Jan Paulsen: Let's Talk, Talks Politics

'Don't be a bystander,' Adventist leader advises young people

First 'Let's Talk' programs broadcast from Asia; Paulsen says local involvement key to global impact

Several questions surrounded appropriate activities for Adventists. Should Adventists campaign for politicians, run for office, associate with other denominations, play sports? Paulsen's "Yes" to each question was tempered by a warning -- don't let anything elbow out your commitment to Christ. If you seek election one day, he told the students, "don't confuse the agenda of the state with the mission of the church."

"Know who you are and don't compromise your identity," Paulsen said, advising the students not to cloister themselves away in a solely Adventist community. "Christ said, 'Let's go down and meet those people.' So don't be a bystander -- go with conviction, the assurance of who you are and the value of what you offer," he said.

February 12, 2008 Hong Kong,
Elizabeth Lechleitner/ANN
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