Sometimes I think that we have forgotten what it means …

Comment on Schneider talks about La Sierra by Michael E. Welch, MPH, DSc.

Sometimes I think that we have forgotten what it means to be loving, truly loving as is our God. What is the MOST BASIC definition of LOVE? “Perfect Love is a Perfect Balance between Justice and Mercy.” This means that one is not too harsh or too lenient. This means that to be “kind and loving” sometimes the “rod” of discipline must be applied. Teachers and Professors, as well as students of ANY age, MUST be disciplined if TRUE LOVE is to be maintained. If the written contract with the University is broken to the damaging of the student, then IN LOVE, IN KINDNESS to the confused teacher/professor, he/she MUST be disciplined or there is NO TRUE LOVE in relations between the educational institution and the violating one. To keep an unrepentant thief in your house, be he a stranger or a family member, is NOT LOVE but rather simple indulgence, which will lead to greater and greater violations of the RIGHTS of others. When we say “God Bless you!” to one who has violated us, we ARE NOT saying “God, please give this person LOTS and LOTS of nice presents!” We are rather saying “Please, God, do ALL that you may to give this person EVERY CHANCE for Salvation, even if it include prison and a death penalty!” Do I want to see the man who raped and murdered my 12 year old daughter in Heaven (a true happening)? Absolutely, so that together we can rejoice in the Saving Power of Jesus Christ! Do I want to see that same man receive the Death Penalty? Absolutely, because even the SOP supports that as a valid deterent to crime! God bless you all, and be careful because sometimes His Blessings are of the Rod! Grin!

Recent Comments by Michael E. Welch, MPH, DSc

PUC Professor: The Noachian Flood was just a local flood?
Just a quick observation on one statement made by our esteemed Dr. Ness to the effect that he believes that “truth is progressive.” This is a dangerous statement to make without explanation. If you believe that the old moral and Bible-based truths will become more and more “true” with time, then excellent thinking that will stand the test of “science-so-called.” BUT, if you believe, as it seems some of those involved in the above discussion do, that what was or seemed to be true in Bible times, by the Biblical record, and by the seeming support of the Spirit of Prophecy can be replaced as truth or shown to be in error, or somehow “undermined” by modern scientific “truth,” THEN you enter into such seriously dangerous ground as to be life threatening. This is the same boggy ground walked by “situation ethics.” Basically saying that you cannot accept the 10 Commandments as written, but must modify them according to the dictates of your PERSONAL evaluation of the situation. This got Adam and Eve into trouble and it will do as bad or worse for you and me.

Dr. Ness’s unwillingness to make a clear, consise, Bible, SOP and voted SDA Doctrinally supported statement of his PERSONAL beliefs and to submit a short apology for the confusion caused by his improper organization of a presentation on the debated subject in the alotted time, makes it seem as though he most likely holds personal views which do not come into harmony with the STRONG current stand by the leadership of the SDA Denomination clearly demonstrated at the Atlanta GC and “stamped” with the clear approval and support of our current GC Pres. Pastor Ted Wilson.

Something like this:
1. I apologize for the lack of clarity on vital issues of creationism made by the time constraints of my presentation and my lack of organization for a larger audience.
2. I personally believe in a literal contiguous 7, 24 hour, days of creation, a literal world-wide flood of Biblical proportions and agree with the SOP and SDA doctrinal support of such beliefs.
3. I will strive, as a dedicated educator in the SDA parochial school system to present clearly our beliefs on these issues and my support for those beliefs and teachings.
4. I submit that science has yet to catch up with Inspiration and that I personally support the inspiration of the Bible and SOP over the current teachings in the different fields of science that may seem to disagree or undermine the veracity of the Inspired sources of SDA Belief.

If Dr. Ness had the courage to make things clear and unambiguous in such a manner, then we would not be having this long and often tedious discussion. I’m afraid that it seems to do so would violate his personal beliefs, sad to say.


Readers respond to Adventist Review article
I was a student at PUC in 1966 and there were those there who were playing with the Theistical Evolutionary variation of “One day = One Thousand years.” My aunt was a professor there (PhD) in Biology and she was playing with that idea. She later left PUC and taught in an outside College until her retirement. She is still not an active member of the SDA Church anymore, but professes to believe. On the other hand she has all sorts of spiritualistically friendly beliefs also (angel visitations, out of body experiences, etc.). There are those who are and were teaching MORE than 6,000 years after creation as part of the archiological record (such a 14,000 years ago for some of the Egyptian record of finds, etc.), and this was another one of the preludes to the current confusion and compromise. I graduated from Brigham Young U. in 1975 and found the SAME kind of battle going on there. Former creationists who had gone “outside” for their “higher degrees” came back as evolutionists and taught and debated within the BYU structure. There is something insidious about giving up your belief in Bible 6 day Creation, in that almost NEVER do those who now teach some variatin of “evolution,” having departed from the clear statements of God’s Word on the issue of Fiat Creation, come back to become “re-converted” Creationists. For some reason, you just VERY rarely see that kind of change. This is such a basic MORAL issue of belief that it changes the believer forever in one direction or the other. This is why it is SO dangerous to allow our supposedly Godly SDA school system to be ANYTHING but crystal clear in support of the veracity of God’s clear statement in the 10 Commandments. Fall on the 6 Days of Creation and fall on the sacredness of the 7th. Then all that remains is to be “converted after the modern order” to Sunday sacredness and receive the “Mark!”


Board requests progress reports from LSU administration
This is clearly part of the last great battle for truth within the confines of our SDA Church. A refusal to stand on the error of Darwinian Evolution lays the foundation for the rejection of the 7th Day Sabbath of the 10 Commandments. Accept and teach evolution = Reject the 4th Commandment and prepare to receive the Mark of the Beast. Thank God for those with the courage to stand by the sacred truths give to Moses and Mankind on Tablets of Stone.


Private: La Sierra’s misleading PR campaign
I would just like to let it be known that I agree with Dr. Phil Mills, in that different “treatments” are needed for different problems. Of course we must realize that Christ “uttered His most scathing rebukes with tears in His eyes” and too often we, of unconverted human nature, are hormonally controlled in our rebukes and tend to take a certain satisfaction in the discomfort we bring to others in our holding them up to the magnifying glass of truth. God’s LOVE consists of a PERFECT balance between Justice and Mercy – the balance point being the Laws of Life. In the Power of the Holy Spirit and the Righteousness of Christ, we will NOT be too harsh or too gentle in our handling of those who depart from the foundation of truth. There are situations where the “rod” must be applied in love (being sure that we are not taking satisfaction in the discomfort of others). The key to “mercy” is a spirit of repentence. Where there is no repentenct, then “mercy” will manifest as “justice”. As Sr. White said about the Cross – that the Cross allowed God to save the fallen in JUSTICE and “punish” the unrepentant in MERCY. Let us ask God continually for the Gift of HIS LOVE, to allow us to maintain the proper BALANCE of Love in all our relationships and words and deeds, for Christ’s sake and for the sake of the Father’s Name.
Michael Welch,
Asst. Prof. Sahmyook Univ. Seoul, Korea