I wish this forum either had instructions, or allowed posts …

Comment on LSU responds to Michigan Conference by John Mark.

I wish this forum either had instructions, or allowed posts to be deleted or edited =S my quote of Wisbey didn’t end up in a quote block… yay for typos.

Only the following portion is the quoted text:

Our students constitute our best hope for the future of the Church, a Church that must be responsible, redemptive, and relevant if it intends to meet the needs of the world in the 21st Century.

John Mark Also Commented

LSU responds to Michigan Conference
I think the core issue can be seen tucked neatly away in the following statement from Wisbey:

Our students constitute our best hope for the future of the Church, a Church that must be responsible, redemptive, and relevant if it intends to meet the needs of the world in the 21st Century.

Our church and our Churches schools were not established, nor are they called, to meet the needs, perceived or real, of the world, whether in this century or any other. Our institutions of education were established to meet the needs of the Church for all ages (centuries), with an emphasis on present truth. Our church was established to be the depository of and and greater promoter of God’s eternal truths, especial present truth (the 3 Angles Messages), not to meet anyone’s needs, and certainly not the world’s needs. We do not need to study ho to be relevant in the century in which we live, we need to study and promote God-s truth, which incidentally is relevant in all ages, present century included.

I simply think Adventist Education, especially in North America, has lost it’s way. LSU just happens to be on the cutting edge of getting off track, if they don’t get back on track, they will get derailed, and God forbid, make ship wreck, of the faith of many.

That having been said, I can-t bee to critical and harsh toward LSU, though this is pretty flagrant, the truth is, The church has been delinquent in following the councils on Education since the very time that Ellen White promoted Education reform. The church near as a whole accepted Education reform, and it was only a matter of time before one of our institutions, in this wicked age, went too far even for mainstream Adventism.

I say woe to us for failing to search, study, and apply the councils in all areas of life. Perhaps this is all part of the Great Omega Apostasy, no doubt we are not far from the Great Shaking. God will have a pure church to return for, let us all pray and diligently seek to be on the side of truth when that time comes.

Study the councils! and study the bible!


Recent Comments by John Mark

The Metamorphosis of La Sierra University: an eye-witness account

Shane, I don’t disagree with your position. I was only reacting to David Read’s use of the phrase “conspiracy theory,” and I was trying to do so respectfully.I think that power struggles occur in every institution. Alliances inevitably form–for power or ideology, for self-preservation, for simple friendship, for myriad reasons good or bad. I think the more applicable term here would be an “alliance” rather than a “conspiracy.” We all recognize that the word “conspiracy” conveys a negative tone. Would we want to say that the GC “conspires” to maintain a core set of fundamental beliefs? I don’t think so.

Actually, I don’t think that policies enacted by alliances are necessarily difficult to break. And, as the survey underway may very well show, a change at LSU may already be underway. If, per chance, their data support this (I know my optimism is unpopular here), I hope that some will begin to offer praise rather than continuing criticism, and actually credit SDA and LSU leadership for effectiveness.  

A conspiracy is pushed in secret, and nobody knows there is an orchestrated effort for change, or what the end goal will be. Thus the scenario put forth in this account is describing a classic conspiracy. Whereas the reformers and promoters of true tend to avoid conspiring in darkness, and rather publish the views, beliefs, agendas, and goals publicaly. The GC cannot be accused of conspiring to maintain it’s publicly promoted and published beliefs for the very reason that they are the current, publicly available and published, stated agenda of that organization. The only the the GC could “conspire” to do, would be to change it’s published views to something they have not made public. If the beliefs are out in the open, and the goals are officially stated, then it can not be considered a conspiracy.

Therefore the word conspiracy is correct for this “account”. Also it would be correct for these efforts to have a negative connotation attached to them, since they were done in secret, and with political maneuvering, which I see as a nice way of saying “flattery” which the bible tells of is of the Devil. Furthermore, the bible also puts “those things which are done in secret” in a negative connotation. Secrecy is a synonym for darkness, only evil deeds are done in secret or in darkness.