LDS Apologetics Operating Costs Are More Than $7,000,000

[_Daniel Peterson]

You don't need to. The SCMC, or some other LDS zealot would do it for you. Then, you'd be able to send condemnatory emails to my family, as you did with GoodK.

I sent GoodK's dad a link. The full text of my e-mail to GoodK's dad -- neither very long nor, by any reasonable reading, condemnatory -- has appeared here on this board. Most of the MDB confraternity has condemned me for what I did (wrongly, in my view). There's really no need for you to gild the lily by misrepresenting what I sent to GoodK's father.

As for the SCMC, I'm aware of no evidence that it does, or has ever done, that sort of thing. As for the hypothetical "LDS zealot" of your fantasies, why, I suppose he could hypothetically do absolutely anything.

You fantasized about blowing me away with an assault rifle.

If you really, really want to believe this, that's your privilege. But again I urge you, if the thought actually causes you stress, to seek professional help.

You have called me what I would characterize as "obscene" names.

I don't use obscenities. I never have.

As for your imaginings about lavishly-funded "Mopologists," you're going to believe what you want to believe -- or, at least, to pretend to believe what you want to pretend to believe -- and I don't think my participation is really essential to your speculating.

[_Trevor]

No: I mean that the project itself is well-funded. Further, are you aware of other apologetic organizations which have budgets this large? Or any anti-Mormon ministries that take in millions each year?

Sure, the project is relatively well funded. No, I personally do not know of any anti-Mormon ministries that take in comparable money, but I have not researched this, and I bet you have not either. Maybe I am wrong. Perhaps you know the figures.

One point, though--NMI is the only funded effort the LDS Church has to defend the LDS Church against numerous opponents and critics.

[_Mister Scratch]

As for the SCMC, I'm aware of no evidence that it does, or has ever done, that sort of thing.

You need to read the section on "Shadow Governments" in Quinn's second Hierarchy book. information on the SCMC is well-documented there.

As for the hypothetical "LDS zealot" of your fantasies, why, I suppose he could hypothetically do absolutely anything.

Is it really a "fantasy," though, as you suggest? The Nehor posted a rather graphic description of dismembering me, etc. I have received threatening messages from other LDS as well, and have been harassed at my residence by TBMs due to my writings. You can go ahead and rather rudely insist that this is all some kind of delusional "fantasy." Really, I'm grateful for your Christlike sympathy and gestures at understanding. Truly, Professor P., you are a model of what Mormons should be! Someone needs to give you a medal for your mental health outreach efforts!

You fantasized about blowing me away with an assault rifle.

If you really, really want to believe this, that's your privilege. But again I urge you, if the thought actually causes you stress, to seek professional help.

And should I send the bill to you? I think you know that the best thing to do would be to just apologize---both from a secular and an LDS perspective. Heck, from an LDS perspective, your eternal salvation is in jeopardy. And you know it. You can go ahead and deny and try to shirk responsibility yet again, but I am confident that Heavenly Father sees what you have done, and will judge you accordingly.

You have called me what I would characterize as "obscene" names.

I don't use obscenities. I never have.

You have called me "pathological," among many other nasty, quite obscene things.

As for your imaginings about lavishly-funded "Mopologists," you're going to believe what you want to believe -- or, at least, to pretend to believe what you want to pretend to believe -- and I don't think my participation is really essential to your speculating.

And yet, as many others have pointed out, you show up primarily when I seem to have found some tender spot in the underbelly of LDS apologetics. Why is that, Professor P.?

[_Daniel Peterson]

No, I personally do not know of any anti-Mormon ministries that take in comparable money, but I have not researched this, and I bet you have not either. Maybe I am wrong. Perhaps you know the figures.

I would guess that the late Walter Martin's Christian Research Institute (now led by Hank Hanegraaff) has a much larger budget -- with, among other things, its glossy monthly magazine and its daily national radio program -- than does the Maxwell Institute:

http://www.equip.org/site/c.muI1LaMNJrE/b.2106253/

Of course, CRI doesn't focus only on Mormons. But it does focus entirely on apologetics.

For that matter, though, the Maxwell Institute doesn't focus entirely on apologetics.

[_Trevor]

http://www.equip.org/site/c.muI1LaMNJrE/b.2106253/

Of course, CRI doesn't focus only on Mormons. But it does focus entirely on apologetics.

For that matter, though, the Maxwell Institute doesn't focus entirely on apologetics.

Yeah, I would guess that they not only have a larger operating budget, but that they are also much more profitable than the Maxwell Institute.

[_Daniel Peterson]

You need to read the section on "Shadow Governments" in Quinn's second Hierarchy book. information on the SCMC is well-documented there.

Been there, done that. I'm not a big fan of that book, and don't regard it as reliable.

The Nehor posted a rather graphic description of dismembering me, etc.

Sheesh.

I read the passage you're referring to.

If you really think that he's dreaming of dismembering you, you need professional help. And I don't mean the police.

I have received threatening messages from other LDS as well, and have been harassed at my residence by TBMs due to my writings.

How do they know who you are and where you live? What "writings" are you talking about?

Your claim doesn't appear to make much sense.

You have called me what I would characterize as "obscene" names.

I don't use obscenities. I never have.

You have called me "pathological," among many other nasty, quite obscene things.

That's not obscene.

[_Daniel Peterson]

Yeah, I would guess that they not only have a larger operating budget, but that they are also much more profitable than the Maxwell Institute.

According to some of their evangelical critics -- of which they have quite a few, including (so I'm told) the heirs of the late Walter Martin -- they're very profitable.

[_Trevor]

According to some of their evangelical critics -- of which they have quite a few, including (so I'm told) the heirs of the late Walter Martin -- they're very profitable.

I have never been that fond of Christian critics of Mormonism.

[_Dr. Shades]

I have received threatening messages from other LDS as well, and have been harassed at my residence by TBMs due to my writings.

Whoa there, hold on a second. Are you non-anonymous in other venues, such as the print media? How else would they have discovered where you live?

I sure hope that you haven't been ferreted out by your writings on this board, 'cause if so, then they're far, far more technologically sophisticated than I thought, since even I can't possibly discover anyone's in real life information.

[_Daniel Peterson]

I found Scratch's statement really striking too.

An explanation or clarification would be interesting.