Midgley and Nathan Whilk Slam Blair Hodges, Exult in Changes to "New" MI

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

Dripdripdripdrip ...

President Wriston > Louis Midgley

The tall tale that was (and still is) being circulated, when Professor Peterson was fired by email yet, when he was on University business in Jerusalem, is that the Brethren had ordered it, and they had done so because they hated our defense of the faith and the Saints.

This is a distortion of the truth. Many, many people had complained about the behavior that had been exhibited in the FARMS Review over time. Everyone from John Charles Duffy, to Morgan Davis, to Richard Bushman and the people at Signature Books had complained, all to no avail. Up until the "changing of the guard," that is. Throughout all of this, there absolutely were some among the 15 who didn't approve of FARMS's more extremist antics.

It's also not accurate that the Brethren "hated [y]our defense of the faith." Some of the Brethren approved, but there were others who didn't. Ultimately, things lined up such that enough of the Brethren had finally had enough of the "No uncontested slam dunks" approach to apologetics. They were tired of things like "Metcalfe is Butthead," and the squabble with John Dehlin, and so the plug was pulled. Jerry Bradford was willing to allow Prof. Peterson to stay on board in a consultative capacity, but as we all know, Prof. Peterson stormed off in an angry huff.

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DanielPeterson > President Wriston

PW: "Many, many people had complained about the behavior that had been exhibited in the FARMS Review over time. Everyone from John Charles Duffy, to Morgan Davis, to Richard Bushman and the people at Signature Books had complained, all to no avail."

To whom had Richard Bushman complained? Richard never complained to me. Nor did Morgan Davis, until shortly before he helped to engineer my ouster.

That John Charles Duffy and the folks at Signature Books disapproved of writing that disagreed with them is scarcly news.

PW: "Throughout all of this, there absolutely were some among the 15 who didn't approve of FARMS's more extremist antics. . . . Some of the Brethren approved, but there were others who didn't."

Who? And how do you know that?

PW: "Ultimately, things lined up such that enough of the Brethren had finally had enough of the "No uncontested slam dunks" approach to apologetics."

In other words, you're saying, they rejected Elder Maxwell's concept of apologetics.

Evidence, please? Be specific.

PW: "They were tired of things like "Metcalfe is Butthead," and the squabble with John Dehlin, and so the plug was pulled."

Evidence, please?

PW: "Jerry Bradford was willing to allow Prof. Peterson to stay on board in a consultative capacity, but as we all know, Prof. Peterson stormed off in an angry huff."

No, we don't all know that. I don't know it, for example.

Please provide your sources for these allegations. Or, alternatively, stop spreading malicious gossip.

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President Wriston > DanielPeterson

Who? And how do you know that?

It's hardly a secret who supported what I've called the "extremist antics." Just look up the old accounts of which of the 15 came and spoke at FARMS events.

In other words, you're saying, they rejected Elder Maxwell's concept of apologetics.

Are you really saying or suggesting that "Elder Maxwell's concept of apologetics" included things like "Metcalfe is Butthead"? How about getting sued by Kurt Van Gorden? Was that part of Elder Maxwell's playbook? To extend the metaphor: you can stop a dunk by blocking the opposing player's shot. You can also stop it with a flagrant foul. I think that Elder Maxwell and the Brethren understood which approach was preferable.

No, we don't all know that. I don't know it, for example.

Do you mean that Bradford offered to keep you on as a consultant? It's right there in his email to you.

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DanielPeterson > President Wriston

PW: "It's hardly a secret who supported what I've called the "extremist antics." Just look up the old accounts of which of the 15 came and spoke at FARMS events."

In your pseudohistorical comment here, PW, you allege that there were complaints from the top Church leaders in Salt Lake City. I simply ask you for specific names and for your sources.

PW: "How about getting sued by Kurt Van Gorden? Was that part of Elder Maxwell's playbook?"

It certainly wasn't part of mine. Mr. Van Gorden was upset by a negative book review. But anybody can sue anybody for anything, and the judge tossed Mr. Van Gorden's suit out "with prejudice," as having no merit.

PW: "I think that Elder Maxwell and the Brethren understood which approach was preferable"

You can, of course, think anything that you like. I'm asking for specifics and for evidence. Otherwise, you're simply engaging in malicious gossip.

PW: "Do you mean that Bradford offered to keep you on as a consultant?"

It's quite undeniably clear that, for whatever reasons, Jerry Bradford wanted me gone. I've never denied that. I'm asking you for evidence that the Brethren were upset with me and that they ordered my expulsion.

Put up or shut up.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

Louis Midgley

Professor Peterson provided us with a long list of items published or produced by Interpreter volunteers. He also again called attention to the truly remarkable film entitled Witnesses. I again endorsed what volunteers engage in through Interpreter. Eight readers, including Robert Lloyd, seem to have found my comment useful. Robert then asked for an update on what has taken place since Elder Holland issued his Apostolic scolding of the highly paid employees at the Maxwell Institute. I then provided an account of their eventual endeavor to follow those instructions. Then some anonymous critic claimed that my comments were "beyond disgusting" and had "absolutely no merit whatsoever."

The reason why I have not responded to this rubbish is that I once made the mistake of trying to reason with similar abuse on Gina Colvin's blog.

So much to unpack.

- Doc

[Dr Exiled]

The idiot "tried to reason" on Gina Colvin's blog. LOL!

Lou, you stalked her clear down to NZ and tried to get in between her marriage, and this was because she dared to dispute your white is might narrative for the Maori. I get that you are probably closer to alzheimer's than ever before. However, the bad acts must still be stopped regardless of diminished capacity.

[Moksha]

The idiot "tried to reason" on Gina Colvin's blog. LOL!

He was simply trying to relive a highlight of his younger years (see Couple of Crazed Mormons Terrorizing Sandra Tanner in Bookstore) by pouncing on Dr. Colvin. He spent a lot of time setting that up with LDS Pacific and New Zealand officials.



Speaking of news encouraging to Dr. Midgley, Russian scientists have brought a rotifer back to like after being frozen for 24,000 years!