DCP: Kevin Graham, Ritner, and the Rest Are Liars

[_Darth J]

Daniel Peterson has no personal knowledge whether the full story is publicly known.

And you know this how?

By Peterson's own admission.

But in any case, you are not qualified to comment on any of it sans a PhD in Egyptology.

Nor do you have such a PhD, which makes your entire point here moot.

The logical aspect of your case here is frail, both because not having a formal degree implies nothing regarding actual knowledge, and because, lacking such a degree yourself, you yourself are in no position to determine what what the requirements are to understand apologetic arguments containing Egyptology elements.

The bare fact that Gee has written a great deal for a mass audience who do not have degrees in Egyptology regarding apologetic subjects related to Egyptology (through FARMS and NMI) levels your entire facile appeal to credentialism (a version of the appeal to snobbery fallacy, I'd say) to the ground.

So Bill Hamblin is wrong, and one does not need an advanced degree in a relevant field to evaluate the merits of apologetic arguments.

Thanks for sharing, Droopy.

[_Kishkumen]

Just because you can't win an argument with me doesn't make me "left-wing."

Whenever Droopy pulls this, it makes painfully obvious just how complete a crackpot he is. "Step on my ego, and I'll call you a Marxist. Go ahead; I dare you!"

[_MsJack]

Let us not forget that you are more active in the LDS Church than Droops is!

If he attends less than once a month, then yes, I am more active than he is.

[_Kishkumen]

Wouldn't that have been nice? Unfortunately, the online behavior of John Gee's supporters, almost certainly with his approval, made that very unlikely indeed.

Hey, I'm not just talking to MDBers here. I am also talking to those who obviously lurk. All I can say is that I prefer to separate Gee's Egyptological scholarship from his Book of Abraham apologetics, because I feel it best to leave assessments of the former to those qualified to comment on them.

As for the Book of Abraham apologetics, I have seen absolutely no core issue that seems to require much Egyptological expertise per se. Do the fragments possessed translate into anything like Joseph Smith's renderings? No. In my view, this pretty much settles the issue of whether Joseph Smith translated Egyptian as an Egyptologist would.

I understand that Gee has worked on other issues that he feels have some bearing on the issue. I have yet to see anything that would directly bear on any of the core issues sufficiently enough to put them to rest or come anywhere close to doing so.

But this does not make Gee bad at what he does as an Egyptologist. And since we are all aware that his Egyptological expertise really has no substantial bearing on this business about missing fragments, missing scrolls, and the like, I really don't see what the point of dwelling on it, even if LDS apologists do.

Are we on the right board here?

I have been in graduate school at two different universities. I have seen advisor-student conflicts close up. I know whereof I speak. Such relationships can go sour. A professor's personal feelings may color his or her perception of a student and motivate the professor to judge the student unfairly. It happens. On the other hand, some students are mentally or emotionally damaged, and they can be the problem.

We really don't know which of the many possible variables may apply here.

[_Stormy Waters]

Bill Hamblin has responded via his blog.

Eta: Wrong thread.

[_ludwigm]

Let us not forget that you are more active in the LDS Church than Droops is!

If he attends less than once a month, then yes, I am more active than he is.

As I am. A nevermo and investigator for six year. (Guinness entry?)

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

And quit calling me "left-wing." I'm a pro-life Republican evangelical Christian with a Mitt Romney bumper sticker on my car and a fondness for the military, martial arts, and guns. Just because you can't win an argument with me doesn't make me "left-wing."

Let me translate this for you Droopy:



- VRDRC