DCP unveiled

[_marg]

It is a black and white thinking ..simplistic religious propaganda piece with an argument that makes no sense, essentially asserting that those who believe in Christ and life after death are good and those who don't are bad, uncaring of others' well being and will therefore suffer serious consequences as a result.

[_Quasimodo]

It seems his last words may have been pointed at someone in particular.

It was a strikingly appropriate end for a man who had preached pitiless survival of the fittest.

"And thus," the Book of Mormon concludes its narrative about Korihor, "we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell."

[_Kishkumen]

The idea that Darwin would have been sympathetic to the ideas of the "Social Darwinists" or that he was in any way connected to the "eugenics" movement is a smear of Charles Darwin. It's just flatly not true. DCP (and other literalist Mormons) like to take potshots at Charles Darwin. DCP knows better, but he also knows that this kind of thing plays well with the ignoramuses who are his target audience. Note how DCP cleverly ties Charles Darwin to "eugenics" by referencing the irrelevant fact that Galton was Darwin's cousin. Note how DCP then equates Social Darwinism and, by inference, Darwin himself, with fascism and Nazism. It's disgusting. But it's par for the course for Peterson.

OK. I don't think it is all that bad, but clearly he is drawing such negative associations for a reason--probably a kind of implicit slippery slope warning. It reminds me of that stupid movie by that celebrity economist Ben Stein.

[_Kishkumen]

That quote sounds nothing like Marxism to me. Sounds more like laissez-faire capitalism.

Yes. It does.

[_Kishkumen]

That is a typical gloss of Marx of someone who has probably never read Marx’s criticisms on religion, how heavily they relied of Feuerbach and nor how Hegel was used as a foil.

I agree with that.

[_CaliforniaKid]

Denying that "atonement" for sins was even possible — it's unclear that Korihor granted the existence of "sin" at all — he accused the priests and prophets of the Nephites of seeking "to usurp power and authority over them, to keep them in ignorance, that they may not lift up their heads, but be brought down according to (your) words." Their intent, he claimed, was "that ye may glut yourselves with the labors of their hands, that they durst not look up with boldness, and that they durst not enjoy their rights and privileges."

It's a critique curiously reminiscent of Marxism, though Karl Marx was only 12 years old when the Book of Mormon came from the press in Palmyra.

As I pointed out on Dan's Facebook page shortly after he posted this article, there's no need to imply that Joseph Smith had prophetic foreknowledge of Marx. Korihor's critique of priestcraft actually bears a strong resemblance to Thomas Paine's in The Age of Reason, a copy of which Asael used as a projectile weapon against his son, Joseph Smith Sr. (And Paine, for his part, reflected a broader anticlericalism which was quite pervasive in the culture of Joseph Smith's day.)

[_Nomomo]

I don't see it. The article looks good to me, unexpectedly so, .....

You're hilarious!

[_Kishkumen]

I don't see it. The article looks good to me, unexpectedly so, .....

You're hilarious!

I still don't think it is bad. I don't agree with it, but it is certainly an improvement over the sons of Mosiah piece.

[_Equality]

That quote sounds nothing like Marxism to me. Sounds more like laissez-faire capitalism.

Yes. It does.

What is the point of the article anyway (quibbles about whether he smeared Darwin or mischaracterized Korihor as a Marxist aside)? That those who oppose the ruling religious class will be struck dumb and suffer an ignominious death for their impudence?

[_Joe Geisner]

As I pointed out on Dan's Facebook page shortly after he posted this article, there's no need to imply that Joseph Smith had prophetic foreknowledge of Marx. Korihor's critique of priestcraft actually bears a strong resemblance to Thomas Paine's in The Age of Reason, a copy of which Asael used as a projectile weapon against his son, Joseph Smith Sr. (And Paine, for his part, reflected a broader anticlericalism which was quite pervasive in the culture of Joseph Smith's day.)

CA,

You hit this one out of the ball park. If Dan only had a clue!