I am the La Sierra University student mentioned in the recent March 31st Adventist

Review article entitled “Evolution Controversy Stirs La Sierra Campus”. I would like
to give my personal testimony regarding the inaccurate comments published by the
LSU Administration in response to the article.

First of all, in its response, the Administration says that the article by the Review
“represents an unprecedented alignment of the official church paper with voices
seeking to tear down a church institution.” While I disagree with these unfair
allegations against the Adventist Review, I have no doubt that I am one of those
voices that the University believes is trying to tear it down, and feel compelled to
set the record straight.

As a student of La Sierra, I am proud of the teachings of the Seventh-Day Adventist

Church. I came to LSU expecting to receive a Seventh-day Adventist Christian
education. I resent paying expensive tuition only to see my beliefs ridiculed and
undermined. That said, my personal goal is not to tear down La Sierra University,
but rather to do what I can to make it what God established it to be.

1 Corinthians 3:11 says “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is
laid, which is Jesus Christ.” If a Seventh-Day Adventist University builds its
teachings on a foundation different from Jesus Christ, then it needs to be rebuilt, for
it has lost its purpose! I want La Sierra University to fulfill its sacred mission by
regaining this lost purpose. This cannot happen when the truth of what is actually
being taught is hidden from the parents, the public, and the Church. My objective
has always been to expose the truth in hopes of effecting positive change. Sadly,
evolution is taught as truth at LSU, while Biblical Creation is largely ignored and/or
undermined.

Secondly, in point #4 of its response to the Adventist Review, the

Administration alleges the following:

“La Sierra University has already begun teaching a new class for all freshman
biology students to help prepare them to navigate issues of faith and science
—a fact that the Review article did not mention……Topics in the fall of 2009
included the role and function of science, the importance of faith, and the
relevant doctrinal positions of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Students
who attended the seminar responded positively to it……”

As a student of General Biology in the fall of 2009, I was required to attend this
course, BIOL 111A, informally called the Freshman Seminar. This Seminar was
promoted as the class where the relevant doctrinal positions of the SDA Church
regarding Creation would be taught. Sadly, this was not the case. In fact, the first
chapters of Genesis were never even read during this course.

As a student who attended the Seminar, I did not respond positively to it! Rather
than teaching the “relevant doctrinal positions of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church,” as alleged in Administration’s response to the Adventist Review, this
course actually undermined the traditional beliefs of the Church. In fact, I became
so concerned by what was being taught in one particular session, I personally wrote
to President Wisbey and also to the LSU Board of Trustees, notifying them of my
concerns. The speakers were the Dean of the School of Religion, Dr. John Webster,
and Dr. Warren Johns from Loma Linda University.

To put the timing in context, my letter to President Wisbey and the Trustees was
sent shortly after the LSU Board issued their Statement of Support for the
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Adventist View of Creation dated November 11, 2009. After reading this
document, I was certain the Board was not aware of what was being taught in this
seminar and felt convicted to inform them that their Statement was not being
implemented at LSU. Examples of what was presented in this session include the
following:

• The literal (historical-grammatical) method of interpreting the Bible is “not

particularly helpful.”

• The opening chapters of Genesis might not really be about how the world
came into being, but might be about how we understand the world as God’s
dwelling place; as the temple of God.

• The temple in ancient times was considered to be a miniature cosmos. When

they built their temples, they built them as symbols of the entire cosmos—the
entire universe.

• In ancient Jewish thought the temple was always dedicated in a seven-day

ceremony. And so, when a temple is inaugurated, it wasn’t created then; it
was dedicated and so you need to think in terms of the days of creation as
being days of inauguration; God putting his stamp of ultimate approval
saying ‘It is good. ‘

• The dedication of God’s temple, which is the Cosmos, so he could now enter
and have a dwelling place—this happened in 7 days.

• Thus, the days of Creation as mentioned in the Bible are not necessarily days
of creation, but rather days of inauguration of the temple. “As Dr. Webster
eloquently mentioned in one of his last charts, the way we are now viewing
Genesis 1 as figurative—it’s full of symbolism as well as having a literal time
aspect; seven literal days—but they are days of inauguration, and not days
necessarily of initiation or beginning.”

• The Old Testament Chronology, which was summed up as seven cycles of

490 years, is a human understanding of how history developed and when we
have a humanly created product we don’t need to say this is absolute-- that
the earth can be no older than 4012 BC.

• After graduation you will say I got my degree in June of 2013 but you are
getting something you earned over a period of time—not in one day. It is the
same with the days of creation. They are inaugurated, set apart as special,
but there was a lot of work that went on before them.

• Question by Dr. Greer: So, Warren, are you suggesting that a literalist
approach to Genesis 1 may be a misreading? Answer: The literal approach
doesn’t work in ancient thought.

• Book to be posted on Course Website, “The Lost World of Genesis 1” is a way

of harmonizing science and religion. It’s the inauguration view of Genesis 1.

Despite knowing the truth about what was actually presented, the Administration
has represented the Freshman Seminar as being a major solution to the current
Creation/Evolution controversy at La Sierra. For example, the LSU response to the

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Adventist Review article tells us that the importance of faith was addressed in the
Seminar. The above comments I have listed are directly from the session entitled
“Faith and the Intellect,” which was a part of that Seminar.

Fortunately most of the Freshman Seminar sessions were video taped, including the
session described above. These DVDs, made available to all students, document
what was actually presented in this course. Rather than take my word for it, I
would challenge the Administration to post on the LSU website all recordings of the
freshman Biology lectures to enable the public to decide for themselves. Failure to
meet this challenge may well indicate the Administration is aware of the truth, but
is embarrassed to reveal to the public what was actually taught in this class.

Finally, I am also the student referred to in point #5 of the

Administration’s response to the Adventist Review article. The
Administration states “La Sierra University has never, and will never discipline a
student for holding Seventh-day Adventist beliefs. Never! …When a student is
reported to have committed an infraction against a specific policy, it is investigated
and, if necessary, he or she is heard before a judicial committee.”

The language chosen by the Administration is interesting. While I may not have
been disciplined for “holding” Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, I believe I was been
unfairly subjected to disciplinary actions on 3 separate occasions because of my
efforts to defend the traditional Seventh-day Adventist beliefs on Creation by
informing others of what was being taught at LSU! The 3 disciplinary actions taken
against me were for the following alleged infractions:

1. Passing out a letter after church on Alumni weekend, in February 2009,

describing my concerns abut how evolution was being taught at LSU, without
getting permission. Almost seven months later (September of 2009) I was
blocked from registering as a student at LSU. The Administration placed a
disciplinary hold on my student account because of this incident. Although
the Admissions Committee eventually granted me admission to LSU, I missed
the entire first week of school.

2. Because of my concern for the salvation of other students who could lose
their faith because of the promotion of evolution in Biology classes at LSU, I
wrote a personal note which I gave to about 20 of my fellow classmates. My
one paragraph note stated in part, “If you are wrestling with doubt or
wondering even why things like this are being taught at a Christian
university; if you want answers; scientific answers, Biblical answers—then
email me and share your concerns. I have permission from a top SDA
scientist to share his peer-reviewed work that has been published in leading
scientific journals. “

For this alleged infraction I was disciplined by the so-called “Judicial

Committee,” which does not appear to be an official committee of LSU. I was
given a “Letter of Censure” for not having my note approved by LSU before I
distributed it. I have since sought approval for distribution of my letter
through the process that the Administration requested—my letter was
denied.

3. In December of 2009, it seemed that LSU had still not implemented the Board
of Trustees Statement of Support for the Adventist View of Creation
which required that the teaching of the theory of evolution takes place within

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 the context of the Adventist belief regarding creation. After attending a
lecture by Dr. Greer, which promoted the idea that humans and chimpanzees
evolved from a common ancestor, I felt convicted to allow slides from this
lecture to be published on the Educate Truth Website. For this alleged
infraction I was given “Citizenship Probation” for not talking to Dr. Greer first.
Citizenship Probation is defined as a “disciplinary status indicating that a
student is in serious violation of policy.” This punishment will impact my
future because negative information, including a letter stating I was
suspended, will likely be shared with graduate schools that I apply to in the
future.

All of the above disciplinary proceedings and actions were in violation of several of
the provisions of the LSU Student Handbook and other policies. Additionally, at
least 3 of my student rights, as assured on page 39 of the current LSU Student
Handbook, were violated as follows:

“2. La Sierra University students have the right to expect a Christian

university to be a place of spiritual nurture. A Christian learning environment
nurtures spiritual growth of all members of its community while teaching the
faith and traditions of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.”

If this Student Right had not been violated, I would not have been in trouble. Had
La Sierra University fulfilled its obligation to teach the faith and traditions of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church, it would not have been necessary for me to write
letters or post Biology course information. If I had not taken these actions, in
defense of the SDA faith, I would never have been disciplined.

“9. La Sierra University students have the right to freely and without fear of
reprisal express their opinions, beliefs, and questions, including expressions
about University student life and academic experiences. A Christian learning
environment supports respectful expression of diverse ideas through
appropriate means.”

It is my right as a student to express my opinions about my academic experiences

at La Sierra University, including my concerns about how evolution is being taught
as truth at LSU. It is my right to describe my academic experiences publically,
freely and without fear of reprisal. This right should have protected me from the
disciplinary actions to which I was subjected for distributing a letter at church,
giving a personal note of concern to my classmates, and publishing information
about my academic experiences on the Educate Truth website.

“10. La Sierra University students have the right to impartial discipline

appropriate to the infraction of the University policies. A Christian learning
environment respects and supports the individual.”

I am entitled by Federal law to review all of the information in any of LSU’s files
about me. In order to prepare my defenses, I repeatedly requested information
about the evidence supporting the allegations against me, as well as information
about individuals who testified in these matters. My requests were largely denied.
Additionally, in all of the above instances, I was denied my right to appear and
defend myself before any of the committees who were deliberating against me.
Instead I was told to describe in writing how I would change my behavior in the
future before I even knew what evidence was being considered against me. Despite
my profuse apologies, disciplinary actions were taken against me that violated the
LSU Student Handbook.
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In LSU’s response to the Review article, it inaccurately stated:

“When a student is reported to have committed an infraction against a

specific policy, it is investigated and, if necessary, he or she is heard before a
judicial committee.”

As indicated above, despite repeatedly requesting permission to appear before the

Admissions Committee, “Judicial Committee” and the Student Life Committee, all
these requests were denied. I was never allowed to be heard before any of these
committees in order to defend myself against unknown evidence and accusers. In
short, I was denied fair hearings and due process.

La Sierra University is owned by the Pacific Union of Seventh-day Adventists, not by

the Administration or the faculty. LSU is obligated in its own Bylaws to teach and
support the beliefs of the SDA church. It is my prayer that through this difficult
controversy, it will fulfill its sacred mission by defending the Seventh-day Adventist
beliefs on Creation, as well as the name and identity of our Creator God. Please
especially pray for the Board of Trustees and the leaders of the SDA Church as they
continue to deal with this crisis. May they be given the necessary wisdom, courage
and strength to fulfill their obligations to God and to the Seventh-day Adventist
Church!

Respectfully,

Louie Bishop