Well, we've come at last to the end of a very bleak year. Still, even with all the suffering and conflict, I cannot help but welcome the warm glow of the yuletide season. I enjoy the chill in the air; the smell of wassail on the stove; the verdant green of the Cassius University Christmas Tree. Even though we've been forced to endure remote learning and truncated research, we can still all come together (safely distanced, of course) in order to enjoy the holiday spirit.
Of course, there is more than one way to celebrate, and on that note, I'm wondering if you all remember the classic episode of Seinfeld called, "The Strike." This was a holiday-themed episode of the show, and it features a lot of memorable moments: Kramer working in a bagel shop, and later going on strike (hence the title). George hands out fake Christmas gifts to his colleagues--i.e., bogus donations to a fake non-profit called "The Human Fund" (remember: there's still time to "donate" to Mormon Interpreter!). Elaine struggles valiantly to get a final check on her sandwich club card so that she can get a free--albeit mediocre--sub sandwich. Jerry, meanwhile, is dating a "two-face" woman, whose attractiveness vanishes if the lighting is wrong.
Arguably the most memorable aspect of the episode, though, is Festivus--a holiday created by George's dad, Frank Costanza. As Frank describes it, the holiday was born out of a fistfight he got into with a fellow shopper: as he reached for a doll, another shopper also reached for it, and as he "rained blows down upon" the other man, the idea of Festivus came to him: rather like a religious epiphany.
And the holiday itself is a combination of Brutalist practicality and a strange fixation on aggression and revenge. For example, after getting busted on the matter of the "Human Fund," George is forced to confess that his family "doesn't celebrate" Christmas and instead celebrates Festivus, which results in George's boss, Mr. Kruger, getting invited over for Festivus dinner. Upon his arrival, Frank insists on showing Kruge the aluminum pole, which basically functions as a sort of analog for the Christmas tree. And then, of course, there's the annual Airing of Grievances. "I got a lotta problems with you people!" Frank Costanza explains.
I'm sure you can see where I'm going with all of this. The similarities behind Festivus and Mopologetics are rather uncanny. For example, the Mopologists celebrate the Airing of Grievances ("Metcalfe is Butthead," eh?), though they do this year-round. And what about the "Feats of Strength"? How important is it to have a doctorate from an Ivy League institution? Shall we prove our fortitude by cranking out boatloads of subpar, "peer reviewed" articles each week, just to demonstrate our vitality?
Whatever the case may be, I doubt that even the staunchest naysayers would still have to admit that it seems like an awfully big coincidence that Festivas is celebrated on December 23rd: the same day as Joseph Smith's birthday! Wow! Another Festivus Miracle, as Kramer would say!
Happy holidays, everyone! Much cheer and merriment to you and your loved ones. The time has come, as it does every year, to look back and assess the state of Mopologetics during the "dumpster fire" that was 2020. My dear friends and colleagues, I give you the Top Ten Happenings in Mopologetics, 2020:
10. Midgley and the Mopologists Attack Others' Religious Beliefs
The Mopologists have always had a very uncomfortable relationship with other faith traditions--trying, on the one hand, to get along with practitioners of Islam (in Dr. Peterson's case), while also having to fend off attacks from zealous critics from other faith traditions--such as the EV critics during the heyday of FARMS. And, of course, one of the oldest, and most long-standing Mopologetic assertions was that Mopologists don't "start ministries" or publications, or blogs attacking other faiths. That is something that's only ever done to *them*. Sadly, 2020 was the year that that argument was finally smashed to smithereens. In a series of comments on "Sic et Non," Dr. Midgley revealed his contempt for Dr. Shades's religious experiences:
This, coupled with Midgley's nonstop mockery of Gemli's religious experiences cemented his status as the Doyen of slamming others' faith and religious beliefs and feelings. He's not alone in that regard; Dr. Peterson and others have been equally guilty of this, but Midgley's behavior in the past year have effectively ended any arguments that the Mopologists might make about their alleged religious "tolerance."Louis Midgley wrote:Dr. Shades: I am genuinely interested in what exactly happened to you on 9 March 2017 that caused you to regain/faith in a force or a higher power or God that cares about you and other human beings. And hence presumably convinced you that human beings are not merely cockroaches. Did you, I wonder, have a NDE? Or did you have what in German is called a Himmelfahrt--a glorious trip to heaven? Or have you become a mystic? I think that Professor Peterson might give you permission to respond to my gentle request for more information on your transforming experience on this blog entry, instead of on the cockroach blog item. Either way will be fine with me.
9. Brian Hauglid is Interviewed on "Radio Free Mormon"
Over the summer, the poster known as Consiglieri--also the host of an intriguing Mormon-themed podcast called "Radio Free Mormon"--hosted former Mopologist and Book of Abraham expert Brian Hauglid, who has become one of the Mopologists sworn enemies. On the podcast, Hauglid came across as a person of great integrity and honesty, and someone who has had to weather some of the worst behavior from the Mopologists--notably John Gee, who seems as snake-like and dishonest as ever.
Indeed, Gee attempted to get Hauglid into trouble via a gossipy, "dirty rat"-style email that was sent to BYU's Religious Education leadership just prior to the airing of the podcast. Meanwhile, the Mopologists worked very hard to depict Hauglid as a coward, who was only disclosing his true feelings mere days after having retired from BYU.
Whatever the case may be, the Hauglid interview was illuminating, and it both confirmed the suspicions that many had about Gee and his role in Book of Abraham apologetics, and provided altogether new revelations as well, such as the bit about Gee simultaneously peer reviewing a book for pay, and then turning around and slamming it in the "Mormon Interpreter" blog. It remains to be seen what role--if any--Hauglid will continue to play, and whether or not the Mopologists will continue to attack him. Given the recent swipes that were taken at him in "Interpreter," this may be something to keep an eye on.
8. New Details Emerge on the Maxwell Institute "Ouster"
There was a time when Greg Smith, DCP, Midgley, and other Mopologists boasted that, one day, they would tell us the "real" story of their 2012 removal from the Maxwell Institute. Those boasts have gradually dwindled away in the ensuing years, though, and students of Mopologetics have been left in the dark, mostly, with vague insinuations from Midgley being the meager grist for the mill. Luckily, early in 2020, a pair of documents surfaced which helped to shed new light on the whole affair. The first was an "apology" letter, apparently penned by Kristian Heal --someone that Midgley and the other Mopologists have seemingly regarded as something of a "traitor."
Meanwhile, a copy surfaced of a letter written by Morgan Davis, in which he scolds DCP and Midgley over their insistence on publishing the now-infamous "hit piece" on John Dehlin.
While both letters are interesting and valuable from a Mopologetics Studies perspective, Davis's letter is absolutely historic in terms of the insight in provides into the behind-the-scenes tension that was brewing at the Maxwell Institute in 2012. Davis confirms what many people had been pointing out for decades: i.e., that the Mopologists are attack-minded, and that they "love a good fight." From the Mopologists' perspective, though, Davis was a big-time "traitor" and a Dehlin sympathizer, and their silences and insinuations would seem to suggest that they hate him to this day.
7. Hannah Seariac Emerges as a New Mopologist
The Mopologists have increasingly been criticized for their apparent inability to attract new, young "talent" to their ranks. For a number of years, it seemed that Steve Smoot, Neal Rappleye, and perhaps Rappleye's befuddled wife were the only ones who were going to hang around for the "long haul." (Bryce Haymond was a candidate for a while, but it would appear that he jumped ship.) In 2020, though, a new "Young Turk" emerged in the form of this year's Sampson Avard Gold Scepter Award-winner: Hannah Seariac. Seariac rose to prominence thanks to a notable podcast interview she did was a rather condescending John Gee, who mansplained to Seariac at numerous points in the interview, feeling--apparently--that she needed to be schooled on the finer points of Book of Abraham apologetics. But Seariac also drew attention thanks to her political efforts, along with her eyebrow-raising affiliation with DezNat and the alt-Right. More specifically, Seariac and one of her BYU classmates circulated a petition complaining that BYU was growing "too liberal":
Meanwhile, Seariac began to take more criticism over her connection to DezNat, and eventually, someone pulled the plug on her blog. Allegations swirled that John Gee had taken her under his wing--which, if true, has eerie echoes of the mentor/mentee relationship between Madame Blanc and Susie Bannion in the remake of Suspiria. At the moment, Seariac seems somewhat unsteady and unsure of herself. She hasn't yet found firm footing like Rappleye and Smooth, and it remains to be seen whether or not she's got the bloodlust to stick around for the long haul. But it will be worth watching to see what, if anything, she does in 2021.We do not believe that the University should trade the eternal life of its students for the praise and accolades of modern, secular academia. To do so would be to sell our birthright for a mess of pottage. We are grateful to the University for maintaining the Honor Code, religious education requirements, and other aspects of the University that show commitment to BYU’s mission. However, we ask that the University consider whether correct doctrine is consistently taught in classes, whether the connection to religious knowledge is made clear throughout the entire curriculum and not just within religious education courses, and the University’s commitment to religious standards.
6. Yet More Hit Pieces Appear in "Mormon Interpreter"
2020 saw more hit pieces appear among the entries of the "Mormon Interpreter" blog, which still insists (falsely) on referring to itself as a "journal." While the work of the "Interpreter" President has become increasingly sluggish and erratic, "Interpreter" itself kept plugging along, with attack articles aimed at everyone from Jana Reiss, who was attacked at length by John Gee in a late 2019 article, to a bizarre piece authored by Susan Easton Black, who accused Ben Park of doing work that "degrades a prophet of God." And then there was the "hit piece" aimed at Terryl Givens and (probably moreso) Brian Hauglid, who were also accused of doing scholarship that could lead people out of the Church. Rather humorously, shortly after this "hit piece" was published and our criticism of it appeared on this board, Co-Editor-in-Chief Jeff Lindsay quickly rushed in to publish a blog entry *praising* Givens to high heaven in a clear attempt to smooth over any ruffled feathers. Best not to anger Givens and/or any of the powerful people who support him. (And it needs to be pointed out that the book Lindsay is slathering over was published by the 'new' Maxwell Institute.)
5. Allen Wyatt Gets "Demoted" at "Mormon Interpreter"
Allen Wyatt, the increasingly svelte and sometimes slug-like former Editor-in-Chief was dealt an unfortunate blow this year when, after a series of criticisms of "Interpreter" on "Faith Promoting Rumor" and elsewhere--notably of Interpreter's peer review process--his sole editorship was taken away from him and he was forced to accept Jeff Lindsay as Co-Editor. Not that that seemed to help: Interpreter still struggles to perform halfway decent peer review.
But Wyatt maintains his status as a mercurial and sometimes sympathetic figure in the world of Mopologetics. From his past "cybersquatting" antics, to getting ridiculed by DCP on live radio during an episode of the "Interpreter Radio Show," to enduring an insulting sobriquet such as "The Slug," Wyatt has endured a lot. One might even say that he is essentially the "whipping boy" of Mopologetics: doing their dirty work (such as "arranging" the peer review process) without getting anything back in return.
I suspect that one day karma will swing in Wyatt's favor, however. Will this happen in 2021? We'll have to wait and see.
4. DCP Ignores Health Officials' COVID Advice
Despite slathering the ass of Sam LeFevre, frequent commentator at "Sic at Non" and also, incidentally, a health official for the state of Utah, and despite frequently urging his readership to obey coronavirus-related directives, Dr. Peterson himself nonetheless often seemed to ignore said health officials' advice, going on not just one, not just two, but *three* separate vacations, sometimes putting others at risk by riding in a confined car-space with them. He also attended multiple screenings of the various stages of the "Witnesses" movie, despite clear directives against gatherings. While he claimed at times that there was some unnamed "purpose" for his travels, to most observers, it seemed that he was flagrantly disregarding health officials' advice just for the sake of his own pleasure.
What to make of all of this? Irresponsible? Perhaps the answer lies in one of the stranger posts to appear on "Sic et Non," a July posting that argued that one of the upshots of COVID-19 was the fact that more people would be closer to death and would thus get to experience near-death experiences. As Dean Robbers rightfully pointed out, "That's an uptick on the derangement meter for sure."
Indeed.
3. John Gee Claims His Book was "Suppressed"
John Gee is arguably the most "long-suffering" of all the Mopologists, and the one with the most unenviable task: i.e., to defend the Book of Abraham. Notably, the other key Mopologists won't touch it: good luck trying to get Welch, Midgley, Peterson, or any of the others to comment openly about it and its attendant issues. That impossible task has always fallen to Gee, who has struggled mightily to produce credible responses. Students of Mopologetics are, by now, quite familiar with the various gambits: the 2 inks theory; the missing scroll; and so on. None of it has worked, and Book of Abraham apologetics is in as bad of shape now as it has ever been.
Thus, it's probably not very surprising that Gee harbors a significant paranoid streak--a fact that surfaced in rather stunning fashion in May when Gee announced on his blog that his book, An Introduction to the Book of Abraham had been "suppressed" and its publication delayed thanks to some disgruntled person or groups of persons who "campaigned" to make it go away. As Gee put it on his blog:
Unfortunately for Gee, the book was savaged in the blogosphere, with people slamming his methodology and conclusions, and before long, the book was yanked from the shelves of several key Church-related venues. While one can still purchase the book via Amazon and the FAIR website, the fact remains that the book seemed to highlight some key fissures within the various factions and BYU and elsewhere. And in the middle of it all, Gee remains a polarizing figure. 2020 was an especially interesting year for him. Will he be able to top it in 2021?Forn Spill Fira wrote:Almost three and a half years ago, my book An Introduction to the Book of Abraham was announced by Deseret Book. When it was announced a certain individual or group of individuals launched a campaign to have the book suppressed. This delayed the release of the book a number of months (it was over a year from the announcement of the book to its actual release). To forestall something similar happening I have waited to announce my new book, Saving Faith, until it has actually come off the press.
2. The "Witnesses" Trailer Makes an Unfortunate Debut
Dr. Peterson's pet project, the "Witnesses" movie, was supposed to be one of the "must-see" events of 2020, but the pandemic changed all of that. Hey: even James Bond and Denis Villenueve's Dune have been pushed back into 2021. Still, we were treated to a series of delightful antics involving the Mopologetic version of Heaven's Gate. For one thing, interesting details came to light involving the rather "shadowy" fundraising that was involved in drumming up the $1,000,000 needed to produce the file.
Then, in bumbling fashion, the Mopologists made a last-ditch and rather bumbling effort to "crash" the final days of the LDS film festival. But the crown jewel of "Witnesses" related incident has to be, without a doubt, the debut of the "Witnesses" trailer, replete with the gold plates being used to bludgeon an attacker, along with a "Street Fighter"-esque "POW!" sound accompanying the action. One viewer even observed what appears to be a wireless mic clipped onto the back of one of the actor's pants.
Humiliated and outraged, the Mopologists immediately sprang into action to do damage control, with Dr. Peterson banning people from "Sic et Non," and the sound effect quickly scrubbed out of the trailer (which DCP insisted was not an "official" trailer; they are apparently refusing to allow the public to see it. Only movie-theater-goers willing to brave the worst wave of the pandemic can get a glimpse of it, evidently). Perhaps most hilariously, someone disabled the feature on the trailer's video that allowed you to skip around to different parts of the trailer--i.e., so you could watch the "POW!" scene or the wireless mic parts over and over again. Such poor sports!
In any case, the "Witnesses" movie continues to offer us the promise of interesting things in 2021. And that brings us to the Number 1 Happening of 2020....
1. Louis Midgley Stalks Gina Colvin and Her Family
It's hard to imagine that 2020 began with such flagrantly nasty behavior from the Mopologists, and yet, here it is, staring us in the face. Louis Midgley, the cantankerous and rotting heart of the Mopologetic movement, made a series of comments on Gina Colvin's blog, which culminated in him saying that he was planning to be in New Zealand shortly, and that he would make an effort to, uh, "meet" her.
Colvin, of course, is the affable blogger who has openly discussed her faith journey away from Mormonism and into other practices, including Community of Christ, which, of course, Midgley hates. Thinking that he had her over a barrel, and that he would prove to everyone that she's actually a "fake" (I guess?) Midgley announced that he was planning to "pay a visit" to New Zealand, apparently to accomplish the task of, what, humiliating her? As you might imagine, this didn't go well. A series of posters descended on Midgley and berated him for "stalking," and he took the criticism personally, bemoaning the fact of it openly on "Sic et Non."Louis Midgley wrote:Gina:
I know of only one Community of Christ congregation in New Zealand. It is located at 311 Glengary Road, Glen Eden, Auckland. A search does not turn up Community of Christ congregation in Christchurch. Would you please explain where this Community of Christ group meets in Christchurch and also how many there are in this group? I will, God willing, be in New Zealand in February, and might drop in to see your new venture, but I will need an address and so forth.
Luckily for Colvin, in any case, Midgley only managed to hunt down Colvin's husband:
When pressed on whether or not this meeting with Colvin's husband was truly "accidental," Midgley elaborated:Louis Midgley wrote:The one I assumed was the Stake President, since he was conducting the meeting in which two Wards were transformed into three Wards, came up to me and pointed to Dr. Nathan McCluskey, who happens to be Gina Colvin's husband, and he indicated that he wanted to meet me. In that mass of people I lost sight of him, but he spotted me and we instantly became friends. We had an interesting conversation and I came away with his card and a request that we stay in touch. End of story.
All of this has been garbled on Dr. Shades disgusting board.
And:Self-Exiled: I did not "seek out Gina Colvin's husband." The Stake President approached me and pointed out her husband to me and told me that he wanted to meet me. Put bluntly so even an unusually dull ten year old should understand, Gina's husband wanted to meet me. And his Stake President was aware of this fact, as he was aware that our group would be there for a Sacrament meeting, which had actually included two Wards that had just been divided as we arrived.
I would like to see you point out anything remotely like a "personal attack" in anything I have published. Have a look at the essays I have published in Interpreter on the Maori Latter-day Saint historical narrative and try to identify anything like a so-called "personal attack."
In addition, I see everyone as potentially sanctified by the Holy Spirit and hence as, hopefully, eventually a Saint
In other words, Midgley got to get his dig in, because, hey: he's managed to drive a wedge between Gina Colvin and her husband. I guess that was his Mopologetic "good deed" for the year? If Dr. Peterson sees the "good" in the pandemic because it will supposedly cause more near-death experiences, could we say in turn that the "good" of the pandemic was that it prevented Midgley from harassing more people in this manner? With vaccines on the horizon, how long will that last?Midgley wrote:I am also pleased to report that Nathan told me that both he and his wife have read everything that I have written about the Maori Latter-day Saint historical narrative. And he agrees with me, while she detests--he used the word hates--what I have written. If for no other reason, knowing this was well worth the expense and effort involved in my recent, and most likely, last visit to Aotearoa/New Zealand.
* * * * * * * * *
Well, friends and colleagues, that brings us to the end. Amazingly, even with all the lockdowns, the Mopologists still managed enough rancid behavior to supply us with some honorable mentions (and apologies if I didn't manage to include the ones you had in mind):
--More racial insensitivity on "Sic et Non" on Martin Luther King Day
--The Mopologists Take Issue with Changes to the BYU Honor Code
--Dr. Peterson Declares that 'Homophobia' is a "nonsense word"
--Dr. Peterson and Peter Pan Team Up to Stalk Jonathan Neville
--Steve Smoot Gets in on the Cruise Lady Game
I am glad that this year is drawing to a close. I look forward to the annual Cassius University Christmas party, even though we're going to have to do it via Zoom. There is a party of me that wishes that Dean Robbers was as reckless as the Mopologists and willing to throw the CDC's recommendations on gatherings out the window, but I know that he's wise, and that he's doing the right thing. I know that, regardless, I will no doubt relish the sight of Dr. Darth J. sipping Navy grog while his festive holiday Zoom background shimmers indistinctly beyond his visage.
Happy holidays, everyone! May the season bring you tidings of joy, and respite from the weariness that 2020 bestowed upon all of us. Good things are ahead, I'm confident, and look forward to next year, when I hope once again to regale you with the Top Ten Happenings of Mopologetics in 2021!
