Seventh Day Adventists?

[MannyGoldstein]

I feel both ignorant and ashamed to ask...

We have neighbors who are Seventh Day Adventists. Vegetarians, no TV, seem pretty tightly wound. First SDA's I've ever knowingly known. I think husband and wife both went to SDA colleges, and they seem very observant.

A while ago my son did a stupid teenager trick - nothing physical - and they went berserk, called the cops, who came, rolled their eyes, then left. These neighbors have been a general pain in the butt since then, tenaciously trying to cause trouble (but failing spectacularly, fortunately). No problems with them before, never a problem with any other neighbors in the seven years we've lived here (my neighborhood is generally very laid back).

So here's my ignorant question: is there anything in particular about "serious" SDAers that I should know? Anything in particular that sets them off? Or am I just blessed with tightly-wound and irritating neighbors who are coincidentally SDA?

Any thoughts appreciated. I want to do what I can (within reason) to increase the peace, i somehow feel that there's something here that I'm not "getting".

[hrmjustin]

1. They are a very strict denomination.

It is the luck of the draw with what kind of person you get, but as a christian they are supposed to forgive those who have sinned against them. Sounds like they have not. The other thing you should know is that they have a 5-10 year edge on life expectancy than non-SDA people. I would try to make peace now with them. They will outlive you.

[MannyGoldstein]

5. 5-10 years? Wow!

Source?

[hrmjustin]

11. here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventist_Health_Studies

[Suich]

2. Do they have kids?

How long have they lived there?

Inquiring minds want to know...then I'll tell you what I think!

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Very young kids. Two years. nt

[Suich]

10. Serious SDAers are pretty conservative.

If they watch FOX, then you liberals are taking away their freedoms and persecuting them.

Sounds to me like you just got stuck with some "tightly wound and irritating neighbors who are coincidentally SDA." Sorry!

Do they cause problems for other neighbors, or just you?

Sorry you're having problems with them...it can make life a lot more difficult than it has to be.

[VanillaRhapsody]

16. devout conservative SDA do not watch TV.

I have a whole wing of the family that are all SDA. One SDA Youth Pastor first cousin who insinuated that everyone that celebrated Halloween by dressing in costume "are satanic and that Satanist Allistair Crowley said so"!

[Thats my opinion]

3. Every group has its weirdos, whose actions may have nothing to do with their religion.

I know a bunch of SDAs and find them peculiar in their beliefs but not art all strange. Maybe if we knew what your child did that Td them off.

[lunasun]

6. What did the teen do??????????

Was the prank about their religion???
Phone calls?
Sent them some meat from the butcher?
They are a very healthy as a sect that is all I know but inquiring minds want to know --what did the teen do??

[MannyGoldstein]

8. Well...

Don't want to reveal info that could personally identify everyone via a Google search... but perhaps it will suffice to say that the cops think they're a little kooky to be getting riled about something so minor. I'm perplexed too, obviously.

[kwassa]

7. I appreciate their hospitals.

I spent time I didn't want to spend twice in Adventist hospitals.

They did a great job.

Doing a little online research says that they have conservative to liberal members, so it sounds like the personality of your neighbors is the issue.

[NV Whino]

9. I live in the middle of "Adventistville."

There are the strict Adventists and the not so strict. You apparently have the strict variety next door. Over the past 29 years I've lived here most have loosened up... Or died off. The market still doesn't have meat, but we can now buy coffee, pepper and mustard. (No, I'm not exaggerating.) No wine, though. And this in the middle of the Napa Valley.

I avoid them for the most part, but the people I work with at the hospital (Adventist run) are nice and not overbearing.

One of the odd things about living in an Aventist area is we get mail on Sunday rather than Saturday. For the time being anyway.

[longship]

12. Every Adventist I've known are very decent folks.

Yes, their beliefs may be a bit out of the mainstream, but those who I have known are basically okay with me.

The SDA's are a branch-off of Millerism, the 19th century end times prophecies of William Miller.

One of my neighbors is an Adventist, and he is one of the nicest, most generous person I know. Beyond my personal experiences and their history, I do not know what else to say, except to wish you good luck with this.

Except, maybe that a formal apology from your son may grease the wheels of neighborly love.

Good luck, whatever happens.

[MannyGoldstein]

13. He already did the apology, about 3 minutes after the prank

They had zero interest.

[JEB]

15. Sounds like they belong to the jerk cult first and foremost

and then became Adventists as an afterthought or for cover. I'd advise lighting a paper bag full of dog shit on their front porch and then ringing their doorbell.

[ButterflyBlood]

14. I was involved with one briefly, but she was also a stripper

So probably not the best example. Interesting lady though. She would sometimes go to church on a Saturday afternoon and then head right off to the club right afterwards.

[lapfog_1]

17. I suspect I know the lady in question...

aka... I was involved with one that was a stripper as well.

[Heddi]

18. When I lived/worked in central WA, I worked with quite a few

I had never known any before.

There was a SDA TV channel out there...Three Angels Broadcasting. For a spell we didn't have cable so had to rely on over the air TeeVee...3abn was one channel we got. There were some odd things, but Kids Time Praise and Tiny Tots for Jesus were big hits in my child-free home....especially after smoking a few bowls and drinking half a botle of wine. Kids Time Praise had good recipes. Once they made cabbage and spaghetti The instruction were (I kid you not); Have your mom and dad cook some spaghetti and drain it and put it in a bowl. Then, have your mom or dad cut up some cabbage. While the spaghetti is still warm, mix the cabbage in. Then serve it with butter. mmmmm Seriously. It was awful, but funny at the same time

One of the SDA's gals I worked with was the biggest, and I do mean the BIGGEST asshole i had ever met IN MY LIFE...while she was pregnant. The day she had her baby she was my BFF...few years later she got pregnant again and whoa nelly what a raging jerk.

She was a vegetarian, but loooooved her wine. And her Coach handbags. SHe got pissed off at me once (while she was pregnant so the annoyance factor was already at 20 on a 1-10 scale) and I asked her why it wasn't okay to eat meat, but it was okay to have a meat-skin purse and wallet. I thought she was going to punch me in the throat.

[cbayer]

19. Why are you so reticent to say what it is your son did?

If you think that it could be found by google search if you gave more information, then I would conclude that it was notable and not just a "stupid teenager trick".

I think it's unfair to ask others to pass judgement without having all the facts.

[MannyGoldstein]

20. I'm not asking for anyone to pass judgement!

Just trying to understand if there are any particular issues/hot buttons that we should be aware of.

For example, being Jewish, I might be a bit concerned if a neighbor kept talking about ovens for no apparent reason.

[cbayer]

21. Was your son mocking them in some way?

[skepticscott]

22. Some of the SDA's I've encountered

have been creationists. Your son wasn't calling them "dumbasses" or anything like that, was he?

[cbayer]

23. Were you aware that an innocent 13 year old Seventh Day Adventist boy was

shot in the stomach while walking to church in Roxbury last month?

Perhaps tensions are little high among the Seventh Day Adventists?

http://bostonglobe.com/opinion/2013/01/26/families-pay-high-price-gang-infested-neighborhoods/omSjXqjAoLqNvnZrDNCAVK/story.html

[MannyGoldstein]

24. Could explain it.

Timing's right. Reasonably close to us. Might have been a person they knew.

I'd be a little off-kilter for a while if someone close to me was shot.

Thanks a ton!

[cbayer]

25. You are welcome. Possibly someone in their church, which would be very, very hard.

[skepticscott]

26. You're assuming

that all Seventh Day Adventists are reacting in the same way to this, and reacting negatively. Do you have any evidence for that, or are you just lumping all SDAs together (i.e. broadbrushing)?

[Adsos Letter]

27. "...tightly-wound and irritating neighbors who are coincidentally SDA? "

This. ^^^^^^^^