Question

Subject - Religion 1100-005

Describe in a religion of your choosing a bit about its historical origins and how, from those origins, information about ultimate being is revealed to that religion’s followers. Especially note a founder and weather this revealing U.B. is primarily a prophet, a sage or an incarnation. Given such descriptions, what does one learn about the religion’s Ultimate Being? Is it more relational, more mysterious, more transcendent or immanent? Generally, show how the kind of origins we find in the religion’s history is coherent with its concept of ultimate being. You may also argue that the religion’s origins are not very consistent with its Ultimate Being concept.

Answer 1

CHRISTIANITY: Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church

The Seventh Day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian Denomination. They observed Saturday as a Sabbath Day (Worship Day), the seventh day of the week and they believe upon the "Second coming of Jesus Christ" (Advent). The denomination arose from the Millerite movement in the United States during the mid 19th Century and was formally established on May 21, 1863 at Battle Creek, Michigan.

On October 22, 1844, William Miller predicted on the basis of Daniel 8:14-16 that, Jesus Christ would return to this Earth on that day. He failed in his prediction, which is known as the "Great Disappointment."

After that, Hiram Edson and other Millerites did further research and understood that, Miller's calculations were correct, but the thing is his interpretation was flawed as he assumed that Jesus would come to cleanse the world. According to the further study of Hiram Edson and team, that Daniel 8:14 was foretold Christ's entrance into the Most Holy Place of the heavenly Sanctuary. So, the denomination Seventh Day Adventist began to form. This group of Adventist to believe about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ would be continue very soon, based on Revelation 10:6 "that there should be no longer."

The main founders of this denomination were Joseph Bates, James White, Ellen G. White and J. N. Andrews. They form the denomination on May 21, 1863 at Battle Creek, Michigan, with the membership of 3,500 by keeping the Sabbath Day (Saturday) holy, according to the Biblical study. In 1901, the denomination grew into 75,000 membership and by this time the denomination operated two colleges, a medical school, a dozen academies, 27 hospitals and 13 publishing houses. By 1945, the Church reported 210,000 membership around USA and Canada and 360,000 elsewhere. The budget was $29 million and enrollment in the church school was 140,000.

According to the January 22, 2015 issue, recognized Seventh Day Adventist as "fifth-largest Christian Community" with 81,552 Churches and 69,909 Companies. Today, the Seventh Day Adventist reported over 25 million people worship on Saturday, Sabbath. The Church operate 202 out of 230 countries and areas recognized by the United Nations.