@-Shining: I hate to burst your bubble, but even the …

Comment on NCSE Report: Adventist Education in the Midst of a Sea of Science by Wayne Loomer.

@-Shining:

I hate to burst your bubble, but even the churches we attend are not “owned” by the church. They are all 501(c)3 corporations, i.e. State entities under the guise of “our” church. All for being given “tax exempt” status by the “government”. My question is, who decided that we have to have a tax deduction for our “free will” offerings? Do you suppose that Moses gave a tax deduction for all the jewels, gold, etc. that were brought in? What about during Jesus’ time and Matthew was the tax collector, do you think he checked everyone’s 1040? NOT!

As for our schools, the way things are is not how they were established through the SOP.

Wayne Loomer Also Commented

NCSE Report: Adventist Education in the Midst of a Sea of Science
Isn’t it interesting how, in this article, the church is illustrated as “cultish” by saying that our children are kept and taught from birth through university in sabbath school, VBS, etc. and then he says that only 50% are accepted into schools of higher learning. He doesn’t mention anything about the choice each one has to stay or go. I don’t know if T. Joe Willey is an Adventist or not (from Art Chadwicks comment it appears he is/was), but just knowing that he graduated from UC Berkeley says a lot.

I am reminded of a statement that says “Science that is not in harmony with Him is of no value. He teaches us to count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus or Lord. This knowledge is the highest science that any man can reach.” BC vol. 6, p 1068

I too, hope with Sean that it will inspire our leadership to do something, even if it is to cut our losses (meaning LSU and any others) and move on. “As is was in the days of Noah, so shall it be….”


Recent Comments by Wayne Loomer

The Adventist Accrediting Association to Approve LSU’s Accreditation
I appreciate your answer. When we hear the title doctor, usually it conjures up thoughts that someone has “arrived”, so to speak. I appreciate your humility and explanation that you too are looking for answers. This is what we ALL need to do. Including those who are “teaching” in our institutions. Keep up the good thought provoking discussions, and let’s remember we are ALL in this TOGETHER. I don’t think we will have all the answers this side of Heaven and we will have eternity to discover more. Wouldn’t it be fun to have a class with our Creator as our “Professor”? I’m looking forward to it


The Adventist Accrediting Association to Approve LSU’s Accreditation
This is all interesting dialog. So here’s another thought: Since the sun, moon, and stars were created on the fourth day, how is it that the earth is considered to “rotate” on it’s “axis” at 1000 mph and circle the Sun. Not to mention that the earth is “tilted” on it’s axis. Now, simple physics says that when something is spinning there is centrifugal force which causes an object to be “flung” away from the center and into space. If that is the case (as in the example of a playground merry-go-round. A child is on the merry-go-round and a couple of big football players start spinning it. Pretty soon the child is thrown into space because of centrifugal force and crashes to the ground because of gravity.) I’ve heard the argument that we stay on the earth because of gravity. If that is the case, why does the child not stay on the merry-go-round then, because of gravity?

We are told in Joshua 10:12-13 that the sun stood still. “So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven and hasted not to go down about a whole day.” vs 13. Then there is the text about the sun going back 10 degrees for Hezekiah. There are texts saying that the sun goes up and goes down. If that is the case according to Scripture, then the earth must be fixed and the sun, moon, and stars rotate around the earth.

We are told by “scientists” that that is not true; that the earth rotates around the sun. We are told that the sun is 93 million miles away, etc. If the earth is on an “axis”, WHO determined this? Was it the same “scientists” who say that there is no literal six day creation? Was it done by Copernicus and Galileo because they were afraid of the Vatican?

We people, SDA or not, put a whole lot of faith in science when in many cases science goes in direct conflict with scripture. Plus faithful SDA’s even say that when the Bible was written there was not the “technology” to prove what was said. So they would opt to believe science over the Bible.

I am sure that I will get some responses saying that science has proven that the earth rotates around the sun. But logic defies theory.

Mind you, these questions are not to create argument only to satisfy curiosity. And to question the authority of “science so called”.


The Adventist Accrediting Association to Approve LSU’s Accreditation
@Shawna Moses: Shawna: Why would Sean want to give up a good paying job to go to work for LSU, take a major pay cut, and get “crucified” at the same time? Personally, I think Sean is doing what God wants him to do. Although I don’t know him personally, Sean appears to be a well grounded man who wants to do God’s will. He reminds me of Elijah telling King Ahab what’s what. To Sean I would say: keep up the good work, don’t let the devil take you down, do God’s will and you’ll have a crown of life. God bless you brother! And you too Shawna.


The Adventist Accrediting Association to Approve LSU’s Accreditation

@David Read: I have to disagree that the title comes from the Pacific Union. The tithe comes from the MEMBERS of the Pacific Union. If the members were to STOP giving their tithe (as happened during the Babylonian captivity; remember in Nehemiah 13:10-14 Nehemiah had to get the Israelites to start paying tithe again for the Levites to live on. Otherwise the Levites had to go to farming, they, in fact, had to farm to live) the recipients of the tithe, from the top down might just have to go to “farming” to get a paycheck. In the corporate world if you don’t do your job you get fired. If a pastor, or conference president for that matter, is not doing their job and can’t get it done, maybe there is a used car lot that would hire him. The reason I use the used car illustration is because there was a pastor at a church I attended who made the statement to me that he “could make more money selling used cars”. He split the church down the middle, and the last I heard he was fired and went to selling used cars. True story!

Now, I’m not suggesting that people stop paying tithe, but you know as well as I that almost every Sabbath there is an appeal for tithes and offerings. Then we read a report that tithe is down. Is that because of the economy or the leadership? I would say that a faithful tithe payer is going to pay tithe in spite of the economy. So it must be the leadership. The only way we have to make a statement sometimes is by withholding money and hit them where it hurts the most…the pocket book!


The Adventist Accrediting Association to Approve LSU’s Accreditation
Dr. Christman: Very strong comment, I like it. If the devil is not alive and well on planet earth I don’t know who is creating all the stir. Here is one of my favorite quotes:

“The greatest want of the world is the want of men–men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by it’s right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.” Education page 57.

I do believe this goes for women as well. This is a problem in the SDA church, as I see it. So many people have bought into the lie of evolution (among other things). They don’t stand for the RIGHT in the scriptures because there is too much philosophical thinking and wrestling the scriptures (most of which comes from all the “modern” translations). If we all were to exercise our FAITH and stop listening to the theologians and their sophistries (a theologian may not be a pastor and a pastor may not be a theologian), the young people would STAND for the RIGHT though the heavens fall. How are our young people going to stand if their “mentors” (parents, teachers, pastors, pathfinder leaders, etc.) don’t? We have a heaven to win and a hell to shun. What are we waiting for? In the church we are told not to “rock the boat”. We are told in the Bible to “give the trumpet a CERTAIN SOUND”. If we give the trumpet that certain sound we are called “trouble makers”. I believe that is why there are so many “independent” churches, then those attending are called “off shoots”. Looks like the devil has us all running in circles. We need to get on the “straight and narrow” or we may be wondering where everyone else is when we wake up in the second resurrection.