Jose Briones with RMCNews – Denver, Colorado … The Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) launched a new podcast series “Living Generously,” December 17. This series is dedicated to exploring what it means to live generously, not just financially, but in all aspects of daily life. The host, Jose Briones, RMC Stewardship Promotion and Content creator, dives into themes with his guests that challenge listeners’ perspective of their faith journey.
The second episode of the series, released January 6 and titled “Freedom for All: Religious Freedom from an Adventist View,” featured guest speaker Nathaniel Gamble, RMC Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director. The conversation delved deeply into the core importance of religious liberty, particularly within the context of the Seventh-day Adventist faith.
Briones opened the episode by reminiscing about his upbringing in an Adventist church, emphasizing prophecy and the importance of observing Saturday as the seventh-day Sabbath. This religious observance sets Adventists apart from other Christian denominations, and he wondered during his teenage years why the Adventist Church often engaged in legal proceedings to protect the religious practices of non-Adventists, seemingly contradictory to the denomination’s teachings.
Gamble clarified in his commentary that religious liberty comprises two main focuses: defending the religious freedoms of Seventh-day Adventists and safeguarding the freedoms of others, even if their beliefs diverge dramatically from Adventism. “This dual approach is rooted in the Adventist conviction that God grants humans the freedom to choose, reinforcing that respecting others’ choices is a divine mandate,” commented Briones.
The podcast further explored the prevalent theme of religious liberty across scriptural narratives. “Gamble offered insights into how God interacts with diverse peoples and nations throughout the Bible, providing freedom without coercion and demonstrating a commitment to religious liberty that extends beyond the nation of Israel,” Briones continued. “This underscores that God’s respect for human freedom is a consistent Biblical principle.”
The discussion then shifted to the contemporary issue of religious liberty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gamble reflected on how the Adventist Church handled the contentious issue of vaccinations and government-imposed assembly restrictions. He acknowledged that the Church’s response was perceived as “lukewarm neutrality,” suggesting that the Church could have done more to support dissenting individual convictions while explaining the distinction between corporate and personal religious liberties.
Briones and Gamble also linked support for religious liberty to the Adventist eschatological belief, or the theology of end times, in the impending second coming of Jesus. They addressed the misconception that advocating for religious freedom could impede Christ’s return and clarified that the Adventist understanding of Jesus’ return should be grounded in a message of love and salvation, not destruction.
Concluding the episode, Gamble offered practical advice for living out religious liberty principles in daily life. “He encouraged listeners to be good neighbors, engage in community service, and approach conversations with love and openness, reflecting Jesus’ inclusive and redemptive love,” closed Briones. “The episode underscores the importance of balancing the defense of personal beliefs with respecting others’ freedoms, enriching the Adventist perspective on living a generously inclusive faith.”
CLICK HERE to listen to the full episode, and CLICK HERE to see the full list of previous and future series episodes.
—Jose Briones is the RMC Stewardship Promotion and Content creator. Photo by Aaron Burden of Pexels.
