August 17, 2001
Dear Mr. O'Reilly:
With all due respect to your journalistic achievements and abilities, you, sir, have been flimflammed but good! You have been made a fool of, you are the laughing stock of the Seventh-day Adventist Church leadership. Here is why.
Despite your hasty judgment in calling the billboard message "dumb" [THE POPE IS ANTICHRIST], the spokesman for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Kermit Netteburg didn't dare inform you that that very same identical message which [quoting from you and them] they "do not support," those guys that "say you're full of prunes.say you're a nut," that "the church in D.C., the main headquarters, does not believe." has been believed and taught by the Seventh-day Adventist Church for almost a hundred and forty plus years from its very beginning until fairly recently. This can be easily substantiated by the fact that this message can be found in any number of their numerous publications which have been distributed by the millions around the world.
Here are just two telling and irrefutable examples from their very own Bible Commentary: "His taking his seat in the inner sanctuary of the temple reveals that he claims to sit 'as God,' that, indeed, 'he is God.' Blasphemy can go no further. To informed students of the Bible, the marks of identity enumerated in vs. 3, 4 [2 Thessalonians 2:3,4] are already familiar, since they are found elsewhere in the Inspired Word. A comparison with Daniel's prophecy of the blasphemous power that succeeds that of pagan Rome (see on Dan. 7:8, 18-26), and with John's word picture of the leopardlike beast (see on Rev. 13:1-18), reveals many similarities between the three descriptions. This leads to the conclusion that Daniel, Paul, and John are speaking of the same power, namely the papacy (GC 49-54, 356). Many commentators apply the term Antichrist, 'one who opposes Christ,' or 'one who stands in the place of Christ' (cf. on 1 John 2:18), to the power here described. For extended comment on the various marks of identity see on the above-mentioned passages in Daniel and in Revelation." Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 7, page 271.
Here is one more quotation: "The man of sin was to arise, and do his work of exaltation and blasphemy, before the brethren could look for the coming of Christ. That great event was to be preceded by a falling away. There would be revealed a form of Antichrist, and the leaven of apostasy was to work with increasing power to the end of time (RH July 13, 188). There is one pointed out in prophecy as the man of sin. He is the representative of Satan. Taking the suggestions of Satan concerning the law of God, which is as unchangeable as His throne, this man of sin comes in and represents to the world that he has changed that law, and that the first day of the week instead of the seventh is now the Sabbath. Professing infallibility, he claims the right to change the law of God to suit his own purposes. By so doing, he exalts himself above God, and leaves the world to infer the God is fallible...(RH March 9, 1886). The man of sin has exalted himself against God, sitting in the temple of God, and showing himself to be God. He has trampled underfoot God's great memorial of creation, established to commemorate His work; and in its stead he has presented to the world a common working day. This day he has set up as a rival Sabbath, to be observed and honored. Thus the world has been turned against God; for the Lord declares that He has sanctified the day of His rest.(RH July 26, 1898). Although those standing at the head of the Papacy claim to have great love for God, He looks upon them as haters of Him. They have turned the truth of God into a lie. Tampering with God's commandments and placing in their stead human traditions, is the work of Satan, and will divorce the religious world from God; (MS 126, 1901). Ibid 910, 911. Copyright © 1957 by the Review and Herald Publishing Association.
Mr. O'Reilly, I challenge you, in the name of journalistic fairness, to contact Mr. Kermit Netteburg as you contacted Mr. Larry Weathers and confront him with these statements and have him explain to you before all the watching and listening public, why he was not forthcoming with you, and why the Seventh-day Adventist Church of today now publicly derides anyone who proclaims that very same message found, to this day, in their own publications--and which Mr. Weathers and innumerable others like him learned from the Seventh-day Adventist Church to begin with!!!
Will you take up the challenge or are you going to let those men pull one over on you, hmmm???
Respectfully Yours,
Clarence A. Settle
PO Box 1666
Bonners Ferry, ID 83805
[208] 267-7906 FAX [208] 267-8143
theissue@coldreams.com
"We must take every justifiable means of bringing the light before the people. Let the press be utilized, and let every advertising agency be employed that will call attention to the work. This should not be regarded as nonessential. On every street corner youmay see placards and notices calling attention to various things that are going on, some of them of the most objectionable character; and shall those who have the light of life be satisfied with feeble efforts to call the attention of the masses to the truth?"