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November 28th, 2012
02:25 PM ET
‘Two and a Half Men’ actor’s criticism of show shines light on Seventh-day AdventistsBy Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor (CNN) – The Alabama-based evangelist Christopher Hudson has posted online videos promoting his Seventh-day Adventist faith for years, but none generated the response of the one he posted a few days ago, featuring “Two and a Half Men” actor Angus T. Jones. The video shows Jones, the CBS sitcom’s “half man,” describing the show he has appeared in for nearly a decade as “filth” and discouraging viewers from tuning in - which has attracted a crush of media attention. Hudson, who flew to Los Angeles last week to tape the video with the 19-year-old actor, says his phone has been ringing off the hook ever since he posted the video online on Sunday. Suddenly, reporters and plenty of others who’ve tuned into the wildly popular “Two and Half Men” want to know about the Seventh-day Day Adventist tradition, which Jones says in the online video he has recently joined, connecting his conversion to his new outlook on the show. “I just kept learning the basic messages of the Seventh-day Adventist Church,” Jones says in the video, telling of stopping into a Seventh-day Adventist Church with a friend recently and finding himself gripped by the pastor’s message. “I just loved it.” “Some of my family was like, 'Oh, he’s joining that SDA church – those cults' … and tried to get me to get out of there,” Jones continues in the video. “But I didn’t feel like I was being fooled. I could study it for myself.” Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter In a statement released Tuesday, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America says Jones joined one of its Southern California congregations in June. “Recently, Angus made some statements concerning his spiritual journey and expressed his views concerning the television program Two and a Half Men,” the statement says. “These comments are of a personal nature, reflecting his views after having undergone changes during his spiritual journey.” “We welcome him with open arms to the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church family and are excited about his commitment to God through his recent baptism at his church.” Religion scholars say they were not surprised by Jones’ comments deriding “Two and a Half Men,” speculating that his remarks might speak to the zeal of a new convert and to some of the particular tenets of Seventh-day Adventism. CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories “Seventh-day Adventism has traditionally sought to practice a purity of life in all its expressions - leading a healthy lifestyle in all ways,” says Dell De Chant, a religious studies professor at the University of Southern Florida. “For Seventh-day Adventists, the body is God’s temple.” “Everything from bad food to bad jokes would be considered a religious violation,” he says, referring to the raunchy humor that is a hallmark of “Two and a Half Men.” One explanation for the abstemious Seventh-day Adventist lifestyle - which includes avoiding meat and alcohol - is a belief that we are living in the end times, and that Jesus Christ’s return is imminent. The Seventh-day Adventist faith, part of the Protestant Christian tradition, emerged in the mid-1800s among a group of Americans who were anticipating the end of the world in a very real sense. After the predicted date came and went - an event known to history as the “Great Disappointment” - the visions of a leader named Ellen White led to a reinterpretation of biblical prophesy and gave birth to the Seventh-day Adventists. The tradition, which claims 17 million members around the world, takes its name from its observance of the Saturday Sabbath. It still has an apocalyptic orientation. Hudson, the evangelist who taped the Jones video, is fond of citing the Book of Revelation, which revolves around the end of the world. “We are sharing the gospel to hasten the second coming of Jesus Christ,” says Hudson, who contacted Jones through a California-based Seventh-day Adventist ministry. Speaking about “Two and a Half Men," which was in the headlines last year after the very public departure of star Charlie Sheen, Hudson says, “We don’t want anything debilitating our natural capacities in our mind.” “We have to cast off the works of darkness, from fornication to drunkenness to the things that may be a part of pop culture,” he says. In its statement on Tuesday, the Seventh-day Adventist Church alludes to Hudson, saying the person who hosts the media ministry where the Jones interview was posted is not a Seventh-day Adventist pastor. Hudson, for his part, says he was born into the Seventh-day Adventist Church and was baptized in the year 2000, describing himself as an evangelist who “travels around and shares the message of Jesus.” His ministry, the Forerunner Chronicles, posted the video on its website. On Tuesday, Jones released a statement apologizing for possibly offending the cast and crew of “Two and a Half Men” in the video. “I have been the subject of much discussion, speculation and commentary over the past 24 hours,” Jones says in the statement. “While I cannot address everything that has been said or right every misstatement or misunderstanding, there is one thing I want to make clear. “Without qualification,” the statement continues, “I am grateful to and have the highest regard and respect for all of the wonderful people on Two and Half Men with whom I have worked and over the past ten years who have become an extension of my family. “ The statement does not mention Jones’ newfound faith. But Hudson says he talked to Jones on Monday and that “he is certainly maintaining himself quite well.” “I really have a great deal of respect for this young man,” Hudson says. “He is mature beyond his years.”
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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The Cult wants his money, simple.
And what's your cult, the Saturday night strip club? Don't be such a bigoted hater of other people's beliefs.
What's wrong with the Saturday night strip club?
Seriously, Mike, that was the first thing you could think of?
I don't think angus cares about loosing his job ... Worldly achievements means nothing in the eyes of God. I guess he will just go to college now ...
He doesn't now, but at 19 his frontal lobe won't even finish developing for another four years; he's no idea what he'll be thinking by that time. There's a chance he'll happily stay with this belief system, but greater odds are that he'll either force himself to stay for fear of national humiliation or leave, having shot his career. Maybe he'll find something else where he'll be happy, but he would have been best off not to box himself in for a few more years.
He doesn't care because he has money. Worldly achievements shouldn't mean anything to g-od. He's G-od. You cant get more worldly achievements than that.
You two know absolutely nothing of what's going on in this young man's mind. Better to be silent and considered a fool and to speak and remove all doubt.
You're right. We don't know what is going on in his head! I bet he doesn't either.
Mike, you are grouchy.
SDA is like Scientology in one respect: They go after big celebrities, because if they bring even one mega-rich celebrity like Angus into their fold, they've got a huge windfall of $$$ for their so-called "church" for years to come.
And you base your "knowledge" of SDA on what? Your extensive research of them, or are you just talking out of your behind?
No matter the religion, It boils down to more money, period.
Actually, SDA does not boast many celebrities within our ranks. I was born Adventist, and have attempted to live that lifestyle to the best of my ability. Contrary to what the author of this article has written, SDA does not say you cannot eat meat. There are plenty of Adventists who eat meat. Drinking is discouraged yes, as is smoking. SDA's are big on the health message. We believe that health of the body leads to more balance. Exercise, healthy dieting, all of this goes into one facet of the SDA mission.
Another big tenet of Adventism is Salvation by grace. In other words, paying money for indulgences, confessing to a priest, saying hail mary, ect..... is not going to earn you Salvation. Salvation is a gift, it's something we in our own right are wholly undeserving of. Because Jesus came down to die on the cross we were given the gift, nothing we do can change that. It's simply that we must acknowledge that Christ is Lord, we must recognize that the Sabbath has been set apart, and we must be willing to confess our sins and allow God to forgive them. Love God, Love One Another. Forgive Others, and allow yourself to be forgiven.
So I will continue on being Adventist, not because I have to, but because I feel inside my soul that it is where I should be, worshipping God on the Seventh Day Sabbath which was set apart at creation as a day of worship. Adventism is not defined by public notoriety, rather we like to be defined by reaching out and spreading Christ's saving message around the world to whomever can hear.
@KELL..........................I can respect that.
I agree.
Man, Jake really went off the deep end. I don't want to dump on anyone's religion... but I'm going to. I hate these people who are waiting for the end of the world. You know, the guy could stay on the show, keep making money, and then donating that money to actual Human beings, alive today, who could really use it. Instead he joins a Doomsday cult and waits for the end of the world. I'm not saying he's a bad guy, I don't know him, but Religion has a way of putting your heart in the right place but your head in some alternate universe, and it makes some people loose touch with reality.
Poor guy, and you gotta feel for his parents as well. Hopefully he snaps out of it eventually.
I knew someone who taught English to recent immigrants. A bunch of her Korean students gave up everything a few years ago to move back to Korea and wait for the end. I don't hate them, but I do find these stories tragic. That said, still going to give thumbs up to some of the SDA veg food...no way are they all bad any more than anyone else. But using a kid this age and ruining his career, I can't stand with that.
He'll snap out of it once the checks stop comin'
Hopefully he will snap out of it and start drinking,cussng,fornicating,doing drugs,kinda like his former co-star Charlie Sheen.
While Adventists believe in Christ returning soon, we also know that "the day of the Lord's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night." 1 Thessalonians 5:2. So we like to be prepared, that means loving God, loving one another. Doing unto others as we would have them do unto us. Forgiving and living the life God would have us lead.
Of course he's mature beyond his years. He's had the advantage of wallowing in filth for the last decade, right?
I will take his place as the 1/2 man at 1/2 his salary. Call me, CBS.
Well, he's screwed his career, but at least he joined a group that drove the early vegetarian food market. I've got to thank them for that.
Amen, Praise God, i am so happy to be a part of the family of God and to have you Angus as my brother in Christ, woohoooooooooooo, this is a massive celebration, many blessings Angus from over in Adelaide, Australia here, much love bro
The nonsense that many people believe in order to make sense out of their lives.People,we have brains.Please use them.
i am now going to watch the show every day, to keep torturing this boy
Have you ever seen the show? You may end up torturing your self.
Let's write fan letters to him about how great the show is, and how we're raising our kids to be just like his character.
i only watch the reruns one sheen is out I'm out, otherwise i could suffer way to much
Yeah, good point...let's not take it too far.
What the belief blog is not talking about, an evil thing Christians are doing in the world
http://rt.com/politics/protection-feelings-put-hold-770/
Stealing freedom of speech and expression, besides killing G@ys in Uganda
Um... this is in RUSSIA. No further explanation should be needed. (Also, cutting down crosses that someone else put up? Freedom of expression isn't much good if you can't modulate it.)
Likewise, Uganda: home of Idi Amin and (separately) the children's army. This is terrible, but this is the kind of thing uncivilized people do in climates where people can't freeze to death; remove religion and they'll just be worse.
the children's army, why not call it what he calls it the lords restoration army, the problem in these places is religion
Uganda is a christian nation and the orthodox church has been taking over Russia
Bull bateing at its best too get people too watch TV show pump up ratings.
When your new car manual says to do this and that every 3000, etc miles, most of us will follow that instruction to the tee because the manufacturer or creator of the vehicle knows how to maintain it.. But let God, the Creator of your body and life tell you how to eat, how to drink, how to dress, how to live, etc., people get all bent out of shape. What a shame!
Which God???????????????
Mostly my parents did that until I was about 12...then I did fine on my own. Thanks anyway.
my goddesses help me grow up so i can think for my self
its called adult hood, care don't reach adult hood because like corporations they are not a Life-form
i'm sorry you can't dress yourself w/o god's help...does he help with the underwear too, or does he just help you color coordinate
yes, tell me again how to scrafice my children GOD...tell me again
@sam.......... you're lucky, I had to put up with that crap well into my teens.
When and where exactly did God tell you what to eat, drink, wear. I would love to meet Her the next time you two chat.
Looking at a lot of people's Facebook photos, it wouldn't hurt for a lot of people to have instruction on such matters from a 19th-century pre-apocalyptic interpretation of what God said/meant.
If G-od gave me manual, then maybe I'd follow it.
@Ken, if a giant hand reaches out of the sky and hands me a manual I'd defiitely read it and consider strongly it's words. I'd also get a psych evel and check to be sure the manual was still there a week later, but all things considered, I'd take that as some sort of evidence.
I'd take ANY evidence. It doesn't have to be a manual. It could be a single sheet of paper. All I ask is proof. No more, no less.
I kinda get their objections to alcohol and meat, but what's wrong with fornication?
@Richard, Alcohol has a lot of positive benefits for some folks, though it is highly dependent on your genes. The majority of therwise healthy European, west and central asian folk show better health with a drink or two a day as do many of African descent. May be a good religion for other groups or those whose families have a history of alcoholism.
Dear Angus,
I am a former SDA and was in it for nearly thirty years. RUN!!!!!!!
Run to where? Falsehood? You were in the Truth.
Yeah, um...strive...capitalizing it doesn't make it so for everyone, just for you.
I agree!! Run for the hills from my experience with SDA.... Cult, cult, cult!!
no Christianity no monotheism is the lie.
you shouldn't take things as truth because they say they are
Were you born into it? I was. And I agree, he should run...perhaps not from the church but from Hudson. The guy is not a pastor and parading Jones on the internet as a trophy when Jones could have just converted quietly makes me wonder about his intentions. Once Hudson's enthusiasm wears off, will he turn a town in Alabama into another Waco? When the end of the world does not arrive for some people, they make it happen.
I agree run. They will use you for all they can get. I grew up in it as well. I am lucky I got out.
Well I guess all the nay sayers here know HOW to be the ultimate Christian since everyone is condemning the Seventh Day Adventists and other Christians, It is funny how some people want others to be "open minded" with his or her choices, but as soon as someone decides to live a Christian life, they are condemned. What a shame! Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you.
They are all cults. Some torture themselves more than others.
Who's judging, exactly? The superficial behaviors of SDA are not unhealthy. Maybe culty, but so are lots of secular things.
SDA's aren't christians...it's a doomsday cult. Remind us again when the end times are coming? I wanna mark my calander
Why when people say the world is coming to an end, they accept money? If the world is gone, where are they going to spend it?
Someone reminded him about how much he was getting paid ($300K an episode or so).
He has backslid a bit from his 'please stop watching it, it is filth' statements.
Whatever happened to 'sell all you have and give it to the poor'?
If Christians *really* believe in the bible why do so few of them do it.
Maybe it is because so few of them really believe.
Really...that is the best verse you can up with. Do you even know what context it is used in the bible? Don't quote it unless you know it.
How many do you want, I can think of many telling people to get rid of their possessions and give it to the poor.
The one you are probably referring to is the rich person saying what do I need to do to be perfect.
There is also the parable of the poor woman who gave everything she had being worthy of something, while rich people who gave much, but not all they had, were effectively nothing.
The new testament repeatedly eschews wealth telling people to rid themselves of it.
So yes, I know the context, do you know it is talked about more than once?
"The Great Disappointment." << guess they all like to ignore the past event.
They'll never learn. D-u-m-b-a-s-s' have kept on repeating their bs and still people fall for this shtick.
Actually the Great Disappointment was preached by William Miller, a Baptist preacher ... Seventh-day Adventists weren't even around yet (unless you include every God-fearing person in the Bible – they all kept the Seventh-day Sabbath and looked forward to return of Jesus)
The BEST thing for Angus would be to keep reading that bible. It's quite an instruction manual for child abuse, abuse of women, murder, and ignorance. The BEST CURE for religious delusion is to read the bible. FFRF.org has a nice little 50 question quiz, (with answers) if anyone doubts me, be you a person of reason like me, or a thumper, or just a moderate xstian. They also have a nice little quiz on the separation of church and state. (The thumpers will say, "Oh that's out of context" but that's what EVERY SERMON, EVERY BIT OF "RELIGIOUS" COUNSELING IS........OUT OF CONTEXT.) We are the United States of America, founded in 1776. We are NOT A "CHRISTIAN NATION" Freedom OF religion means freedom FROM religion. Unfortunately, they caught poor Angus, the predators.
You couldnt be more wrong.....its freedom of...if you want to worship a donkey with a parrot on its back you should be allowed..just like you are allowed not to observe any faith...our forefathers left the old country because they were having done to them what you are trying to do to modern day religious folk...I,m not religious, but you are anti religion...guess in your version of freedom, people are free to do what you approve of huh?
Don't fall for it kid, it's a trick!
"You'll put your eye out!"
"It's a trap!" – Admiral Akbar
Our minds can't withstand insanity of that magnitude.
Here is yet another chance for the religious nut-jobs to declare "they're not true christians"
Anyone that follows God is a "nut job?" What a self-hating bigot you are... and too stupid to realize how much you need God.
@MikeO.............Have you been listening to republican party lately? The phrases like "whack job", "nut job" was created with them in mind. Nobody pushes religion like those phony clowns.
Ok, Mike's favorite word is 'bigot'....catching on....