Professors Who Do Support A Literal Creation Week

questionnaire

There is a growing concern amongst parents and students about which Adventist professors teach and believe in the historicity of Genesis 1-11. Over 6,300 Adventists have called for full disclosure of what is being taught in our universities and colleges.

We feel it is vital parents and prospective students know and understand what they will be taught. It is in this spirit of transparency these professors have answered the following questions:

1. Do you believe and teach God created the heaven and earth in six literal 24-hour days a few thousand years ago?

2. Do you believe and teach that life has only been on earth for a few thousand years and that God destroyed the earth with a worldwide catastrophic flood?

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Southwestern Adventist University
Jorge E. Rico, D.Min., Ph.D.
Pastor and Associate Professor of Religion Department of Religion

I firmly believe the Bible does clearly provide enough data to support a 24-hour literal creation as well as the destruction of the earth by a flood. I also believe life on this world has been going for few thousand years only. I do take the both the Bible and EGW’s views on creation and the flood serious and I do not apologize for this.

Andrews University Theological Seminary
Richard Davidson
Old Testament Department

I believe and teach God created the heaven and earth in six literal 24-hour days a few thousand years ago. I believe and teach that life has only been on earth for a few thousand years and that God destroyed the earth with a worldwide catastrophic flood.

Oakwood University
Londa L. Schmidt, Ph.D.
Professor of Biological Sciences

I believe in an omnipotent God who is not only all powerful but a master designer of all things. I have always taught the origins portions of my classes comparing the textbooks claims and their inability to prove anything and Genesis 1 and 2, going over each using a scientific rationale why they should be as described and in that order and why I believe the textbook claims are not tenable; also I stress that no one today can prove any of the theories on origins out there, but at least to me the Genesis story makes a lot of more sense in view of the molecular unity in all living organisms. I believe in a six day (24 hr periods) literal creation of all life on this earth and tell the students how God prepared me so that when I had to defend that belief against some of the premier molecular evolutionists in order to be allowed to take my “candidacy oral exam” (similar to the comprehensive exams given in the US, but no second chances and completely oral in front of a 5 member panel) to become a doctoral candidate in Molecular Biology at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland (then and now one of the top for this field and the first institution to even offer such a course of study). My examiners agreed that “your views of ordering in nature are feasable” but did not change their minds.

The exact time lapse is not disernible from the Holy Scriptures, which are His love letter to us. Personally considering the way humans are destroying the earth I do not believe it has had a chance to be in the form we know it, even in “ancient” times. The discrepancies found in archeological digs as to the modernity and or “old age” of the bones can be easily explained by the quick layering of stones, gravel, etc. during a flood event. Most cultures in the stories of their origins have a major flood event and I believe this is becuase there really was a planet wide flood in the time of Noah as described in Genesis. Such a flood explains the geological layers as found today in gorges and other places. As one geologist once put it “we use a rubberband to measure the age of things”. God does not measure time as we do but He knows we need time lines therefore He has given us plenty of evidence. All things were created at His word – He spoke and it was.

Loma Linda University
Roger Seheult, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor, Medicine, School of Medicine
Assistant Clinical Professor, Physician Assistant Sciences, School of Allied Health Prof

I believe that God created the world about 6000 years ago in 6 – literal 24 hour periods and rested on the seventh day.

Southern Adventist University (Added 10/5/09)
Edwin Reynolds, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament
School of Religion

Do you believe and teach God created the heaven and earth in six literal 24-hour days a few thousand years ago? Yes, I do.

Do you believe and teach that life has only been on earth for a few thousand years and that God destroyed the earth with a worldwide catastrophic flood? Yes, I do.

Southern Adventist University (Added 10/14/09)
Dr. Robert Montague
School of Business

As a Seventh-day Adventist, I believe that the fourth commandment, written with God the Son’s own finger, is correct as it states in part, “for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is.”

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