Above all the fray, at least one truth remains, “A …

Comment on LSU Board news release and actions by C. L. Bond.

Above all the fray, at least one truth remains, “A soft answer turneth away wrath.” No one disapproves more of what has happened at La Sierra (and at many of our schools) than I do. My faith was personally affected as a young college student. But God was bigger than my confusion and faithful to guide me through it.

Those of us who seek to affect change had better not forget the underlying principles and characteristics that make God who He is: loving, long suffering, slow to anger, appealing to reason and not anxious to crush those who persecute Him or disagree with Him.

Judgment will come—from God, not from us—but it has not come yet. In the meantime, we would do well to work patiently with each other through this and every issue. That is our greatest testimony to truth.

Recent Comments by C. L. Bond

Former LSU student letter reveals professor’s agenda
This is heartbreaking.

McCloskey was the professor who “enlightened” me almost 25 years ago in a biology class at another Adventist institution. I left the church for several years as a result.

The worst part is that church leaders and officials have swept these issues under the rug for all these years while still hoping enough people will remain in the church, despite their doubts, to continue paying enough tithe and offerings to cover their salaries. It is mortifying! Several generations of young people have gone in and out of our schools without ever having the opportunity to consider all aspects of the creation/evolution debate and make informed decisions of their own. If professors like McCloskey really believe they hold the truth, then they shouldn’t be afraid to have their “science” scrutinized a little. Isn’t peer review what keeps scientists honest? (And they don’t get to hand-pick their peers.)

Anyone who declares, “I’m here only to teach and not to learn,” beware!


An apology to PUC
Points well taken. Consider my assertions qualified. I am not able to identify who is writing from where, but my experience is that students emerging from Adventist schools are, by and large, ill-equipped to weigh either the strengths or weaknesses of the tenets of their faith. It appears that more ridicule is aimed at those who consider the strengths than at those who assume the weaknesses.

There is nothing wrong with leaving college with more questions than answers. But it is much easier to follow a strong personality with a big smile and a few letters after his name who declares, “The evidence conclusively shows…” and leave it at that.

Let students be given access to evidence and exposed to competent, vigorous defenders of various viewpoints and then decide for themselves. It has yet to be demonstrated that this kind of honest intellectual inquiry is happening on the Adventist campuses in question. Where are the videos of those kinds of presentations? Based on its past record, I’m certain Educate Truth would be willing to post those presentations as well.

In the meantime, there are plenty of Christian and non-Christian scientists who are actively and honestly examining these issues. Their arguments and materials are available to anyone willing to search them out.


An apology to PUC
So far the only substantive responses by PUC defenders have been empty sarcasm and ridicule. Unfortunately, 18-year-old students eat that sort of thing up and follow anyone who has mastered tactics that mirror their favorite media characters. Educate Truth isn’t going after anyone. It is simply laying out the evidence and presentations for all to see and assess for themselves. Educate Truth doesn’t have to point out the dishonesty and the underlying problem that balanced views in science are not being respectfully presented on Adventist college campuses.


An apology to PUC
Educate Truth has not had to go after anyone. Those individuals have been indicted by their own words and actions. No apologies necessary.


PUC Professor: The Noachian Flood was just a local flood?
Dr. Ness’s comments above reveal that he has not carefully read or researched what this website states or stands for—much less what has been said about him.

Why should his personal research on creation/evolution be any more thorough? One simple assertion has been made here—that Ness presented one view and one view only as being credible and supported by “scientific” evidence. He did this in the name of “intellectual honesty.” His presentation is available for all to see and assess for themselves. Educate Truth is not the arbiter of the evidence. They are the presenters.

There are many non-Christian scientists who recognize that evidence can be used to credibly support a wide variety of views. That is true in ANY discipline. (If it were not, lawyers would not have jobs and one entire political branch would be obsolete.) Evidence does NOT presuppose conclusions. Not even evolution.

Even the creators of this website are not arguing that creation should be presented as the only viable view. They are simply arguing that the potential viability of the creationist viewpoint be given at least equal attention and consideration to other viewpoints in schools that garner funds based on their claim to be doing so. In failing to do so, these schools are not just being intellectually dishonest, but just plain dishonest by anyone’s standards.

If Ness has doubts, let him have doubts. But at least open the floor to someone who can give balance to those doubts in schools that claim to be providing such balance.

The problem is that men with doubts are being given the final word.