A Gospel of Intrigue
It was a picture-perfect autumn afternoon—November 22, 1963.
President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy had traveled to Texas to heal a rift between warring factions within the state Democratic Party. And now, as the presidential motorcade wound its way through the streets of Dallas, it appeared the effort just might be paying off.
Governor and Mrs. John B. Connally joined the President and First Lady in their car as the procession advanced toward the city center. The President’s appointments secretary, Kenny O’Donnell, would later describe the reception in the streets as “orderly, but cheerful” [1].
But as the motorcade turned onto Main Street, the enthusiasm and size of the crowds intensified. “You certainly can’t say that the people of Dallas haven’t given you a nice welcome” [2], Mrs. Connally shouted into the President’s ear as the car turned onto Elm Street.
Moments later they descended the slope past the Texas School Book Depository, alongside a grassy knoll which would later become the focus of speculation and controversy. And within the next few world-shattering, history-altering minutes—in the later words of historian Rick Perlstein—the bottom would drop out of the United States of America [3].
Grief and Myth
The late Arthur Schlesinger Jr, in his book The Cycles of American History, comments on the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination with the brief but insightful sentence: “Grief nourishes myth” [4].
And we can understand why. Tortured minds and shattered hearts, devastated by the sundering of what they thought secure, and the consequent dashing of their hopes, are left vulnerable to the endless query of “Why?” and the ceaseless speculation such uncertainty often brings.
None of us need reminding of the countless conspiracy theories that have been advanced as explanations as to what really transpired that fateful day in Dallas. It is likely no event in human history has been more “conspiracized” than this one [5]. Everyone and everything from Fidel Castro, the Soviet Union, the CIA, the FBI, organized crime, even Lyndon Johnson—or in some cases a combination of the above, as in Oliver Stone’s famous movie—have been suspected of playing a role in this truly pivotal, cataclysmic event.
As a lifelong historian with a particular interest in the Kennedy family and their contributions to this country, I have my own beliefs about what took place that day. But I suspect we probably won’t learn the full truth till we get the chance to sit under the tree of life and put the question to the Lord Himself.
In this series of articles, which I have titled, “Seventh-day Adventists and Conspiracy Theories,” we’re going to address the popularity of conspiracy speculation among some Seventh-day Adventists, as it relates to end-time events and the onslaught of the adversary in our world today. Tragically, for many earnest, consecrated students of the Word within Adventism today, this is becoming an issue—and in some cases, a serious distraction—from the mission of the church.
Conspiracy Theories Across the Spectrum
In fairness, we need to be clear that conspiracy speculation among Seventh-day Adventists has in no way been limited to those we might describe as cultural or theological conservatives. The fact is, just as conspiracy theories proliferate on both the left and right fringes of culture and politics—from Oliver Stone to the John Birch Society—the same holds true with the devout on both liberal and conservative wings of modern and contemporary Adventism. Whether they admit it or not, most if not all who harbor festering grievances—legitimate or otherwise—against what they are pleased to dub the “establishment,” are attracted to conspiracy theories. Such explanations for history hold a special lure for those suspicious of authority and longstanding institutions, and just as this is true for the liberal and conservative extremes in secular politics, it likewise holds true for those many would characterize as liberal and conservative extremists in the religious realm, including some within Adventism.
One is fascinated by the observations some years ago of columnist Ernest B. Furgurson, in his biography of the late U.S. Senator Jesse Helms, who wrote of how the notion of a “media conspiracy” was promoted not only by such American political conservatives as Barry Goldwater, Jesse Helms, and George Wallace, but also by Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, who would rage against the Western media and its alleged captivity to capitalism and similar forces that he and his ideological compatriots despised [6].
Ideological purists of all kinds tend to regard those who lead institutions or society with a measure of distrust, often (though not always) because the former enjoy the luxury of “armchair experts” whose convictions—whatever they may be—drive them to find fault either with the absence of the changes they seek or the slow pace thereof on the part of the established order. (Those on opposite ends of any spectrum, of course, have differing ideas of what reformatory change should be, but both sides tend to be distrustful of the ability or honesty of established institutions in the carrying out of such changes.) Not being saddled with the responsibility for power which burdens those who govern, these purists often lack the sort of hands-on familiarity with the machinery and human inertia with which administrators contend every day.
It is therefore easy for those desiring major adjustments in the social order to assume the worst regarding those in responsible positions, dismissing the latter as “sellouts” or “traitors” either when they make wrong choices or when high expectations on the part of those seeking reform fail to be met.
For ideologues of this stripe, conspiracy theories can become a convenient explanation and emotional refuge. If those holding the reins of power are seen as basically bad, any explanation for what goes on which underscores this presumed badness tends to be believed. For others not so ideological, but who find themselves shattered or stupefied by events—confused, perhaps, by the loss of anchors and markers they once took for granted—such theories are appealing as well. Hence the appeal to so many of the numerous conspiracy theories associated with the murder of President Kennedy.
Those most often depicted as theological liberals in the Seventh-day Adventist Church aren’t generally perceived to be vulnerable to conspiracy theories. But perception is not always reality. One thinks of those so-called “progressive” Adventists who through the years have accused the General Conference and the Ellen G. White Estate of dissembling and “cover-up” regarding the extent of Ellen White’s source dependency, allegations of “hidden” testimonies or other documents believed to be injurious to the prophet’s reputation, or supposed flaws in distinctive Adventist doctrines artfully withheld from the unsuspecting Adventist public [7].
The alleged concealment of the famous (or infamous) 1919 Bible Conference minutes—what I’ve called the Adventist Pentagon Papers, though far less consequential—has also fueled conspiracy speculation among non-conservative Adventists. One now-deceased Adventist scholar of decidedly liberal leanings wrote years ago of how those at the 1919 meeting pondered objections to the perceived nature and role of Ellen White’s inspiration, then “blanched, and swept [them] back under the rug” [8]. A more recent denominational author has alleged that A.G. Daniels, president of the General Conference in 1919, supposedly said it would be best to “lock . . . up in a vault” the 1919 minutes, and that “it would be better not to print it at all” [9]. The question naturally arises that if the leaders had truly wanted to hide this material, why not just burn it? Not a difficult thing to do!
Along similar lines, it wasn’t so long ago that a prominent “progressive” Adventist publisher floated his own “Reich of the Rich” fantasy in suggesting that the movement known as Generation of Youth for Christ (GYC) was supposedly birthed and surreptitiously funded by a secret cabal of wealthy conservative Adventists [10].
So it isn’t just theologically conservative Adventists who find themselves attracted to conspiracy theories. As noted earlier, such theories take root in many minds—irrespective of ideology—who tend to be suspicious of established authority. As in secular culture and politics, such proclivities can be found on either fringe of contemporary Adventist thought.
Our Supreme Authority
Our primary purpose in addressing this subject is to follow what I’ve always described as the Berean principle, with regard to spiritual issues of any kind. Speaking of the Berean Christians, the book of Acts says: “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). Then, of course, we have this signature passage from the Old Testament:
To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them (Isa. 8:20).
What these verses mean, at the bottom line, is that for Seventh-day Adventists, the Bible and the writings of Ellen G. White (the latter often called the Spirit of Prophecy) must function as the supreme authority in all things spiritual. The Bible is the foundation, while the writings of Ellen White offer amplification, clarification and elaboration. Both, in our theology, must take precedence over any and all human opinion, human scholarship, and human experience. This principle applies to any set of religious ideas that we encounter—whether on one end of the theological spectrum, whether on the other end, or somewhere in the middle.
This series will look at what both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy say regarding the Antichrist coalition of the last days, and how these inspired descriptions stack up against some of the popular conspiracy theories now circulating among some of our people.
We’re also going to look at the issue of our relationship to the outside world as God’s people, why some of the theories we’re talking about are so popular with conservative Christians, and how such speculation can exert a negative impact on our sense of responsibility for what happens in the larger world—and more importantly, what happens in the church.
Human Authority
Tragically, some of our people—even those claiming to revere the inspired writings over all other authority—seem to spend far more time watching the seminars and sermons of their favorite preachers, instead of daily immersing themselves in the Bible and the writings of Ellen White. A fellow pastor, who was a student leader on one of our major higher educational campuses in North America, said to me a few years ago that for many of his friends, their theology was often only as good as the last preacher they listened to!
I hope we can agree from the outset that this is very, very dangerous. We need to be spending far more time reading and studying the Biblical and Spirit of Prophecy writings, and much less time watching the DVDs of charismatic presenters. When it comes to the problem of conspiracy speculation among the striving faithful in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, this peril of people-following is especially ubiquitous and problematic.
The Bible, Conspiracy Theories, and the World’s Wickedness
But what does the Bible say, if anything, about conspiracy speculation?
First of all, the Bible is clear that there is, in fact, a vast conspiracy afoot in this world against God and His people. The apostle Paul speaks of it:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph. 6:12).
Here we see the ultimate conspiracy laid bare before us. The Bible is equally clear that the world stands in opposition to the plans and purposes of God:
Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God (James 4:4).
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world; if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him (I John 2:15).
But even in the light of these verses, one point needs to be clarified. Just because we know the world is evil, doesn’t mean anyone who says something bad about the world is therefore telling the truth. This is one reason many of these conspiracy theories gain a foothold in the minds of Bible-believing Christians. We know the world is evil, and in rebellion against God. As a result, many tend to assume that just about anyone who comes along and says something negative about the world is probably telling the truth.
But that isn’t necessarily so. And that’s where we need to be careful.
It’s just like those who recognize—correctly, to be sure—that because the vast proportion of what is produced in Hollywood is unfit for Christian consumption, that therefore anyone who says something bad about Hollywood or those who work there is probably right. But assumptions like these can prove to be very wrong. And for the sake of the Lord’s cause, we can’t blindly accept assumptions like these. For the Christian, appeals for moral purity and the avoidance of godless entertainment cannot be buttressed by lies.
Truly, no one needs to lie or exaggerate to prove that the vast proportion of what Hollywood creates is unfit for Christians to watch. All one needs is Philippians 4, verse 8:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report: if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
One doesn’t need, for example, to expend effort to prove how many Hollywood actors and actresses worship Satan, have Communist ties, or supposedly participate in anti-American conspiracies in order to determine the good and bad in Hollywood’s or anyone else’s artistic or other products. The Word of God contains all we need, without our indulging in speculation that is often ill-founded.
A Dangerous Trap for the Striving Faithful
Anyone who has dealt with those attracted to any number of conspiracy theories knows how captivating they can become. One friend of mine in a self-supporting ministry years ago, remarked to me that it amazed him how people who would never touch a mystery novel, never watch a movie (either in the theater or on television), nevertheless become absolutely enthralled with the intrigue and mystery of certain forms of conspiracy speculation.
One revivalist from Amazing Facts, who is a close friend of mine, has told me that if, in one part of town, he should be giving a seminar on preparing one’s heart and character for the return of Jesus, while in another part of town a speaker is lecturing on the Jesuit threat, or how the government supposedly has everyone under surveillance, it is the latter speaker who will likely get the most attention, even from the striving faithful. Needless to say, this is troublesome.
Another major pitfall for the Seventh-day Adventist Christian in conspiracy speculation is the virulent anti-government rhetoric that so often attends it. There aren’t too many conspiracy theories out there, whether on one or the other end of the spectrum, which don’t involve suspicion of the government. For example, certain folks have urged me, from time to time, to watch some video which supposedly proves that the United States never in fact landed on the moon, that this allegedly is some incredible hoax that the government presumably perpetrated.
I have asked such persons a very simple question, when they bring this up: Why should this be a point of interest for Seventh-day Adventists? Why is this a battle we should be fighting? One response I frequently get is, “It proves how much the government lies to us.” No doubt the United States government has told and facilitated many lies throughout its history. But it is not our responsibility, nor should it be our burden as God’s people, to prove such things or make such an emphasis a focal point in our preaching.
Ellen White offers some very strong warnings about this kind of talk from Seventh-day Adventists. The following statement is taken from a chapter in volume 6 of the Testimonies, titled, “Our Attitude Toward the Civil Authorities.”
By some of our brethren many things have been spoken and written that are interpreted as expressing antagonism to government and law. It is a mistake thus to lay ourselves open to misunderstanding. It is not wise to find fault continually with what is done by the rulers of government. It is not our work to attack individuals or institutions. We should exercise great care lest we be understood as putting ourselves in opposition to the civil authorities. . . .
The time will come when unguarded expressions of a denunciatory character, that have been carelessly spoken or written by our brethren, will be used by our enemies to condemn us. These will not be used merely to condemn those who made the statements, but will be charged upon the whole body of Adventists. Our accusers will say that upon such and such a day one of our responsible men said thus and so against the administration of the laws of this government. Many will be astonished to see how many things have been cherished and remembered that will give point to the arguments of our adversaries. Many will be surprised to hear their own words strained into a meaning that they did not intend them to have. Then let our workers be careful to speak guardedly at all times and under all circumstances. Let all beware lest by reckless expressions they bring on a time of trouble before the great crisis which is to try men’s souls [11].
There is no conspiracy theory I know of which doesn’t instill deep suspicion of, and contempt for, civil government. When, therefore, Seventh-day Adventists promote this kind of speculation, they stand in violation of the very clear counsel from God’s prophet which we see in the above statement.
The Varied Lifespans of Conspiracy Theories
What we might call the “New World Order” genre of conspiracy speculation has been around in Western society for more than a century. Theories, for example, about the Jesuits, the Illuminati, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, the Rockefellers, the Bildebergers, etc, all tend to come from one particular tradition, and have had a comparatively long life-span.
This tradition had its origin for the most part in the late nineteenth century, when many cultural conservatives in central and western Europe lamented the decline of the old social order and the loss of their privileged status, and thus sought to find scapegoats. The Jews were a convenient target for this enmity, which saw an ugly flowering during the infamous Dreyfus case in France during the 1890s, in which a Jewish soldier by the name of Alfred Dreyfus was falsely accused of treason and was eventually vindicated [12].
Such books as The Protocols of the Elders of Zion [13], which promoted a worldwide Jewish conspiracy supposedly intent on ruling the world, was published and circulated at about this time. Theories about groups like the Illuminati and their presumed global dominance have largely originated with the sentiments found in this book. The message of Protocols was later picked up in another book, this one written in a prison cell at a place called Landsberg, by one who for a time painted postcards in Vienna. The book’s title? Mein Kampf [14].
After Hitler came to power in Germany, Protocols became part of the Nazi propaganda effort to justify persecution of the Jews [15].
Other conspiracy theories have been around only a short time, due to circumstances and events.
One such example is the theory that was advanced by a number of political liberals in America following the 2000 and 2004 U.S. presidential elections, which alleged that Republicans both manufactured and controlled the electronic voting machines, and that therefore all future elections would presumably be rigged in their favor. This theory was popular among some of my Manhattan neighbors while I pastored in the New York City area. Quite obviously, subsequent U.S. election cycles destroyed that theory.
Another short-lived theory, coming from the other end of the spectrum, was that the U.S. government was supposedly hiding the fact that the AIDS virus was being casually transmitted (both sexually and non-sexually) throughout America, and that the reason this fact was being hidden from the public was because the government was allegedly captive to the gay rights lobby. That theory was first advanced in the late 1980s and early ‘90s [16], but you don’t hear much about it anymore, and for obvious reasons. Had it been true, more than half the country would have been dead in a few short years.
Conclusion: Four Points
The point of this article series is not to prove that every aspect of every conspiracy theory out there is complete hogwash, which would be just as foolish as insisting that every one of them is absolutely true. But at the bottom line, as our series continues, we must ever keep before us the following four (4) points:
1. Scripture and the Ellen G. White writings are very clear about the identity and rise to power of the end-time Antichrist system. Thus, any theory about the cause and course of human events must conform to these inspired predictions.
2. We must beware of theories that depend on circular logic and obscure sources; for example, the claim that the mainstream media is totally “bought off” and that, supposedly, only “safe” outlets, publications, and electronic productions can be trusted—the latter including, of course, those the conspiracy promoter just happens to be selling!
3. Any theory which disempowers godly men and women, causing them to believe they are helpless against events in both the world and the church, is dangerous to the Lord’s cause and to the witness of His people.
4. Finally, God is not waiting on the outworking of some secret conspiracy before Jesus can return. Rather, according to both Scripture and the writings of Ellen White, God is waiting for the character of Christ to be perfectly reproduced in His people (Zeph. 3:13; I Thess. 5:23; II Peter 3:10-14; I John 3:2-3; Rev. 3:21; 12:17; 14:5,12) [17], and for the credible proclamation of the gospel message this demonstration will make possible (Matt. 24:14) [18].
In closing, let us again affirm the Berean principle, relative to any spiritual issue:
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so (Acts 17:11).
To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them (Isa. 8:20).
And finally, from the pen of the modern prophet:
Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures, and who have received the love of the truth, will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive [19].
Men may get up scheme after scheme, and the enemy will seek to seduce souls from the truth; but all who believe that the Lord has spoken through Sister White, and has given her a message, will be safe from the many delusions that will come in these last days [20].
REFERENCES
1. Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr, A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House (New York: Crown Publishers, 1965), p. 1,025.
2. Ibid.
3. Rick Perlstein, Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus (New York: Hill and Wang, 2001), p. 243.
4. Schlesinger, The Cycles of American History (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co, 1986), p. 405.
5. “John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy_assassination_conspiracy_theories
6. Ernest B. Furgurson, Hard Right: The Rise of Jesse Helms (New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 1986), pp. 252-253.
7. See Robert D. Brinsmead, Judged by the Gospel: A Review of Adventism (Fallbrook, CA: Verdict Publications, 1980), pp. 134,157-159,327,330; Walter T. Rea, The White Lie (Turlock, CA: M&R Publications, 1982), pp. 45-52,82-97,262-267; Bonnie L. Casey, “Graybill’s Exit: Turning Point at the White Estate?” Spectrum, March 1984, p. 8.
8. Walter Utt, “Desmond Ford Raises the Sanctuary Question,” Spectrum, March 1980, p. 7.
9. George R. Knight, Ellen White’s Afterlife: Delightful Fictions, Troubling Facts, Enlightening Research (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Assn, 2019), p. 31.
10. http://atoday.com/content/creating-myths-generation-youth-christ-gyc-origins
11. White, Testimonies, vol. 6, pp. 394-395.
12. “Dreyfus Affair,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyfus_affair.
13. “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Protocols_of_the_Elders_of_Zion.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. See Gene Antonio, The AIDS Cover-Up? The Real and Alarming Facts About AIDS (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1987); Lorraine Day, M.D, AIDS: What the Government Isn’t Telling You (Palm Desert, CA: The Rockford Press, 1991).
17. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 69.
18. Ibid.
19. ----The Great Controversy, p. 625.
20. ----Selected Messages, vol. 3, pp. 83-84.
Pastor Kevin Paulson holds a Bachelor’s degree in theology from Pacific Union College, a Master of Arts in systematic theology from Loma Linda University, and a Master of Divinity from the SDA Theological Seminary at Andrews University. He served the Greater New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for ten years as a Bible instructor, evangelist, and local pastor. He writes regularly for Liberty magazine and does script writing for various evangelistic ministries within the denomination. He continues to hold evangelistic and revival meetings throughout the North American Division and beyond, and is a sought-after seminar speaker relative to current issues in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He presently resides in Berrien Springs, Michigan