Acceptance of evolution in Christian institutions of higher education

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Acceptance of evolution varies among individual Christians and it varies among Christian higher-education institutions as well. Some schools accept evolution as fact, some encourage students to decide for themselves, and some reject evolution outright; this article lists Christian colleges' and universities' statements on evolution. These schools also range from promoting liberal Christianity to nests of fundies. Keep in mind that a Christian college is not necessarily a bad school — there are Christian colleges with great academic programs. As always, the further right on the political spectrum you go, the more deranged and idiotic things become.

List of schools[edit]

School Acceptance of Evolution Statements
Andrews University Button Icon Red.svg Creationist Seminary statement on creation: "God created peacefully by calling life forms into existence over the span of one historical week composed of six ordinary, historical Earth days like our own, followed by one day of rest [...]."[1]
Baylor University Button Icon GreenForest.svg Supports Evolution The Department of Biology states, "Evolution, a foundational principle of modern biology, is supported by overwhelming scientific evidence and is accepted by the vast majority of scientists. Because it is fundamental to the understanding of modern biology, the faculty in the Biology Department at Baylor University, Waco, TX, teach evolution throughout the biology curriculum. We are in accordance with the American Association for Advancement of Science's statement on evolution. We are a science department, so we do not teach alternative hypotheses or philosophically deduced theories that cannot be tested rigorously."[2]
Biola University Button Icon Red.svg Creationist Doctrinal Statement Excerpt: "Therefore creation models which seek to harmonize science and the Bible should maintain at least the following: (a) God providentially directs His creation, (b) He specially intervened in at least the above-mentioned points in the creation process, and (c) God specially created Adam and Eve (Adam's body from non-living material, and his spiritual nature immediately from God). Inadequate origin models hold that (a) God never directly intervened in creating nature and/or (b) humans share a common physical ancestry with earlier life forms."[3]
Bob Jones University Button Icon Red.svg Creationist Quoting the BJU Biochemistry program description: "Throughout your courses you'll also learn about the evolutionary framework of science so that you can understand how evolutionists think, and more importantly, how a biblical worldview gives more reasonable explanations of science than what an evolutionary worldview has to offer."[4]
Pensacola Christian College Button Icon Red.svg Creationist From PCC's Articles of Faith: "We believe that God created the heavens and the earth in six literal days, and that God created all life (Gen. 1). We reject the man-made theory of evolution occurring over millions of years and believe that the earth is approximately 6,000 years old. We believe that God created man in His own image, but man chose to sin. Hence, all persons inherit a depraved nature and are lost sinners in need of salvation.[5]
Hyles-Anderson College Button Icon Red.svg Creationist Rabid creationists. "We believe all things were created by God the Father. We believe that the Word (the Son of God) was with God and that all things were made by and through Him and that without Him was not anything made that was made. We believe that the Spirit of God moved upon Creation and was also instrumental in bringing man to life. The original Creation was completed in six literal days." from the What We Believe page.[6]
Saint Leo University Button Icon Yellow.svg Multiple Viewpoints Excerpt from the class, "Is Evolution True? Your Inner Fish" – "Are we humans just "souped-up" fish?! How did the human animal come to be what it is? What evidence of our evolution lies within our own bodies? How are we like fish? Worms? Even bacteria? Through paleontology (fossils), genetics, molecular biology, comparative embryology and comparative anatomy – we will reconstruct the history and examine the evidence for the building of human bodies through evolutionary adaptations. Is Evolution true? We will explore the evidence ranging from biogeography to geology, from molecular biology to physiology, so you can decide."[7]
Spring Arbor University Button Icon Red.svg Creationist Spring Arbor University Supports creationism. According to the course description of, "Genes and Speculation"- "Introduction to evolutionary biology. Basic population

genetics and discussions of how selection, migration, mutation and genetic drift affect Hardy-Weinberg equilibria. Detailed examination of speciation and the history of life on Earth. Discussions of Christian responses to the origins debate."[8]

References[edit]

  1. Seminary Statement on Creation Andrews University
  2. Statement about Evolution Baylor University Department of Biology
  3. Doctrinal Statement Biola University
  4. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: Bachelor of Science Bob Jones University
  5. Articles of Faith Pensacola Christian College
  6. [1], no duh.
  7. SCI 115SC: Is Evolution True? Your Inner Fish Saint Leo University
  8. [2], additional text.