SMPT in Claremont in Less Than Two Weeks

[_Trevor]

Like Trevor, I think it’s obvious, and has been obvious, that Gad is engaging in satire. And like all good satire, it really has revealed the trait it was intended to reveal all along – how pretentiously seriously we take ourselves in this nonsense.

Thank you so much, beastie. I was feeling pretty lonely.

[_Daniel Peterson]

Thank you so much, beastie. I was feeling pretty lonely.

You should.

[_Trevor]

You should.

What's that supposed to mean? Why should I feel lonely?

[_Daniel Peterson]

You should.

What's that supposed to mean? Why should I feel lonely?

I wish you were alone in failing to recognize the cynical, exploitive, pointless character of Gadianton's spoof.

I don't want you to feel alone, simply to be alone. Or, even better, to be in the richly jovial company of those of us who never thought the spoof funny, though most of us always knew that Gadianton wasn't telling the truth.

Jersey Girl is absolutely right, by the way, that I've been termed a liar over and over again when telling the truth here -- it happened again just this evening, incidentally, to no apparent protest from anybody -- while Gadianton, by contrast, persists in a demonstrable lie for months and is given a pass for his drollery.

You're one of the fairest, brightest, most reasonable people here. I'm just a bit disappointed, is all.

[_Trevor]

I wish you were alone in failing to recognize the cynical, exploitive, pointless character of Gadianton's spoof.

OK, that cuts. Seriously.

I don't want you to feel alone, simply to be alone. Or, even better, to be in the richly jovial company of those of us who never thought the spoof funny, though most of us always knew that Gadianton wasn't telling the truth.

The spoof shows his utter contempt for things you hold dear.

I'm just a bit disappointed, is all.

Well, you have given me something to think about. One thing's for sure: I am no longer laughing.

I do have a few questions, though. Do you think one is ever justified in criticizing the LDS Church? I understand that I have made quite a leap, but I am sitting here wondering why it is OK for people like Will to be insulting or for certain exchanges to be put up on SHIELDS, whereas I am not aware that the same latitude afforded critics. And, I know this will sound odd and is potentially offensive, but I am serious here: Are critics deceived by the devil and therefore always in the wrong when engaged in arguments with apologists? Does that assumption follow theologically, and if so, would it be a blanket justification for holding critics in derision or treating them as enemies?

Anyhow, thanks for clarifying. I was a little confused. I'll understand if you are not inclined to answer my questions. Maybe I'll email you sometime to pose the questions outside of this problematic medium.

[_Gadianton]

I wish you were alone in failing to recognize the cynical, exploitive, pointless character of Gadianton's spoof.

by the way, there was no spoof. I can only imagine your anger towards me is driven by professional jealousy. The fact that my paper was selected months and months before yours was. And, by the way, you've promoted my participation in the conference far more than I ever did. I believe you've announced it on MAD at least twice, where only a couple of people even remember me and have no interest. And then bring it up over here too.

Trevor,

Come on man, whether or not we see eye to eye on your evaluations of me, you should in fact keep laughing. The fact that people stop laughing when people like DCP become very serious leads to war and all kinds of messed up religious divisions etc..

[_LifeOnaPlate]

Thanks, Gad, that's a sufficient enough admission that you were actually lying the whole time. It's clear Dan and I were positive you hadn't presented, but for the more reasonable folks on the board who actually thought you were being honest, hopefully they will remember this experience.

And for the record, Trevor, I didn't see any reason why Gad would make up delivering a paper at an academic conference. There's nothing clever or funny about it. Anyone can just make up nonsense. So you can laugh, but it does affect my personal estimate of you. For the record.

[_LifeOnaPlate]

I realize these were for DCP but I'd like to chime in.

I do have a few questions, though. Do you think one is ever justified in criticizing the LDS Church?

Sure.

And, I know this will sound odd and is potentially offensive, but I am serious here: Are critics deceived by the devil and therefore always in the wrong when engaged in arguments with apologists?

No.

Does that assumption follow theologically, and if so, would it be a blanket justification for holding critics in derision or treating them as enemies?

No.

[_Gadianton]

Trevor,

I think the answer is simple. Let's just say I were "spoofing". It's nearly a crime against humanity. I mean, DCP is morally outraged and very, very serious now. But anything any apologist has done is no big deal. He'll brush off Will's vulgarity and antics with spoofing "Oh Jerusalem" posts. He'll accuse critics of overreacting to the "metcalfe is a butthead" "Joke" and brush it off as nothing. When apologists go way over the line, he'll say stuff like, "i'm not responsible for x's posts" or "i'm not interested in everything you're interested in, I don't have time to be interested in every post on this forum, I was in Israel last week..." Oh, but if *I* were to do something he thinks is wrong, even if it's not directed toward anyone, no one is hurt, nothing bad has been said about anyone, it's over the top. It's horrible. It's an outrage. And he just can't let it go.

Well, the best thing for me to do at this point is to make a phone call and ensure that next year's conference's topic will be tailored to the presentation that I want to do now.

It's going to get really good, next year.

[_Gadianton]

Thanks, Gad, that's a sufficient enough admission that you were actually lying the whole time

you can take it for whatever you want, it doesn't make it true.

And let's be clear on something, your only stake in this is to suck up to DCP.

Nothing more. And that is true, independent of the fact that I said it. :)