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/ July 3, 2009

self_deception_lumenThe following is taken from the La Sierra University Biology Department website, called “Important Reasons to Study Biology at La Sierra University.” Various points have been bolded by us. Compare these statements with the La Sierra material, and draw your own conclusions.

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When you study biology at La Sierra University, you:

  • Will study with professors who all deeply believe in God as the Creator of everything.
  • Will be introduced to Seventh-day Adventist understandings of Creation, centered in the Genesis account, which reveals the Creator as a personal and loving God.
  • Will be introduced to theories of evolutionary process, focusing on speciation and adaptation, with which students are expected to be conversant as they prepare for success in graduate school and career.
  • Will study with professors who have earned the highest degrees in their field, and are active in scientific research.
  • Will use the same textbook in General Biology that is used by Adventist colleges and universities in North America and is used by most biology classes in the nation.
  • Will study with professors who will help you navigate issues of faith and science, in and out of the classroom, so that your faith in God is strengthened.

What are the advantages of studying biology at La Sierra University?

  1. La Sierra students study with faculty who are experts in the field—who contribute to knowledge, who don’t just teach it from a book. These are professors who are doing research into subjects such as immunology and DNA sequencing. They are out in the field actually discovering new species never before identified—and they are involving you in the research! Two recent biology students each published at least 15 peer-reviewed journal articles with their professor before they graduated from La Sierra in 2008.
  2. La Sierra students have learning opportunities that really prepare them for professional programs in fields such as medicine, dentistry, and physical therapy, such as participating in a gross anatomy lab dissecting a human cadaver—the same thing you will do in first-year professional school.
  3. La Sierra University students study in a state-of-the-art building recently constructed for the study of biology. Each professor has his or her own private research lab, enabling undergraduate students the remarkable opportunity to do meaningful research.


Why La Sierra and not a public college or university?

  1. The majority of our students are Seventh-day Adventists, who share beliefs and a common heritage.
  2. You will participate in a vibrant spiritual life ministry on campus, and be surrounded by faculty and staff mentors who are committed to their faith development.
  3. Each year students in the biology program participate in mission programs and experiences, in Guatemala and other parts of the world.
  4. You will participate in research that benefits humankind and God’s earth.
  5. You will engage in service learning, helping to make a difference in their local community.
  6. Dedicated professors go far beyond their classroom duties in looking for opportunities to spiritually minister to and pray with you.
  7. La Sierra University enjoys a longstanding partnership with Loma Linda University, enabling you significant access to move directly into the health profession programs of your choice.


The best reason you can choose La Sierra University for your child’s education is what our students tell us: It is at La Sierra University that their faith is firmly established for lives of service to God and to humanity. As one of our 2009 graduating biology majors expressed it:

“La Sierra had my back. When I questioned my purpose and God’s existence, they pulled me to First Service, to devotionals, to worships. They pulled me into countless offices and prayed for me…Life rarely does what you expect it to do. But that doesn’t mean that God’s the question. He is the answer.” And this from a current biology major:


“They aren’t teaching evolutionary theory as fact at LSU. We are presented with evidence identified by the scientific community, and informed of different methods and measurement tools by which that evidence and certain biological processes are assessed. We are able to make use of laboratory equipment to conduct experiments and can ask questions of our professors if we have any…

In the SDA academy that I attended, my science teacher never wanted to engage in any discussion or deal with any questions from students about evolution. Just the word was enough to elicit fear. So I, and other students like me, came to La Sierra University without any level of understanding at all regarding evolutionary theory. Imagine how tense it got in the classroom when a professor announces that we will be learning about it. It was completely new to me, but I was able to spend time both in and out of class discussing it with my professor. He didn’t push anything on me. He didn’t encourage me to question the existence of God. In fact, more than ever, I gained a new level of appreciation of the incredible beauty and detail of God’s creation. And I gained an understanding of (not belief in) evolutionary theory so that when needed, I can engage in discussion with individuals who do not know my God. The experience strengthened my faith.”

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