Farzad Nourian is a Seventh-day Adventist ordained chaplain and Executive Regional Director for AdventHealth Central Florida Division North. [1] AdventHealth was the main corporate sponsor of the Daytona 500, a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. So, on Sunday, February 20, 2022, AdventHealth’s chaplain Farzad Nourian led the pre-race prayer at the Daytona 500, invoking God’s blessing on the race and the drivers. [2]
Farzad Nourian stated the following in his nationally televised prayer for the Daytona 500:
“Dear Lord God, we pause for a moment to acknowledge you and ask for a sense of your presence with us this afternoon. Father, please protect the drivers in the race today, our officials, crew members, fans, and their families. And please protect and bless our men and women in the military and law enforcement as they serve this country day and night, and please bless their families. For these things, we ask in Christ’s name. Amen.” (YouTube video).
AdventHealth was not just the main corporate sponsor of the Daytona 500, but also of all events held during Daytona Speedweeks 2022. During Speedweeks, which began on Tuesday, February 15th and ended on Sunday, February 20th, there were a total of “7 races across several different racing series,” and AdventHealth sponsored all of these events. And the issue is that some of the AdventHealth-sponsored races took place on Friday night and all day Saturday. These Sabbath-related events were also “presented by AdventHealth.” [3] [4] [5]
Did AdventHealth, a Seventh-day Adventist Church entity and corporate sponsor of the Daytona Speedweeks, ask God’s blessing for the Sabbath races as well? These activities were not only planned on the Sabbath, but individuals had to pay to attend these car races. To put it another way, we are proud corporate sponsors of activities that force people to violate the Sabbath by paying money to attend.
“Others enter into partnership with men who have no respect for the Sabbath. If, for the sake of gain, a Sabbath-keeper allows the business in which he has an interest to be carried on the Sabbath by his unbelieving partner, he is equally guilty with the unbeliever; and it is his duty to dissolve the relation, however much he may lose by so doing” (Signs of the Times, May 20, 1886).
AdventHealth was able to display its brand to a much larger audience by entering into this type of partnership with the Daytona International Speedway. AdventHealth had a “Presented By” sponsorship for the entire 2022 Daytona Speedweeks event. This type of collaboration is far more valuable than simply being a regular advertiser. Through these strategic partnerships with NASCAR, AdventHealth was able to generate long-term awareness and publicity in the years to come.
Ross Chastain driving the AdventHealth #1 car in the Daytona 500.
In addition to being a partner with the Daytona International Speedway, AdventHealth also has its own car in the race. They appear to have sufficient cash to sponsor both tournaments and drivers. They have sponsored driver Ross Chastain in six NASCAR Cup Series races including the season-opening DAYTONA 500. [6] Perhaps this is why ordained Seventh-day Adventist chaplains are being invited to bless these sporting events. We aspire to secure God’s blessing on our institutions as well as the success of our corporate partners. Why should we stop there? Let us pray for divine favor for all the other advertisers such as the alcohol industry and the people who bet enormous sums of money on sporting events. I’m sure they’d welcome God’s favor as well. The problem is that we’re asking God to bless something that He will not sanctify.
“Some who claim to be giving allegiance to the law of Jehovah have even gone so far in Sabbath desecration as to unite in partnership with those who have no respect for the Sabbath. The professed Sabbath-keeper may cease his own labors on the Sabbath, but his partner continues the work. How must angels look upon this partnership, as the Sabbath observer kneels reverently before God in the house of worship, while those with whom he is united in business continue their labor just the same as on any other day! How does Heaven look upon the noise and confusion, the sound of the mechanic’s ax and hammer, which ascends instead of thanksgiving, as if in defiance of his injunctions! Can the Lord regard as guiltless the man who thus unites with transgressors?” (Review and Herald, November, 13, 1888).
Sources
[1] https://www.southerntidings.com/news/florida-conference-workers-ordained-commissioned-in-2019/
[2] https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-daytona-500-start-time-210037021.html
[3] https://speedwaymedia.com/2022/02/14/weekend-schedule-and-format-for-daytona/
[4] https://979kissfm.iheart.com/calendar/event/61f80615a04cd245c2d45a2a/
[5] https://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/events/speedweeks-by-adventhealth/
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and the other question is what do we have to do with car racing and the games associated with it … to place bets … ? Is that our job? We live in this world but we should not be a part of it… Should we not ask ourselves: What would Jesus have done? Would Jesus have sponsored car races? What part would Jesus have played here? Let us look to Jesus and learn from Him, as we seem to have forgotten what is good for us and serves the glory of God. Forgive us God
Wow, just wow!!!
Very sad, this SDA chaplain being a professed Seventh day Adventist in a leadership position is setting the trend that “it is ok to unite with those in Babylon (deceives himself and those Seventh Day Adventists who are in ignorance) so long as he prays before this worldly event (BTW an event which the Lord NEVER approves) believing that the Lord is blessing or has blessed it.
We must NOT make the Lord to serve with our sins. We are learning the was of Babylon because we are so entrenched in the world that there is little difference between those who serve God and those who serve Him not. THESE ARE INDEED THE FINAL DAYS of this earth’s history and all who will come to Jesus must come NOW. Let us pray for this chaplain who is in APOSTASY for his conversion and all who engage in this type of open display of unbelief making the truth of the Word of God and the Testimonies of His Spirit that we hold to be very sacred to be of none effect.
😔🥲
They(Advent health) have sponsored Daytona and other races for several years as well as professional Bolts ice hockey team from Florida— games and races and advertising all done as well during Sabbath. $ad
to consider :
in the kingdom of satan it is
the power you have
to be the first
better than all
beautiful, richer.
Only he is something in Satan’s kingdom who has achieved “something”.
.
The kingdom of God, on the other hand, is 180° different
Here it is the relationship with our Creator, through Jesus Christ his Son. Through Him we have the blessings of the Father; to him we come to adore the Father; Through His direct connection to us humans (manGod at the same time, in one person) and the certainty that HE and the Father have forgiven me/us.
The relationships, connections to and between people; simply “to be” ; safe in his arms.
-> I don’t have to acquire or achieve anything.
=> I am already something : His child ; and so I have everything He has.
-> I don’t have to prove or show anything.
=> He loves me ! He trusts me. He likes being with me.
~> Even if I wear dirty clothes when I come to Him; He cleans me and dresses me in party clothes!
.
Choose your favorite.
I have chosen one for a long time and live in peace and security (not from what I can afford)
Might I add: The spirit of competitive activities (we vs. them…or I vs. you) is the antithesis of the Spirit of God.
While the one seeks to uplift self at the expense of others in order to “win,” the other seeks to humble self so that others can be winners (saved in God’s Kingdom).
As an ”aspiring” Seven Day Adventist, I am in shock that SDA church could be involved i / connected in any way with such ”worldly” event. My understanding is that Advent health is part of SDA church. They are totally in contradiction with their proclaimed mission. That’s beside and on top of the deadly health care they offer in their state of the art worldwide institutions! So deceived they are and all who trust & follow them instead of the Word of God.
Please invest such funds spent on pleasure and promotion be given to the poor, build churches or contribute to the spreading of the gospel to the unreachable.
If there are wealthy persons who cannot identify any of the above to spent, do respond to this email. We have a lot to do here than where you could be where the gospel is received by everybody, churches built and no poor people to spent on. God bless
By promoting this event which takes part partly during Sabbath hours, how can we then turn around and teach others that Sabbath is a scared day that God has blessed and to do no work or wordly pleasure on that day? We can’t. If we do, we’ll be seen as hypocrites and much damage will be done to our fundamental faith and beliefs. Once that door is open, you can’t shut it. Unfortunately that’s what’s been done by Advent Health sponsoring this event. They’ve opened the door to blasphemy. This will make for a “hard row to hoe” ahead for the rest of us faithful believers in bringing others to Christ. Thanks alot Advent Health!
Advent Health is no longer controlled only by Adventist. I live her in Orlando and know that they are no longer sticking to our health message either. They do serve meat, clean meat but as an Adventist I am bothered by many things they are doing and still caring the Advent name. This community know it is an Adventist hospital but with liberal rules
In my opinion, the Jesuits might have raised and trained certain individuals and led them to the SDA community, became pastors, laymen and women, even became church members and being baptised, followed the entire SDA policies and practises but with the underlying motive that he/she a Jesuit member and later to jeopardise and demolish the SDA Congregation or Mission. Now, their (Jesuits) time has come, they all fall out of the ruminant church and beginning to initiate their purpose.. let us all SDA faithful members sit back, observe and see more of our fellow members may start falling out and do what is opposing to the church of God and its saints. Just a opinion. God bless
A lot of SDA’s are living just like the world now. I see it all the time in my Church. God’s standard has been lowered to bring people into the Church. A phrase that we hear in Church quite frequently now is, ” You just have to love Jesus, ” as if we don’t need to do anything else!
I am trying to see this from a clear perspective without condemning. The race was not on Sabbath; however, as a church we do not support racing, betting, etc. I pray there was good that came from this situation. Do not focus on condemning. This pulls you into Satan’s trap. Focus on the information that came from our health message and pray for our leaders to make better decisions. There has always been wrong decisions made in the church but individually a relationship with Christ is our responsibility.