With Ben Carson coming in as either first or second in almost all the Republican presidential polls, yesterday the
New York Times posted a lengthy survey of Dr. Carson's Seventh Day Adventist religion and his relationship to the denomination, saying in part:
In an election season where religion and politics have collided frequently, Mr. Carson’s faith remains a mystery to some and is something that could prove to be both a strength and a liability as he moves forward....
The Adventist legacy is rooted in the 19th century and grew out of what was known as the “Great Disappointment.” Most followers consider its initial founder to be William Miller, a Baptist preacher from upstate New York who calculated that Jesus Christ was due to return to earth on Oct. 22, 1844. When the savior failed to show up, the flock was left in a state of despair.
One of Mr. Miller’s followers, Ellen G. White, reconstituted the denomination under the doctrine that Christ had actually relocated to a heavenly sanctuary where he would begin judgment of the world. She was seen as a prophet.
Unlike members of other Christian denominations, Adventists honor the Sabbath on Saturdays instead of Sundays. They tend to be vegetarians and they continue to wait patiently for the Second Coming and the end of the world....
For theological reasons, Adventism has faced tensions with the Catholic and Baptist churches over the years....
