To not just feel it, but feel it as a certainty -- to really know --
that the Ellen White writings lack the inspiration claimed for them, you need to do two
things.
First: read her critics. See what a strong case they make.
Second: go to the writings and examine things for yourself. After reading
a charge by a critic, look up everything you can -- everything relevant in Ellen
White, and everything relevant in other sources.
Ellen White's critics make her claim to inspiration seem highly unlikely; but
perceiving things first hand (i.e., for yourself) you find that the reality is far
more damning.
This "before and after" effect, of reading charges by the critics
(fairly damaging) and then checking the reality for yourself (highly damaging), is what
I'd like to illustrate with some examples. Reading these examples will not
produce the gut-level conviction that you get if you dig into a matter and witness
everything for yourself. But at the very least, the examples will bear out the truth
of the assertion at the head of this chapter: the case against Ellen White's claim to
inspiration, as it comes to you from the pages of a critic, may be ever so strong; but if
you dig and research and examine a thing for yourself you see that the reality goes
against her claim even more strongly.
Below are three examples of this "before and after" effect. These will
show you what you might read from the pen of a critic, and then what you might find if you
examine the matter for yourself.
The first regards Ellen White's copying. It's the only one of three as
yet written. But it's such a fine example, running to about forty pages if you
download it to your printer, that even by itself (let alone when it will have the company
of B and C) will let you see what happens when you investigate Ellen White for yourself.
Read it and see what you think. If you have some interesting thoughts to
share on it, I'd enjoy hearing from you.
Example A: The
Copying Charge
Example B: The Bible vs. EGW Charge
Example C: Some Archive Charges
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