Geraty mentioned that he wishes LSU’s critics would “circulate …

Comment on Dr. Geraty clarifies his “Challenge” to literal 6-day creationism by Shane Hilde.

Geraty mentioned that he wishes LSU’s critics would “circulate the fact that enrollment (including in biology) is at an all time high, it continues to send out student missionaries and baptize students (the latest group this last weekend), defend the church and stand for truth around the world.” This information has already been widely publicized by LSU.

Also, it is not my goal to advertise all the good things that are going on at LSU, nor is it my intention to publicize all the things that are wrong with LSU. My entire focus is on the promotion of the theory of evolution over the church’s official position. I was a student at LSU, so I am well aware of all the things Geraty mentioned. All these wonderful things don’t change the fact that there are at least four biology professors who are using their classrooms to proselytize their students with an evolutionary world view. So all the good things about LSU are irrelevant to this issue.

Geraty said: “I believe the tea party movement and radical right-wing politics is affecting our beloved church, not only in belief but in tactics that have no place among Christians.”

Since I am solely responsible for the creation of Educate Truth, the tactics that Geraty refers to, I assume, are a reference to what I’ve been trying to accomplish through the website. I’m not involved in the politics of our nation. I can say with absolute certainty that the tea party movement and radical right-wing politics had no bearing on my actions. LSU’s irresponsibility had everything to do with it.

Geraty said: “If you care about Truth, I suggest you dig a bit deeper than either Shane Hilde or the Michigan Conference have done.”

Geraty suggests that if people are interested in truth that they should dig deeper than what I have done. To what truth is he referring to? The truth about what is going on at LSU? Is he suggesting that if people dig deeper they’ll find out that everything I’ve been saying isn’t true? I took the class. I have the hard evidence. The truth is as I’ve been stating it for the past year.

Geraty said: “Christ tells us they will know us by our love, not by our commitment to a seven literal historical, consecutive, contiguous 24-hour day week of creation 6,000 years ago which is NOT in Genesis no matter how much the fundamentalist wing of the church would like to see it there.”

I agree with him here, but fail to see how this applies to the current issue. I’m not questioning their [LSU professors] love for Christ, salvation, etc. For me, this issue has everything to do with representation. I’m not trying to disfellowship them or call into question their relationship with God. These are all red herring issues. I’m not concerned about these issues as I am their misrepresentation of the church’s position on creation.

Geraty said: “Fundamental Belief No. 6 uses Biblical language to which we can all agree; once you start interpreting it according to anyone’s preference you begin to cut out members who have a different interpretation.”

This isn’t about just anyone’s preference. This about the church’s stance on creation. I know Geraty and some others had a significant influence with the wording of FB #6. Despite his efforts to make that belief more pluralistic, he cannot deny what the historic stand of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has been. We have always read the days in Genesis to be literal consecutive days and that this creation week occurred about 6,000 years ago. Sure there have been those that have disagreed with this understanding, but this has been the consensus since our beginning. I believe the language of the Bible is incredibly clear on this point. But if the language wasn’t explicit enough, God made it even more clear through a vision he gave Ellen White: “I was then carried back to the creation and was shown that the first week, in which God performed the work of creation in six days and rested on the seventh day, was just like every other week” (Spiritual Gifts Vol. III, p. 90). God affirmed our understanding of Genesis.

Geraty said: “I wholeheartedly affirm Scripture but NOT the extra-Biblical interpretation of the Michigan Conference. Since when is salvation by correct knowledge anyway?”

Geraty has falsely attributed this “extra-biblical interpretation” to the Michigan Conference. It is the official position of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, despite whatever his intentions were to make the language vague enough to allow other views. The implied meaning remains and has always been six literal days in the recent past. Once again this isn’t necessarily about salvation. This is a straw man attack. I’ve certainly never claimed people are saved by what they believe about Genesis. There will be many atheists and theistic evolutionists in heaven. What does this have to do with the issue? Nothing. It’s not one that I’ve ever broached on my website.

Geraty said: “I just wanted you to know there is a much larger picture out there with forces at work that are disrupting the unity of the church–and that the force is not one or two professors at LSU whose views are being dealt with constructively by LSU’s administration in whom you can continue to have every confidence.”

There are certainly forces at work disrupting the unity of our church. Geraty and I will disagree on what those forces are though. I find it ironic that he accuses me of being divisive when all I’ve done is ask that LSU be supportive of our belief in a recent, six-day creation. There are at least four professors who undermine the church’s position actively. Geraty is right about it not being just a few professors; its the administration of LSU too. He claims their views are being dealt with constructively. That’s good to hear, because as of today LSU hasn’t publicized any action to directly address the promotion of the theory of evolution. The recent revelation that their flagship class, designed to address this issue, was not only not promoting the church’s position but undermining it as well, further erodes my confidence in LSU’s administration.

I believe God created the heaven and earth in six days about 6,000 years ago. I believe this is and has been the consensus of our church since its conception.

Shane Hilde Also Commented

Dr. Geraty clarifies his “Challenge” to literal 6-day creationism
This statement from the LSU biology department is nothing but misleading and bordering being an outright lie. It boggles my mind how they can claim not to promote the theory of evolution when it’s the only world view that is presented as truth. Absolutely no evidence has been found or presented by LSU that demonstrates that the church’s position is favorably promoted, if at all, in the biology courses taught. Yes, the theory of evolution is discussed, but many times as if it were true. This has been documented for over a year. When the professors believe the theory of evolution is truth and exclude promotion of the biblical world view as being true, then they are in fact promoting the theory of evolution. Unless they can show that they are promoting a recent, literal six-day creation, they are promoting the theory of evolution when they exclude other world views as being “lunatic” like one professor labeled those who believe in the biblical creation.

Keep in mind that many of the biology faculty personally believe in long ages of life on earth and common ancestry. This is not a secret. They also do not believe that Genesis 1 & 2 depicts literal events that occurred in the recent past. This is why we have never seen statements from the department saying we believe and support the church’s position in a recent, literal six-day creation. All they can say is that they believe God the Creator is the source of all life.

This is nothing more than a continuation of LSU’s deceptive advertising practices.


Dr. Geraty clarifies his “Challenge” to literal 6-day creationism
@David Kendall, PhD: Former LSU Student was there during the same time as you. In regard to dorm life, I don’t think that was he/she said was particularly unique to LSU. I dormed at WWU and LSU and both were pretty bad. I was on the 5th floor at LSU. I’m sure other floors were better. I don’t recall parties going on though.


Dr. Geraty clarifies his “Challenge” to literal 6-day creationism
@Brad: No, I actually I got them from Jason Lysle from Answers in Genesis. I’ll have to think about the first line of reasoning you proposed, but I think it’s missing a premise.

In the first argument you gave, it is assumed that space, time, and matter are dependent on the existence of God. If that premise is true, then the conclusion would logically follow.

However, in your example, you’re comparing two humans. Just because we each have a heart does not mean were dependent on each other. I think you were trying to show that and I agree.

You never explained how laws of laws of logic would exist in an evolutionary world view. We know why they exist in a Christian world view–God.

How does a big bang create immaterial, universal, unchanging laws? How about absolute morality? You can’t have absolute morality without God? Anything else is relative.

Laws of logic are immaterial, universal, invariant, abstract entities which govern all possible conceptual relationships. Laws of logic are contingent upon the biblical God. Not because they necessarily share the same qualities, but because if the attributes of the laws of logic existed independent of the existence of God then in one sense they would be God. But all this doesn’t explain how order comes from disorder, law from chaos, logic from irrationality.


Recent Comments by Shane Hilde

Elder Graham: “Why I Support La Sierra University”
@MLB: The article was written before Ted Wilson was elected. Despite personally knowing his views on creation from conversations with him, I’m disappointed that he’s taken this long to mention them. Perhaps he has published them else where and I am unaware.

I like what he says here:

As constituents of this union, you deserve accurate information.

That’s exactly one of the reasons Educate Truth exists, because LSU is being dishonest about their biology department.

And they are committed to making whatever adjustments might be necessary to provide the best Seventh-day Adventist Christian education possible.

Really? How can he say that when LSU has done absolutely nothing to address what is happening in the biology classroom? Even their attempt with the biology seminar class was a utter failure.

If his his two goals are all we are to expect then the board will have accomplished virtually nothing. There should be more than respect and support for the biblical creation account. It should be taught and promoted.

If anything happens at LSU to address the situation, it would not surprise me if it was because of out side intervention. The Board isn’t addressing anything.


La Sierra University Continues Deceptive Spin Tactics

Maybe the solution is for two streams of thought to be taught: conventional biology and creation science. Allow the existing professors to teach evolution and bring in creation scientists to teach the latter. That way there is no need to fire anybody or sanction LSU.

What do you think of that idea.?

Sean may give his own answer but I would like to jump and share what I think are some key points in regard to your suggestion.

We’re not dealing with preferences, flavors, likes, or dislikes. The SDA Church believes that what the Bible says is the truth. So when when LSU biology professors “only discuss” (new word from LSU) the theory of evolution as the truth, then we have a big problem. Teaching both world views is not the answer, because it is allowing plurality on a foundation issue. If you don’t stand for anything, you stand for nothing and that’s essentially was plurality boils down to.

The theory of evolution should be taught, but not as the truth. We don’t believe it’s the truth so why would we pay professors to teach it as such.

If the professors do not want to be supportive of the Church in this particular issue by promoting the biblical creation account, then there really isn’t any other alternative, but to fire them or ask them to resign.


Andrews University statement on creation
First of all, we’re not asking that the theory evolution not be taught. You have been misinformed on this point. The problem is how it is presented. They teach it as the truth. This is misrepresenting the church’s postion and contradictory to the Bible.

This statement from the LSU biology department is nothing but misleading and bordering being an outright lie. It boggles my mind how they can claim not to promote the theory of evolution when it’s the only world view that is presented as truth. Absolutely no evidence has been found or presented by LSU that demonstrates that the church’s position is favorably promoted, if at all, in the biology courses taught. Yes, the theory of evolution is discussed, but many times as if it were true. This has been documented for over a year. When the professors believe the theory of evolution is truth and exclude promotion of the biblical world view as being true, then they are in fact promoting the theory of evolution. Unless they can show that they are promoting a recent, literal six-day creation, they are promoting the theory of evolution when they exclude other world views as being “lunatic” like one professor labeled those who believe in the biblical creation.

Keep in mind that many of the biology faculty personally believe in long ages of life on earth and common ancestry. This is not a secret. They also do not believe that Genesis 1 & 2 depicts literal events that occurred in the recent past. This is why we have never seen statements from the department saying we believe and support the church’s position in a recent, literal six-day creation. All they can say is that they believe God the Creator is the source of all life.

This is nothing more than a continuation of LSU’s deceptive advertising practices.


Mrs. White: “Don’t send your children to…”
@Adventist in High School: You’re missing the point. The Seventh-day Adventist Church believes that God created the heaven and earth in six days, within the recent past (about 6,000 years). They believe Genesis gives an accurate depiction of this event. So the problem isn’t that our youth are merely being presented with a false theory, it’s that they’re being presented the theory as if it were truth. I would also add that the biblical/church position is not promoted at all, if it’s even mentioned at all.

These professors are taking our money and misrepresenting our faith to hundreds, thousands of students. When an employee finds that he can no longer uphold the beliefs of the institution and teach them properly, he should consider teaching for an institution that is more conducive with his belief system or be fired.


Michigan Conference takes substantial action in LSU conflict
@Marissa Channer: I don’t think you understand the Michigan Conference action. It doesn’t effect you at all unless your parents are employees of the Michigan Conference, but since your dad is employed at LSU, you have nothing to be concerned about.