Comment on LSU forms faith in evolution by Christiane Marshall.
Concerned LSU Student: I am offended that you consider my decision to be a student missionary…a decision I made after meeting with others on this campus, be credited to Darwin.
Dear Concerned Student: I’m not sure where you found such a statement. I haven’t read everything here but I don’t remember anyone making such a statement. The people on this forum don’t necessarily agree with everything everyone else states. For the most part, those supporting Educate Truth agree that evolution should not be taught as fact in our schools.
The positive things you speak of can only be attributed to God Himself. He is the author of salvation and is the one who has given you a heart for ministry.
Please try to understand the concern of those of us who want our messages to be spoken holistically and according to our beliefs in our institutions.
The fact that the negative effects of the teaching of evolution have not affected your faith is proof that the Holy Spirit is at work in your life.
Even when we don’t agree, we should respect the other’s right to an opinion.
It is heartwarming to know that your focus is on Christ. My prayer is that it remains there.
Of course there are great Christian teachers, mentors and students there at La Sierra. I don’t think anyone is suggesting otherwise. That isn’t the point really. The point is mainly that our schools should teach our beliefs. There are choices, but our perspective has very little voice in the greater world. It should be plainly presented with authority in our schools. The point that follows in regard to faith is that people who strongly believe the evolutionary world view are led down a path that leads to a loss of faith.
Please don’t take my word for it. Think it through prayerfully. Research this idea. There are many statements you can find by evolutionists who claim it led to their loss of faith.
It happened to me probably when I was around your age. It was a result of classes I took in a secular college. However, I was brought up Catholic. Later in life, after becoming grounded in the Adventist truth, I returned to a secular college. I was afraid that my faith would be shaken again, but found that the more I saw the complexities of life, the more my faith was strengthened. Surely a God who can change my life can transform an empty world in six days. Why not?
But I am acquainted with the dark and lonely feeling that comes from a belief in evolution, in survival of the fittest, of tooth and claw! The logical end to that thought is atheism. I suffered from that for a brief but extremely dark and painful time in my life.
Keep in mind that it is so much easier to see error when it is full blown and complete. When I neglect my garden because the weeds are tiny and hardly noticeable, I soon have a fight that I am unable to keep up with!
If the poison is fed in cupfuls, no one will drink it! Don’t forget who is roaring about seeking whom he will devour! That one is clever and knows a miriad of ways to give dangerous gifts such as a trojan horse. Consider how many poisons can kill with only one drop and how easily some can be hidden.
(Surely you wouldn’t be offended if you knew that others were concerned about you taking poison? At least you would see our motives in a better light.)
The best villain is one who appears friendly and comfortable to be around.
Please know that my motive is a protective one toward the students at LSU (i.e. watch out for that villain Evolution), and I’m sure many others who post here do so with the same motive. Keep in mind that some of these responses to your post seem competitive and defensive. However, I’m sure the posters don’t mean any harm. They are defending their position because it is important. It’s important because you and your fellow students are important. So you are the root of our concern. Stay focused on Christ and thank you for expressing yourself.
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Recent Comments by Christiane Marshall
GC Votes to Revise SDA Fundamental #6 on Creation
@Sean Pitman:
We may just be arguing apples and apples. I am certainly not advocating ‘blind faith’ as you have had cause to address frequently on this sight. I am arguing against an over-dependence on extra-biblical evidence for our faith walk.
How do you know that the Bible is really the Word of God, while other religious texts, like the Book of Mormon, is not? How do you tell the difference? My LDS friends tell me that God gives them a warm feeling deep within themselves when they see or hear the truth. That is how they know that the Book of Mormon is from God. For me, I don’t find this approach very helpful when it comes to establishing a solid hope or confidence in the Bible as God’s word.
I actually had the opportunity to study many of the world’s so-called sacred texts before accepting the Bible as the true one. The Bible’s internal testimony coupled with the convicting witness of the Holy Spirit is what finally tipped the scales for me. Yes, I did do a bit of reading about historical and archeological and logical reasons why this testimony was credible – but it was the testimony of the Bible itself (coupled with the personal witness and testimony of Christians and the witness of the Holy Spirit) that helped me experience a saving faith. Most people are not as analytical as you or I. Most read the Bible and are convicted that it is true – without undertaking an extensive research project into the scientific reasons that may be so. Poor uneducated people in the third world experience a more vital faith than you or I, without such in-depth confirmatory knowledge. Doug Batchelor did not have a computer and a library full of data to assist him in that cave outside of Palm Springs – only the Bible! Most people who are converted to Christ testify that it was through influence of friends who witnessed to them about their relationship with Christ (a very subjective thing scientifically) – not through a rigorous scientific examination of the empirical data.
Once again, most people have no empirical evidence that the resurrection took place – they have only the testimony of those who witnessed that it took place. Yes, there are logical inferences that confirm that it must have taken place. But when you say empirical I’m assuming you are saying something that can be observed in present time reality and scientifically tested.
“Empirical evidence is a fancy way of describing facts that can be experienced and tested only through the senses.”
Faith has to do with learning to trust our spiritual senses above our physical ones. How else would you explain the numerous persons who testify that they were ‘deeply impressed’ to take a certain path when all the empirical data seemed to say otherwise – later to find out that their life depended on this ‘spiritual sense’ choice! Of course I’m not arguing for pentecostalism here, but you get the idea.
Did the faith of Jesus’ disciples increase or decrease after they saw Him resurrected from the grave?
Of course it was strengthened. Christ said however that it was a more blessed experience to believe without such empirical experience. What was He saying? I think He was saying that it is more blessed to take God at His Word than to demand or depend upon empirical evidence. The story of Gideon is a powerful testimony to this principle.
Victor
“Don’t go backwards to interpret Genesis as allegorical or symbolic”
Victor,Sometimes it’s appropriate to hit-the-nail on the head.Take for example Jesus’ statement to the Samaritan woman, “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.â€That might seem inappropriately direct, but it wasn’t.It was just what she needed.The scattered servants of Christ needed to hear the president of the world church express a clear understanding of where the church needs to go.And my own experience with non-Christians is that they respond much more vigorously and appreciatively to a meaningful presentation of the Bible than they do to a generalistic and generic appeal to their feelings.I’m sure you aren’t advocating a meaningless presentation, but I’m all for exactly the type of message President Wilson gave.I suspect those outside the church who care enough to listen to his message appreciate the frankness with which this leader expressed the direction he intends to go.I think many of them know he wasn’t targeting them – he was talking to us.
Robert, I agree with you AND with Victor. I don’t really know what the answer is. In the information age, everything has changed. We have to rethink a lot about how we do things. We want to have a private evangelistic series and present truths by presenting the building blocks first, and building understanding before presenting the “more difficult aspects.” But how can we now? The last meetings we held, people went home and googled our personal names as well as doctrinal topics.
Sure we want a clear and meaningful message, but we want to protect those who are not ready to receive all of the truth at this time. We don’t want to push them away. It isn’t that we are afraid of offending them personally. It’s that we don’t want walls to go up so that we can’t reach out to them successfully.
I don’t know what the answer is. Even this forum is disturbing when our members have out and out conflicts, especially when behavior is not becoming of a Christian. It’s available for the whole world to see!
What it comes down to is things are different now. We need to approach everything differently. Otherwise, evangelistic interests will begin to think of us as the religious “Amway” brigade and lock their doors before we go up the steps.
The increase of knowledge and the rapid availability of it has changed our landscape. Christiane
“Don’t go backwards to interpret Genesis as allegorical or symbolic”
Did Wilson explain how SDA members can actually hold our leaders accountable?We have many leaders out here in the Pacific Union Conference who have not been accountable and still aren’t, but what can ordinary “Joe and Jill Schmo†church members do?
I wondered the same thing. I just realized this year that I really don’t know enough about how our church works and how changes are made. It’s my intention to study this out. Of course Biblical principles and a Christlike attitude must be followed (Matthew 18, and Proverbs 17:9–“He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends”). Biblical principles and Christlike attitude first, church policy second.
Christiane
Michigan Conference takes substantial action in LSU conflict
I hope more will follow, and will do so prayerfully.
EducateTruth.com promoted on 3ABN
A classic case which should cause any Adventist to stop in their tracks when judging motive or destiny is the following one:
“If William Miller could have seen the light of the third message, many things which looked dark and mysterious to him would have been explained. But his brethren professed so deep love and interest for him, that he thought he could not tear away from them. His heart would incline toward the truth, and then he looked at his brethren; they opposed it. Could he tear away from those who had stood side by side with him in proclaiming the coming of Jesus? He thought they surely would not lead him astray.
God suffered him to fall under the power of Satan, the dominion of death, and hid him in the grave from those who were constantly drawing him from the truth. Moses erred as he was about to enter the Promised Land. So also, I saw that William Miller erred as he was soon to enter the heavenly Canaan, in suffering his influence to go against the truth. Others led him to this; others must account for it. But angels watch the precious dust of this servant of God, and he will come forth at the sound of the last trump.” – EW 258
