Getting "Comped," Mopologetic Style?

[_maklelan]

And now that everyone knows there's no secret discount for friends of people who publish books (the horror!), the discussion has turned to belittling people for liking to read a lot. This whole thread has become so utterly ludicrous, and yet I have to keep reminding myself that we're supposed to be the dogmatic ones who can't admit error or give an inch.

[_harmony]

And now that everyone knows there's no secret discount for friends of people who publish books (the horror!), the discussion has turned to belittling people for liking to read a lot. This whole thread has become so utterly ludicrous, and yet I have to keep reminding myself that we're supposed to be the dogmatic ones who can't admit error or give an inch.

I agree with Liz (no surprise there). Daniel should have gotten a free book. Friends don't make friends pay half price.

[_Jason Bourne]

I have to admit 125$ is a lot of money, especially in these difficult times. I feel some sympathy for those mid-tier or junior apologists who, on top of tithing, feel the pressure to keep up with all the book buying in order to have a chance of stepping up to the plate and defending the church. Apologetics is just one of those endeavors that can really suck the life out of a person in so many ways. It would be inhumane for me not to have a little sympathy for their difficult position.

Oh come now. My guess is you spend more in an average dinner out with drinks than $125 at least a few times a month. Not that this is a cheap book. But it is one that is off beat and my guess is few will buy it or even want to. Heck. I just took my wife, daughter, my niece, son and his GF out to Olive Garden last night. It was $120.

Now I may dine out more often then some but maybe not. We go out at least once a month, maybe twice.

Apologetics is just a hobby for some and for most it is not that costly. There is a lot of free stuff out there too. FAIR and FARMS has quite a bit for free.

[_maklelan]

And now that everyone knows there's no secret discount for friends of people who publish books (the horror!), the discussion has turned to belittling people for liking to read a lot. This whole thread has become so utterly ludicrous, and yet I have to keep reminding myself that we're supposed to be the dogmatic ones who can't admit error or give an inch.

I agree with Liz (no surprise there). Daniel should have gotten a free book. Friends don't make friends pay half price.

But he bought it from the publisher, not from his friends. Gorgias Press isn't going to give him the book for free because he tells them he knew the guy who wrote it. The discount was because the book was being sold at the national SBL, which is where all the scholars go to get their books at huge discounts. The books can get up to and sometimes above 50% off during the conference (which lasts five days), and on the last day you can get up to 75% off. I bought the entire set of The Context of Scripture there for $99:

http://www.amazon.com/Context-Scripture ... 9004131051

And I have nothing but enemies at Brill.

I got a BHS for $16:

http://www.amazon.com/Biblia-Hebraica-S ... 249&sr=1-1

Trying to turn this into some kind of sinister old boys club thing is just absolutely ridiculous, and now that Dr. Peterson can't be denigrated through that route they're turning to denigrating people who like books, based entirely, again, on their rather uninformed assumptions and prejudices concerning Latter-day Saint scholars. Don't they have something better to do with their time than sit and cackle about something so utterly asinine?

[_Yoda]

But he bought it from the publisher, not from his friends. Gorgias Press isn't going to give him the book for free because he tells them he knew the guy who wrote it.

My point was simply that I don't think that DCP should have had to buy the book from the publisher. His friend should have offered him a free copy.

[_Gadianton]

Heck. I just took my wife, daughter, my niece, son and his GF out to Olive Garden last night. It was $120...

Apologetics is just a hobby for some and for most it is not that costly.

Don't tell me, Jason, a Mormon that takes his family to the Olive Garden. Undheard of!

In all seriousness though, think about what you're saying. You spend 120$ to feed your hungry family while the apologists caught in the status quo of "catching up with the Peterson's" are forking over 125 for a single book, which merely goes toward their "hobby" as you refer to it. A hobby that doesn't benefit one's family, that fosters anger and bitterness, and that in many cases keeps the apologists from following the Lord's counsel and having families to begin with.

[Guest]

But he bought it from the publisher, not from his friends. Gorgias Press isn't going to give him the book for free because he tells them he knew the guy who wrote it.

My point was simply that I don't think that DCP should have had to buy the book from the publisher. His friend should have offered him a free copy.

You'll notice the author died two years before the book was published.

EDIT: If you're referencing his friend in Denver, I don't see any indication that that friend has any special privileges with the book, or that Dr. Peterson has had personal contact with him since the publication of the book.

[_Nevo]

But he bought it from the publisher, not from his friends. Gorgias Press isn't going to give him the book for free because he tells them he knew the guy who wrote it.

My point was simply that I don't think that DCP should have had to buy the book from the publisher. His friend should have offered him a free copy.

This is silly. Why would the friend get free copies to hand out? He wasn't the author. (And I'm not even sure that the author, were he alive, would have been provided with a stack of books to hand out to family and friends.) In any case, Kerry Shirts mentioned on his blog that he had already read a privately circulated copy of the manuscript and I suspect Dr. Peterson has too--in which case purchasing the book (at any price) would be more of a goodwill gesture than anything.

[_maklelan]

In all seriousness though, think about what you're saying. You spend 120$ to feed your hungry family while the apologists caught in the status quo of "catching up with the Peterson's" are forking over 125 for a single book, which merely goes toward their "hobby" as you refer to it.

For me it's not a hobby, it's a career, and I've spent much more than that on a book. Do I fall into the same category?

A hobby that doesn't benefit one's family,

It actually does for me.

that fosters anger and bitterness,

Who's getting angry?

and that in many cases keeps the apologists from following the Lord's counsel and having families to begin with.

Can you document these "many cases," or are you just assuming this because it would fit nicely into your worldview?

[_Gadianton]

That's odd. I served a mission, yes. Enjoyed it quite a bit for the most part. I don't know who you are talking about in regards to some aspiring apologist,

I'm glad you served a mission, LoP. I'm not sure why you didn't enjoy the lesser part of it. But anyway, yes, you don't know who I am talking about, and I won't mention his name because he was/is one of the -- though one of the more delusioned apologists -- more friendly and amiable apologists. I felt it was important to point out some of the odd decisions apologetics inspires in otherwise good Latter-Day Saints.