http://shields-research.org/WP/?cat=9
This is how Barker begins his hit piece:
When I lived in Lakewood, CO, there were 13 PhD’s in our ward, not to mention many others who held lesser degrees. I mention this because so many people in the world seem to think that Mormons are closed minded ignoramuses. Statements have been put forth that if a PhD was born in the Church he knows nothing else, so he is blind regarding Mormonism.
Notice the trademark angry tone---the stand-offishness and the "attack dog" mindset. This next bit scarcely makes any sense:
The funny thing is, that while many members of the LDS Church don’t know enough about Church history or doctrine, those who do know considerably more than any critic I have ever encountered during the past 40+ years. And please consider how many critics I have encountered as a result of SHIELDS being on the Internet since Feb. of 1997!
As I understand him, Barker is saying:
1. Many Mormons don't know diddly squat about Church history and/or doctrine.
2. Those LDS "who do" "know enough" (and what does that mean, I wonder?) tend to know more than the critics. (How this is responding to the issues raised in the opening passage is anybody's guess.)
3. SHIELDS has somehow become a beacon for attracting the attention of critics.
In the next sentence, though, Barker announces his true purpose:
Let me give you an example of some of the shallow-mindedness that exists out there.
Right. So, it's not about explaining how Ph.D.s can still accept the premises of the Church; rather, the blog entry is about showing everyone how "shallow-minded" the critics are. Rather than proving how smart all the apologists are, Barker is opting instead to paint critics as idiots. Oddly, he has chosen Some Schmo as his target.
Here is the portion of the Schmo posting that led to Barker's apoplexy (Barker provided a link to the "FAIRboard", but the link did not work when I clicked on it):
Some Schmo wrote:I understand that often it is intelligent persons who find themselves as members of religious organizations such as TCoJCoLdS. For those raised in the LDS church, I’m sure it doesn’t seen absurd at all since that is most likely all they have known.
Barker erupts with anger:
When one starts off with a faulty premise, it follows that their line of reasoning will also be faulty. This is summed up by Mr. Schmo’s additional: “ignorance is bliss.”
Later on, Barker grows even more rankled over Schmo's comments, especially this one:
Some Schmo wrote:most educated people find [the LDS faith] absurd
Here's Barker's reply:
Indeed, ignorance is bliss! And taking things out of context is an ignorant thing to do when allegedly trying to draw valid conclusions about any topic. Any truly intelligent person will find the first statement quoted above “absurd.” Why? Because it is a mere assertion that the writer cannot prove. The writer cannot have surveyed “most educated people.” The writer ignores the vast number of educated people in the LDS Church.
Ah, okay. Well played, Brother Barker. I'm sure that "educated people in the LDS Church" constitute a very large portion of "most educated people" more generally. I'm astonished at Bro. Barker's apparent grasp of graduate-level statistics and math here. Whew! So impressive!
Next, Barker alludes to what I have often noticed among apologists: a buried inferiority complex.
But, paraphrasing another writer above, “when they are raised in the Church, they don’t know any better.” What arrogance!!! How does the writer know that? Simply put, he doesn’t, but such statements make the writer, and others who think the same, feel superior.
Oh, the horror! The horror! Barker and his ilk cannot stomach the thought that Church critics might find him silly. And thus, he lashes out in vitriolic anger. Next, in his desperation, Barker expands his assault on Some Schmo to include *all* educated people who encounter and then reject LDS theology:
Now to the comment, “All I can say is that since the majority of people presented with LDS theology do not join the church (educated and non-educated alike), it seems safe to say that at the very least, they don’t believe what the church teaches.” This comment rips reality from context. Mr. Schmo fails to note that, and speaking from long experience, the real reason that most “educated people,” don’t join the Church is because they never actually listen to the message.
Right. That's it. They've just been given the lessons from the missionaries, and yet, magically, despite having sat through God knows how many seminars, lectures, colloquiums, and classes; despite having read numerous books, articles, journals, and magazines; despite living presumably active, functional, and productive lives, these "educated people" manage, somehow, to "never actually listen" to what the Church is telling them.
The silliness continues as Barker wraps up his diatribe:
Indeed, the reality is that most never open their ears to hear what we really believe rather than what some critic says we believe. For example, how many of them have ever actually read the Book of Mormon?
And how full of a picture does the Book of Mormon actually paint of Church doctrine? How much will the Book of Mormon tell the prospective convert about life in the Church? Naturally, Barker doesn't say. (And what failing to read the Book of Mormon actually has to do with "listening" is beyond me.)
As a missionary I tracted door to door virtually every day of my mission. We talked to many ignorant people and many very educated people. Only a handful joined the Church, but the others wouldn’t listen.
This is confusing--perhaps deliberately so. Is Barker saying that "only a handful" of BOTH the "ignorant" and "educated people" joined the Church? One can really only assume that, yes, this is indeed what he meant, since it's the truth. (And again, what does he mean when he says they "wouldn't listen"? Doesn't he really mean, "They found our claims absurd"?
The posting wraps up pretty much as it began, which is to say that it ends on an angry, tantrum-throwing note:
I would turn the tables and suggest that in reality when educated people actually listen to LDS theology, most do join the Church. They do so because they recognize that here is where the truth is. How many educated people has the above quoted writer met who can HONESTLY say that they have a full grasp of true LDS theology?
And how would one go about measuring or assessing whether or not a person has a "full grasp of LDS theology"? He said earlier that the vast majority of TBMs do not even have a "full grasp of LDS theology," so how does any of this help his case? How does this demonstrate that smart never-Mos have rejected Mormonism simply due to "not listening"?
In any event, I would like to chide Mr. Barker for his uncalled-for attack on Mr. Schmo. I'd also like to advise Mr. Barker to get some better apologetic techniques. I have found that any time apologists use dumb arguments, it's because they just haven't listened. If they would listen to the truth of what the critics are saying, their apologetics would get much better, because here is where the truth is.