Who Knows wrote:so I'm not sure why any apologist would hold out hope that a 'missing scroll' would all of a sudden show a match between the egyptian character and Joseph Smith's 'translated' english text.
I think the hope is probably that no other section identifiable as belonging to the Joseph Smith papyri collection ever-ever-ever turns up.
That might cause the presently-unfalsifiable "missing scroll" theory some trouble.
For Book of Abraham apologetics, it really seems to be a case of less being more at this point.
Who Knows wrote:Makes sense. Afterall, we don't have fac. 3. So fac. 1 and part of the text was mounted to glass - which has survived - and this represents part of what the Book of Abraham came from. The rest of the Book of Abraham comes from the sections that are missing - the rest of the text through fac. 3. I can see that.
Actually all of the extant Book of Abraham text (with the exception of facsimiles 2 and 3) was translated from the extant papyrus fragments. The first 2 chapters or so in English are derived from a mere 5 lines of hieratic script on PJS XI. Assuming this trend continued, the remaining 3 English chapters might comprise about an additional 7 lines of hieratic. In other words, Joseph Smith never got around to translating more than about 12 lines or so of the Egyptian text.
But yes, you've more or less got the idea. Even after the cutting and mounting of the papyrus, part of the Hor Book of Breathings (a.k.a. "the writings of Abraham") continued to exist as a roll of sufficient length to account for Ms. Haven's reminiscence.
A fine summary Scratch. It's Mormon 7-layer salad apologetic style:
-The truth of the matter concerning the following topic is irrelevant to the truthfulness of the church.
-Even if the truth concerning the following topic were relevant, objective knowledge is impossible so the would-be position of the church, no matter how far-fetched sounding, is as good as any.
-And if, hypothetically, objective knowledge were possible, then opinions contrary to ours couldn't be trusted since they've tainted themselves with anti-Mormonism.
-Granting that opinions contrary to ours hadn't tainted themselves with anti-Mormonism, then they still aren't credible because they have not taken into account the secret parchment locked up in our basement.
-Of course, if the secret parchment locked up in our basement had been taken into account, then there would be no opinions contrary to ours.
-Yes, we do know that had you taken the secret parchment into account you would agree with us, otherwise we'd never had given you the key in the first place.
-But to be safe, We'll just be holding on to that key...
Other than the "parchment locked in our basement" part (which can only apply to the Book of Abraham), your list appears to be the master template of all Mopologetics. Good job!
"Finally, for your rather strange idea that miracles are somehow linked to the amount of gay sexual gratification that is taking place would require that primitive Christianity was launched by gay sex, would it not?"