We’re now on Facebook!

I have decided to start up a Facebook group that accompanies this blog.  I already have Twitter going here.

The group is called Catholic discussion of Adventism and the direct link is https://www.facebook.com/groups/CatholicDiscussionOfAdventism

This group is for Catholics, not Adventists.  The statement of purpose is as follows:

This is a moderated group for Catholics to discuss and ask for help with arguments presented by Adventists.  The main aim is to help people find resources that will explain the biblical and Catholic faith in the specific context of Adventist arguments against it.

This is therefore  not a group for Adventists (or others) to debate Catholic teaching with Catholics.  It’s for Catholics to help each other.

This is therefore not a group for Adventists and will be moderated accordingly.

The purpose of the moderation will be to keep the discussions on track, and to create a safe environment for Catholics looking for answers.

If you wish to do any of the following, there are other groups on Facebook where you can do that:

1. Promote Adventist teachings not compatible with Catholicism
2. Promote other anti-Catholic teaching or teaching at odds with Catholicism*
3. Promote anything unrelated to Catholicism (like diets)

*Debate on issues that are considered open issues within Catholicism is fine, but should preferably be in line with the purpose of this group, i.e. Adventist arguments against Catholicism.  Legitimate failure to understand theological intricacies will not get you banned unless you make a real nuisance of yourself over it.  Some explanations took me years to understand.

Membership requirements:

1. Catholic
2. Non-Catholic but seriously considering becoming Catholic and looking for answers
3. Non-Catholic but seriously looking for answers about Adventism, in which case you should respect that this is a Catholic group, and stick to the rest of this broader statement.  If you find the answers too Catholic for your liking, there are many to be found elsewhere.

Rules / guidelines / etc.:

1. Be polite to each other
2. No spamming – this isn’t a group about the latest weight loss diet
3. Try to stick to Catholic issues raised by Adventists
4. Feel free to ask about Catholic issues raised by non-Adventists / anti-Catholics
5. The occasional completely off-topic post will be okay, but try to keep it Catholic
6. Answers may come in the form of links to other websites that deal with a specific question in more detail.  Those serious about finding an answer will appreciate that and read the links, and that will separate them from trolls.
7. You might have joined to ask a question, but please stay, and if you can, sometimes help with questions you have an answer for.
8. Try not to add your Facebook friends via the “Add people to Group” section.  Get them to submit their own membership request.  Adding en masse like that is likely to be interpreted as trolling, and if you end up adding hordes of Adventists, you will all be evicted.
9. Blocking an admin means you will be evicted from the group.
10. Pray for us and each other

Advice re debating Adventists:

Don’t.  Not unless their questions are sincere and they actually do want to listen to your explanations.  That is rare.

If you’re not an experienced apologist, the best way to deal with Adventists who just want to argue (and they are in the majority of those who will actively start discussions about Catholicism, in my experience) is to provide them with the resources that answer their questions, and let any seed grow under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

If you are an experienced apologist, pretty much the same thing applies to people who aren’t there to listen to your side of the case.  I’ve sometimes found that turning the entire discussion into specific questions for them to answer, which you learn with experience, can lead them to questions they can’t answer, and then that sets them thinking, and from there seeds grow.

Do the following – provide resources, and go and read (and ask here) so that you gain a solid understanding of why the Catholic Church teaches what it does, and why it is indeed in agreement with the Bible.  Pray for them.  Try to let them know that you love Christ, that you believe what the Bible says, and that your interpretation is different to theirs.

Remember – conversion is not your job.  Being a witness to the faith, in the ways that you can, is.  Conversion is the job of the Holy Spirit.  If it’s His will that some be saved as Adventists, so be it.  If it’s His will that some come to the fullness of the Christian faith on this side of the grace, so be it.  Just pray.

New member requests:

I will try to check for new member requests daily, but if it takes too long, please PM me and I’ll react faster.  I don’t always see notifications of new member requests.