La Sierra University in California, a Seventh Day Adventist institution, is facing a a bit of a mutiny of the faithful because some of its science faculty are teaching evolution in biology classes without including sections on the “Truth”™, i.e., creationism. Needless to say (but I will anyway) Dr. Jim thinks La Sierra should dump the religion and teach the science.
According to the Press-Enterprise:
More than 5,600 people from around the country have signed an online petition that will be presented to the La Sierra University board of trustees at its Nov. 12 meeting. It states that creation occurred in six 24-hour days, expresses concern that evolution is presented as fact in Adventist universities and calls for the universities to explicitly inform students and parents how evolution is taught.
The ultimate goal of the petition drive is to require Adventist teaching on creation in La Sierra biology classes, said Shane Hilde, the Beaumont man and La Sierra graduate spearheading the petition drive. If that doesn’t happen, petition supporters may push La Sierra to disassociate itself from the Seventh-day Adventist Church, he said.
Stolen from Devil's garage
Of course, the university administration is caught, not wanting to compromise the school’s reputation with the non-anti-intellectuals in the world, and maintaining the denominational ties. The article also reports that Hilde is “ looking into allegations of pro-evolution biases at other Adventist universities”.
“Pro-evolution biases”? Holy chattering clam-lips, Batfuck! We can’t have 150 years of intensive scientific research by tens of thousands of highly educated people using the most sophisticated tools in the world create ‘biases’ in the study of Biology! That would be terrible! Oh the Humanity!
(ed. note: That was an editorial)
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The petition does not call for the dismissal of the three La Sierra biology professors who are at the center of the storm. But Hilde said “that ultimately is what happens in these situations.” What a fucking self righteous asshole.
“I would blame the administration for hiring people like this,” he said.
Lee Greer, one of the three targeted professors, declined to comment publicly. In an e-mail, Professor L. Lee Grismer called the matter a “minor controversy” and declined to discuss it further. Professor Gary Bradley did not return phone calls. In September, Bradley told the Web site Inside Higher Ed that he will not denounce or contradict evolutionary theory in his class.
University spokesman Larry Becker declined to reveal the professors’ religious affiliations. About 90 percent of La Sierra’s professors are Adventist, he said. Only Adventists are granted tenure.
“People like this”. My shattered nerves. I really do feel sorry for the profs involved. If they were hired on the agreement that they could teach according to accepted science, then it is a damn cruel thing to change rules after the fact. Hopefully they will be able to find employment at a real university soon, and they won’t have to play with these clowns anymore.
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According to the newspaper, in view of the protests, La Sierra now forces all biology majors to take a seminar on Seventh Day creationist doctrine that includes creation in six 24 hour days. The story doesn’t say if they subscribe to a young earth. Now, apparently there is no move to stop the teaching of evolution per se, but to merely acknowledge in class that it doesn’t fit with church doctrines. Well, whoopdie doo. Scientific facts qualified are facts denied. There is no controversy to teach and the conclusions of scientific experimentation do not constitute a “world-view” as Hilde would have it. La Sierra’s president, Randal Wisbey, didn’t want to interviewed.
In a written statement, he said, “We expect that students will be introduced to the prevailing scientific views within a supportive classroom environment that values the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s contribution to the understanding of biblical creation.”
What a load of diplomatic hooey. Where is the value on the academics that lie behind the “prevailing scientific views”? Does this guy want to run La Sierra as a university or a church?
Worldwide Adventist Church President Jan Paulsen addressed the evolution controversy in June by calling on all Adventist university professors to advocate church teaching that creation occurred during six 24-hour days.
“Faith is certainly not subject to the findings of science,” he wrote.
Paulsen’s got it freaking backwards.
The finding of science–or history, anthropology, religious studies or biblical studies, for that matter-are not subject to faith.
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This kind of thing really pisses me off, and only reinforces my belief that universities that answer to religious belief first and not to the conclusions of advanced research that is subject to open scrutiny are not true universities and should be shunned, blacklisted and mocked by academics around the world. If a school wants to teach science, then teach it, don’t water it down with religion or make excuses for it. If they want to teach religion, then fine, but don’t pretend to be giving your students a good education in something else.
I feel the same way about the study of the Bible, too. Regardless of what seminaries, churches, Bible schools and Sunday Schools teach about it, it is also a subject for secular research into the history of human thought and behaviour. This secular approach to learning ABOUT religion is diametrically opposed to the teaching that any one body of religious teachings represent “truth”.
Hopefully, the board of governors will put academics ahead of appeasing the anti-intellectuals in the Church, and if that means breaking its ties with the Church, so be it. The students will be the ones to benefit.
Technorati Tags: academic+freedom, science, religion, Seventh+Day+Adventist, Darwin,, evolution,, creationist,, lolcats, La+Sierra+University
November 7, 2009 at 6:17 pm
I didn’t know there were enough Seventh Day Adventists in North America to make a small community college possible. If those people aren’t Young Earthers, then we can add acute (and maybe terminal?) hypocrisy to their wacko stance.
Just wait until some physics prof mentions the ‘theoretical-age-of-the-universe-which-goes-against-all-church-teaching’. Then all heck is gonna break out!
November 7, 2009 at 8:20 pm
I wonder if the students are aware that their “degrees” from these kinds of institutions are not looked upon as having the same value as that of those who went to real universities. If I were an employer I would be skeptical of the education received.
Personally, I think God should stay the hell out of the classroom. The best thing our government ever did in that respect was remove the Lord’s Prayer from public schools.
November 7, 2009 at 9:29 pm
First, La Sierra is an adventist UNIVERSITY. It is not a community college.
Second, since it is an adventist college, everything should be based off of the adventist teachings and culture.
It’s really a no-brainer. If you want to teach evolution go teach at a non-denominational college. People who go to La Sierra pay for a Christian education, so they should get one. By the way, there are many adventist colleges in the world.
November 7, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Hmmm, ” La Sierra is an adventist UNIVERSITY. It is not a community college.
Second, since it is an adventist college …
Well, if they are going to teach biology then let them teach freakin’ biology. There is NO alternative to evolution for the multiplicity of species on this planet. Sorry. There is just none. The earth wasn’t made in 6 days, it is billions of years old. It is just the way it is. If that doesn’t suit Adventist beliefs then they should just simply get out of the “college” business altogether because they would be lying to students who think they are getting an education that would be fully usable outside of Adventist communities. At some point Christian universities in Europe had to stop teaching that the sun orbited the earth. Making the same kind of change in biology and other subjects is long overdue.
November 8, 2009 at 11:19 pm
I’m currently a student at LSU and I know personally that a great percentage of our campus fully supports the three professors under fire, and we also DON’T like outsiders trying to influence what goes on in our classrooms. We DON’T like how ignorant Adventists who don’t have PhD’s or other reputable qualifications criticizing what professors are teaching, who actually do have the qualifications. I find banishing the theory of evolution from our curriculum a form of brain washing. Intelligent design is just not backed up by scientific evidence. In addition, religion and science are two different methods of studying life. However, when you read the Bible literally, science and religion don’t go hand in hand. But, when you interpret Scripture and dig deeper, science can actually support the Bible. Most of us students are confused to why there is such a big controversy. In our eyes, Shane Hilde seems very unqualified to be making these accusations, especially when he exploited a recent graduate of La Sierra University to his advantage. Unfortunately for him, the paper that he used to display the unfair grading of the two LSU Biology Professors turned out to be plagiarized. I would love to address the protestors who will come to our campus this Wednesday and say, “Stand if you have a Bachelors. Remain standing if you have a PhD. Stay standing if you have a PhD in a science field. The ones who are still standing are the only ones qualified enough to be here protesting, and for the ones who are qualified obviously you’re PhD doesn’t mean shit.” But, as a well-mannered University student, I choose to ignore the ignorant and the meddling group of people who claim to value high-education. I am by the way, a conservative and practicing Adventist. Learning about the theory of evolution has actually strengthened my relationship and belief in God, not weakened it.
November 10, 2009 at 6:16 pm
I am also a current student at La Sierra, and neptunnus basically summed up how the LARGE majority of students here feel. These “protests” are the work of a fringe group. Quite frankly, most Adventists in the United States understand that the scientific consensus is for evolution, but the church leadership pays lip service to creationism due to conservative elements within the world church.
Al and Stacy, google “Loma Linda University” and then see what you have to say about Adventist “community colleges”. We are on the cutting edge of medical research, in fact, the Adventist church is known for its health message.
November 10, 2009 at 8:14 pm
I didn’t say anything about “community colleges”.
And I stand by my comment about the value of degrees.
December 1, 2009 at 10:45 pm
Some food for thought. If the general consensus in the scientific community is that Global Warming is real, and then Climategate happens, http://thetrumpet.com/index.php?q=6752.5280.0.0
Could it be even more likely that the same thing is happening in the field of evolution, since there are even more vested interests in that field? So does a Christian school have the right to require teaching of other viewpoints? You bet.
February 15, 2010 at 7:35 pm
[...] neptunnus November 8, 2009 I’m currently a student at LSU and I know personally that a great percentage of our campus fully supports the three professors under fire, and we also DON’T like outsiders trying to influence what goes on in our classrooms. We DON’T like how ignorant Adventists who don’t have PhD’s or other reputable qualifications criticizing what professors are teaching, who actually do have the qualifications. I find banishing the theory of evolution from our curriculum a form of brain washing. Intelligent design is just not backed up by scientific evidence. In addition, religion and science are two different methods of studying life. However, when you read the Bible literally, science and religion don’t go hand in hand. But, when you interpret Scripture and dig deeper, science can actually support the Bible. Most of us students are confused to why there is such a big controversy. In our eyes, Shane Hilde seems very unqualified to be making these accusations, especially when he exploited a recent graduate of La Sierra University to his advantage. Unfortunately for him, the paper that he used to display the unfair grading of the two LSU Biology Professors turned out to be plagiarized. I would love to address the protestors who will come to our campus this Wednesday and say, “Stand if you have a Bachelors. Remain standing if you have a PhD. Stay standing if you have a PhD in a science field. The ones who are still standing are the only ones qualified enough to be here protesting, and for the ones who are qualified obviously you’re PhD doesn’t mean shit.” But, as a well-mannered University student, I choose to ignore the ignorant and the meddling group of people who claim to value high-education. I am by the way, a conservative and practicing Adventist. Learning about the theory of evolution has actually strengthened my relationship and belief in God, not weakened it. [...]
February 16, 2010 at 1:19 pm
There are literally tens of thousands of SDA schools, colleges, and universities in almost every country of the world. The SDA church is the fastest growing church because of its overseas missions and they have the second largest number of hospitals that they manage, nearly 300 in North America alone.
SDAs have the second largest private school and hospital system of any denomination, second only to the Catholics.
SDAs are also recognized as having the latest medical treatments and advancements that come out of their medical research hospital in Loma Linda, CA and are frequently in the news for having the most advanced procedures.
If you watched the news, you would know…
February 21, 2010 at 1:24 pm
I fully support the Bible and the Bible Only. I suggest the immediate and total withdrawal of financial support to LSU until such time that LSU come into compliance with fundamental SDA beliefs. I am, as are many others, unwilling to donate a nickle to LSU until this is accomplished. Students wishing a secular education should attend secular institutions.
February 21, 2010 at 2:52 pm
I find it curious that neptunnus chose to attend an SDA school if he thinks that the beliefs of the church are ignorant. If a person doesn’t agree with SDA beliefs, he/she is free to go elsewhere. And who does he consider to be the outsiders? I wonder how long the students would have classrooms and professors to instruct them if the “ignorant Adventists” pulled financial support from La Sierra? Grow up.
February 21, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Dear Neptunnas,
Just because someone has letters behind their names, does not make them a genius. And remember, Jesus spoke using the Word of God to combat the “ignorance” of the Phd’s who were ’suppose’ to be the teachers in Israel at the time of His first appearance. God’s Word, and God’s Word alone is the ONLY standard by which we must live by, not by what some so-called smart professors says. If this is how you feel…get out of our Adventist Universities and join the ranks of the world who are learning ‘ignorance’.