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Rating: 
Summary: Challenging and Convicting
Review: I read this book when I was younger and I didn't like it. I am not sure of my reason. Then I became curious as to whether the church we have today differed and how it differed from the church in the aposlotic age. After going back over the book and reading it more in depth, I find the history to be very accurate. I find the theology to be well-supported by the Bible. I can say I am willing to believe what the Bible says, and to doubt anything that does not completely harmonize with God's Word, whether it is popular or not. My own faith is encouraged that God's Word will never contradict itself and gives me a sense of confidence in the accuracy of His Word.
Rating: 
Summary: A comforting book for the feeble minded
Review: I started reading this book with an open mind. I was introduced to the author by a dear friend who is an exemplary Christian attending a Seventh Day Adventist church. I wanted to see what his church believes.I was sorely disappointed. Although White speaks Christian-ese very well and her writings frequently sound as if they could have been excerpted straight from the Bible, her book is permeated with logical fallicies, biased polemics, and extra-biblical material that she claims was divinely revealed to her. Specifically, White uses ad hominem attacks on anyone who disagrees with her point of view. She labels them apostates and makes judgments regarding the condition of their hearts and their service toward God (judgments that only God can make). Conversely, she heralds anyone who is aligned with her perspective as having more light, true lovers of God, etc. One finishes this book feeling either like the exultant victor or the shunned bastard child, depending on whether they jump on White's bandwagon or not. There were many passages that did agree with Scripture, but many others that were biased interpretations of Scripture. I was most appalled by her inclusion of extra-biblical material regarding the fall of Satan and the origin of evil. Further study revealed to me that White plagiarized material for many of her books. Reading quotations from one of her earlier books, I instantly recognized that she had plagiarized from John Milton's Paradise Lost, yet she claimed that she SAW these details of his classic poem in a vision from God!!! This is heretical! I would advise anyone who reads The Great Controversy or any other book written by Ellen White to also familiarize yourself with the following website: http://www.ellenwhite.org/index.html or The White Lie, by Walter Rea.
Rating:
Summary: How Depressing
Review: I was given this book by a fellow doing construction on my parents house while I was returning for the long weekend from University. We started discussing history and the Christianity. Well he said he'ld bring a book for me to read; and when he did, he was surprised (and a little scared) that I knew the author, though her name didn't appear on the book. He said he was a convert from Catholicism to SDA-ism. I'm not, I guess I was a lapsed Catholic when I started reading the book. My first passion is history (especially Renaissance to the Peace of Westphalia) and as I read this book, I started picking up my collection of history texts from the courses I've taken, along with the collect of history texts from both my parents from their University careers. As I cross-referenced the book, I was captivated by the history, everything she said was there, but everything that was there isn't said. Having spent a semester studying in Eastern Europe, I was well versed in the Hussite wars, which the book oversimplifies to the point of falsafying them. What struck me most was the hilarious double standard. Pope Gregory VII was criticized for being so proud and causing the HRE Frederick II to stand in the snow and beg; while the book exhaults Luther for his persistence and strength when he held fast to the truth. Or better, the book criticizes the Monastic orders for 'tearing families apart' and causing children to disobey their parents (violation of the 4th Commandment), while it praises the young Waldensians for their sacrifice of leaving their families to preach the Gospel, (though she neglects the beliefs of the Waldensians and even at one point equates them with the Albagensians). Finnaly, the author crticizes the Franciscan and Dominican friars as being beggers living off of the honest earnings of society, then it glorifies the lifestyle of the Lombards, who live very strict lives shedding the death-vice of material possessions. It seems history has been held on a double standard and the only sacrifice this book makes is history and intelligence at the table of religious conspiracy theory. I would love to get ahold of the texts she repeatedly references,D'Aubign, and Wylie. I guess I just feel sorry for anyone who buys into this conspiracy theory stuff (but then again the Falung Gung movement, Heavens Gates, the Branch Davidians all have very deviout followings, which just furthers my belief that the great majority of people can't find thier bottom with both hands and a map, let alone understand religion, history and theology), it has caused me to re-examine my life and I'm dedicating it to study and Jesus Christ through the Catholic Church.
Rating:
Summary: Exercise caution when reading this book.
Review: It is well documented that Ellen G. White plagiarized significant portions of this book. Much of the material that is original to Mrs. White contains condemning legalistic statements. For example, Mrs. White teaches in this book that the children of God must stand before God without the Holy Spirit as their mediator and that, in order to do so, the children of God must have reached a state of behavioral perfection in their own strength. It is difficult for me to take a middle of the road position on teachings such as this that are so opposed to the clear teachings of scripture. This book is dangerous.
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Summary: Father Forgive Them, For They Know Not What They Do
Review: Tell you what, if you wanna know some facts that are so limited in our time, this book will reveal things you'll never find in just any other book. Before reading this book I have searched for an accurate picture of things which have happened early in Christianity. Obviously, I wasn't satisfied. But this book really took care of that. I may not agree with some things Ellen White says, or believes, but I commend her for giving an accurate review of Christianity that I wasn't alive to see. I recommend this book to anyone who is truthful with themselves, and with their soul.
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Summary: to the lady who rejected christianity to take up Buddhi.....
Review: The Buddha was compassionate and full of love just like Jesus christ but he was only a man. Christ, on the other hand was both God and man. The feeling of love and compassion that the Buddha displayed was a God given one. Buddha saw that there came a time in life when all the vigor we once had during our youth disappears and we die out.One day he knew he would have to face it too. Even king Solomon was awakened to this reality, as is evident in his writtings of the old testament. Buddah was searching for answers and saw that life here on earth could never satisfy. i also believe that he understood man's yearning desire to exist in a world of peace, where death and suffering weren't present. Buddha taught accoridng to the light he had received in his day. Jesus,who was God, left heaven and came in the form of man so that he could save man. Through the ages people have taught many things. Even Muhammed, who in a highly polytheistic society taught to worship only one God.......Allah. Those two men were mere mortals, but Jesus was human and Divine.Jesus answers all our questions. it is high time that we as christians really begin to study our bibles and make sense of what's going on around us. the bible contains many prophecies for our time. Read, in the new testament bible,the book of Mathew chapter 24 and in the book of Luke, chapter 21 and verse 25. As christians we, through God and the bible, believe that sin has affected the entire world no matter how remote. this is evident. TAKE TIME TO KNOW THE TRUE GOD WHO SAID TO ASK AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN TO US! READ THE BIBLE NOT ONCE BUT ALL THE TIME. WE MIGHT NOT SEE A POINT UNTIL WE READ THROUGH SEVERAL TIMES. all the best in 2005. God bless!
Believe in Jesus(jeshua)
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional information written in beautiful, lyrical prose
Review: This book is obviously a mainstay of the 7th day adventist religion. Though I personally do not subscribe to the doctrine at this time, Ms. White makes a compelling case for "... the infallible authority of the Holy Scriptures as a rule of faith and practice." Modern day Roman Catholics would likely be surprised and alarmed in reading the book; she reveals in some detail the past corruptions of the Roman church and of the papacy and traditions in particular. While today the pope speaks to eliminate the death penalty, in the history of Rome, the popes used not only death, but terrible tortures to promote and protect his power. Her ultimate conclusion is that the Pope of Rome is the beast of Revelations (so Henry Kissinger can relax a bit). The mark of the beast is in setting aside the precepts laid down in scripture for the traditions invented by man (Sunday vs. Saturday worship, infant baptism, indulgences, worship of saints and Mary, ad infinitem). I recommend this book to any fundamentalist, evangelical, or liberal Christian thinker whether Protestant or Catholic, because it raises our awareness how church leaders can loose sight of the path set down by Jesus and instead promote superstitions set out by men who would use them to achieve and retain worldly power.
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Summary: A comforting book for the feeble minded
Review: This could be a little daunting to read if you are a Catholic, (I am not, but my spouse and children are and many of my friends as well) as there are some negative points made against the Catholic Church. Never the less, she made some very interesting points that should be looked at and ruminated over. She has a great gift at writing so that everyone can understand her meaning, which is something I have found more difficult with some of the other writers on religion. She was considered a prophet and had written this book almost a century ago and it is amazing how closely and accurately the events that she has prophesised about have fallen into place. It is almost like reading today's paper or watching current events on TV. As I have just finished reading the Bible, I found that her book went right along with it. A couple of things that I found of interest is her claim of the heresy of the church changing the day of the Sabbath to Sunday, which actually I have always wondered about myself, and of churches using Idols-like Mary, etc. both of which when I read the bible, I found was a big no-no. Jesus said that none of his Father's laws were to be changed and then there was mentioned in other places in the Bible that "the times and laws they will be a changing" (or something like that). So it did make me wonder, are we celebrating the wrong day for the Sabbath? Also, it was interesting to note that years ago, the scriptures themselves, were kept from the public and only the priests had access to them. It did indeed sound like, through Satan's influence (the best way that he messes with people's beliefs is when he can do it through a false religious front) that good, God-fearing Christians could have been led astray and not even have realized it. This is where everyone should read the Bible for themselves, and that way, they know exactly what it says and what to look our for. She is very good at describing the ways and means that Satan implements is evil ways. From inside the church, to friends, bribery, etc. nothing is missed by Satan when he looks for ways to mislead the people. If you want a good look at the end of times and the way it could very possibly end, this is an excellent book to read. She is very good at explaining everything. She stresses the Word of the Bible as the definitive answer. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path for Bible Help.
Review: This is an excellent work, written approximately a century ago, revealing the love, justice, logic, exactness, and pain of our God. Through this book, God shows His work progressing from Eden, through the Old Testament, Jesus and the Apostles, throughout the middle ages, to today, through trials, wars, and oppression. She gives a clarification of the logic and perfection of God as He fulfills His prophecies in Daniel and Revelation at the exact time appointed. This book also reveals Satan's devices, which are at work today, in main stream churches around the world. Baptist, Catholic, Jew, Hindu, Muslim, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopal, Seventh-day Adventist, Jehovah Witness, Mormon/Latter day Saints, Holiness, Christ of Christ, Pentecostal, Non-Denominational, and ALL other persons will be judged by the same rules. "By their fruits" Matthew 7:15-20. In this book, the author clearly explains that good Works do not save us. Faith is revealed by good Works. Good Works are the result of Faith, and "the Holy Scriptures, ... are able to make thee wise unto salvation THROUGH FAITH which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 3:15 (See James 2:14-26). The author shows how, by allowing scripture to explain scripture, the prophecy of Daniel 7:25, "think to change times and laws", has been fulfilled and how Revelation 14:9, "the mark" of the beast, is being fulfilled. She puts in plain words, how this should be an alarm to the whole world to return to the Bible and the Bible only as the only rule of faith, allowing scripture to interpret scripture, just as Jesus did while on this earth. She shows how men, by traditions and "political correctness", have watered down and changed God's Laws, and interpreted them in a way to make them more acceptable to the masses, preventing men, in the end and to their end, from changing their hearts. The book ends with summary and eye-opening descriptions of the final conflict of this world and hope for the next. The seriousness, clearness, intelligence, magnificence and simplicity of God's Word is revealed, throughout the book, as God tries to lead each believer to repent and "Go and sin no more" John 8:11. "For by grace are ye saved THROUGH FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9. "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." James 2:17 Jesus plus faith equals salvation. Ephesians 2:8,9 Faith only equals Faith plus Works. Faith without Works equals No faith. . James 2: 14-26 If you believe that you are saved by grace only or traditions, or that the blood of Jesus gives us salvation without accountability to God's Law, or that the requirement of obedience for salvation ended at the cross, or that salvation is a gift, even without repentance, please read your bible, and then read this book again. "But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matthew 15:1-20 She helps us understand that we are not just to believe, but to obey. "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" 1 Peter 4:17 In other writings, by this author, she states that her books are NOT a replacement for the Bible or serious Bible study. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand why their Christian church believes what they believe, and how God's steadfast requirements do not contradict His unconditional love for us. "For God so loved THE WORLD, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
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