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I read yesterday that Randy Bott will no longer be teaching at BYU after this semester. I know he's close to retirement age, but do you think he was already planning on retiring at this time?

This was posted online in another forum:

According to private discussions with other religion professors, Bott will no longer be teaching at BYU after this semester. It will be called a retirement.

Timing of announcement to be delayed, likely to minimize speculation that the retirement is related to his racist comments to the Washington Post. Bott to say that the retirement had been in the works for some time.

Word is other BYU religion professors are upset the church did not circle the wagons to protect Bott.

The Brethren will sacrifice anyone in order to save face. BYU professors can just suck it up; should they ever be that stupid, they'll face the same fate. The church protects no one lower than a 70 on the food chain.

According to the Times & Seasons chronology, Bott was set to retire at the end of this semester anyways.

It's all very sad to me. My roommates and fellow students at BYU seemed to love Bott. They were always gushing about his classes and encouraging me to take one (his "mission preparation" was his most popular course though, and even I wouldn't take a course like "mission preparation" as a non-member). Now he'll always be remembered for this, instead of decades of loving and kind service to thousands of students. All because he said some things to the press that were either in the manual for one of the courses he teaches (the Ham stuff) or very common sentiments in LDS thought (the infantilizing stuff).

Very, very sad.

MsJack wrote:According to the Times & Seasons chronology, Bott was set to retire at the end of this semester anyways.

It's all very sad to me. My roommates and fellow students at BYU seemed to love Bott. They were always gushing about his classes and encouraging me to take one (his "mission preparation" was his most popular course though, and even I wouldn't take a course like "mission preparation" as a non-member). Now he'll always be remembered for this, instead of decades of loving and kind service to thousands of students. All because he said some things to the press that were either in the manual for one of the courses he teaches (the Ham stuff) or very common sentiments in LDS thought (the infantilizing stuff).

Very, very sad.

Yes, he will be remembered for telling the truth.
The Church will be remembered for trampling him.

MsJack wrote:According to the Times & Seasons chronology, Bott was set to retire at the end of this semester anyways.

Thanks, I hadn't read this. I thought that was most likely the case. I think he is retirement age.

Drifting wrote:Yes, he will be remembered for telling the truth.
The Church will be remembered for trampling him.

Agreed.

How sad for him and his family. He will most likely always have somewhat of a sour taste in his mouth whenever he thinks of his service at BYU.

I do feel that he is also being used as an example to other professors as to what will happen to them (ie. how much support they will receive) if they dare to reveal any other past beliefs or teachings that are embarrassing to the church.

I'm sure they have heard this message loud and clear.

Well at least he's better off for seeing first hand exactly the kind of PR monster his Religion has become.

He was set for retirement and he was heading out the door anyway. The church is not responsible for his retirement. But Bott is.

MsJack wrote:Now he'll always be remembered for this, instead of decades of loving and kind service to thousands of students. All because he said some things to the press that were either in the manual for one of the courses he teaches (the Ham stuff) or very common sentiments in LDS thought (the infantilizing stuff).

Very, very sad.

What is very sad is the hay antimormons made of it. Not to mention the petition campaign that some BYU students began. What he said in the press would not have mattered if the bad publicity did not exist. Also, BYU professors should know better than to speak for the LDS church.

Madison54 wrote:
I do feel that he is also being used as an example to other professors as to what will happen to them (ie. how much support they will receive) if they dare to reveal any other past beliefs or teachings that are embarrassing to the church.

I'm sure they have heard this message loud and clear.

The problem was: he made a statement in the press about Mormon beliefs without permission. No church can operate well when professors act as spokespeople for the organization. And that was his problem.

why me wrote:
What is very sad is the hay antimormons made of it. ....

What is very sad is the hay the LDS Church made of it.