We Are All Descended From Adam and Eve, says Bryan College

[DrPusey]

Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee - yep, the same town where the Scopes monkey trial took place - has recently "clarified" its statement of faith that all faculty and staff must sign. From now on, faculty and staff must attest to their belief that " all humanity is descended from Adam and Eve. They are historical persons created by God in a special formative act, and not from previously existing life forms.†At least two tenured faculty members have already resigned and seem to be pursuing legal action against the college.

More info here:

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/05/06/professors-and-students-bryan-college-protest-changes-statement-faith#sthash.8s6lNhrf.dpbs

(link not broken since it's a national higher education web site)

As some of the comments point out, the college may have put itself in a difficult legal position since it granted tenure to professors who signed an earlier version of the faith statement without grandfathering them in. It is not surprising at all that the new president came from Liberty. It is surprising to me that there is an active and vocal student resistance to this change - good for them!

[artdecades]

I wonder if they will accept belief in Mitochondrial Eve? I doubt it.

[Mecca]

I cannot even begin to tell you what a cluster f this all is. I am very familiar with this school. I have a friend that teaches there, and I know several people that attended Bryan, including family. I would not be surprised if this school folds within the next few years because of this bull. It is a small campus, but had a fair amount of students and a MBA program that was popular in that area, including Chattanooga.

The president, Stephen Livesay, has been making statements to the press that has angered many of the students to the point they are staging protests and accusing Livesay of lying to the press. Many of the students have been going to administration and the board, but they are being turned away and told to basically take a seat. Enrollment for next year is insanely low and many professors are not returning. Two professors were fired for not signing the stupid statements. Now because of this new crap Livesay and the Board are trying to enforce, educators are not wanting to fill those vacancies. It is such a mess and the students are going to pay for it in the long run.

[RachelB]

Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee - yep, the same town where the Scopes monkey trial took place - has recently "clarified" its statement of faith that all faculty and staff must sign. From now on, faculty and staff must attest to their belief that " all humanity is descended from Adam and Eve. They are historical persons created by God in a special formative act, and not from previously existing life forms.†At least two tenured faculty members have already resigned and seem to be pursuing legal action against the college.

More info here:

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/05/06/professors-and-students-bryan-college-protest-changes-statement-faith#sthash.8s6lNhrf.dpbs

(link not broken since it's a national higher education web site)

As some of the comments point out, the college may have put itself in a difficult legal position since it granted tenure to professors who signed an earlier version of the faith statement without grandfathering them in. It is not surprising at all that the new president came from Liberty. It is surprising to me that there is an active and vocal student resistance to this change - good for them!

A 30-2 no-confidence vote on the part of the faculty toward the college president is a pretty big deal, too. I don't think the university president we drummed out of town faced that much faculty censure. I'm pleased to see this kind of pushback from both students and profs.

[Mela99]

Doesn't the bible dispute this anayway? That whole, uh... you know, great flood killing everybody?

[Cleopatra7]

Doesn't the bible dispute this anayway? That whole, uh... you know, great flood killing everybody?

Noah and his family were descended from the original Adam and Eve, so I guess it still works.