Comment on For real education reform, take a cue from the Adventists by Lydian Belknap.
12-11-10
Dear D.Fender (11-19-10)
From a purely human standpoint, I agree with you that the problem truly isn’t “fixable†but with God in control it IS fixable!
However, for HIM to do it we fallen human beings must humble ourselves in earnest prayer, confess our own inability to make right the many wrongs we have mired ourselves in, be willing to let go of our own inability to solve the mess we have made for ourselves and truly open our hearts door to be cleansed of our own stubborn wills and faults. WE have to be emptied of sin and cleansed from our own wicked selves before He can truly work in us and through us to correct this humanly unfixable mess we find ourselves in.
God alone knows who has “not bent the knees to Baal.†He alone knows where to find honest, God-fearing teachers for us–many of whom may not at this time be members of our church. Look at Batchelor, Boonstra, and David A. (I can never remember how to spell his last name!)–not one of whom were reared “Adventist.†And there are others I might name. God knows where faithful jewels are, though hidden from our view, who can step in and do a mighty work for Him that those of us that were “raised†in the church cannot and have not done. We not only need to, with the help of divine wisdom, remove the bad branches from our educational “tree†but we had better start feeding the “roots†of that tree (our children) a lot better “fertilizer†that they are apparently not currently getting if we want them to be Daniels and Davids when they reach adulthood! We cannot expect them to carry the torch of truth through thick and thin if we haven’t given it to them in the first place!
God has a thousand ways to solve the problems we foolish mortals have brought upon ourselves but WE, with the help of the Holy Spirit, must be cleansed of our own human pride, opinions, and sin before He can–or will–work for us and through us.
The problem is not unsolvable for God. The problem is with US. As someone once said–“We have met the enemy and it is US!!†We must face the fact that WE are the cause of all of our problems and the only solution to these problems is by admitting this and letting His Holy Spirit come into out hearts and change US! Remember the Laodicean church–that’s US,–folks, is the only one of the seven churches that God has absolutely NOTHING good to say about! I believe the shaking time†is upon us and only those who have “fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict.†Some of our “brightest lights “ will go out–but that does not necessarily mean they will leave the church. A light can go out and still remain securely in its socket until it is removed from it’s place by someone else. Let us “watch and pray†that WE will not be one of those “lights!â€
Lydian
Table of Contents
Recent Comments by Lydian Belknap
A New Endowment Program for Adventist Education
So here I sit–a “very old lady”–totally confused and not having a clue as to whether to donate or not–or where to donate if I should.
As things stand now I think I will just continue putting my own little amount to my current “missionary out reach” of buying “Steps to Christ” and “Who Do You Think You Are?” and passing them on to the clerks in the stores where I shop or other people I meet that I think would like them.
If and when you folks decide on what, how and where to help in this very worthy project let me know and I’ll do what I can then.
A New Endowment Program for Adventist Education
I just noticed that there is such a program in place in northern California but I would want one that is nation wide. After all, if our kids aren’t already in danger here in the southern union also (as well the rest of the US) it’s most likely only a short matter of time till they will be.
A New Endowment Program for Adventist Education
I am far from a wealthy person who could and gladly would donate large sums of money to such a program but I could and would gladly donate some if such assurances were solidly in place. I’m sure there are many “old folks” like me “out there” who feel the same way. (Is there already such a program in place? If so please post all needed information.)
The God of the Gaps
While browsing my rather voluminous file of articles to “save” I ran across this jewel—I think it is worth saving and thinking about–especially the last statement by Darwin himself:
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Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
While Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is a relatively young archetype, the evolutionary worldview itself is as old as antiquity. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Anaximander postulated the development of life from non-life and the evolutionary descent of man from animal. Charles Darwin simply brought something new to the old philosophy — a plausible mechanism called “natural selection.” Natural selection acts to preserve and accumulate minor advantageous genetic mutations. Suppose a member of a species developed a functional advantage (it grew wings and learned to fly). Its offspring would inherit that advantage and pass it on to their offspring. The inferior (disadvantaged) members of the same species would gradually die out, leaving only the superior (advantaged) members of the species. Natural selection is the preservation of a functional advantage that enables a species to compete better in the wild. Natural selection is the naturalistic equivalent to domestic breeding. Over the centuries, human breeders have produced dramatic changes in domestic animal populations by selecting individuals to breed. Breeders eliminate undesirable traits gradually over time. Similarly, natural selection eliminates inferior species gradually over time.
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Darwin’s Theory of Evolution – Slowly But Surely…
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is a slow gradual process. Darwin wrote, “…Natural selection acts only by taking advantage of slight successive variations; she can never take a great and sudden leap, but must advance by short and sure, though slow steps.” [1] Thus, Darwin conceded that, “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.” [2] Such a complex organ would be known as an “irreducibly complex system”. An irreducibly complex system is one composed of multiple parts, all of which are necessary for the system to function. If even one part is missing, the entire system will fail to function. Every individual part is integral. [3] Thus, such a system could not have evolved slowly, piece by piece. The common mousetrap is an everyday non-biological example of irreducible complexity. It is composed of five basic parts: a catch (to hold the bait), a powerful spring, a thin rod called “the hammer,” a holding bar to secure the hammer in place, and a platform to mount the trap. If any one of these parts is missing, the mechanism will not work. Each individual part is integral. The mousetrap is irreducibly complex. [4]
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is a theory in crisis in light of the tremendous advances we’ve made in molecular biology, biochemistry and genetics over the past fifty years. We now know that there are in fact tens of thousands of irreducibly complex systems on the cellular level. Specified complexity pervades the microscopic biological world. Molecular biologist
Michael Denton wrote, “Although the tiniest bacterial cells are incredibly small, weighing less than 10-12 grams, each is in effect a veritable micro-miniaturized factory containing thousands of exquisitely designed pieces of intricate molecular machinery, made up altogether of one hundred thousand million atoms, far more complicated than any machinery built by man and absolutely without parallel in the non-living world.” [5]
And we don’t need a microscope to observe irreducible complexity. The eye, the ear and the heart are all examples of irreducible complexity, though they were not recognized as such in Darwin’s day. Nevertheless, Darwin confessed, “To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.” [6]
Footnotes:
1. Charles Darwin, “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life,” 1859, p. 162.
2. Ibid. p. 158.
3. Michael Behe, “Darwin’s Black Box,” 1996.
4. “Unlocking the Mystery of Life,” documentary by Illustra Media, 2002.
5. Michael Denton, “Evolution: A Theory in Crisis,” 1986, p. 250.
6. Charles Darwin, “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life,” 1859, p. 155.
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I don’t think Sean could have said it better himself!
Walla Walla University: The Collegian Debates Evolution vs. Creation
Sean, I guess I “bit off more than I can chew” when I subscribed to some of your other options.
All I can handle is the ^way it used to be”–like this column still is. Please put me back to this mode of information and I will be very happy. Thanks.
