It's something I see in myself: because I'm discussing various issues around faith with people on the web, it means I'm doing it all week, not just every few weeks at a Sabbath lunch or whatever. But that also means I'm marshalling evidence, defining lines of argument, perhaps being confirmed in views and positions and so on (though I like to think I keep an open mind). And I certainly see it in others, where positions become far more entrenched in the past decade or so than they were before.

(Sorry the question is getting a bit longwinded but...) Do you see this trend too, and what do you think are the implications for how SDAs 'do religion' or 'be Christian' in the future? Are we doomed to fall into 2 warring camps of 'conservatives' and 'liberals', rather than more nuanced views? Is the church as a whole likely to make the tent much smaller and define who is in and out much more tightly?

I think that you are onto something here, although I am not sure how serious the problem is.

The web does offer folks with opinions a never before experienced opportunity to exchange those ideas with all sorts of people around the world. Yes, it seems that we rarely change minds, but you'll notice that a lot of folks view these forums without getting into the fray. In fact, I've had my mind nudged in new directions through the online discussions I've had or just read. I've heard from folks who have learned new things on Spectrum, and I assume that same holds for Club Adventist. Thus, I really think that it is worth it.

Plus, think back before the web or even farther back 100 years. Folks even then didn't really surround themselves with non-polarising experiences, much less the diversity of ideas that engage our minds.

Frankly, I think that the warring camps you mention would exist even without the web. The discussing, marshaling of evidence, defining lines of argument that you so nicely detail is actually a good thing for us as a church.

I'd rather be a part of a faith community that really cared about its values than one in which anything goes. I will grant that sometimes it can be frustrating and exhausting, but as a very liberal Adventist I really care that this church stands for something - social justice, care for creation, intellectual freedom, peace, and the compassion of Christ - and I am very interested in the ways that our fundamental beliefs, like the Sabbath, the Sanctuary, Creation, Christian Behavior and practices like what we actually do on the Sabbath can help us to carry out this open-armed witness.

If that means that some folks act shocked because they have never heard this in the Sabbath School lesson, then thank God that we have some media that actually carries alternative Adventist voices.