Walter Veith & Amazing Discoveries

Accused Anti-Semite: Walter J. Veith and Amazing Discoveries

SUMMARY Walter Veith IS: - A South African Seventh-day Adventist who was born in 1949 and was at one time chair of zoology at the University of the Western Cape. - The leading conspiratory voice within Adventism, followed by Bill Hughes and others. Walter Veith bizarrely TEACHES the following: - A range of fantastical conspiracy theories, including about 9/11, Freemasons and the moon landing. Walter Veith disturbingly BEHAVES in the following manner: - In 2012, came under investigation by the German government regarding allegations of antisemitism and incitement of popular hatred [Volksverhetzung]. - Both German Unions and the Inter-European Division of the ‘mainstream’ and official SDA Church have issued statements prohibiting Veith from speaking in Adventist churches.

Background

As explained by Ron Osborn in his article “The Dark Fantasy World of Walter Veith” of 31 Oct 2011 in independent Adventist magazine Spectrum:

‘The name of Walter Veith may be unknown to many Spectrum readers but according to Veith’s own website it is well known to thousands of people around the globe.

…Veith is a South African Seventh-day Adventist who was born in 1949 and was at one time chair of zoology at the University of the Western Cape. He was also at one time by his own telling a committed atheist who underwent a dramatic conversion. He now leads an independent evangelistic and itinerate speaking ministry based out of British Columbia entitled “Amazing Discoveries.” A Google Videos search for “Walter Veith” returns nearly 6,000 films.’

Disturbingly,whilst on the more lunatic fringes of the SDA Church, Veith is extremely popular amongst a certain type of Adventist, as Osborn goes onto explain – far more popular than the SDA Church’s own President:  

‘Veith’s most watched video of all time is “Saddam Hussein Dead Since 1999,” which has had nearly a quarter of a million views since it was posted on Youtube in June 2007. (By comparison, the most watched YouTube video of Ted Wilson, the first 10 minutes of his inaugural sermon as GC president in Atlanta, has had fewer than 20,000 views since it was posted by AYA Ministries in July 2010.)’

As similarly explained by Tammy Roesch in “Seventh-day Adventists and Conspiracy Theories” of 20 May 2012 from independent Adventist magazine Spectrum:

‘Walter Veith is the leading conspiratory voice within Adventism, followed by Bill Hughes and others. Veith has produced hundreds of hours of DVDs that keep his listeners sitting on the edge of the couch. Some viewers are anxious to hear his latest speculations; many are filled with anxiety for the future. Like a drug addiction, the more people view the videos, the more money they spend on these theories.’

Bizarre Beliefs: Conspiracies

As Osborn in “The Dark Fantasy World of Walter Veith” explains, Veith is well known for peddling his various conspiracy theories, such as 9/11 conspiracies:

‘Who was responsible for plotting the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001? George W. Bush and the CIA. What made the Twin Towers fall? They were brought down not by the airplanes but by explosives previously planted by the CIA in the buildings. What was the actual fate of Saddam Hussein? He died in 1999—it was his body double that was hung in 2003. What is the truth behind Islam? It is a secret creation of the Roman Catholic Church, invented by the Vatican and planted in the Middle East to stamp out the last remnants of non-Catholic “true” Christianity. “They are only playing the game of Hegelian idealism, thesis and antithesis,” Veith explains with pseudo-philosophical profundity, “but behind the scenes they all belong to the same club.”’

Veith is also convinced of a grand conspiracy between the Roman Catholic Church and Freemasons, as Osborn goes on to describe:

‘The “club”—a term Veith uses often in his lectures—is interchangeably the Freemasons and the Catholic papacy. The extent of the Catholic Church’s diabolical control of world events through the tireless plotting of its puppets, the secret societies, is truly astounding. The ranks of the Illuminati, secretly and tirelessly working in consort across the ages toward the goal of one world government controlled by Rome, includes: Karl Marx, Cecil Rhodes, Andrew Carnegie, Winston Churchill, J. Edgar Hoover, Henry Kissinger, Ronald Reagan, Shimon Peres, Yassir Arafat, both George Bushes, Ted Kennedy, Alan Greenspan (part of the Illuminati’s “Committee of 300”), Hilary Clinton (a “6^th Grand Dame,” according to Veith), Jimmy Carter, Saddam Hussein, Richard Holbrooke (a “thirty-three degree Freemason”), Al Gore, Tony Blair, and Nelson Mandela.

This grand conspiracy is supposedly grounds for some pretty crazy claims – including ideas that the Freemason-Catholics were behind the lunar missions in the 1960s in order to find ancient antideluvian pre-flood technology. As Obsborn further notes:

‘…What better way for the secret societies to disorient Adventists and discredit the Adventist church, after all, than to dispatch someone like Veith expounding in Adventism’s name about how Nelson Mandela and Joseph Stalin are spiritual brothers in the same “club” controlled by Rome? Or how the Freemasons working at the bidding of Rome may well have journeyed to the moon in the 1960s in search of the lost technology of the antideluvians, since the pre-flood civilization of the days of Noah “surely got there” first? Is it really just a coincidence that “Veith” is the Germanized name for Vitus, who was one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers of the Roman Catholic Church and who also happens to be the patron saint of actors?’

Disturbing Behaviours: Showmen and anti-Semitism

As Osborn notes in “The Dark Fantasy World of Walter Veith”, Veith utilizes the same sort of showmen-like tricks and apocalyptic rhetoric common to ex-Adventist cult leaders, who prey on the gullible and less discerning alike:

‘Veith, it goes without saying, is trading in a world of fantasy and myth that has considerably less logic than a Dan Brown novel and a great deal more creepiness. There is, however, something mesmeric in his performance. If nothing else, he knows how to play the chords of apocalyptic menace with a campy but bravura showmanship. And he seems to know exactly what he is doing. Veith repeatedly states in his performances that he is not telling his listeners what to believe but is simply presenting them with the “facts” so that they can make informed judgments for themselves. But these claims are also simply part of the show. Veith is by every indication a religious confidence man who has carved out his own niche market by convincing sadly credulous listeners to suspend their critical judgment just long enough to become convinced that what he is saying is not only entirely plausible but is in fact the very height of reason.’

However, as explained by Alexander Carpenter in “Under Investigation for Antisemitism, Walter Veith Banned in Churches by European Adventist Leaders” of 5 Dec 2012, from independent Adventist magazine Spectrum, Veith has more recently got himself in trouble with the German government for purported anti-Semitic views:

‘Walter Veith, a speaker for Amazing Discoveries, is under investigation by the German government regarding allegations of antisemitism and incitement of popular hatred [Volksverhetzung]. Veith, a noted conspiracy theorist, mixed interpretations of the Bible with theories about Jesuit and Masonic roles in the Holocaust, offensive language about "little yellow cloth" and "herding" of Jews and a positive citation of Benjamin Freedman, a "professional antisemite" according to the Anti-Defemation League.’

For once the leadership of the ‘mainstream’ and official SDA Church acted appropriately and with due urgency, as further observed by Carpenter:

‘Not only has this drawn the attention of the authorities, but both German Unions and the Inter-European Division have issued statements prohibiting Veith from speaking in Adventist churches.’

Danger: Conspiracy vs Great Controversy

As observed by Anthony McPherson in the article “Conspiracy Adventism” of 14 June 2013 from the Record, there is a vast difference between conspiracy-theory Adventism and true Great Controversy Adventism:

‘There is a vast world of difference between being a great controversy Adventist and a grand conspiracy Adventist. The way each narrates history, handles Scripture, shapes discipleship, impacts church community, and forms the mind and heart are often very different. One is our inspired calling from God, the other is a twisted product of man. In the introduction to her book The Great Controversy, Ellen White explains her methodology and aim. She says: “The great events which have marked the progress of reform in past ages are matters of history, well known and universally acknowledged by the Protestant world; they are facts which none can gainsay.” What a contrast to conspiratorial Adventism! This should be our approach. Tragically, conspiracy Adventism turns all of this on its head. Crazy, dubious claims are made the essence of the message.’

As also explained by Tammy Roesch in “Seventh-day Adventists and Conspiracy Theories” there is a danger in confusing prophecies found in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, with attempts to ‘fill in the gaps’ through conspiracy theories such as those peddled by Walter Veith:

‘So why are Adventists attracted to conspiracy theories? The ones most attractive to Seventh-day Adventists involve religion, especially the subject of Last Day Events. If the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy writings give some details, they want more. But curiosity can be a very dangerous element. Adventists are especially vulnerable to theories of a New World Order because they want so badly to see any signs that might confirm their belief that Jesus is coming very soon and the dreaded Mark of the Beast is just around the corner. In my view people believe in New World Order because it is what people with their “itching ears” want to hear.’

One is also reminded of Sister White’s warning about such fanaticism:

‘After preaching the Word of God to warn the people of the errors of Rome, fanatics began passing through the land, destroying souls as they went. Learning of what was happening, Melanchthon said, "There are indeed extraordinary spirits in these men; but what spirits?" But when Martin Luther heard of it, he said, "I always expected that Satan would send us this plague.”’ (Great Controversy, 187).

Lessons for the SDA Church: People of the Book – not People of the Chart

Our own SDA Church came out of the Great Disappointment – that erroneous expectation of Christ’s return on 22 Oct 1844.  As a result of that experience, Adventists should be (and to our credit often are) more cautious than most about false Christs making predictions about the end of the world.  Jesus made clear in Matt 24:36:

‘But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.’

Probably the greatest lesson we can take is the example of John-the-Baptist. The Jews had their own preconceived notions of the End Times, which included the return of Elijah before the heralding of the Messiah.  Unexpectedly, Jesus explained in Matt 11:14:

‘And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.’

This provides an important object lesson.  Even where prophecy is correct, it tends to be fulfilled in a way we don’t quite expect.  As such, we need to be careful of preconceived ideas that may result in us no longer truly watching for Christ’s return.

Parallels to the SDARM and ultra-conservative Adventism

It is beyond doubt that the more conspiracy-theory minded is found within the SDARM and other ultra-conservative elements of Adventism.  For example, in John Paige’s article “Men in the Shadows”, from the 'independent historic' Reformist publication Sabbath Sermons, in an offensive anti-Semitic tirade, suggests the Catholic Jesuits secretly control the government and military of Israel:

‘Jewish Zionism positively isn’t a Jewish conspiracy but strictly Roman Catholic who have strategically used certain Jews for their cause’s advantage

…Shimon Peres [President of Israel] as the agent. Shimon Peres was educated by Jesuits in Poland.

…The destruction of the Jewish state is a primary goal of the Jesuits.

…The Jesuit operatives then took control of both the Israeli government and the military (IDF). It was the Jesuits, through their Zionist front men who now ran Israel.’

Conclusion: Our nutty fringe

In conclusion, as explored by Loren Seibold in “Our Nutty Fringe” of 20 Dec 2012, from the independent Adventist magazine Spectrum, the more concerning issue is not that Walter Veith has some bizarre ideas, but rather than he operated with virtual impunity within the ‘mainstream’ SDA Church for several years.  It is concerning that it took his publicly-condemned anti-Semitic comments for the official Church’s leadership to take notice. 

‘For how many years has Walter Veith been speaking in our churches? And yet the first thing that’s caught the leaders’ attention is his anti-Semitism? The surprise is not that one region finally banned him, but that he has been for years, and continues to be, invited to speak in Seventh-day Adventist churches around the world! Why is that? It’s because a lot of his conspiratorial nonsense isn’t unwelcome among us. Go where the self-supporting folks are gathered, and you’ll find groups who self-identify as Seventh-day Adventists, whose central beliefs intersect ours on the Venn diagram, but with an appended compliment of their own bizarre ideas, from survivalism to radical health extremism to invisible barcodes on our foreheads to the Adventist church itself being Babylon.’

Furthermore, Seibold further observes that there seems to be far more patience and tolerance within the ‘mainstream’ Adventist Church and its leadership of the lunatic conspiratorial fringe than of its more liberal wing:

‘It shouldn’t escape your notice that we have had far more patience with Walter Veith and his made-up conspiracies than we showed a respected Adventist scholar who questioned the Investigative Judgment by referring to the Bible alone.’

The biggest threat to the Adventist movement is that conspiracy theories become a distraction to our true End Time message. Tammy Roesch in “Seventh-day Adventists and Conspiracy Theories” rightfully notes:

‘My husband and I believe that, according to the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, there will be no New World Order and these conspiracy theories are nothing more than a huge distraction from Satan to keep people from making the necessary preparation for the soon coming of Jesus. Our only goal is to get the truth about this out and warn others to not fall into this trap.’