Liberating a Liberal University from Liberals

Kyungpook National University

Visiting Professor

Sangju Campus

South Korea

Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College

Australia

31 July 2011

Most Adventists are not aware, but La Sierra University is an Adventist University and stands under the umbrella of the General Conference and the staff are paid with tithes and offerings, if budgets cannot fully take care of everything. Ownership rests with the SDA Church. It is in California. Famous professors like Dr. Lawrence Geraty, the President of AASOR, an archaeological network, was for years President of La Sierra University. Not to say anything about dr. Geraty, some hair-raising comments came in the past regarding biblical standing and conventional Adventism from staff of this institution. In fact, some students told me that they left there because it was, in their words, "too liberal". I have never been there and cannot say.

Until someone posted me the current news item regarding La Sierra University that three of its professors were "fired" or coerced to resign. The President of the Board of Trustees, dr. Graham, who is also connected to the SDA Conference, in consultation with other members of the SDA Administration, decided that it is in the best interest of the church that three men be asked to resign.

What prompted this step by the church, comes a long way over years of which evidence can be seen by one of the three, a professor of Biology at La Sierra University, Gary Bradley, who's lecture "Homonim Evolution" is online. The powerpoint display indicate that he does not believe in a six day creation week. Bible is for him thus, not that relevant as a scientist, a point that is "unforgiving" in an SDA context with the importance of Sabbath and Moses repetition that six days were 24 literal hours in Exodus 20:8-11. Bradley gave this lecture already in 2009.

Source: [http://www.educatetruth.com/la-sierra-evidence/presentations/gary-bradley-lsu-hominin-evolution/]

It is material that starkly contrast that of dr. Walther Veith, the South African evangelist and zoology professor (see his lectures on http://youtube.com on the same data).

According to information from the bloggers to the Magazine we consulted below as well as newspaper articles, three professors, Jeff Kaatz, La Sierra's former vice president of development, Jim Beach, the former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Gary Bradley, a former professor of biology had a meeting in a house after a faculty meeting chaired by dr. Ricardo Graham, the president of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. According to the information by the bloggers, and also from another site Educate Truth, and their bloggers, someone linked to these three men had his cell-phone on during the staff meeting and by accident when he met with the other three in the house, he left it on by mistake recording all their actions and words in the house as well.

What bloggers brought out is that the cell-phone info was then circulated to close friends of theirs but it fell into the hands of the Chairman of the Board, dr. Graham. Disturbed about the content, he passed the info on to his superiors in order to get advice from higher levels in the General Conference. On the basis of their analysis and on the basis of other data they had already regarding these men, the decision was made to terminate their contracts.

What was very shocking of these three seniors working at La Sierra University under the umbrella of the Seventh-day Adventist church, is that they started drinking alcohol and swear in their comments about the faculty meeting, the church and members of the committee. Despite 80% of Spectrum Magazine bloggers non-SDA affiliation and sympathy with these three men, our sober conclusion is that dr. Graham acted correctly and not out of place.

The SDA church is a non-alcoholic user institution and also a non-smoking institution. It is expected that one of the clauses of the Contract for Hiring is that they will upheld the good standards of the SDA church in full.

Our comments are summarized and taken from the site from the Spectrum Magazine 28 July 2011.

Source:

[http://spectrummagazine.org/blog/2011/07/28/la-sierra-university-employees-file-suit]

Liberal bloggers are outraged that Truth should be spoken with power and why such a late start?

Another blogger who are liberal thought that the "Titanic of the Seventh-day Adventist church is facing some icebergs of it's own making". One blogger summarized the legal issue as follows:

"A part of the contest would have to be the relative weight the court gives to institutional procedures and whether they were properly followed at LSU as against the weight of the evidence of violation of essential principles contained in critical evidence used to dismiss the LSU3 and whether that evidence is admissible in court."

Liberal bloggers mock with the idea that "under new management, the institution will become Southern Adventist University West".

Another bloggers cited the document of the laywers of the three who made a case against La Sierra last Thursday 28 of July 2011, namely

"The actions taken by the executives of the Seventh-day Adventist Church organization, that subsequently went unchallenged by the La Sierra University Board of Trustees and administration, were in violation of the bylaws of La Sierra University, the Board Chairman's duty to La Sierra University, and numerous laws."

It is also stated that the actions

"...were not taken in isolation, but were in fact taken by church executives as part of a larger battle for control over La Sierra University."

Our comment is that we are very happy that it is not in isolation and also that it is an attempt of the church to weed out liberals at a liberal university. Creationism cannot be thrown overboard and kicked under the carpet in Adventist circles. The actions of the church are thus praiseworthy and around the globe, many will feel encouraged by the church's step here.

Bloggers alleged that dr. Graham did not consult with the president of the University in advance and when he asked for more time, dr. Graham allegedly did not want to grant it. The court case will reveal more about the correctness of procedures followed by dr. Graham. Our comment is that it is immaterial for us whether he acted properly, he had to act and did so effectively. Discipline has teeth that smiles when you are in line but bites when you are not.

One blogger heard some extra info and said "I have heard that the three named defendants, Graham, Blackmer and to a lesser degree Jackson, have been colluding for nearly two years with two former LSU provosts with GC appointments, a lawyer working for the GC, two or three LSU board members, and the forces behind Educate Truth to bring LSU under Church "control," limit academic freedom in both the sciences and religion, and dictate the science and religion curriculum. The AAA action and the Friday purge are examples of their efforts."

Our comment on these words are that they acted appropriately according to the Word of God and in defense of it also. Seventh-day Adventist institutions cannot afford to have boozers as professors. Let us remind ourselves that in the late 18th century the rationalist Bahrdt arrived at Halle to be professor there but they warned him "our vocation demands not only that we should prevent the dissemination of directly irreligious opinions, but also that we should watch over the doctrines which are contained in Holy Scripture, and, in conformity with it, in the Augsburg Confession of Faith" (John Hurst, A History of Rationalism [1864]: 141). He loved money and established an inn at Halle in the suburbs of the city where drank alcohol with his students every night. He went to brothels regularly and as a libertine he contracted syphilis and died of it (Hurst 1864: 142).

One blogger expects that La Sierra University will reacted the following way:

"You may also expect that LSU will downplay the part of the recording where church officials are criticized, but rather focus on the parts that they claim show anti-Adventist activities: drinking, swearing, etc. They will say that these violate their work agreements, and thus the terminations were appropriate. Of course the defense to that is twofold: 1) to claim they had no right to that information, and 2) to compare how other people that have publicly (as opposed to privately) violated LSU's conduct policies have been dealt with for their first offense."

Our comment is that LSU has a right to do this since alcohol abuse and swearing by faculty is not given a green light in the Hire Agreements.

One conservative blogger on Spectrum raised his voice and said about the tape recordings on the cell-phone:

"the recording will enter the PUBLIC RECORD then we can all hear (or read) the statements--which SPECTRUM the vanguard of transparancy has NOT shared--made. Yes, it would be nice to hear these men as they sat back drinking alcohol abusing the grace of God while using language that disqualifies them from being a Christian, then listen to them complain about how the church is unfair. Does not James say if "any man bridles not his tongue that man's religion is vain?"

The blogger felt that a good result of all this is "I guess another benefit might be that the church will lose its aversion to terminating professors and administrators and sweeping reforms will be made in the church as the axe is laid at the root of rotten trees which bear fruit of infidelity."

Other information that appear from the bloggers is that dr. Jeffrey Kaatz is on the board of directors for the Center for Conflict Resolution at La Sierra University. The goal of this center is ironically

"The Center's goal is to help you resolve actual or potential conflicts. While Center programs and personnel can provide crucial support as you attempt to reduce the risk of litigation, the Center is committed to equipping people to deal successfully with conflicts of all kinds."

Ironic since now he is leading a case against the hand that fed him all these years with tithes and offerings from the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

Source: http://www.lasierra.edu/index.php?id=7643

Soon after his resignation, the biology professor Gary Bradley put out the following:

“I feel like my very soul has been ripped from my body. My entire life since I began teaching 46 years ago has been dedicated to Adventist education. I’m not ready to quit and I grieve the loss of the classroom where I have had such rewarding interactions with the wonderful people who are my students. I have many important projects underway here now and many other people will be inconvenienced by my sudden departure. I can only say that I am deeply sorry and will try my utmost to earn redemption.

“If you are among those who welcome this transition, I request that you celebrate with dignity. If you are among those who find this transition upsetting, I ask that you not turn it into a war. Please continue to do what you can to make La Sierra University the best and most progressive SDA university in the world.”

Source: From Inside Higher Ed, June 15, 2011

This is also ironic since pleading for pacifism, the militant Bradley is now running for legal attacks.

That Bradley was liberal is announced here by his word progressive himself.

A blogger also lamented "t's sad to see people take the side of the cussing, alcohol drinking, bad mouthing "spiritual leaders" from LSU. So called spiritual leaders suing LSU and the Adventist Church for educational funds, tithes, and offerings is a shame. Educational leadership is a spiritual calling that allows Adventist educators the ability to lead people to Christ in the classroom. May the good Lord intervene and cause this lawsuit to fall flat on its face." www.AdventistVoice.com

Another blogger cited the attorney/laywer and says:

"From a subsequent article by The Press Enterprise dated July 28, 2011:

'Richard McCune, the attorney for the three plaintiffs, said his clients are worried that the forced resignations are “not only hurting them personally but harming the university they have devoted their lives to.'

The ironic thing about this statement is that LSU is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit. If these men are so concerned about any harm that may come to LSU, why then are they suing LSU itself?"

"LSU is named as a defendant, because it was the active entity which fired the plaintiffs, acting on demand from the G.C.," says another blogger.

A blogger, normally in favor of liberalism at La Sierra University, made the following remark:

"The openness, the cameradrie, the dialectic of the academic community was disrupted at Glacier View.

The present witch hunt will destroy it forever. It is very unfortunate that the famous four were so clumsy in their clandestine prat fall. The fear of being tarred by the same brush, the churchmen, as usual, acted in a crude, rude, and vindictive manner--apparenly outside of legal limits in some minds of considerable legal experience.

It is very unfortunate that competent and well respected and likeable men indicted themselves with a

self recorded and distributed tape. It is doubly unfortunate that the "brethren" acted so preemptively and unwisely. Some times starting a back fire to put out a wild fire merely compounds the flame."

It seems that blogger Thomas Zemer is licking wounds here. Liberalism may have reason to frown. In our understanding of the end-time scenario, sleeping saints will wake up and a reformation will take place. Is a purging of institutions from liberal networks and non-SDA elements part of this scenario and is what is happening at La Sierra University under the administration of Ted Wilson the start of a transformation of Adventist institutions?

Says one blogger, that the WACS a American association of accreditation of Colleges and Schools, that they will downgrade La Sierra University again to be a college and not university. In our understanding, if it is going to cost accreditation for the price of secularism removed, then it is worth the effort. A downgraded simple "Bible College" is a great honor as long as it is fundamentally biblical.

One responsible blogger in Spectrum said:

"But its quite another story to recognize that the behavior of the four men as recorded was not at all coercive. It was not demanded or solicited; it was an act of freedom. The disclosure of the behavior, too, though perhaps inadvertent, was also not forced, as far as i can tell. Intelligent adults, especially those who claim over 100 years experience educating and serving as role models for our very vulnerable youth, and who enjoy substantial experience in administration and advanced intellectual achievements, should understand that they are to accept responsibility for the acts they perform in freedom - whether public or private. As teachers, don't we require similar acceptance of responsibility from our students, however much some poor performers may want to blame their circumstances, their teacher, the type of exams, or the grading system?"

Commenting on Bradley confession letter above (earlier) and his contrasting legal action Thursday 28th of July 2011, the blogger said:

"But now, having put his hand to the plow, he is abandoning it for the sword."

He concluded with the following words:

"Taking this low road, he and his friends are relinquishing all personal responsibility and are putting the blame totally and unequivocally on others for what was their free act - hurling before the courts everyone in sight for untold damages. Supposedly out of some great great love for Adventist education which sustained him for 46 year and for LSU, not for personal gain!"

The Adventist Accreditation Association is called AAA. Their sites are:

http://education.gc.adventist.org/documents/Accreditation%20Preface%2020...

http://education.gc.adventist.org/approval.html

http://www.nadeducation.adventist.org

Liberals in the blogs are lamenting that it will sent shockwaves through the system of the church. They blame the system that it lacks "transparency, ethics, authenticity and accountability." When the church is disciplining faculty it is because of ethics, because of the authenticity of the Word of God and also transparent by playing the tape and ask advise from higher officials and lastly has to do with accountability. These were all the areas that the plaintiffs [3 teachers] fell short of.

One conservative blogger said: "that the men have disqualified themselves as teachers in a Seventh-day Adventist institution. Men of moral backbone would have said years ago that they no longer fit the requirements of faculty for an SDA school and moved on to campuses where their views are acceptable."

It seems as if secularism has also a hand in the pie and wants to maintain the downtrend at La Sierra University and not let it go. One blogger who represent the view of the WACS and its goals as network [a history of philosophy by itself and outside the scope of this writing now] said the following:

"It really is all up to the WASC. If their requirements are not met, LSU will effectively close as a university. These four are finally challenging the AAA in its heavy-handed actions, but the final word, if the school is to retain university status, is with the WASC. If not, then LSU will become another Bible college, unaccredited, and with no governmental funding without which it cannot operate.

The teachers were hired to teach their particular subjects, not SDA religion or SDA theology, which is an entirely different department. No university teachers are expected to qualify to teach in multiple disciplines. They were living up to their contract. It was the G.C., not LSU who requested their resignations; something they had no authority to do, which is why WASC stepped in."

She is not a Seventh-day Adventist but loves to participate in Spectrum and always against the church, its doctrines and faith. What her agenda is or whom she represents is not clear. Yes, scientists are also theologians and theologians are also scientists. Elainne Nelson do not fully understand the collateralness of sciences, the sharing aspects, the axioms, epistemology, methodology, philosophy, the worldview that underlies every single writing, sentence, paragraph, essay, article, sermon, lecture. There is a wholeness here and one part affects all the others.

In another magazine Educate Truth, Bob Ryann made these sober comments in a blog:

"Those three guys seem to not know when to throw away the shovel when trying to dig themselves ever deeper into a hole.

In their own press release they freely admit that the “or else” option that caused them to jump at the chance to resign – was the threat that what they tape of their own conversation would unmask them and they would be seen for what they really are doing behind closed doors. The text of their own press release makes it clear that fear of having others find out what they were really like when scheming behind closed doors was “sufficient” for them to choose resignation rather than exposure.

Then having little or no control over the tape that they released to family and friends – they found that the result was both exposure AND resignation. At this point they apparently feel they have nothing to lose by telling the world about their activities."

Source:http://www.educatetruth.com/la-sierra-evidence/lsu-pacific-union-conference-and-north-american-division-sued/comment-page-1/#comment-33515

See also The Press Enterprise July 28, 2011.

What is happening in our church is maybe the Hand of God at all costs, even of losing secular accreditation, pushing away all secular hands over the institution, and grabbing back what belongs to them fully and with this cleansing action, hope to achieve much more in future with dedication rather than accommodation. This is necessary for our institutions to play a key part in the Latter Rain event. Of course the whole world will be gearing up towards a Global Persecution Society and that involves secularist teeth against religious isolationist approaches on the matter of ecumenism, pluralism, fusion, eclecticism.