Extract from Wiki's Seven Days Adventist (a conservative
Christian group):
Since the 1860s when the church began, wholeness and health have
been an emphasis of the Adventist church.[13]
Adventists are known for presenting a "health message" that
recommends vegetarianism
and expects abstinence from pork, shellfish, and other foods
proscribed as "unclean" in
Leviticus 11. However according to some studies, the majority
of Adventists do eat meat.[14]
The church discourages its members from the use of alcohol,
tobacco or illegal drugs
(compare Christianity
and alcohol). In addition, some Adventists avoid coffee and other
beverages containing caffeine.
The pioneers of the Adventist church had much to do with the
common acceptance of breakfast cereals into the Western diet.
John Harvey
Kellogg was one of the early founders of the Adventist health
work. His development of breakfast cereals as a health food led to
the founding of Kellogg's by his
brother William K.
Kellogg. In Australia, the
church-owned Sanitarium
Health Food Company is one of Australia's leading manufacturers
of health and vegetarian-related products.
Research funded by the U.S. National
Institutes of Health has shown that the average Adventist in
California lives four
to ten years longer than the average Californian. The research, as
cited by the cover story of the November 2005 issue of
National
Geographic magazine, asserts that Adventists live longer
because of not smoking or drinking, and their healthy, low-fat
vegetarian diet rich in nuts and beans.[15][16]
The cohesiveness of Adventists' social networks has also been put
forward as an explanation of their extended lifespan.[17]
The official Adventist position on abortion is that
"abortions for reasons of birth
control,
gender selection, or convenience are not condoned by the
Church." At times, however, women may face exceptional
circumstances that present serious moral or medical dilemmas, such
as significant threats to the pregnant woman's life or health,
severe congenital defects in the fetus, and pregnancy resulting
from rape or incest, in these cases
individuals are counseled to make their own decisions.[18]
According to official statements from the General Conference,
heterosexual
marriages are the only
biblically ordained grounds for sexual intimacy. Adventists do
not perform same-sex
marriages and gay men cannot be ordained.[19][20]
An extramarital affair is one of the
sanctioned grounds for a divorce, although
reconciliation is encouraged whenever possible. Following biblical
principles, Adventists believe in and encourage chastity for both men
and women before marriage.
The Adventist church has released official statements in
relation to other ethical issues such as euthanasia,[21]
birth
control[22]
and human cloning.[23]
In Western countries, Adventists have traditionally held
socially conservative attitudes regarding dress and entertainment.
These attitudes are reflected in one of the church's fundamental
beliefs:
Accordingly, many Western Adventists are opposed to practices
such as body piercing and
tattoos. More
conservative Adventists refrain from the wearing of jewelry
altogether, including such items as earrings and wedding
bands.[24]
Traditionally Adventists dress formally when attending church.
Conservative Adventists also avoid certain recreational
activities which are considered to be a negative spiritual
influence, including dancing, rock music and secular
theatre.[25][26]
However, these sentiments are far less common among the more recent
generations of Adventists.[26]
The Adventist church officially opposes the practice of
gambling.[27]
