Comment on PUC Professor: The Noachian Flood was just a local flood? by Benjamin Burkhardt.
I was at PUC from 2004 to 2006. I have taken a science course co-taught by Dr. Bryan Ness and one of his collegues. It was about Scientific revolutions. I do not remember every detail about that class but I do remember that we always started class with a worship thought that was biblical and relevant. We started with “in the beginning GOD created the heaven’s and the earth” (emphasis was placed by our instructors) (Genesis 1:1).
In this class, Evolution was NOT taught as a view that we should accept. I cannot speak particularly for what is presented in the other classes because I did not take them. However, I will say this…One book given to us and required by the professors was “Icons of Evolution: Science or Myth? Why much of what we teach about evolution is wrong” by Jonathan Wells. What I did read from the book was very good and spoke directly against a number of the falsehoods of Evolution.
In my two science courses at PUC I was only challenged to think about science issues a little more…like with the “Red shifts” of stars and how people use that in dating the stars (I don’t think that challenged my faith though…the stars could seem old just because God made them that way). In REGARDS TO NOAH’S FLOOD some minor issues came up for me. I did not quite understand what Dr. Ness was trying to say about it, but I didn’t like a point that was made. So, I asked him about the matter after class and he explained to me that perhaps the flood could have been a more local event, and the authors of the Bible were reporting it merely as they had perceived it. Personally, I did not like that answer so I went back to study my Bible again. The Bible tells me, “the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the WHOLE HEAVEN were covered. Fifteen cubits did the waters prevail and THE MOUNTAINS were covered” (Gen. 7:19,20). I checked, and my Bible tells me the entire earth was covered. The Bible makes a specific record that the ark “rested in the seventh month…upon the mountains of Ararat…in the tenth month, on the first day of the month [the Bible is giving very specific details], were the tops of the mountains seen” (Gen. 8:4,5). Mt. Ararat’s peak is 16,854 ft above sea level. That is about 2/3’s of the height of Everest. Ararat was entirely covered. Those in the Ark could not see any part of those mountian tops. And trusting the entire accuracy and reliability of my Bible, I would say Everest was covered too. This was NOT a local flood according to the Bible. If God was only sending a local flood, He would have told Noah to MOVE, not to build an Ark. Anyway, that was my only contention with what I heard from Dr. Ness’ class.
I understand that Dr. Ness is still a believer in God’s word. And I know he desires to understand a right relationship between the Bible and the materials he’s studied in the scientific community. However, I do not believe we can ever take the approach which would lessen the clear thrust of God’s word. We must be very careful about that. If anything has to give for me, I would say, the scientific community has to give, not my Bible. We have Divine revelation as an inspired interpreter of every piece of natural evidence we may find. It “did not come in old times by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21). Therefore I choose to, and believe we all must, rest our faith strictly upon the word of God. We have a definite advantage over the entire world. They do not have a divine interpreter for them as they look at natural things. WE do, however, and because of God’s divine insights we may rightly interpret the things of nature–granted that we HEED the Biblical message.
NOW, Should we immediately CRUCIFY everyone who is struggling to settle their faith on the particulars of our belief? No, I don’t think so. It wouldn’t be Christ’s way, because “he is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Is an erroneous or unsettled belief about a matter of history a sin? No, it certainly isn’t. A wrong idea is not necessarily a sin, just bad information. However, wrong ideas about very clearly stated Bible truths (based on suggestions from secular world views), if indulged and perpetuated, will surely be a cause of doubt towards the innerancy of the inspired word. And if doubt is insinuated, souls will lose their faith in the credibility of the inspired sentences. And the loss of their childlike faith will lead to sin and it’s sure end, which is death. Satan is the only one who leads men into doubts about God’s word, because he wants to lead us into sin and perdition.
If some of our science teachers are struggling with certain doubts, because of the materiels which they have been forced to grapple with in their feild, I PRAY that (1) they will make every attempt to refrain from passing those doubts into their student’s minds. Let us all talk and share our FAITH, not doubts. Don’t lie, but don’t share doubts. They are not from God. And perhaps one day, someone may recover from their doubts, but, perhaps the students who heard such things never will…their soul will end up lost. Secondly (2), I think about professors need to find faith. Get help. Find evidence. Look for those reasons upon which we should rest our faith. Why don’t we help our professors to take hold of our message entirely with good reasons! (some may be malicious in their intent to destroy faith in God’s word. some may be hardened in error for which they will not be willing to repent. But, I believe there are others who are more honest and need help to overcome their struggles. They have faith, but they also have some areas of struggle, which has weakened their faith in the divinely inspired records.)
Let’s do what we can for everyone, and see what can come from it. If our faith cannot then be sustained by such teachers, then perhaps it is best they do not talk on such matters as will cause them to contradict the holy Scriptures (by evidence purported from the secularly biased world). We need men to inspire tenacious faith in the word of God from every area of study offered…be it the Natural sciences or whatever else. In the final Crises we may only stand by our firm faith in the inspired record–the Bible.
SUGGESTION: If our Science teachers are willing, why do they not have a gathering among our men of Faith, and our Science teachers who do hold a strong faith in God’s word? Why don’t we have an SDA science teacher convention were they can all gather to grapple with and to settle these issues? We have men among us who hold to a very Biblical view, and also are very familiar with the Sciences. Why don’t all the willing ones meet to hear their presentations? WALTER VEITH is among us. He used to be a DIE HARD evolutionary professor. He used to destroy his Christian students. He’s very familiar with all the positions of the scientific community. Yet, today, He is a DIE HARD CREATIONIST. His presentations are very clear and he shows the holes in evolutionary thought. He also sustains our positions from a very scientific perspective. We have others too. What about Dr. Chadwick, at Southwestern AU in Texas? He holds our views. His Geological research and fossil discoveries are Great evidence for the flood and the Biblical records. We have good minds about this. If our professors are willing, if they really want to hear of better evidence for our positions, THEN why doesn’t our church organize some conventions on these matters. If professors do not genuinely want to hear of these things, if they’d rather present doubtful theories to our students, then perhaps they should not be presenting in our classrooms. Their welcome to be in our church (granted they still love our faith), but to take a position where they do not teach things contrary to the Biblical faith…in a way that would intentionally undermine people’s faith. We can talk about of necessary issues. But let us not cause doubts. Find reasons for faith!!! not doubt.
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Recent Comments by Benjamin Burkhardt
Changing the Wording of Adventist Fundamental Belief #6 on Creation
Again, thank you to Sean and the other contributors to this website. Thank you for your dedication, research, and continual efforts to keep an intelligent and informing light upon all the ins/outs and various issues wrapped up in this controversy. These matters are SO important and historical! Something is going down big time. And I pray that the truth of God, His book, and Historical Adventism only go up! Let’s hold onto the faith and contend for that which was once and for all delivered to the saints. Blessings and prayers!! Yes, let’s be clear in our FB#6, etc. statements about what the Bible itself is also crystal clear about. Unfortunately, there are those who seek to “twist” the real meaning of Scripture “to their own destruction” (2 Pet. 3:16). For this very reason, our church-approved instructors and organizational entities must stand the testing of even more crystal clear airtight language that makes abundantly clear our church’s position, belief, and expression of what the Bible is actually teaching. Those who would twist Scripture, probably might tend to twist other things as well, but we can make it harder for them for sure!!! They’ll have to be an outright liar or raving lunatic to deny or twist the clear language we ought to be using to express our Biblical views. Which of course needs to be grounds for expulsion from the church’s ranks of approved instructors.
La Sierra Univeristy Fires Dr. Lee Greer; Signs anti-Creation Bond
There’s a few rats in the house, and somebody is coming down for this! Jesus tells us there is nothing secret that shall not be known. It will be proclaimed from the housetops. Our sins will find us out. And I think more than a few have just been found out. May Christ’s truth be uplifted, and may His cause go forward. But for those who dishonor Christ and jeopardize His cause, I pray you’ll be shown for what you are doing. []
In Christ,
Ben B.
La Sierra University Responds to anti-Creation Bond Issue
What a sell out! Selling [out] for a few crumbs of bread or a pot of wretched stew. They despise our birthright [] for just a smidgeon more than 30 pieces of silver. I hope they will throw the coins back [].
Two Adventist Universities Promote Six-Day Creation
Thank you guys so much for posting these refreshing truths about some of our schools who are working hard to do God’s business! I think we absolutely MUST have this continued accountability and free/open press statement about what’s taking place in our SDA Schools these days (and at all times). We never can allow Satan to have an open back door right into our midst by making silent assumptions about the faithfulness of the teaching activities in our schools, for sake of professed name only. God says “BE SOBER, BE VIGILANT, because your adversary the Devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Even an effective pagan government must have proper checks and balances. How much more the church of God who must “…earnestly content for the faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3,4)? Satan loves to attack and kill the little ones before they can stand for doing God’s work. He tried with Moses and Christ! Shall he not as surely do so to us? Of course! We have the warnings all throughout Scripture to be on the lookout and the watch for false teachers and false prophets!! We MUST all be accountable, and hold accountable, that Bible truth may be taught and educated in our schools that were so designed for just such a purpose. The History of God’s church at large and the History of our people DEMAND accountability and transparency in all these matters!! Let’s hold accountable all our schools and fortify the willing ones for the task of proclaiming the truth. Thank you for this article and this work. Let’s make known when some are doing what they should and reprimand and censure those who are making groves to Satan under Israel’s banner!
Creeds and Fundamental Beliefs
I agree with the article. Let’s maintain order and accountability in God’s church! We uphold the standard of God’s word in our church entirely. The church is to be the “pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:16). The literal 7 day week from Creation, and the Sabbath are Bible teaching…plain and simple. It’s not merely some person’s conjecture. We have every right and necessity, as God’s people, and His church for the last days to UPHOLD the Bible’s true and clear teachings. If some individuals want to distort or misrepresent those Bible teachings, the church must, needs to, and shall hold them accountable. If they don’t like it, they can go start their own church of “so and so says” religion, and mix whatever kind of philosophy and heresy they want to. But don’t call it 7th-day Adventism. That’s the farthest thing from it.
