Building the FARMS Ziggurat

[_Yong Xi]

In contrast to all the sobering reflection regarding the leaving of Scratch I'd like to offer this tribute:

Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!
Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead.
Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed.
Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead. She's gone where the goblins go,
Below - below - below. Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.
Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.
Let them know
The Wicked Witch is dead!

Most members call this Choking the Bishop. Your words are appropriate for you, though.

[_Dr. Shades]

I'll tell you what: I've said before that I'd retire if you'd simply apologize or demonstrate some accountability for your less-than-admirable behavior. This time, I'll make a different offer: if you do genuinely think I'm a bad person, that I'm insane, or "hostile," or whatever else, then say so, in direct terms, and I'll depart for good.

C'mon, Mister Scratch; you made it WAY too easy!

I considered chiming in and telling you so beforehand, but I unfortunately moved on instead. If you really are gone, then I regret not having said something.

Happy trails to you. Feel free to PM me anytime.

[_Daniel Peterson]

I'll tell you what: I've said before that I'd retire if you'd simply apologize or demonstrate some accountability for your less-than-admirable behavior. This time, I'll make a different offer: if you do genuinely think I'm a bad person, that I'm insane, or "hostile," or whatever else, then say so, in direct terms, and I'll depart for good.

C'mon, Mister Scratch; you made it WAY too easy!

I was puzzled by that, too. Surely he knew what I think of him. I've said it scores of times.

Perhaps, for some reason, he was looking for an excuse to leave?

[_Dwight Frye]

Perhaps, for some reason, he was looking for an excuse to leave?

As much as the idea saddens me, I was wondering the same thing. Perhaps whatever knowledge of him you have (or whatever he believes you have) was enough to make him too uncomfortable to continue posting -- as Scratch, anyway. I hope whoever he is, he finds his way back.

[Guest]

Well, this is interesting. My father virtually commits suicide and not so much as a goodby note. The way he kept his word though, is certainly a devastating blow.

[_Dr. Shades]

C'mon, Mister Scratch; you made it WAY too easy!

I was puzzled by that, too. Surely he knew what I think of him. I've said it scores of times.

Perhaps, for some reason, he was looking for an excuse to leave?

Considering how easy he made it, that's about the only theory that makes sense.

MISTER SCRATCH: If you're reading this, who will inherit your "informants?"

[_Trevor]

And Trevor, why are you so conflicted over liking Scratch?

Because he is clearly talented and I find his writing very entertaining, but there was something disconcerting about his fixation on DCP. More to the point, I don't believe that his characterization of Mopologetics was fair or accurate. For the most part, I don't think that people, even Mopologists, are as dark as Scratch painted them.

Why don't you drop your sockpuppet, "Trevor," and reveal the real you that so many of us know and love?

I can't tell whether you think I am actually a sockpuppet or you are using the term to tell me that I have changed from the person you used to know and love.

Why not give Peterson (ok, my one and only slip) reason to doubt his "suspicions"?

You lost me on that one.

You know, I kind of think you took Peterson's heaping praise a little too enthusiastically. He used to praise little ole me like that too my friend, years ago, because I sided with the apologists when I believed critics were being unfair with them. I learned though, as you may not learn, who knows, that this is a very one way friendship. When you're getting kicked in the nuts by an apologist, don't expect him to come running to your defense. But expect him to absolutely love it (and your intellect will raise substantially in his view) when you break ranks with a critic and defend him. Well, he certainly had some wonderful things to say about you when you left the forum a while ago, about your wisdom and so on. Wow, he can be an easy mark sometimes...

Well, I think you have it wrong here. You may recall Scratch's discussion of the motivations of apologists. It was in the course of that thread that my perspective on apologists changed. The pieces fell into place, so to speak, and I no longer felt the same way about apologists or how I was behaving toward them. Was it nice to be complimented? Sure, but it has little to do, in the end, with how I got here. I have no great illusions about Daniel being my buddy. He really isn't here to make friends. In fact, my guess is that my shift from acting like a critic has insured that Daniel will hardly interact with me at all. I understood that very well at the time. He has been very forthcoming about what interests him on this board. The exit of Scratch will probably mean a decrease in his level of participation.

[_The Nehor]

Gadianton will pick up his father's sword and continue the crusade....assuming he's not actually Scratch already.

[Guest]

So Scratch is gone. I find it strange that Scratch would bow out so quickly. I think that he may have been afraid that his identity would be revealed.

However, Farms/Maxwell Institute are becoming an integral part of the lds church. They may be independent but their mission will be greatly expanded in the future as apologetics becomes more important to Salt Lake. Already the lds church is engaged in apologetics by enlisting Youtube for Mormon Messages. More will surely follow.

I can see a day when apologetics will have its own department inside the church office building. And yes, I can see the lds church hiring apologists to do the work on the internet and in publications. It will become more important as the internet takes on a more important role.

Daniel is just one cog in the maching of apologetics. He is the most vocal on the internet but there are many more with him ready to come to the church's defense. It is growing all the time as GAs begin to ask members to join the battle on the internet.

[_why me]

The exit of Scratch will probably mean a decrease in his level of participation.

I don't think so at all. Daniel will most likely be appearing more frequently on this board and his posts will be better in bring forth apologetics.