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Lately we've seen an outpouring of scholarship on the topic of the apologetic association known as SHIELDS. We are indebted to Doctor Scratch, Analytics, and others who have dusted the cobwebs from the annals of this quirky and secretive organization.

As I've been conducting my own study of SHIELDS, I have stumbled on some information that may help others put this operation into perspective. I have read the biographies of its three current leaders. This has been revealing. Like any organization, the bios endlessly praise the education and accomplishments of its leadership. I would expect to read nothing else. So I admit, I was surprised by what the biographer tried to sneak in at the very end of each bio. I certainly can't think of any similar examples from the professional world whether it be academic or business. It would appear this "sneak-in" essentially reveals the whole point of SHIELDS and erases the relevance of anything written in the paragraphs preceeding it.

Concerning brother Barker:

http://www.shields-research.org/Authors/SDB_Bio.htm

Although most acquaintances consider Stan to be a pretty good guy, few critics like him. He has no patience for dishonesty and deception and is often blunt in expressing his feelings about this.

Brother Jacobs:

http://www.shields-research.org/Authors/MLJ_Bio.htm

If he has a flaw, it is his low tolerance for stupidity, especially the educated variety.

Brother Humbert:

http://www.shields-research.org/Authors/EIH_Bio.htm

He has an intense interest in reading about religion and politics, matters best left out of polite society.

Yeah, it's just odd. I mean, what if I started a company whether it be for research, consulting, or whatever, and my bio read,

Dr. Robbers obtained his Phd from Cassius University in 1974 and has taught courses at Cassius, Stanford, Yale, and the University of Utah. He is married with three children, the oldest recently graduating from Cassisus. He loves poetry, astronomy, and participates in a number of charity organizations. He also likes to hike and spend time in the country. But one thing is fer sure, he really don't have no time for STUPID people!

Certainly you'd be taken back by my lack of professionalism, but more importantly, what would it say about me? It reads, loud and clear to everyone, Dr. Robbers's defining characteristic is that he's really jaded about something, gets infuriated when people disagree with him, and is primarily associated with the organization posting this bio so he can take his anger out on his main hobby -- people he thinks are stupid. In other words, he does in fact have all the time in the world for "stupid people".

Excellent research, Dean Robbers. It looks like you are working up something for the CROA (Cassius Review of Apologetics), am I right? Clearly, the preliminary results are illuminating of the apparent amateurism at SHIELDS. In their professional lives, real scholars tend to sublimate their hostilities regarding certain opponents, arguments, etc., but the SHIELDS folks wear theirs on their sleeves. On the one hand, I have to hand it to them for being open and honest about what so many others hide, but then one would think that restraint of some kind should be in order. And one wonders, if they are open about this, what further issues might they be hiding?

This is a very important post. I too, have long found it odd how boastful the apologists are about their own anger and vitriol (which, of course, all of them claim is actually "humor," rather than actual spite).

Kishkumen wrote:It looks like you are working up something for the CROA (Cassius Review of Apologetics), am I right?

I am not sure exactly where this research is going. Mainly, I'm interested in what our chief resident scholar is doing and I'm just trying to take on some of the light stuff. I hope you have discovered his preliminary work on the Encyclopedia of Mopologetics. I hope to own my own leather bound set one day when the series is completed. Which reminds me...