Press Enterprise Update: Creation vs. evolution debate at La Sierra University

/ April 11, 2011

Educate Truth shares the following excerpts from The Press Enterprise as a service to readers. Opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Educate Truth.

Sunday, April 10, 2011
By David Olson

Nearly two years of pressure on La Sierra University to better incorporate Biblical creationism into its biology classes is leading to warnings from key oversight organizations.

A Seventh-day Adventist Church board says the college hasn’t gone far enough to address creationists’ concerns, while a secular commission is worried that the outside lobbying could impinge on academic freedom.

The belief that God created the world in six days is one of the Adventist church’s fundamental beliefs, and the worldwide church’s president in 2009 urged all Adventist university professors to advocate that belief.

University leaders last month publicly apologized for not adequately emphasizing church teaching in biology classes and promised to do more…

“The real crux of the matter is whether the Bible has a privileged position as a source of knowledge,” said Lisa Beardsley, director of education for the worldwide Adventist church.

The inadequate teaching of Biblical creation “is a symptom of a problem,” an indication that La Sierra hasn’t done enough to ensure students are thoroughly exposed to the Adventist worldview, she said. (Read more)

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6 thoughts on “Press Enterprise Update: Creation vs. evolution debate at La Sierra University”

  1. While reading the comments over at PE, I came across this comment from someone who claimed to be a graduate of LSU:

    As a graduate of La Sierra with a bio degree from there, the Bio dept rocks and does not force religion down your throat. the church does enough of that. Im proud of the bio faculty there for promoting free thought and evolutionary process.

    I want to stress that the department is sound and does try to present scientific evidence as its model for teaching.

    Kind of sucks when the church makes you think otherwise.

    Just some anecdotal evidence. The students know it. We know it. The church knows it. LSU just now admitted it.

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  2. The problem with LSU for WASC appears to have nothing at all to do with WASC wanting to cram evolutionism-as-fact down the throats of Adventist sudents.

    It appears to much more to do with the idea of autonomy – and LSU agents complaining to the WASC that they are no longer free to evangelize for a particular evolutionist POV that fits the LSU professor’s preference.

    Thus it appears that WASC is responding more to the distress and complaint factor coming out of LSU faculty – and less about a WASC agenda to promote evolutionism and crush creationism.

    in Christ,

    Bob

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  3. BobRyan: The problem with LSU for WASC appears to have nothing at all to do with WASC wanting to cram evolutionism-as-fact down the throats of Adventist sudents.

    Agreed.

    It appears to much more to do with the idea of autonomy – and LSU agents complaining to the WASC that they are no longer free to evangelize for a particular evolutionist POV that fits the LSU professor’s preference.

    Where are the facts to support your assertion?

    Thus it appears that WASC is responding more to the distress and complaint factor coming out of LSU faculty – and less about a WASC agenda to promote evolutionism and crush creationism.

    I don’t think so.

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  4. BobRyan: The problem with LSU for WASC appears to have nothing at all to do with WASC wanting to cram evolutionism-as-fact down the throats of Adventist sudents.

    Agreed.

    It appears to much more to do with the idea of autonomy – and LSU agents complaining to the WASC that they are no longer free to evangelize for a particular evolutionist POV that fits the LSU professor’s preference.

    Where are the facts to support your assertion?

    Thus it appears that WASC is responding more to the distress and complaint factor coming out of LSU faculty – and less about a WASC agenda to promote evolutionism and crush creationism.

    I don’t think so.

      (Quote)

    View Comment
    Reply

  5. While reading the comments over at PE, I came across this comment from someone who claimed to be a graduate of LSU:

    As a graduate of La Sierra with a bio degree from there, the Bio dept rocks and does not force religion down your throat. the church does enough of that. Im proud of the bio faculty there for promoting free thought and evolutionary process.

    I want to stress that the department is sound and does try to present scientific evidence as its model for teaching.

    Kind of sucks when the church makes you think otherwise.

    Just some anecdotal evidence. The students know it. We know it. The church knows it. LSU just now admitted it.

      (Quote)

    View Comment
    Reply

  6. The problem with LSU for WASC appears to have nothing at all to do with WASC wanting to cram evolutionism-as-fact down the throats of Adventist sudents.

    It appears to much more to do with the idea of autonomy – and LSU agents complaining to the WASC that they are no longer free to evangelize for a particular evolutionist POV that fits the LSU professor’s preference.

    Thus it appears that WASC is responding more to the distress and complaint factor coming out of LSU faculty – and less about a WASC agenda to promote evolutionism and crush creationism.

    in Christ,

    Bob

      (Quote)

    View Comment
    Reply

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