Comment on “Autonomy and Academic Freedom”: WASC’s 2010 Review of LSU by Betsy Mayer.
Through double speak, an institution or individual may attempt to portray that it/he/she is in harmony with two opposing groups. God, however, is not fooled. All those who truly love God will be as transparent as the sunlight in expressing their identity as His children and their unwillingness to be attached to anything that is the enemy of God and His truth.
There is more hope for individuals who are openly opposed to the biblical account of Creation than for individuals who attach themselves dishonestly to a movement and gain a livelihood undermining that movement’s beliefs while claiming to respect them.
The real question is, if the Word made flesh, the Creator, the Express Image of God, the Son, Jesus, our Redeemer and Lord, could feel honored by what is taught about His act of Creation at LSU, or any other SDA school or university. Perhaps on that day, when all tongues confess and all knees are bowed before the Creator’s throne, those who have been ashamed of the “unscientific” account of Creation as revealed to us in Genesis will remember His words: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32,33.
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Recent Comments by Betsy Mayer
Dr. Geraty clarifies his “Challenge” to literal 6-day creationism
Excuse me, but both Wisbey’s and Geraty’s letters sound so “Californian”. I grew up and was educated through college in the golden state and after living half my life on the other side of the U.S., have begun to understand the fuzzy thinking that permeates Californian society–especially as it relates to black and white statements of reality.
Of course California does not have a monopoly on fuzzy thinking, but the prevailing society of inclusiveness fostered in California makes it very difficult to ever state that there are any absolute positions to take–except that there are NO absolute positions that can be taken.
The sad results of such thinking is intolerance for those who believe that there is absolute truth.
Readers respond to Adventist Review article
I have followed the seeming paralysis of our leadership to do anything to address the LSU situation with great interest because of what happened to my generation in SDA colleges. Sadly, it seems that nothing was learned.
I was at PUC in the late 1970s when Desmond Ford and others was allowed to openly undermine the Adventist message in class and in the pulpit. I was innocently pulled into it and had to study the Bible and the SOP for my very soul (that was the one good thing that came out of it) to extricate myself from the confusion. After that experience, I no longer sit unguarded listening to SDA leaders or teachers. Everyone has to pass the Isaiah 8:20 screen now.
Yet the effects of allowing this situation in our schools and churches 30 years ago can be seen in the high percentage of my classmates who walked away from the church on theological grounds. Of course there are many other reasons why young people leave the church, but theology isn’t usually one of them. One of my former classmates and her husband who is a graduate from the theology major at PUC are now the foremost “experts” on the errors of Adventism in evangelical circles. Their “expose'” is read and viewed by hundreds of thousands.
Students who leave the church because of their faith in the Genesis account being undermined are likely to leave the Christian faith altogether. This creation/evolution debate in SDA colleges is a direct result of allowing previous doctrinal errors to go unaddressed. We are but reaping the sad results of many decades of compromise and apostasy.
I am disappointed in the mild responses by SDA leaders to these developments, but sadly, I am not surprised. If I had to choose between a secular university and an SDA university “supervised” by these leaders for my children, I would choose a secular university. At least we would remember to be constantly on our “guard”.
