Christian University Honors Controversial Abortionist With Name on Center
La Sierra University, an institution owned by the Seventh Day Adventist Church boasting an environment "where academic investigation, Christian faith and service to others unite," has found a strange bedfellow in controversial abortionist Edward C. Allred, naming a center in its business school in honor of gifts donated by the doctor who is also a professional gambler.
According to the Riverside, California-based university's website, The Edward C. Allred Center, established in 2010, is named after Dr. Edward C. Allred, the owner, president, and CEO of Los Alamitos Race Course, Los Alamitos, California. And while the university notes that Allred, who is an alumnus, is both the principal sponsor of the Center and the inspiration behind its economic philosophy, it fails to mention his abortion business, the Family Planning Associates Medical Group. He is listed on the abortion clinic's website as one of its two founding physicians and offers to abort fetuses up to the second trimester.
In a statement to The Christian Post on Monday, Larry Becker, executive director of university relations at La Sierra University, said: "The University's Naming Policy says, 'Naming Opportunities provide a means to honor personal contributions, service, and achievement of the honoree as well as their contribution of resources to support the University.'"
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He noted further that, "Each proposal is considered on its own merits. To respect each donor's right to privacy, the documentation and discussions relating to each proposal are confidential. Dr. Allred's gift establishing the Center is one of many contributions he has made to Adventist educational institutions and church organizations across North America."
When asked about the relationship between the university and Allred on Monday, Florencio Zabala, treasurer and vice-president for administration at the New York Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, referred CP to the SDA World Church's guidelines on abortion posted on its website.
The guidelines reflect liberal advice on various approaches to abortion that essentially leaves the decision in the hands of the individual in the end. According to Zabala, it doesn't treat the practice of "abortion like a sport," but at the same time, respect's the woman's right to choose in difficult times. "In crisis, a woman should be able to have her choice," said Zabala.
When CP contacted the SDA World Church, public relations director Garrett Caldwell said he was just learning about the situation at the university and did not have a comment at the moment.
Meanwhile, news of the relationship between La Sierra and Dr. Allred has not been accepted well by some SDA members. Posting under the name Ron Henderson, one critic of the relationship on LifeSiteNews.com said: "I am an SDA pastor and am ashamed of La Sierra University. We have had problems with it before and are still having problems with it as you see. Why my General Conference does not remove it from being an Adventist boggles the mind. I will do all I can to see that it happens."
The Edward C. Allred Center for Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship in the La Sierra University School of Business exists to promote free market economics through the education of students, with a focus on Seventh-day Adventist high schools.
The Center provides high school students with interactive, online materials that teach them the principles and practices of financial literacy and personal finance. It also sponsors a lecture series on free market economics at Adventist high schools and other related activities.
