Themis wrote:Joseph didn't need it for the B of Moses. Tobin appears to be arguing two different hypothesis. One being the papyri does resemble Abraham's story used and changed by the Egyptians, and the other where it has nothing to do with Abraham but was a catalyst to get Joseph to ask God about it. Neither are thought out well. Neither has an evidence to even suggest we should take them seriously. They are made up from nothing but a desire to protect a belief. It still makes God and Joseph into idiots. Why is a guy who claims to be talking to God on a regular basis not getting it right. Does God have such a problem here. Why even give a guy something you know is wrong. Joseph gave explanations he claimed are revelation from God for each hieroglyph and for particular parts of the facsimiles.
Joseph screwed up here trying to impress with his first ancient document. He should have just stuck with how he did the B of Moses, but then it doesn't appear as good. Not to mention since he claims to be able to translate ancient languages the papyri was something he couldn't ignore without followers questioning his claims.
Tobin really is playing a bad hand. Why does he continue to play the kind of hand that would have just got him excommicated from Joseph Smith's church had he confronted the prophet and contested his claims had he lived in the day? Can you imagine Tobin going to the brethren as they are preparing the plates for the Times & Season edition of the Facsimilies and him telling them that those Explanations aren't inspired and that Joseph can't read Egyptian? Heck, the brethren would have promptly showed Tobin the door and branded him an apostate. But as we see, Tobin is an apostate today in more ways than one. He has turned on the modern LDS church and has turned on Joseph Smith himself. I look at Tobin like a record on a turn table playing music. He is continuously skipping on a beat, the needle is stuck. Someone please bump the table so the needle will jump. Poor Tobin. He is a man without a church!
Paul O