Michael Ash is no longer writing his column...

[Guest]

Anyone know why Michael R. Ash has been 'pulled' from producing his weekly column?

<edited to remove the childish and mocking slant that I originally gave to this thread>

[_Everybody Wang Chung]

Ash has also been pulled from the Mormon Times. I guess the Chapel Mormons weren't ready for Internet Mormonism.

[_cinepro]

Anyone know why Michael R. Ash has been 'pulled' from producing his weekly twaddle?

He probably wanted to spend more time with his family.

j/k. If he really isn't doing that column anymore, that's too bad. It really was an interesting broadcast of these lesser-taught ideas to a general LDS audience.

[_Simon Belmont]

Anyone know why Michael R. Ash has been 'pulled' from producing his weekly twaddle?

Why are you attacking him and calling him names?

What did he do to you?

[_mrash]

The Deseret News (which owns the Mormon Times) is, like most newspapers across the country, in a financial struggle. They have let-go many members of their staff on numerous occasions.

I, and several other columnists were cut for primarily financial reasons. In anticipation of the obvious question-- "no" I was not getting paid for my column (although the rest of the columnists, as far as I'm aware, were being paid).

They are running on a skeleton crew with very few editors than can only handle so many columns and the comments sections that accompany the columns. My articles didn't need much editing (and were, apparently, pretty popular), but it still required staff input to monitor the relatively high-volume of comments in the comments section.

In their decision to reduce the number of columns and offer a good mix of various column topics, mine was axed (they still kept Dan Peterson's apologetic-slant column so they can't be accused of of distancing themselves from LDS apologetics). Quite frankly, I'd rather keep Dan's column as well-- he's a BYU Professor, humorous, intelligent, and known in prominent LDS-circles (I'm not really any of the above).

In a way, however, Cinepro's comment has a lot of truth to it. On many occasions I considered stopping the series because I already have a busy work schedule to earn a living. Writing a weekly column cut deep into what little free-time I have/had. So there's a silver-lining in it for me but it's bitter-sweet (nobody likes to hear the words "let-go").

I know I'm among the most detested (or was it "annoying") mopologists on this list, and I really don't want to get in a back/forth about this or any other topic, but I just wanted to set the record straight before too many rumors surfaced.

Mike Ash

[_Buffalo]

I don't think Ash needs to be referred to as "trAsh" regardless of how ridiculous his ideas may be.

[_Morley]

The Deseret News (which owns the Mormon Times) is, like most newspapers across the country, in a financial struggle. They have let-go many members of their staff on numerous occasions.
... snip ...
I know I'm among the most detested (or was it "annoying") mopologists on this list, and I really don't want to get in a back/forth about this or any other topic, but I just wanted to set the record straight before too many rumors surfaced.

Mike Ash

Ash, as a disclaimer, I need to say that I didn't agree with much of what you said in your columns. In spite of that, I read your work every week and appreciated the point of view you expressed. I think the dialogue was enriched by what you had to say and I'm very sad to see you go.

[_Simon Belmont]

I don't think Ash needs to be referred to as "trAsh" regardless of how ridiculous his ideas may be.

Yeah, what the hell "jon?"

[_mrash]

Ash, as a disclaimer, I need to say that I didn't agree with much of what you said in your columns. In spite of that, I read your work every week and appreciated the point of view you expressed. I think the dialogue was enriched by what you had to say and I'm very sad to see you go.

Thanks Morley.

Mike Ash

[_LDS truthseeker]

The Deseret News (which owns the Mormon Times) is, like most newspapers across the country, in a financial struggle. They have let-go many members of their staff on numerous occasions. Mike Ash

I subscribe to the Mormon Times and your articles and DCP's articles were the only ones I consistantly read. Although I often disagreed with the conclusions, they were usually the most interesting articles in the whole paper. I am sad to see you leaving them.

And thanks for chiming in on the board. Please stick around. We need the balance.