It is not the LSU students who are rejecting the Bible and God; it is administrators and teachers who are determined to lead them there.

The rapidity with which our denomination is heading downward is breathtaking. In the present article, we shall consider one of the most recently disclosed examples.

La Sierra University (LSU) is apparently no longer an Adventist institution. For years, the leaders of that institution have been abandoning Adventist standards. The administrators and a number of the faculty have arrived at the point where they are systematically working to rid the school--and its students--of our historic doctrines.

On May 22, 1999, the Press-Enterprise, published in nearby Riverside, California, reported on what is taking place at LSU. That article is reprinted on pages 2 and 3 of the tract you now have in hand.

You will, of course, want to read the newspaper article for yourself. Here is a brief overview of some of its key points:

• According to Lawrence Geraty, president of the university, La Sierra stopped being a Bible school in the 1940s and 1950s. Is it really true that LSU has not had the Bible as its base for over half a century, or is he misrepresenting the facts in order to excuse his present objectives? If he is not telling the truth, then that says something about his character.

• In more recent years, students at LSU would select six classes from several subject areas to meet their general education requirement for graduation. Four of the classes were in the Department of Religion. (A majority of the remainder of their four-year baccalaureate course work would primarily be in a major and minor field of study.)

• Beginning with the fall term of the 1996-1997 school year, LSU started a radically different program which required a "core curriculum" of six classes.

• The six classes are required for graduation and cannot be avoided by taking replacement courses.

• Not only do the six classes not teach Adventist teachings, they teach non-Christian concepts.

• Students have been complaining about these courses since their inception.

• The situation came to a head on Friday, May 21, 1999, when a group of students sent a written complaint, in the form of a petition, to the LSU board of directors.

• Nearly a fifth of the student body (300 of the 1,400 students) signed this petition.

• According to the petition and newspaper-quoted comments by students, this is what is taught by those six "core courses":

1 - They "attack what the school was founded on, which is the Bible."

2 - They have a "total lack of emphasis on Christ and the Bible."

3 - They "misrepresent the Christian God."

4 - Class instruction consists of "subtle, subversive attacks on Christianity and monotheism."

5 - They teach that "all religions are paths to the same truths."

6 - They have "underlying humanistic (versus Christian) values and foundation."

7 - They have a "superficial and liberal content."

• When interviewed by the Press-Enterprise, as to how the administration would respond to this student appeal, Geraty said the university would not stop giving those six classes. "Next year . . the course topics won't change," he said.

As to the content of those six courses, Geraty said it was crucial that they continue to be given! Then he gave four important reasons why the students must continue learning what is in those courses:

1 - The courses "gave the university greater control over the kinds of classes students take." Remember that, parents.

2 - "Under the new system, every base is covered. Before, when the students could choose their own courses, it was harder for us to make sure that the students got each of the points that we want them to have." We have earlier quoted what the students said were the points covered in those six classes.

3 - "Each of the core classes contains elements of religion." What does he mean by "elements"? According to the students, a twisted mythology of pseudo-religion is being dished out to them.

4 - "The approach is scholarly, not Bible study, as some students may have experienced in high school." Not Bible-based, but supposition-based.

• "It's not like Sunday School. It's not like family worship. I think it's just a question of growing up." Geraty wants the students to think the way he thinks, which, apparently, is skeptically. Then they will be "grown up."

The crisis is not over. Only those of you who live in southern California can effectively stop this apostasy at La Sierra University. You can do so by demanding that conference and union officials step in and make a number of extensive changes. Geraty will not listen to you. You must push this thing through--and get higher church authorities to step in.

It is time to get to work. When will we stop taking the attitude that we must quietly let apostasy take over while we wring our hands and "wait for Heaven to do something about it"?

Astoundingly, even Steve Daily (LSU campus chaplain, faculty member for about 15 years, and author of one of the most liberal books ever published in Adventism) agreed that there was a problem and the complaints of the students had not been listened to!

But there is more information than is contained in that Press-Enterprise article. Because he dared to speak up about the anti-God sentiments taught in those classes, Daily has been fired!

Geraty is determined that, at any cost, he must ram this through his program, to eradicate from the minds of young Adventists--their belief in Adventism, Christianity, and God.

Here are seven internet comments about this La Sierra University crisis:

What can I say but, "Lord help us!" Praise the Lord that 300 students are willing to stand up and plead for the honor and glory of God and His Word. Oh for more leaders that would desire the same. I attended La Sierra for 3 years in the late 70s and early 80s. It saddens me to hear the president state that La Sierra is not going to be a Bible college, as if we are above and beyond the need for that type of instruction anymore. We are treading dangerous ground any time we place what we think above the expressed will of God as revealed in the Word. We have no business having an educational system unless the Bible is the central focus of all that is taught from kindergarten to post-doctoral training. We will never be too mature to listen to God's Word. Sincerely, David

The news was circulating even before the news article broke. It is about the firing of Steve Daily, the LSU chaplain:

We have finally heard, from Steve, the real reason why he lost his job. It seems about five key people in the academic department have embraced something called "core curriculum," which they have been teaching at La Sierra for the past two [sic. three] years. Steve has been hearing rumors about the courses from complaining students, that the nature of the classes is to deny God and Jesus, and that man himself is God. It wasn't until this year that Steve finally got hard evidence that this was true.

This year there is a class called History 105 that has, as its textbook, a book called "A History of God." This class is REQUIRED for all LSU freshmen; and the book is scathing against Christianity, calling it a brutal and harsh religion. It sings the praises of all the other pagan religions, with man himself being the highest God. This book is exceedingly vile, and it is taught in the class as TRUTH. Nothing is presented to counter the flood of lies and evil against Christianity.

The alarmed LSU students came to Steve, asking for his help in dealing with this class. Steve was shocked by what he heard and read; so he confronted the teachers and faculty involved. Unfortunately, this year they had gathered up enough political power to pressure Steve's bosses to can [discharge] him. It just grinds on me that this has happened, and that good men and women have been sucked into the politics that is forcing Steve out. Bruce

Thanks for the info, Bruce.

It's refreshing to see students protesting these not-so-subtle Satan-inspired, intrusions of misleading, humanistic aspects of religion. The basic problem is President Geraty. When the president himself declares that the students should "grow up" from the "Bible-Study approach" to education--you know that the problem is with him. As it is, we need, not just biology and accounting, but more of a Bible-study approach on our campuses.

This incident points out two problems which are on our campuses. First, it seem as though some of our leaders are willing to compromise the sound Bible and Spirit of Prophecy principles on which our schools were founded. The same is true for some of our churches. The second problem is that Adventists, on the whole, seem ready to bend over backward--in other words--compromise principles, so we can look inclusive. I think that these days we need to be true to our beliefs--as based on the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy. Those who are really in search of Truth will be attracted to it, and that's how our number will grow. We don't need leaders adjusting the Truth to attract customers. Terry

How can we ask President Geraty to explain his statements and what he really meant? If he does not believe the church program, then he has no business working for it, much less leading a university supported by it. Gerry

President Geraty's e-mail address is lgeraty@lasierra.edu. Write him and ask him yourself. I too would be interested in an explanation.

Bruce, do you have e-mail addresses for the Pacific Union Leadership? Richard

Yes. Thomas Mostert, who is president of the Pacific Union and on the LSU board: 74617,616. It is a compuserve address. Bruce

La Sierra University (formerly La Sierra College) is located at 4700 Pierce Street, Riverside, California 92515 (909-785-2000 / fax 909-785-2901). The board of trustees are Thomas J. Mostert, Jr., Chairman; L. Stephen Gifford, Vice-Chairman; Lawrence T. Geraty, Secretary.

Mostert is president of the Pacific Union Conference. Geraty is president of LSU. Gifford was the president of the Southeastern California Conference (where LSU is located). But, after taking part in a wild western movie (which we earlier reported on) and performing a wedding he was told not to preside over, he resigned and headed east. Eventually he was slipped into the presidency of the Texas Conference. For some reason (probably due to his remarkable liberalism), Gifford has remained on the LSU board--holding the chair which the current SECC president (F. Lynn Mallery) should hold. (F. Lynn Mallery had a part in editing the film of that western movie.)

YOU MUST TAKE ACTION! Do you have lists of LSU students or their parents? (Last year's LSU Yearbook will have one in back.) Do you have a list of one or more local church members in southern California? If you do, we urge you to make photocopies of this four-page report--and mail it to them. Please, please, warn our people in the southern half of the state! Let them know how Geraty and his fellow administrators, at LSU, are trying to brainwash your young people. It is too late to sit back and wait for better times.

What does God have to say about the matter?

"If God abhors one sin above another, of which His people are guilty, it is doing nothing in case of an emergency. Indifference and neutrality in a religious crisis is regarded of God as a grievous crime and equal to the very worst type of hostility against God."--3 Testimonies, 281