Comment on LSU Professor Doubts Christ’s Divinity by Lydian Belknap.
This “nice†label reminds me of a book I purchased not long ago. The author is Timothy Smith and the book is entitled “The Danger of Raising NICE KIDS.†The Subtitle is “Preparing Our Children to Change Their Worldâ€
“Nice†people can open the door for others to go through, help a disabled person to make it safely across the street, use good table manners, etc–and Mr. Greer may be all of this–but we need and want MORE than this from our leaders and institutions. We need honest, God-fearing men and women in charge of our most precious possessions–our children. And a person is not honest if he (or she) takes a paycheck from an employer while underminding the employer’s foundational principles.
“The greatest want of the world is the want of men–men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.†EGW, Education, pg. 57 (And this applies to women also!!!)
Somehow I don’t see these characteristics in Mr. Greer or any of the other faculty members who are teaching “doctrines†that are destroying the faith of the young people entrusted to their care. Anyone who will take a paycheck from his employer while undermining the very foundation upon which his employer stands is certainly not the person who should be teaching our youth! They are welcome to their views but that does NOT give them license to undermine the very foundation of our church and indoctrinate young minds in error!
Further, I also don’t see those characteristics in some of the “higher-ups†who have allowed this despicable situation to continue for so many years. I don’t care how “spiritual†they may appear or how many “wonderful sermons†they may preach or how high they are in the chain of command–they are also betraying their God and they, as well as the teachers they are defending, should be dealt with speedily and firmly.
I, personally, am very grateful for the courage displayed by those who have spoken out and made these web sites available to the church at large. ‘Till I ran across these I was totally unaware that this was happening in our schools and other institutions (apparently LSU isn’t the only one–just the worst one). And I’m reasonably sure that a great number of our people are in the same situation. It isn’t preached from the pulpit and many, many of our people do not have access to a computer. (Many through choice, I might add–which absolutely amazes me.)
It is past time for this to be cleaned up from top to bottom and I hope and pray that strong action will be taken this summer. May God give us the kind of men and women that will pick up the torch of truth an courageously “clean house!â€
Remember:
The Lambs Follow the Sheep
‘Twas a sheep, not a lamb, that went astray
In a parable Jesus told–
A grown-up sheep that had gone astray
From the ninety and nine in the fold.
The Lambs will follow the sheep. you know,
Wherever the sheep will stray,
If the sheep go wrong, it will not be long
‘Till the Lambs are as wrong as they.
And so with the sheep we earnestly plead.
For the sake of the lambs today–
If the lambs are lost, what a terrible cost
Some sheep will have to pay!
Author Unknown
And God will hold those “sheep†accountable in the very near future–and the rest of us accountable if we fail to do something about the situation!
Table of Contents
Recent Comments by Lydian Belknap
A New Endowment Program for Adventist Education
So here I sit–a “very old lady”–totally confused and not having a clue as to whether to donate or not–or where to donate if I should.
As things stand now I think I will just continue putting my own little amount to my current “missionary out reach” of buying “Steps to Christ” and “Who Do You Think You Are?” and passing them on to the clerks in the stores where I shop or other people I meet that I think would like them.
If and when you folks decide on what, how and where to help in this very worthy project let me know and I’ll do what I can then.
A New Endowment Program for Adventist Education
I just noticed that there is such a program in place in northern California but I would want one that is nation wide. After all, if our kids aren’t already in danger here in the southern union also (as well the rest of the US) it’s most likely only a short matter of time till they will be.
A New Endowment Program for Adventist Education
I am far from a wealthy person who could and gladly would donate large sums of money to such a program but I could and would gladly donate some if such assurances were solidly in place. I’m sure there are many “old folks” like me “out there” who feel the same way. (Is there already such a program in place? If so please post all needed information.)
The God of the Gaps
While browsing my rather voluminous file of articles to “save” I ran across this jewel—I think it is worth saving and thinking about–especially the last statement by Darwin himself:
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Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
While Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is a relatively young archetype, the evolutionary worldview itself is as old as antiquity. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Anaximander postulated the development of life from non-life and the evolutionary descent of man from animal. Charles Darwin simply brought something new to the old philosophy — a plausible mechanism called “natural selection.” Natural selection acts to preserve and accumulate minor advantageous genetic mutations. Suppose a member of a species developed a functional advantage (it grew wings and learned to fly). Its offspring would inherit that advantage and pass it on to their offspring. The inferior (disadvantaged) members of the same species would gradually die out, leaving only the superior (advantaged) members of the species. Natural selection is the preservation of a functional advantage that enables a species to compete better in the wild. Natural selection is the naturalistic equivalent to domestic breeding. Over the centuries, human breeders have produced dramatic changes in domestic animal populations by selecting individuals to breed. Breeders eliminate undesirable traits gradually over time. Similarly, natural selection eliminates inferior species gradually over time.
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Darwin’s Theory of Evolution – Slowly But Surely…
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is a slow gradual process. Darwin wrote, “…Natural selection acts only by taking advantage of slight successive variations; she can never take a great and sudden leap, but must advance by short and sure, though slow steps.” [1] Thus, Darwin conceded that, “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.” [2] Such a complex organ would be known as an “irreducibly complex system”. An irreducibly complex system is one composed of multiple parts, all of which are necessary for the system to function. If even one part is missing, the entire system will fail to function. Every individual part is integral. [3] Thus, such a system could not have evolved slowly, piece by piece. The common mousetrap is an everyday non-biological example of irreducible complexity. It is composed of five basic parts: a catch (to hold the bait), a powerful spring, a thin rod called “the hammer,” a holding bar to secure the hammer in place, and a platform to mount the trap. If any one of these parts is missing, the mechanism will not work. Each individual part is integral. The mousetrap is irreducibly complex. [4]
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is a theory in crisis in light of the tremendous advances we’ve made in molecular biology, biochemistry and genetics over the past fifty years. We now know that there are in fact tens of thousands of irreducibly complex systems on the cellular level. Specified complexity pervades the microscopic biological world. Molecular biologist
Michael Denton wrote, “Although the tiniest bacterial cells are incredibly small, weighing less than 10-12 grams, each is in effect a veritable micro-miniaturized factory containing thousands of exquisitely designed pieces of intricate molecular machinery, made up altogether of one hundred thousand million atoms, far more complicated than any machinery built by man and absolutely without parallel in the non-living world.” [5]
And we don’t need a microscope to observe irreducible complexity. The eye, the ear and the heart are all examples of irreducible complexity, though they were not recognized as such in Darwin’s day. Nevertheless, Darwin confessed, “To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.” [6]
Footnotes:
1. Charles Darwin, “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life,” 1859, p. 162.
2. Ibid. p. 158.
3. Michael Behe, “Darwin’s Black Box,” 1996.
4. “Unlocking the Mystery of Life,” documentary by Illustra Media, 2002.
5. Michael Denton, “Evolution: A Theory in Crisis,” 1986, p. 250.
6. Charles Darwin, “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life,” 1859, p. 155.
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I don’t think Sean could have said it better himself!
Walla Walla University: The Collegian Debates Evolution vs. Creation
Sean, I guess I “bit off more than I can chew” when I subscribed to some of your other options.
All I can handle is the ^way it used to be”–like this column still is. Please put me back to this mode of information and I will be very happy. Thanks.
