Yet More Intel: A DCP "Hit Piece" on Dehlin?

[_Bond James Bond]

Yes, but it is true that he lives in his mothers basement.

Would you move out if the basement looked like this?
(taken at a recent MDB whisk night):

[_Polygamy-Porter]

Scratch, please tell me the picture that Dan posted isn't you!! I always imagined you to be somewhat like your avatar!! (Just in case, not that there is anything wrong with that picture, don't want to offend anyone..!!)

Mary

Mary, quite contrary. This image has been making the rounds on the internet for many many years. It is not the good Dr. Scratch.

[_LDS truthseeker]

Indeed, in the wake of his appearance on the podcast, there was a somewhat embittered and acrimonious exchange between Dehlin and DCP on the "Comments" section of the Mormon Stories Web site.

I just read every DCP and John Dehlin post in the first few pages of the comments section of that mormonstories podcast. I didn't see any embittered exchanges between DCP and JD.

Now am I not reading far enough? Can you relay what they said or post a specific comment? Everything I have read so far shows respect between the 2 men but I don't feel like going through the whole thing if there's nothing juicy to be discovered.

[_lulu]

Scratch, please tell me the picture that Dan posted isn't you!! I always imagined you to be somewhat like your avatar!! (Just in case, not that there is anything wrong with that picture, don't want to offend anyone..!!)

Mary

Scratch's real identity:

Prince Willy is going bald. Scratch is the fountain of eternal youth.

[_Doctor Scratch]

Indeed, in the wake of his appearance on the podcast, there was a somewhat embittered and acrimonious exchange between Dehlin and DCP on the "Comments" section of the Mormon Stories Web site.

I just read every DCP and John Dehlin post in the first few pages of the comments section of that mormonstories podcast. I didn't see any embittered exchanges between DCP and JD.

Now am I not reading far enough? Can you relay what they said or post a specific comment? Everything I have read so far shows respect between the 2 men but I don't feel like going through the whole thing if there's nothing juicy to be discovered.

Hi, LDS truthseeker. The comments I had in mind are sort of scattered among the remarks at the "Mormon Stories" Web site, though I did find the first of them on the 3rd page. But, that doesn't matter, because I cut-and-pasted the relevant portions of the exchange into this old thread, so you can read them here:

viewtopic.php?p=499460#p499460

Though I notice that I overlooked this original comment from Dehlin:

Dan,

I don't expect you to ever admit publicly that you agree with me on anything. No worries.

John

Maybe I should have italicized the word "somewhat" in my OP? In any case, there was a clear difference of opinion between DCP and Dehlin in that exchange, and it didn't (in my opinion) end well. But you can take a look at decide for yourself. For my money--and provided that this latest "tip" is correct--this would have been the remark that would have most angered DCP:

Has FARMS/FAIR (or have you) ever considered providing a comprehensive, factual, yet faith-inspiring curriculum or treatment of LDS church history/doctrine -- to help build awareness of accurate historical information (in a faithful way) amongst the general membership?

It seems like that would be infinitely more valuable to the general membership than is the realm where you are currently dwelling (e.g. arguing about your own personality traits, focusing on the plausible deniability of somewhat esoteric minutia, etc).

Just a thought. With deep respect.

John

You have to realize that I am interpreting this from the larger context of DCP's nearly 3-decade Mopologetic career. Small things set him off, he carries dumb, petty grudges over dumb, petty things, and he has a tendency to retaliate in ways that are spectacularly out of proportion to the original offense (and that's being awfully generous in assuming there ever was any real "offense" in the first place). To cite just one example, take his recent meltdown on Facebook after being chided by LifeOnaPlate and the narrator for his support of the misogynistic, anti-female-politician article. Not only did he lash out against LoaP and narrator for this, he posted several retaliatory, self-deprecating, passive-aggressive "responses" on his blog.

Bearing that in mind, consider what his reaction likely was to getting dressed down by Dehlin. Dehlin is probably an "apostate" in Peterson's eyes, which would be bad in and of itself, but not only is Dehlin a NOM/"apostate," he's really popular, and has quite a large audience--much, much larger, I daresay, than the Maxwell Institute's. Dehlin has resisted ecclesiastical punishment somehow, and is trying to "change" the LDS Church.

So, all things considered, do you really think that DCP has a high opinion of Dehlin? Provided that the allegations are true, I would be willing to bet that it was precisely this "Comments" exchange that pushed him over the edge, and led to him writing this so-called "attack piece."

[_Doctor Scratch]

Speaking of "hit pieces", Scratch, you may be interested in Dan's latest blog entry:

http://dcpsicetnon.blogspot.com/2012/04 ... l?spref=Facebook

I wonder if Dan has read any good LA Times* articles lately that will inspire more fantastic blogging?




*By "LA Times articles" I mean right-wing/racist message boards that incorrectly quote conservative bloggers.

Anyway, that's a nice example of how deliberately dishonest misreaders do their unseemly work.

[_Eric]

Anyway, that's a nice example of how deliberately dishonest misreaders do their unseemly work.

[_Doctor Scratch]

Anyway, that's a nice example of how deliberately dishonest misreaders do their unseemly work.

Lol. I thought it was remarkable that he wrote this, in light of everything he'd just said. And yes: as far as I can tell, it was said with absolutely no sense of irony.

[_Doctor Scratch]

If this is true, and a General Authority really did put a stop on the publication, I take this as a very good sign that the Church truly is becoming more accommodating to NOMs.

Maybe all it took was an over-the-top, angry and bitter article on John Dehlin by DCP to make the Church leadership realize that there is no room for this type of behavior in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Well, as I noted in my response to LDS truthseeker, Dehlin has a very big audience--he's kind of the "NOM" go-to guy, even in really large media outlets. The Church itself already tried to "handle him" in the form of ecclesiastical "interrogations" and what have you. (Dehlin said that he was summonded to speak with his Bishop and SP, as I recall.) Obviously, he's been very straightforward in terms of articulating his position and feelings, so the Church wouldn't be able to axe him without facing another "September 6"-style crapstorm, and it especially wouldn't want this at this juncture in time, what with City Creek and the Romney campaign underway.

If DCP were to pick a public fight with Dehlin, it would be bad, bad news for the Church. They might get put in the position of having to side with one or the other, in which case I rather think that DCP would be toast, because it would come down to a choice between the Popular and Liberal Podcast Host Who Just Wants to Help People, versus the Acerbic and "Provocative" Mopologist Who Has Been Causing Trouble for the Past 30 Years. It would reflect better on the Church to can DCP than to discipline Dehlin.

It wouldn't surprise me if the Top 15 are seriously concerned about the MI these days. I'm sure they don't want them stirring up any trouble. I bet that DCP views his blog as a kind of "last-ditch" outlet for his hostilities: he was probably told to stop posting on the boards, and now (if the allegations are true) his MI publications are being pre-screened. Thus, the blog is the only venue he's got left to vent off all that steam.

[_Eric]

I don't agree that my posting that thing from the Los Angeles Times violates Church policy, goes against Christian ethics, harms small furry animals, or crucifies
Christ anew.

If Romney is good for anything, it's emboldening Mormons on the Internet to really speak their mind when it comes to politics. Peterson suddenly hates democratically elected female politicians in California enough to call them witches (and pretend that he read something in the LA Times and not on a message board), while other Mormons are rejoicing the killing of a 17-year old black boy, expressing a desire to do physical violence to "anti-mormons" on this message board, and challenging liberals to come fight them in their rural homeland of West Virginia.

The world of Mormonism is interesting again.