The Big Lie About Maxwell

[_Kishkumen]

As Bill Handskin continues his rage-fueled vendetta against the Maxwell Institute, he serves up one of the most amazing whoppers to date:

I'd be perfectly willing to let MI do whatever they want if they hadn't usurped millions of dollars in donations, university funding, land, resources, personnel, etc. to fund Jerry's pet vision. The problem isn't that MI doesn't do good things. It does. The problem is that Bradford and his Junta systematically set out to dismantle classic FARMS and usurp the endowment raised for classic FARMS, and divert it to do their pet projects.

I'm not showboating. I'm perfectly serious.

Wow. Just.... WOW!

Now, on the first point, I can see Pill Bomblin's point. I think it is fair to say that he feels as though money given for the purpose of supporting the trashing of Laura Compton, Rodney Meldrum, John Dehlin and other LDS people was turned to other, less worthy endeavors, like translating ancient works of Arabic literature and other disreputable "pet projects." Hey, if I were a donor, I would be steamed too. Just imagine that Arizona real estate mogul Ira Whatsisbucket, sitting there in his deckchair by the pool, waiting for Mike Quinn's head in his mailbox, and "BAM!" in swoops Jerry Bradford taking that blood money and diverting it to a series on Syriac Christian literature in the fifth century. I'd be royally pissed.

But then it seems to me that our friend Bilk Tramplin goes off the rails. He imagines that BYU money, land, resources, and personnel were somehow surreptitiously usurped by Bradford for his own personal "pet projects." Hold the phone, Blok!

That would be some trick. And evidently, Bradford would have had to pull it without anyone at BYU knowing about it. And yet, Bradford was in contact with the university administration as all of this went down. Furthermore, the results have brought into being a Maxwell Institute that looks a lot more like a university organ and much less like Koch-funded opposition research or some such. So, I have to ask Boll Trimblan at this point, "Do you honestly think that the university has a problem with what Bradford has done?"

I think not. Furthermore, Pete Dannerson loved to tell us in response to the idea the university paid him to do apologetics that no, in fact, there was a good deal of university OPPOSITION to his apologetics. So, again, Blow Scrimblon, REALLY? Are you going to change stories at long last and try to tell us that the university was happy to fund slams on Laura Compton, Mike Quinn, and others, and only Gerald Bradford had a problem with it?

I mean, I think we must conclude, based on Drill Plimplin's caterwauling, that yes, indeed, BYU was funding the Institute for the explicit purpose of doing apologetics.

One certainly cannot have it both ways! So, Dill, which is the big lie? You tell us.

[_Analytics]

They can leave the Maxwell Institute, but they can't leave it alone.

[_Kishkumen]

They can leave the Maxwell Institute, but they can't leave it alone.

Evidently to the point of destroying all of their former apologetics about their apologetics.

The volcanic rage directed at Gerald Bradford is apocalyptic.

[_Darth J]

They can leave the Maxwell Institute, but they can't leave it alone.

Yes. It looks like someone at the Maxwell Institute offended them, or they didn't want to live the Maxwell Institute's standards.

[_Kishkumen]

Yes. It looks like someone at the Maxwell Institute offended them, or they didn't want to live the Maxwell Institute's standards.

Maybe it's time for a Bednar intervention?

[_lostindc]

Hamblin's charge that the current MI is conciously steering funds in order to support a rogue director's vision is heavy and not unnoticed. If I were Hamblin and believed Church funds were being misused then I have an obligation to bring this to the attention of Church leadership, unless Bill is exaggerating the issue in order to slander the current MI leadership. I for one, find Bill Hamblin every bit as accountable as those misusing funds if and only if Bill does not bring the misuse to the attention of Church leadership.

[_Kishkumen]

Hamblin's charge that the current MI is conciously steering funds in order to support a rogue director's vision is heavy and not unnoticed. If I were Hamblin and believed Church funds were being misused then I have an obligation to bring this to the attention of Church leadership, unless Bill is exaggerating the issue in order to slander the current MI leadership. I for one, find Bill Hamblin every bit as accountable as those misusing funds if and only if Bill does not bring the misuse to the attention of Church leadership.

You raise an excellent point, lost. Mil Frimpton is indeed on the hook by covenant to make sure that the Lord's money is not wasted on one man's pet project. Why just the other day I was disturbed to find this structure towering above the Maxwell Institute east of BYU campus:



Could it be that the longed-for FARMS Ziggurat has been built at last, as a tribute to the tyranny and avaricious dreams of one man?

[_Madison54]

Well, it's obvious where the moderator's on that site stand.

DavidB posted this and the thread was quickly locked after only 3 responses:

I question the secondary pet purpose of this board. Recently this board has become the recess playground for others "adults" who have engaged in a days last fest of nitpicking, snark, insults, and general behaviour that many should be embarrassed about. While I understand the emotions are still high - a year later - but is the childish bickering just does not seem this board was intended for?

Though, I have good reason to believe that someone by the handle of Nemisis - who I believe has some kind of moderation authority on this board, has engage in the attacks against Bradford; (a post I came across last night when google searching Kristian question as to whether the Peterson/Bradford topic had been discussed on this board) which gives the impression that the dogpile and attacks on another otherwise worthy Member of the Church are acceptable conduct for this board...which is disappointing.

I like this board for the discussion about the Church, Gospel and Doctrine. However, a recess fight between 3rd graders is just unappealing to the board.

Moreover, such a childish antics only serve to empower the critics of the Church.

Despite whether a members of the Church is "Team Peterson" or "Team Bradford", we are all members of the Church.

And before anyone starts, I did report posts, and as I suspected when reporting the post the reports were futile - as there is apparently a sense "rally around the family with a pocket full of shells" going on. It is telling that just a few days ago a thread that seemingly attacked Daniel Peterson was locked almost immediately but a thread dedicated to attacking Gerald Bradford is permitted to remain open.

Hopefully, upstanding members of this board will see the "What has the new FARMS produced?" for what it is - an obvious attack thread against Gerald Bradford and MI.

I find it very saddening that suck an obvious attack thread was started by a current/former Bishop/Bishopric member and that several individual on both sides have been allowed to use this board as a battleground.

[_Kishkumen]

Very true, Madison. That has alas always been the case. And, really, that Mopologetic culture is what made the different iterations of the MAD board so unfriendly to questioning members.

[_Kishkumen]

It is apparent to me that the only person left on that thread who has a handle of the real issue is sethpayne. He correctly observes that once moneys are donated to a university unit like the Maxwell Institute, the donors have very little say about how the money is used, unless they made special legal provisions to the contrary. So, Donnell & Co. can take umbrage at the Executive Director's use of money intended to smear fellow members of the LDS Church for purposes like the translation of ancient texts, and other unworthy "pet projects," but it is so much wasted bile.