely different realities that relate only externally.” (Fernando Canale, Secular Adventism, 14)

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“The danger of praise leading to damage is at the root of the Book of Proverbs rather enigmatic observation: “He who blesses his neighbor in a loud voice in the morning, it will later be thought a curse” (27:14).

Bible commentaries understand this to mean that if a person comes to public notice even as a result of a neighbor’s blessing (a positive association) the intense scrutiny engendered by his newfound fame ultimately will probably damage his good name- or worse.” (Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, Words that Hurt, Words that Heal, p.20)

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“Many Americans are beginning to wonder if the increase in crime and lawlessness has anything to do with the tremendous freedom which Americans enjoy. Many are inclined to think that the great liberties of the Constitution, especially of the First Amendment, have been progressively abused by every succeeding generation especially since the 1960’s.

Religionists and sociologists are suggesting that unrestricted freedom without morality is pushing American society to a dangerous extreme. Furthermore, the recent increase in the number of what are called bizarre cults with mass ceremonial suicides, has some to begin to doubt the wisdom and relevance of First Amendment religious liberties."
(Elliot Douglin, The New World Economic Order, 128)

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“It should also be noted that any idea of worship must involve the bringing together of the worshipper with the object of worship. In the case of Biblical worship it means that God must draw near to man, and man, (in turn) must approach God in order to express his reverence. The book of Genesis, records, among other things. the fall of man into sin and its consequent result of alienation between a perfectly Holy God and totally depraved creatures. Something must take place, therefore, in order to (1) turn the rebellious heart of fallen man back to his original desire to worship God, and (2) appease wrath of God, lest fallen man, when he approaches God to worship, be consumed in His fiery wrath. Worship, then, according to Genesis, may be defined as an approach to almighty God, on the basis of a substitution atonement, acknowledging His transcendent excellence and our utter unworthiness, in order to give Him the honor and devotion He alone deserves, as humble servants gladly subjecting themselves in reverence to their Creator.” (Douglas, Comin, Worship from Genesis to Revelation, p.8)

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“Our idols, you see, not smelted from jewelry or fashion from clay like the BC brand of idolatry. We tend to create practical idols, idols that have the feel of the familiar to us, idols that don't demand so much from us. Our pet idolatries are mostly those that help us blend in better with our culture, that make us more comfortable in 21st century America. Our idols are often dressed in the clothes of practicality and convenience, of assimilation and acceptance.”
(Bob Hostetler, American Idols, 12)

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“Breaking the biblical pattern for discipleship allows a human tradition to be created that destroys the biblical plan. Recapturing the pattern of older men discipling the younger, and older woman doing the same is not only countercultural to the broader world but against the culture we have inculcated in many of our congregations.

When churches place human tradition of dividing the generations above God's own stated plan of multigenerational, integrated congregations, we delude ourselves into thinking our plans will bring about God's will. We are, in essence, thumbing our noses at the Creator and stating that His design is inadequate for the world today.” (White & Yeats, Franchising McChurch, p. 51)

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“Why are so many loath to accept that the Scriptures are true? It can hardly be because archaeology contradicts it, for most of what the spade has dug up in the Middle East for a century and a half has time and again confirmed their historical accuracy to an amazing extent. Nor can it be because the Bible is characterized by vague generalities or has a fairy- tale quality about it, for it is in all things so specific and concretely to the point. It often contains particulars that no fiction writer would ever have included, since some of them are so repetitive that the casual reader finds them boring. Such are the chapters in Exodus that tell exactly how the ancient Tabernacle had to be constructed and describe its many sacrifices. Then there are the many lists of names, names, and more names in tedious genealogies, which crop up from time to time in both the old and New Testament. No, let us candidly admit that most often the reason why people reject these books is because they blend their historicity with the actions of God and emphasize our moral responsibilities as well as the fact that each of us has a heaven to gain and a hell to shun”
(Edwin de Kock, Use and Abuse of Prophecy, 86-87)

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“Lifestyle diseases are thought of as separate from communicable diseases or so called contagious diseases. We all understand how you get communicable ailments. You come into contact with a virus, a parasite, or some other funky organism. You can come into contact with these agents through water, air, and food, among other things and the medical profession, epidemiologists, and a whole host of other professionals have helped build antiviral drugs that can prevent the spread of communicable diseases.

But lifestyle diseases- what are they? Simply put, lifestyle diseases are those diseases caused by the way in which we live our lives. These diseases present more complex questions than the more binary questions posed by communicable diseases. Measles occurs whenever a child comes into contact with that virus, but lifestyles are not so simple. Lifestyle diseases, by contrast, are a direct reflection on our consumption. As the size of our plates go up, so do the rates of type 2 diabetes. Because we can directly link a disease like this to our appetites, this puts the effects of that disease squarely in the camp of our questions of consumption. With the exploration of lifestyle diseases we can then begin to ask questions about everything we do. This includes the food we eat, the places we shop, the cars we drive, the churches we attend, the families we create, the television shows we watch, to name just a few questions that sociologists tend to ask when examining one's lifestyle.” (Will Samson, Enough, p.100)

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“Not only have we ‘lost the culture’ but we continue losing even our own children. It's a familiar but tragic story that devout people raised in Christian homes, head off to college, and abandon their faith. Why is this pattern so common? Largely because young believers have not been taught how to develop a biblical worldview. Instead, Christianity has been restricted to a specialized area of religious belief and personal devotion…

As Christian parents, pastors, teachers, and youth group leaders, we constantly see young people pulled down by the undertow of powerful cultural trends. If all we give them is a “heart” religion, it will not be strong enough to counter the lure of attractive but dangerous ideas. Young believers also need a “brain” religion- training in worldview and apologetics- to equip them to analyze and critique the competing worldviews they will encounter when they leave home. If forewarned and forearmed, young people at least have a fighting chance when they find themselves a minority of one among their classmates or work colleagues. Training young people to develop a Christian mind is no longer an option; it is part of their necessary survival equipment.”
(Nancey Pearcey, Total Truth, 19)