NORTH PACIFIC UNION CONFERENCE 41604•4•1100•••••ftlirw' _ 1.11, PPI oak 'AIA, • ,... .0*. .e.,t . • ... '''' ",' . , 4,0'. .14” .. a • ''..' a t,.., , . ..1.....- . , ..^...4.: 4 . 1 1,40 ..• ' „,,,, ' A' . .. • r. .010 A 4, 'A . .. o r's. **., , ..mw."^ o .490, , ' A 1111/4 ' I orwilk.r., ' , „.• A ' ' ,,,, , 44140r01 ' . 4001 v4 . 11 , A yi- , • 4.... "L.% around the College Place area: a practicing that electricity was the work of the devil. Mr. dentist, a college writing teacher, a city Whitney, do you have electricity in your LETTERS council member, and others doing worth- home? Letters are welcomed for publication. The while work. Greg Jones editor reserves the right to reject letters and I suggest instead of a "mild slap," a very College Place, Wash. where necessary, to edit for continuity and vigorous one is in order. space requirements. Letters must be signed Irene Pannett Lottman Charles Whitney has some good points and and should not be over 250 words in length Secretary, Class of 1935 I admit I have mixed feelings on this myself. I except, where, in the editor's discretion, more College Place, Wash. heard of a man who witched water for an space is available. Address letters to Editor, We didn't want to injure our typing island that had to ship in all their water. He Box 16677, Portland, OR 97216. hand so we have retreated to our foxhole until did this from his hotel room in the U.S. over a the 1935 WWC graduates get off the warpath. map of the island. We humbly acknowledge the existence of 1935 But I can't discount the story of the Likes the Book graduates. They seem to be a rather feisty Paradise Valley Sanitarium found on pages bunch so we'll keep a watchful eye out for 365-66 of the Early Elmshaven Years . in This letter is written to second the urging them. which Ellen G. White recommended they of George Slater, (July 18) relative to the use a good Adventist well digger of her ac- purchase of the book Creeping Compromise quaintance, Salem Hamilton, to do the well. by Joe Crews. I believe that if every Advent- Water Dowsing: Yes and No They surveyed the ground and tried the ist were to carefully, thoughtfully and wizard water stick and discussed the pos- prayerfully peruse this book, great changes Sing or find water, both are talents! God sibilities. would be wrought in the Adventist Church gave to each of us different talents and differ- Here we have an acquaintance of Mrs. and Christ's coming would be hastened. ent body chemistry which can be used as a White whom she relied on to find water The last sentence in Brother Slater's letter talent. If we look into why some can find (bringing him from Nebraska) and he uses a needs clarification. I trust he meant it differ- water while others can't, we will find a dif- wizard water stick as one of his methods. ently than it came out. We are not counted ference in body chemistry. Ron McCormick worthy in God's sight by studying His Word Also, if further studied we will find that if White City, Ore. or reading Ellen White. It is only as we ac- the kidneys are covered with foil, that person cept the precious blood of Jesus Christ and can't find water as a chemical reaction is prevented. We are quick to label things "oc- . If dowsing is a natural phenomenon or His robe of righteousness that we can be a gift from God, then it should be used for counted worthy. cult" if we don't understand them, which may or may not be good. But let us study man's benefit, and church members should Don E. Casebolt, M.D. be educated about it. But if it is the work of Monument Valley, Utah further, keeping in mind that God has made each one different with the instructions for Satan, it is a hazard, and should be discarded each one of us to use our God-given talents or by God's servants. 1935 Graduates Still Active differences for the benefit of others. Deuteronomy 18:10 says, "There shall not Sandra Thobois be found among you any one that maketh his I have just read the letter in the Aug. 1 Naches, Wash. son or his daughter to pass through the fire, issue referring to the first college com- or that useth divination, or an observer of mencement exercise held outdoors and your . .I think there is a difference between times, or an enchanter, or a witch." reply suggesting a "mild slap" on the wrist is "Diviner" is defined as "one that prac- in order because Emma Cox has written using a willow or green forked stick to find water and playing with an Ouija board. tices divination: soothsayer, oracle; speed: about the class of 1935 graduating outdoors. one that seeks to discover the location of Your statement that possibly not many In Genesis 30:37-43 Jacob used green sticks to place before the cattle so they would bear water or minerals underground with the aid 1935 grads are still around the college these of a divining rod." days is a very good reason why I'm answer- speckled or straked calves. Do you think this was of the Devil? The foregoing references seem to indicate ing your remarks. that the use of a "divining" rod to locate There are several of us "old" 1935 grads I knew a man who divined or witched wells in foreign countries and even public wells in water is prohibited by the instruction in eastern Oregon, California, Idaho and Mon- Deuteronomy. But is the modern art of tana. He did it for money and his talent was "dowsing" the same as the biblical well in demand. I understand that the water phenomenon of "divination"? vein draws the green stick to turn. What do dowsers actually do? The usual LEANER I've tried it myself to feel how it works. I method used to locate water is to carry a NORTH PACIFIC UNION CONFERENCE think this is a scientific action and has noth- forked twig, metal rods or a pendulum across (LISPS 394-560) ing to do with sorcery or witchcraft. a field, and the location of underground Member Associated Church Press Opal Yankee water is marked by an abrupt movement of Address all correspondence to: Ridgefield, Wash. the dowsing device. GLEANER, Many dowsers determine the depth and North Pacific Union Conference flow of the stream they have located. Rods P.O. Box 16677. Portland, OR 97216 . In the book, The Early Elmshaven are used to locate items other than water, 1503) 255-7300 Years — 1900-1905, on page 366 it tells how such as ore, pipes (not necessarily metal), the wizard stick was used when deciding September 5, 1983 Vol. 78, No. 17 hidden tunnels, people, oil, precious stones, where to dig to get water for Paradise Valley telephone or power wires, corpses and hid- Editor, Morten Juberg Sanitarium. den money . present understanding is well Assistant Editor, Ed Schwisow I wonder, do we over react at things we stated by Elder George Vandeman: "Scien- Published by the North Pacific Union don't understand? A television or radio is tists have not yet been able to explain the Conference of Seventh-day Adventists just as mysterious to me. phenomenon, but somehow I expect that we Helen Rabun may eventually find a scientific reason, Please Note—Every reasonable effort is Redding, Calif. perhaps related to the area of electromag- made to screen both editorial and adver- netism." tising materials and to avoid error in this . My question is: why do we sometimes Can a natural force, presently unknown, publication. But the North Pacific Union have a tendency to assume that physical account for the movement of the dowsing Conference GLEANER does not accept phenomena which we have no explanation rod? Robert H. Brown, director of Geosci- responsibility for categorical or typo- for are manifestations of the occult? The ence Research Institute (Andrews Univer- graphical errors, nor for advertisers' more superstitious among us once believed sity) says, "There is absolutely no physical claims. Litho U.S.A. CP33896 Second-class postage paid at College Place, Washington. Published semi- monthly at Color Press. Subscription, About the Cover $6.50 per year. Bernard J. Penner, a General Conference auditor based in the North Pacific Union POSTMASTERS: Send form 3579 to Conference office, took the hayfield scene near Okanagon, Wash., with his Canon FTB North Pacific Union GLEANER, P.O. Box Camera. He uses Kodachrome 64 film and he says the shutter speed generally used is 397, College Place, Washington 99324. 1/125. GLEANER September 5 1983 page 2 basis for water witching." A neighbor who has a farm was worried much being on your mailing list. We used to The idea that there is physical attraction because his three wells were not giving go to the South Side Church in Tacoma and between the rod and the water is accepted enough water for his irrigation. He asked me the GLEANER keeps us up to date. only by the most casual observer. It is incon- if I would try to find a spot where he could dig We work in Cambodia — on the border — sistent with the fact that many dowsers use another well. For two days I searched the on a SAWS medical and feeding team. The the same technique for finding a large variety land and I found six veins of water that all Khmer people have experienced immense of materials.