I heard that inventor(s) of the Kellogg's corn flakes, the Kellogg brothers, made them in an SDA 'sanitarium', before they went into business selling the bland breakfast cereal. I suppose it was an innovation for a quick breakfast (and they aren't too bad with honey.) But the theory behind them was supposedly that eating bland food dulled the sexual urges.
The Kelloggs, or at least one of the brothers, was a Seventh Day Adventist and a long-time associate of Ellen G White and James Whites, founders of the Seventh Day Adventists. I've read just a little of Ellen G. White's writings when I was younger. I think someone sent me a book and I saw one that had a nice name on it in a book store. But I couldn't get into it. One of the books was sooooo flowery in the language. She really 'pulled out her adjectives (remember that School House Rock song-- it was a hairy bear; it was a scary bear.) And it was one of those books with all the other thousands of books to read and things to do, why read this. The other book was on her eschatology and law-keeping ideology. One of her health books said something about the importance breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth I recall... not something I want to sit around and read.
From what I read, Ellen G. White seemed to be somewhat in favor of keeping sexual urges down within marriage, thinking ill of missionaries that were married who couldn't hold off on having children.... not an ideology or attitude I would be on board with.
Some of the SDAs are considered conservative, and treat this library of WG White's books just about as if they were scripture, and the liberals might be a bit more like evangelicals, I've hard. I saw a Sunday School lesson with a picture of EG White and a lesson on some aspect of her life, encouraging SDA kids to be like her. It was bizarre to me. I am used to seeing lessons about Biblical characters. I am guessing the Presbyterians would do the same with Calvin or Knox or Methodists doing the same with Wesley. Many Baptists wouldn't know who Roger Williams or Shubel Stearns are.
Anyway, SDAs weren't the only ones who thought bland foods were useful in controlling lusts and bodily urges. Graham crackers are named for a Presbyterian minister who thought his bland crackers would help in this regard, though the cracker industry has flavored them up to taste like sweet cookies, so they aren't the original bland product.
What do you think of the idea that bland food helps with other bodily urges in light of this scripture? And does this idea represent SDA thinking or EG White's thinking on the matter.
Colossians 2:20–23 (NKJV)
20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—
21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,”
22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men?
23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
The Kelloggs, or at least one of the brothers, was a Seventh Day Adventist and a long-time associate of Ellen G White and James Whites, founders of the Seventh Day Adventists. I've read just a little of Ellen G. White's writings when I was younger. I think someone sent me a book and I saw one that had a nice name on it in a book store. But I couldn't get into it. One of the books was sooooo flowery in the language. She really 'pulled out her adjectives (remember that School House Rock song-- it was a hairy bear; it was a scary bear.) And it was one of those books with all the other thousands of books to read and things to do, why read this. The other book was on her eschatology and law-keeping ideology. One of her health books said something about the importance breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth I recall... not something I want to sit around and read.
From what I read, Ellen G. White seemed to be somewhat in favor of keeping sexual urges down within marriage, thinking ill of missionaries that were married who couldn't hold off on having children.... not an ideology or attitude I would be on board with.
Some of the SDAs are considered conservative, and treat this library of WG White's books just about as if they were scripture, and the liberals might be a bit more like evangelicals, I've hard. I saw a Sunday School lesson with a picture of EG White and a lesson on some aspect of her life, encouraging SDA kids to be like her. It was bizarre to me. I am used to seeing lessons about Biblical characters. I am guessing the Presbyterians would do the same with Calvin or Knox or Methodists doing the same with Wesley. Many Baptists wouldn't know who Roger Williams or Shubel Stearns are.
Anyway, SDAs weren't the only ones who thought bland foods were useful in controlling lusts and bodily urges. Graham crackers are named for a Presbyterian minister who thought his bland crackers would help in this regard, though the cracker industry has flavored them up to taste like sweet cookies, so they aren't the original bland product.
What do you think of the idea that bland food helps with other bodily urges in light of this scripture? And does this idea represent SDA thinking or EG White's thinking on the matter.
Colossians 2:20–23 (NKJV)
20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—
21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,”
22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men?
23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
