Spirituality/Medicine Interface Project

Eye on Religion—Working with Seventh Day Adventists

Authors: Alan A. Nelson, MD

Abstract

Seventh Day Adventists (SDA) are Christians in the Protestant tradition. Key issues are belief in a creator God, the divinity of Christ, belief in salvation by grace (rather on works or on the day of the week kept holy), belief in the scriptures as the final authority for faith and practice, a belief in the imminent return of Christ, healthy living, education, a life of service, a strong sense of family, temperance, vegetarianism (approximately 50% of the church), no smoking, and either no use of alcohol or very temperate alcohol consumption, Saturday Sabbath, and a respect for government and secular laws.

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