Sean, you state that, “in my own research into this …

Comment on Adventist Education–at the crossroads? by Jan Long.

Sean, you state that, “in my own research into this topic, I’ve found a great deal of what seems to me to be very solid evidence in favor of a recent arrival of life on this planet as well as a recent universal catastrophe, or very shortly-spaced series of watery catastrophes, that produced the fossil record and geologic column. Of course I’m in the minority here….” My query to you is, how does this universal recent watery catastrophe square with the 100,000 or so confirmed annual layerings of the Greenland ice sheet? How about the several hundred thousand years of the Antartic ice sheet?

As to your discussion of the philosophy of science I am well aware of the fact that conclusions can be influenced by presuppositions, yet I don’t find a boogyman in scientific materialism. If not for scientific materialism, we would still assign a role to the gods for all manner of natural phenomenon. I would simply say that scientific materialism has its limits, as does revelation. Wisdom is demonstrated in understanding the limits of each.

You mention the Cornell geneticist John C. Sandford, and I am familiar with his book on genetic entropy. He proposes some interesting ideas and since I am not a geneticist, I must rely upon the scientific community to assess his argument. To date I have not seen any movement in his direction and that could be telling. That having been said, however, there is currently a clear demarcation between the evolutionary process and the question of origins. Perhaps we can find common ground on this. Since we are so far afield from the thrust of my article, I won’t detail it here, but DNA is an information rich system as you know, and information theory cannot explain, on the basis of random probability, how DNA got its start is the odds appear to be too staggering. The resolution of most of these issue—including evolution—likely resides in a better understanding of DNA. We can anticipate that surprises await science on this front, but it may also hold a few surprises for literalists. In the meantime the Church would be much better served by allowing science to finish its work before it leaps into a place that it quite likely will one day regret.

Jan Long Also Commented

Adventist Education–at the crossroads?

Sean Pitman: Question:
If Greenland’s ice is currently melting at a fairly rapid rate, one would think that Greenland’s ice was melting at an even faster rate during the Hypsithermal period where the temperatures around Greenland were significantly warmer, year-round, than they are today – for thousands of years. Given this well accepted fact of mainstream science, how is it that mainstream scientists also propose, at the same time, that the ice sheets on Greenland actually survived thousands of years of such warm temperatures? After all, modern scientists are so worried about modern “global warming” that many are suggesting that Greenland’s ice will be gone within just 1,000 years and some are suggesting that it may be gone within a few hundred years.

Greenland is a large land mass that is 4 times larger than France. Three quarters of the country lies within the Arctic Circle. Only 16% of the area is devoid of permanent snow and ice.

Portions of the ice sheet are at elevations of 10,000 feet. The melting that is occurring is in the coastal regions where the temperatures in the summer can get up into the 40(f) degree range. The upper elevations are in a permafrost zone. Even where there was rapid warming in the past, it would only impact the warmer coastal areas–not the higher elevation ice sheet.


Adventist Education–at the crossroads?
Inge Anderson
If you re-read my post that has raised your ire, you will discover that you have misinterpreted my comments on paradigm shift.

The point was, some are suspicious of science and sometimes it is because the paradigms do shift–what is understood today is revised or worse tomorrow.

My point was, all human efforts to come to a complete understanding of the reality (truth)is futile.

Some seek a refuge in revelation, yet Jesus presented us with a paradigm shift of his own, upending much of the world view that had preceded it.

In the case of revelation there are 2 human components at work. The writers were human, bringing their limited world view into the text, and this, irrespective of any divine insights. If this is not a true statement, then SDAs should add an FB #29 stating that we believe in inerrancy.

The fact that SDAs don’t believe in inerrancy should make us more conscious of the other human component related to revelation, that being the reader, and the certitudes that we sometimes superimpose upon interpretations.


Adventist Education–at the crossroads?
Hi Sean; It appears that there is a wide chasm between us. You cite as authoritative a link on ice core science from 1991!!! That is 20 years ago and hopefully you aren’t suggesting that it would have much relevance today?

I appreciate your evangelistic zeal, and I wish you the best. I will continue to study and if I find evidence that ice core science is bogus, I will reconsider my position. Until then I have no choice but to stick with science on this. Jan


Recent Comments by Jan Long

Bringing the Real World to Genesis: Why Evolution is an Idea that Won’t Die—IV [A Review]
I am a little late to the conversation, but thought I should clear up a misconception articulated by the author of this article. This is intended to be my only statement.

In this article the above author states the following with respect to a series I wrote for:Spectrum “…He also dabbles in the creation/evolution debate, having been converted to neo-Darwinism from traditional Adventism. Recently, Mr. Long published a series of articles on the topic for Spectrum Magazine in defense of the Darwinian perspective of origins in contrast to the church’s position.”

The author will be hard pressed to find anything I have written that would allow a fair-minded person to conclude that I have “converted to neo-Darwinism from traditional Adventism,” or that defends Darwinism per se. For those who may not have been reading the Spectrum series let me offer up three categories of individuals that will provide some perspective on this series. It is as follows:

1. There is a sizeable category of Adventists for whom data matters not one whit. We can see, hear, taste, feel, or smell something, but if it does not agree 100% with preconceived conclusions, then the senses are not to be trusted. For this group there is no amount of data that will ever modify the thinking, and on those occasions where data is problematic a good rationalization will take care of it—always.

2. The second category of individuals fall under the classification of “scientism,” where it is assumed that science alone can render the truth about reality. I doubt there are many Adventists that fall into this group, though I am sure there may be some.

3. The final category of individuals does not hitch its wagon to any dogma, but is primarily concerned with the search for truth—wherever that leads. As such, it is interested in both God’s book of revelation and his book of nature. Both are respected because it is assumes that there is but one reality and that therefore neither book is in conflict with the other.

It is this third category that I personally identify with and is part of the operating presupposition of this series. I am not a neo-Darwinist as the author alleges, but I certainly don’t summarily dismiss the data that points to a reality that is quite different from the one that the Church’s pioneers understood. Does science have a lot more to learn? Most definitely! Do Adventists have a lot to learn? Yes, unless we have join the flat-earth society! I would encourage readers to actually read from a wide range of scientific disciplines—learn from the real in-the-trenches-experts rather than from me, or charlatan “arm-chair experts.” Develop some perspective on the issues; develop some maturity of understanding about the data; the methods employed and how and why science has reached the conclusions it has.