Critic takes on the Backyard Professor

[_WjExMo]

OMG this is brilliant.

Suck it Professor.

[_cinepro]

If I didn't know better, I'd say the narrator is Weird Al Yankovic

[_Kishkumen]

What confuses me is who Shirt's target audience is. Who is it? Really?

Mormons who are trying to avoid masturbation, or Mormons who find Kerry really attractive. These are two mutually exclusive groups.

[_Ray A]

It's unfortunate that Kerry has made himself such an easy target, when in reality more "sophisticated" apologists hold the same views. Witness Hamblin on MAD defending Book of Mormon anachronisms by resorting to the Moroni example (who wrote and abridged post-Christianity). When pointed to the fact that the small plates of Nephi were unabridged - silence.

The fallback argument is that Nephi could "see" the future, but it still doesn't explain the anachronisms. That is why apologetics like this is a joke. Of course they realise the consequences for not taking it literally. The first casualty would be FARMS and its BYU sponsorship.

Trapped between a rock and a hard place.

[_Kishkumen]

It's unfortunate that Kerry has made himself such an easy target, when in reality more "sophisticated" apologists hold the same views. Witness Hamblin on MAD defending Book of Mormon anachronisms by resorting to the Moroni example (who wrote and abridged post-Christianity). When pointed to the fact that the small plates of Nephi were unabridged - silence.

The one thing that the professors really excel at is maintaining the appearance of smarts. Usually one doesn't see a boner as obvious as Ray just mentioned. On some level, they know how wacky this s**t is, and so they hedge and qualify just the right amount to appear reasonable. Kerry hasn't the appropriate PhD, I-don't-want-to-look-like-a-s**t-head-in-front-of-my-dissertation-advisor training, but has this unbridled enthusiasm that just screams "can you believe I am buying this BS?!?!?!?!"

Of course they realise the consequences for not taking it literally. The first casualty would be FARMS and its BYU sponsorship. Trapped between a rock and a hard place.

Damn straight, Ray. Maybe if they had housed this s**t in a Ziggurat somewhere in Modesto, CA, everyone could have just shrugged their shoulders and gone home, but now they are at Mormon brain trust central and they can't simply up and admit their pet theories are a crock. I bet they know right now, but are strategizing how to pull out at just the right pace so as not to compromise their image, the image of BYU, and too many testimonies.

[_Ray A]

On some level, they know how wacky this s**t is, and so they hedge and qualify just the right amount to appear reasonable.

I believe they develop "blind spots". That's the only explanation I have. For some it grinds and grinds at them, but, unable to relinquish "testimony", it must be salvaged either by shelving or offering ridiculous apologies.

David seems different in this regard, as he just posted on MAD:

I’m sorry, however, both 19th century and biblical evidence concerning the book of Moses clearly indicates that Joseph simply produced a revised version of the King James version of the Bible and did not recreate a text largely faithful to any original writings of Moses and/or Enoch.

This could just about make an apologist choke on his corn flakes.

[_Kishkumen]

David seems different in this regard, as he just posted on MAD:

I’m sorry, however, both 19th century and biblical evidence concerning the book of Moses clearly indicates that Joseph simply produced a revised version of the King James version of the Bible and did not recreate a text largely faithful to any original writings of Moses and/or Enoch.

This could just about make an apologist choke on his corn flakes.

Yes, he really seems to have left the reservation, doesn't he? I wonder what the repercussions of his frankness will be! Is someone going to rein him in? Will Schryver report Bokovoy to his stake president or the SCMC? Has Dr. Peterson PMed him to inquire after his apparent apostasy from acceptable apologetic positions? I practically spit my Fosters out onto my monitor when I read that! Unbelievable.

I am completely sincere when I say that this is a watershed moment in the history of Mopologetics.

[_TAK]

[This could just about make an apologist choke on his corn flakes.

Or smirk w/ mild contempt for the "Professor" ..

[_Ray A]

I wonder what the repercussions of his frankness will be! Is someone going to rein him in? Will Schryver report Bokovoy to his stake president or the SCMC? Has Dr. Peterson PMed him to inquire after his apparent apostasy from acceptable apologetic positions? I practically spit my Fosters out onto my monitor when I read that! Unbelievable.

David Wright day-jah-voo. But Wright had an accurate picture all along. One thing we can be certain of - Bokovoy isn't going to be writing the pending FARMS rebuttal to David Wright!

[_Kishkumen]

David Wright day-jah-voo. But Wright had an accurate picture all along. One thing we can be certain of - Bokovoy isn't going to be writing the pending FARMS rebuttal to David Wright!

It will be interesting to see whether he can continue in this vein. Wright had more of an edge in his approach, I think. Still, Bokovoy's position runs directly contrary in some crucial ways to the predominant apologetic approach to the antiquity of Restoration scripture.