North America

Evolution controversy stirs U.S. Adventist campus

California's La Sierra reaffirms church's teachings; student critic placed on probation

Riverside, California, United States | Mark A. Kellner, Adventist Review/ANN

To a visitor, the 100-acre campus of La Sierra University, an 88-year-old Seventh-day Adventist tertiary institution, seems a tranquil retreat amidst the gritty hustle of southern California's "Inland Empire," a place where local commerce intersects with trucks headed from the ports of Long Beach and San Diego to Las Vegas and beyond.

But beneath that calm exterior, contention is brewing over how La Sierra, owned by the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, presents its 1,850 students with information on how the Earth, and life on the planet, came into existence.

The stark question being asked by some alumni, parents, and church leaders: Is the Adventist Church's fundamental belief -- "God is Creator of all things, and has revealed in Scripture the authentic account of His creative activity" -- being taught, or are some of La Sierra's biology instructors presenting evolution as an explanation of origins?

In a letter to trustees and the university community last May, La Sierra president Randal Wisbey refuted the charge: "Every one of our science faculty share the goal of students experiencing a vibrant Adventist Christian faith while pursuing their education in the sciences. ... At La Sierra University, we take seriously the challenge of how to best integrate science education and faith development. Ultimately, our goal is to help students develop a personal relationship with their Creator."

That affirmation hasn't silenced some critics. Last year, a Web site called "Educate Truth" posted a collection of articles and documents which its editor, Shane Hilde, a 2005 English graduate of La Sierra, says allow "students and parents to make informed decisions, and also creates awareness in the [Adventist] church."

On the Web site, Hilde notes, "There are biology professors at La Sierra University who believe and teach evolution as the preferred scientific worldview."

In an interview with Adventist Review, Hilde said of La Sierra, "we have employees misrepresenting their employer. We have professors who are misrepresenting the Adventist Church's position on creation."

Public reaction has come in the form of a widely circulated "open letter" to Adventist Church leadership from David Asscherick, an Adventist pastor and evangelist. Additional reporting appeared in the town of Riverside's Press-Enterprise newspaper, and Inside Higher Education, a trade journal covering colleges and universities.

In the latter journal, La Sierra biology professor Gary Bradley was quoted as saying, "It's very, very clear that what I'm skeptical of is the absolute necessity of believing that the only way a creator God could do things is by speaking them into existence a few thousand years ago." Bradley further noted, "That's where my skepticism lies. That's the religious philosophical basis for what I call the lunatic fringe."

Bradley is "semi-retired" but remains on the biology faculty and is teaching classes, La Sierra's executive director of university relations Larry Becker told the Review in a March 30 telephone interview.

One member of the La Sierra board of trustees, Dr. Carla Lidner-Baum, is concerned about the potential direction an evolutionary view could take the Adventist Church.

"This is a real time of threat to the historically held Adventist beliefs. ... Either we are accepting this change or we are not," Dr. Lidner-Baum said in a telephone interview, referring to those supporting a move away from the traditional view of creation.

In November of 2009, La Sierra's trustees voted a statement in which they affirmed that school leaders have "heard and taken to heart the concern that Seventh-day Adventist beliefs and teachings have not been given appropriate priority in biology curriculum and instruction. Specifically, the Board is committed to assuring that the teaching of the theory of evolution takes place within the context of the Adventist belief regarding creation."

Trustees also said the school is bound to provide "whole-hearted support for the doctrines and teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church," including the belief in creation. At a trustees meeting in February, trustees "reaffirmed their previous action from November 2009 upholding the Adventist Church's doctrine of creation," a news release from the school said.

Caught in the crossfire is La Sierra student Louie Bishop. He said he was placed on "citizenship probation" by the school for circulating letters opposing the teaching of evolutionary concepts and for posting notes of a professor's lecture online, despite a verbal agreement that Bishop would not do so without consulting the teacher.

In a January 25 interview, Bishop said he "thought a lot about that before I did that and I talked to a lot of people because I was wrestling with certain things and the administration issued me this status of citizenship probation. From U.S. copyright law I understand the university doesn't have the right to do anything if I am posting a lecture online for academic critique. There is nothing wrong with reproducing that."

Despite Bishop's individual case, about which the school is reluctant to comment citing federal student privacy laws, La Sierra's Becker said the school is trying to move beyond the Web-fueled controversy.

Said Ricardo Graham, president of the church's Pacific Union, "We believe the Bible is the inspired book and is authoritative. We are in trouble if the first 11 chapters [of Genesis] are not to be considered inspired or factual, then the significant positioning of Christianity is called into question." Graham is also chairman of the La Sierra trustee board.

"Seventh-day Adventists across North America are appropriately concerned that students at Adventist colleges and universities emerge from higher education with a strong confidence in the Genesis account of origins," said Larry Blackmer, Education director for the church in North America.

"This issue is larger than any one campus in our system, and goes to the heart of what it means to operate an academically-credible and faith-based school," Blackmer said. "Parents and alumni have the right to expect our schools and educators to teach the standards and philosophies of the Adventist Church. But we must also remember that the discussion itself should be conducted with Christian civility and a respect for fairness in all that's said or written."

The next major administrative event for the school is a May 12 constituency meeting. According to a 2008 "Campus News Feature" from La Sierra, "The constituents elect board trustees, approve changes to university bylaws and conduct other business matters involving the university. Constituents meet every two years to vote on bylaws, trustee nominations and other matters."

At the Review's deadline at the end of March, Becker said he had not seen an agenda, which is expected to be sent to constituency members "some time in April."

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