‘Veggies and Vino’ is the New Adventist Health Message

Something is happening in Adventism that is unfathomable. There is something very, very wrong taking place and we dare not stay silent. “Eat more veggies and drink more wine (vino),” is the new health message for Seventh-day Adventists. This is great news for the alcohol industry as Seventh-day Adventists continue to promote the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Back in April 2020, Adventist Health purchased Blue Zones LLC. The acquisition of Blue Zones LLC by Adventist Health was reported in the secular media, [1] the Adventist Review [2] and by Adventist Health. [3] “Blue Zones” used to be a secular corporation that worked to promote good health around the world. Since being acquired by Adventist Health, Blue Zones LLC is now owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Tony Buettner, vice-president and global spokesperson for Blue Zones, [5] announced that the entire Blue Zones staff was “now a part of the Adventist Health family.” He also stated that Blue Zones’ “leadership, staff and contact information” would remain the same. [6] In fact, the Blue Zones CEO is listed as part of the Adventist Health administration team. [7]

Here is where things get problematic. Blue Zones also has an online store. [9] And no, this online store is not a second party vendor or a third party distributor. To this day, seven months after being owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Blue Zones continues to promote the consumption of alcohol and coffee.

What has happened to the convictions that Seventh-day Adventists have a great moral responsibility to use their influence in every way possible to promote temperance and abstinence? Alcohol and coffee were never part of our health message. We believe that every true and faithful Seventh-day Adventist should denounce this ungodly marketing.

We have two health messages in the church. There are some who are dedicated to promoting and prolonging life, and then we have those who have sold themselves for money to promote death. Adventist Health has a long sordid history with the alcohol industry. [11] Adventism is in a spiritual crisis as its institutions are raking in the blood money from the alcohol industry. [12]

The curse of alcohol in all is varied forms has a soul-destroying influence in the home and in society, and we have church administrators who are turning a blind eye to the cursed liquor trade in order to make a dollar from sin, death and debauchery.

Friends, fellow Seventh-day Adventists and every believer in the Three Angels’ Message: We cannot and must not remain silent while church entities are trafficking in death. There are many perpetrators who profit from the sale and promotion of alcohol. However, the most guilty in this conspiracy are the silent leaders who know what is happening but do absolutely nothing to stop it.

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” Isaiah 58:1.

How quickly our situation could change and how swiftly the apostasy would cease if we only had preachers and leaders who would stand up and proclaim, “Thus saith the Lord!” Tragically, we have administrators who are not only failing the church, they are failing God. We used to be guided by a biblical morality that was based on the writings of inspiration. Those days are gone.

Today, our morality is based on the majority. If the majority say it’s okay, then it’s okay. Or, if the majority is silent, then everything must be fine. The new morality of this generation is based on political expediency and profitability. We do what we think is best instead of what God has told us to do.

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20.

Scott Reiner is the CEO of Adventist Health and here is his email: reinersb@ah.org

I encourage you to write to him. He could stop this. He could end these partnerships with the alcohol industries. He could stop promoting these items that go against our faith. Yes, there is a time to pray but there is also a time to write and speak. God’s grace is sufficient to cleanse, forgive and heal, but we dare not remain silent or indifferent.

May God have mercy upon us and send us a revival and a reformation that will turn us from our wicked ways. May the glorious and everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ change our hearts, our lives and especially our convoluted thinking. If not, we will be bitterly disappointed:

“Will the churches heed the Laodicean message? Will they repent, or will they, notwithstanding that the most solemn message of truth—the third angel’s message—is being proclaimed to the world, go on in sin? … Those who have had opportunities to hear and receive the truth and who have united with the Seventh-day Adventist church, calling themselves the commandment-keeping people of God, and yet possess no more vitality and consecration to God than do the nominal churches, will receive of the plagues of God just as verily as the churches who oppose the law of God. Only those that are sanctified through the truth will compose the royal family in the heavenly mansions Christ has gone to prepare for those that love Him and keep His commandments” (Manuscript Release, vol. 19, p. 176).

Sources

[1] https://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2020/04/10/adventist-health-acquires-community-health.html

[2] https://www.adventistreview.org/church-news/story14710-adventist-health-acquires-blue-zones-to-improve-community-health-and-wellbeing

[3] https://www.adventisthealth.org/blog/2020/april/adventist-health-acquires-blue-zones-as-part-of-/

[4] https://www.thebluezonesstore.com/collections/apparel/products/blue-zones-t-shirt-veggies-vino

[5]  https://www.bluezones.com/services/speaking/blue-zones-speakers-2/tony_buettner/

[6] https://theplantstrongclub.org/2020/04/08/adventist-health-west-acquisition-of-blue-zones-llc/

[7] https://www.adventisthealth.org/about-us/leadership-team/

[8] https://www.thebluezonesstore.com/products/blue-zones-farmers-market-tote

[9] https://www.thebluezonesstore.com/collections/all

[10] https://www.thebluezonesstore.com/products/100-coffee-morning-brew-ground-whole-bean-340g

[11] http://adventmessenger.org/adventist-health-partnered-with-winery-to-distribute-800-bottles-of-fermented-wine-to-local-nurses/

[12] http://adventmessenger.org/ted-wilson-asks-us-to-pray-for-adventist-health-st-helena-hospital-a-church-entity-that-promotes-drinking-parties-and-receives-millions-from-the-alcohol-industry/