25 April 2002 Editorial:
One Crazy Idea Leads to Another

Thoughts on how to identify fanaticism.

Larry Kirkpatrick
Editorial #101

Ellen White makes the following observation: "These one idea men can see nothing except to press the one thing that presents itself to their minds" (Historical Sketches, p. 212). She is addressing the problem of fanaticism. Elsewhere she writes, "men's minds will invent tests that are not tests at all," and speaks of "these unstable theories" (Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 15). "Satan has used as agents individuals professing to believe a part of present truth, while they are warring against a part . . . They labor to bring others into the same dark position with themselves. They are not responsible to anyone. They have an independent faith of their own" (Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 326).

Yesterday I received from a man a calendar for 2002 including all the Jewish feast days. This man came to my office (again) and pressed his point. We should observe the feasts, he says, but not offer the sacrifices. We had discussed at his last visit some of these ideas. This time he brought some Ellen White quotes. But presenting such quotes and having conclusive evidence may be two different things. Honestly, if those are the best quotes he can muster, he is wasting his time. It is a bit late in the hour to invest our energies in obvious speculations. We want solid footing for the end-times.

Doubtless you and I both have met a number of such individuals. Another fellow I know is absolutely convinced that he has the only plan to get the church home. At campmeeting time he is always trolling until he gets his latest prey. He brings extra folding chairs. While the meetings go on, he sits for hours pressing his views upon his unwary guests sitting in the shadow of his RV. Incidentally, some of his ideas are fine. Some are less so.

Then of course there is the fellow who says that all church members must be medical missionaries (and he means medical missionaries precisely as he marks out). He says on a tape he distributes that the work of Amazing Facts, 3ABN, etc., is "nothing" to God, even that (since they are not working in precisely his manner), "Over the past ten years of interviews with many who profess to be doing medical missionary work, we have found not one who has a living personal testimony of the transforming power of Christ in the heart. They have never been converted." Bottom line? This is fanaticism: religion in its lowest form.

As a pastor I've seen these and other cases over the years. Over and over again I ask myself how I can help such people. I'm not sure whether I've ever met a "cured" fanatic. One of the salient features of such thinking is, I propose, fixation on one rigid idea in isolation from others. Since we are warned that in a day future to her own, "waves of fanaticism" will be launched in our midst (Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 47), whether we are able to help them or not, we need to better develop our skill at discovering and identifying it.

One thing to look for? This strong emphasis on one idea apart from all others. Other aspects of the faith will be treated in one of three ways: (1) Lip-service will still say they are important, but they will be effectually lowered in importance in relation to the all-consuming fanatical key-idea, or (2) they will simply be ignored as will the implications of the new central idea, or (3) it will be said that we need to make mild adjustments to our previously held views in order to incorporate the new idea.

For example, I just learned from my feast-days friend that the manchild of Revelation 12 is not Christ, but Christ and the 144,000. Also, that in the end we must gather to literal Israel. Neither the Bible nor Ellen White sustain these ideas, and in fact she speaks positively against them. Somehow I am not very impressed. Adopting the view that is being proposed might mean adopting his whole package, and that would appear to mean setting aside the positive counsel of the Spirit of Prophecy. Sorry. I'm not buying.

And the fellow with the special plan that alone can save the church I mentioned, who goes after folks at campmeeting? A really nice guy. But his plan has to have central place and seemingly a minimum of connection to our currently accepted beliefs as far as I can see. He is not against them. But he alone holds the key with his special program.

Then there is the medical missionary guy. The less said there right now, I suppose the better. After all, who am I to disagree with a man whom God called to shout to the world the warning about Y2K and the catastrophies to accompany it?

Uh huh. Anyway, watch out for those one-idea types. See if what they have really connects with God's dots or not. Guard your time and your energies. If you get a real psychopath on your hands it can consume hours upon hours that could have been spent in company with the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy books, the ongoing work of God, giving Bible studies, and personal reflection and soul preparation. The fruit of fanaticism is diversion, distraction, a less-prepared character, and laughing devils. Let's keep that to a minimum.

Pastor Larry Kirkpatrick is an ordained minister of the gospel. Since 1994 he has served in the American Southwest as pastor to several churches. He received his BA in Religion from Southern Adventist University in 1994 and a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in 1999 with a specialization in Adventist Studies. While in Michigan he was employed by the General Conference at the White Estate Berrien Springs branch office. More important than his scholastic preparation has been his immersion in the biblical and Spirit of Prophecy materials. He is author of the 2003 book Real Grace for Real People. Presently he serves as Pastor of the Mentone Church of Seventh-day Adventists, located near Loma Linda, California. Larry is married to Pamela. The couple presently live in Highland, California along with their two children, Etienne and Melinda.