A Church Within the Church

[_Tavares Standfield]

I find it a bit funny that William "Cypher Man" Schryver loves to attack John Dehlin for creating a so-called "Church" of his own. I'm no Dehlin sycophant and, like Mayan Elephant, have some reservations about Dehlin's self-promotion etc... But I can't take away from John that he has done tremendous good and despite his faults, he is to be thanked. Heaven knows I have plenty of my own faults.

Anyway, what I have come to see is that Bill Hambone and Dan Peterson have essentially created their own Church, within the Church. Just puruse MADB for 10 minutes and you will see that Scott Lloyd and others fall all over themselves defending Dan and Bill -- and they do so with as much vigor and intent as they do when defending the Gospel or the Church. For heaven sakes, spelling variations (Utahn vs Utahan) have been used to try and defame the MI.

For many, defending Dan and Bill has become more important than defending the Gospel -- to the point of attacking faithful members who dare show an amount of intellectual integrity and who -- and I think this is their biggest sin -- extend an olive branch to ex- and disaffected Latter-day Saints.

Danpologetics and Hamblinsanity have taken center stage and are, as we can see, the Gospel many so-called "Saints" truly follow and seek to defend.

[_Ludd]

I realize that, as alleged William Schryver Sockpuppet #69 of 96, I should be aware of all the things he is saying on the internetz at any given point in time, but my memory must be starting to get a bit clunky as I get older. Anyway, where is Schryver attacking Dehlin? I would like to go check it out.

Also, I really wish someone would maintain a list of who becomes who becomes who becomes who as some of the posters on this board change user names every few months. Who did "Tavares Standfield" used to be?

As for the "church within a church" that Peterson and Hamblin represent, I think you make a good point that the Mormon apologists and those who follow them represent a very small fraction of Mormondom. It is more or less accurate to characterize them as a "church within a church". I think 95% (or more) of Mormons have never even heard of Peterson and Hamblin, or of most of the things they talk about on their blogs. You could put Hamblin's post about the recent Hodges/PEterson confrontation at the Fair conference in front of them, and to them it would have about as much meaning as a news story regarding Mongolian politics. They would have no idea what most of the terminology and references were even about. The world of Mormon apologetics and those who oppose it is very, very small. Almost invisible in the Mormon world, let alone the world at large.

[_Tavares Standfield]

Also, I really wish someone would maintain a list of who becomes who becomes who becomes who as some of the posters on this board change user names every few months. Who did "Tavares Standfield" used to be?

We are legion.

As for the "church within a church" that Peterson and Hamblin represent, I think you make a good point that the Mormon apologists and those who follow them represent a very small fraction of Mormondom. It is more or less accurate to characterize them as a "church within a church". I think 95% (or more) of Mormons have never even heard of Peterson and Hamblin, or of most of the things they talk about on their blogs. You could put Hamblin's post about the recent Hodges/PEterson confrontation at the Fair conference in front of them, and to them it would have about as much meaning as a news story regarding Mongolian politics. They would have no idea what most of the terminology and references were even about. The world of Mormon apologetics and those who oppose it is very, very small. Almost invisible in the Mormon world, let alone the world at large.

You are right. The impact of Hamblinsanity and Danpologetics is minimal at best. Always has been and yet it continues to grow smaller.

As far as WS claiming Dehlin was starting his own Church -- I don't have a link handy but it was in some comments he made a couple of years ago around the time of the original JD drama. It was in some thread where he was complaining that Dehlin pulled in a 40k salary for his work with the OS foundation.

[_suniluni2]

Battle of the sock puppets.

[_Tavares Standfield]

Battle of the sock puppets.

[_cwald]

Battle of the sock puppets.

Indeed indeed.

I do think that the OP makes a great point. Dehlin and DCP have much in common. Both of them feed off of attention and the energy of their followers.

I would also opine that JD tends to show more compassion, kindness, charity and class than DCP.

[_suniluni2]

I would also opine that JD tends to show more compassion, kindness, charity and class than DCP.

Huh, never really about it, but yes, much more. I've rarely seen DCP show class, compassion or kindness. He seems to be more comfortable being an arrogant prick and playing the persecuted role.