Popular BYU Randy Bott Takes Heat for Comments

[_Fence Sitter]

Most of my friends just call me A. Fencesitter.

:)

Uh...sorry about that. Bad habit of mine is not proofing well enough especially when I am posting from my work like I am today.

No worries, I am the last person who should be calling people on typos. I did find that one amusing.

[_Equality]

For the record, one other thing I find offensive in all this "kerfuffle":

Why doesn't President Monson step up to the microphone and say something rather than the (to me) lame exercise of having a press release issued?

If I were a cynic, I would guess the LDS Church issued a press release because: (1) The press release cannot be asked any questions by the press; and, (2) A press release is not "doctrine" and can later be amended or corrected if seen fit.

Aren't press releases more what we expect from government entities rather than a Church claiming living prophets and apostles?

All the Best!

--Consiglieri



And insulting.

President Monson does not speak to the press. I don't think he has since the press conference that day he was put in as president of the church.

This fact makes the church look all the more disingenuous when complaining that it wasn't given an opportunity to present its views in the article. Church leaders won't talk to the press, so the press finds people like Bott, or John Dehlin, or DCP, etc. to speak on Mormon issues. Then the church whines that those people don't speak for the church. It's total BS. If Monson wants to give "the church's side" on any issue at any time, there are a thousand media outlets that would give him the microphone and column inches to do so.

[_Maxrep]

This fact makes the church look all the more disingenuous when complaining that it wasn't given an opportunity to present its views in the article. Church leaders won't talk to the press, so the press finds people like Bott, or John Dehlin, or DCP, etc. to speak on Mormon issues. Then the church whines that those people don't speak for the church. It's total b***s***. If Monson wants to give "the church's side" on any issue at any time, there are a thousand media outlets that would give him the microphone and column inches to do so.

Bold mine.

After the debut of "The Book of Mormon the Musical", the church stated that, "We want to be part of the conversation". This is comical. They don't even know how they might start a public conversation, or what to say.

If a journalist was to ask any GA as to why blacks were disallowed the priesthood, what could they say besides "I don't know"?

How do two people have a conversation about the reasons for the institution of the priesthood ban, when neither party knows? What if the Mormon authority knows why the ban occured, but is not at liberty to say? I just don't see how the church envisions conversations like these playing out.

[_harmony]

The only comfort I can take with this (and I certainly agree with you about the hemorraging) is that our leaders are old. With any luck, as new leaders are called, they will bring with them the concepts that permeate our culture now, instead of the culture of the 50's that we are constantly subjected to by our current Brethren. Certainly these men are the summary of the culture in which they grew up and lived... hopefully the next group will have internalized the culture in which we now live.

Uh yea... .sort of like David Bendnar.... I think he is only 6 or 7 year older than me. And I think he is a stiff and stodgy as any of the older GAs may be, if not more so.

I was actually referring to our children's generation. Our generation is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

[_consiglieri]

This fact makes the church look all the more disingenuous when complaining that it wasn't given an opportunity to present its views in the article.

A good point here.

This thing bothers me on so many issues I am not able to process them all. But this hits one of them squarely on the head, Equality.

My thanks.

[_Fence Sitter]

Interestedly enough I just got off the phone with my nephew who is a BYU student. He is taking a D&C course from Bott this semester and other than a brief mention by Bott in Bott's own class about being misunderstood, my nephew has not heard anything else regarding the controversy.

[_harmony]

Interestedly enough I just got off the phone with my nephew who is a BYU student. He is taking a D&C course from Bott this semester and other than a brief mention by Bott in Bott's own class about being misunderstood, my nephew has not heard anything else regarding the controversy.

At least Bott didn't say he was misquoted, or the reporter lied.

I wonder how he figured he was misunderstood?

[_Fence Sitter]

Interestedly enough I just got off the phone with my nephew who is a BYU student. He is taking a D&C course from Bott this semester and other than a brief mention by Bott in Bott's own class about being misunderstood, my nephew has not heard anything else regarding the controversy.

At least Bott didn't say he was misquoted, or the reporter lied.

I wonder how he figured he was misunderstood?

I did not try to clarify anything regarding what my nephew thought Bott said. My nephew did not seem like he knew much about the controversy. Nor did he seem to have a clear memory of exactly what Bott said so it would be just one more speculation that may or may not be accurate. I was mostly interested in seeing if it was a big issue on campus. That this one person was unaware of it is only of minor significance I suppose.

[_Jason Bourne]

I was actually referring to our children's generation. Our generation is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Hey! I am not part of the problem! :-)

Ok I see your point. Maybe we might be around to see the beginning of this.

[_harmony]

I was actually referring to our children's generation. Our generation is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Hey! I am not part of the problem! :-)

Ok I see your point. Maybe we might be around to see the beginning of this.

I don't own it either, but I'm just a poor misguided woman, and not at all deserving of the many blessings heaped on my head by more deserving priesthood holders. Having passed my useful years (re: fertile years), my contributions are limited to being proxy to a seemingly unlimited supply of relatively anonymous "Mary"s and handing over those thousands in tithes (which I may no longer assume will be used to further the kingdom of God, since the kingdom of God has been replaced by the Corporation of the President).

Lord, have mercy. I don't need a spoon in order to gag.

Yeah, right.

Although I can sympathise with Black men, I cannot, in all honesty, get too het up about this. After all, they at least have the priesthood now. Women are still on the outside of the seats of power.

Hopefully our children will have learned to think for themselves; we certainly didn't, until it was too late. Personally, I'm running at about half and half right now.