Dear Sir [Wisbey]:
I will start off by telling you that I have never attended La Sierra University but I am a life-long Seventh-Day Adventist. I went to public schools my whole life (except for medical school where I attended Loma Linda University). I went to college at the University of California at Riverside where I completed my premed and majored in Chemistry and Biology.Â
With the new medical school opening up at UCR and the superior quality of its education in the sciences for much less cost, La Sierra will be hard pressed to attract good qualified applicants into its pre-med program. The primary reason why I could not attend La Sierra was for cost (UCR was 1/10 the cost). I, however, was very happy with my experience at UCR as I was able to separate my scientific endeavors from my spiritual beliefs. At the end of the day I never believed for one minute that macroevolution could exist and I never trusted my teachers to be expositors of my faith. Even at that time many La Sierra students joined us at UCR for Organic Chemistry and used our facilities and laboratory space. I wondered why they had to come to UCR to get an education in Organic Chemistry.Â
What now will I provide for my children in terms of education. I have a daughter who is 4 years old and a son who is 10 months old. It is never too soon to think about (or save) for higher education. I am convinced that they will attend a private SDA institution for K-12. I am not so sure about post-secondary education however. The two reasons why I might send my child to La Sierra, PUC, Walla Walla, or any other SDA University would be for them to receive:
1) a higher education founded in the principles of our beliefs as Seventh-day Adventists AND teaching them ABOUT evolution and NOT teaching them that evolution is the only scientifically feasible explanation for the origin of the species. (this is what is occurring currently if one simply reads the syllabus)
2) a mate suitable for them
If the Biology department at La Sierra continues in the current path that it is taking, you will have taken away one of those reasons, leaving me with a very expensive dating service to which I will not subscribe for my children.Â
Please do not tell me that I don’t have a true understanding of what is being taught at La Sierra. I have heard for many years what has been going on. The syllabus is posted for all to read and see. As it happens there are some blatant FACTUAL and SCIENTIFIC errors in the syllabus. There is no supposition – only fact – one can look for themselves. I urge you to take corrective action now before our SDA educational system becomes an expensive dating service alternative to higher education. I am only one of many who think alike on this issue. At the end of the day our decision as parents will be this: Why should I send my children to an SDA institution that is 5-10x more expensive to be taught evolution as truth when I can send my children to much cheaper schools, in most cases get a better science education and be able to tell my children that evolution is being taught to them because the public universities aren’t Christian nor beleive in the second coming of Christ or the Sabbath? It is going to be much harder to explain to my children why evolution is being taught as truth to them from an Adventist institution. I am not willing to pay for that problem. I am not alone.
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Sincerely,
Roger Seheult, M.D.
