Instead of looking for creationist biologists, they could hire any …

Comment on La Sierra University Granted Window to Show its Faithfulness to Church’s Creation Belief by David Read.

Instead of looking for creationist biologists, they could hire any biologist with the understanding that they are to teach facts only, and not speculate about origins. Then for the creation v. evolution part, they could just bring in lawyers, who are trained to argue and, more importantly, to separate fact from assumption. There’s no need to ask scientists to argue about origins when they are typically abysmally unqualified for the task.

David Read Also Commented

La Sierra University Granted Window to Show its Faithfulness to Church’s Creation Belief
Lydian, thanks for your post. That was wise and heartfelt, and I agree with you.

The fact is that this SDA church needs a full time apologetics ministry, focusing on creation/evolution, but covering the whole apologetics waterfront. I’ve been convicted of this for about year now, and I’ve said it on several blogs, but I haven’t really done anything positive to start the ball rolling. My spirit is willing but my flesh is weak. Pray for me.


La Sierra University Granted Window to Show its Faithfulness to Church’s Creation Belief
None of this top down pressure would be happening were it not for the fact that Ted Wilson is the General Conference President (and is on the AAA board).

There really is a new sheriff in town. But is it too late?


Recent Comments by David Read

The Reptile King
Poor Larry Geraty! He can’t understand why anyone would think him sympathetic to theistic evolution. Well, for starters, he wrote this for Spectrum last year:

“Christ tells us they will know us by our love, not by our commitment to a seven literal historical, consecutive, contiguous 24-hour day week of creation 6,000 years ago which is NOT in Genesis no matter how much the fundamentalist wing of the church would like to see it there.”

“Fundamental Belief No. 6 uses Biblical language to which we can all agree; once you start interpreting it according to anyone’s preference you begin to cut out members who have a different interpretation. I wholeheartedly affirm Scripture, but NOT the extra-Biblical interpretation of the Michigan Conference.”

So the traditional Adventist interpretation of Genesis is an “extra-Biblical interpretation” put forward by “the fundamentalist wing” of the SDA Church? What are people supposed to think about Larry Geraty’s views?

It is no mystery how LaSierra got in the condition it is in.


The Reptile King
Professor Kent says:

“I don’t do ‘orgins science.’ Not a single publication on the topic. I study contemporary biology. Plenty of publications.”

So, if you did science that related to origins, you would do it pursuant to the biblical paradigm, that is pursuant to the assumption that Genesis 1-11 is true history, correct?


The Reptile King
Well, Jeff, would it work better for you if we just closed the biology and religion departments? I’m open to that as a possible solution.


The Reptile King
Larry Geraty really did a job on LaSierra. Personally I think it is way gone, compromised beyond hope. The SDA Church should just cut its ties to LaSierra, and cut its losses.

As to the discussion on this thread, round up the usual suspects and their usual arguments.


La Sierra University Resignation Saga: Stranger-than-Fiction
It is a remarkably fair and unbiased article, and a pretty fair summary of what was said in the recorded conversation.