Yet More Intel: A DCP "Hit Piece" on Dehlin?

[_harmony]

DCP, if you are surfing this board, then please come back and defend your 4 gods statement or you will always be branded as someone that publishes misleading and inaccurate statements in official church magazines in an attempt to keep the members faithful instead of telling them the complete truth.

Do you really think that matters to Dan?

[_Bond James Bond]

Dr. Peterson trolls Doctor Scratch a bit.

[_LDS truthseeker]

Hi, LDS truthseeker. The comments I had in mind are sort of scattered among the remarks at the "Mormon Stories" Web site, though I did find the first of them on the 3rd page. But, that doesn't matter, because I cut-and-pasted the relevant portions of the exchange into this old thread, so you can read them here:

http://mormondiscussions.com/phpBB3/vie ... 60#p499460

Though I notice that I overlooked this original comment from Dehlin:

Dan,

I don't expect you to ever admit publicly that you agree with me on anything. No worries.

John

Maybe I should have italicized the word "somewhat" in my OP? In any case, there was a clear difference of opinion between DCP and Dehlin in that exchange, and it didn't (in my opinion) end well. But you can take a look at decide for yourself. For my money--and provided that this latest "tip" is correct--this would have been the remark that would have most angered DCP:

Has FARMS/FAIR (or have you) ever considered providing a comprehensive, factual, yet faith-inspiring curriculum or treatment of LDS church history/doctrine -- to help build awareness of accurate historical information (in a faithful way) amongst the general membership?

It seems like that would be infinitely more valuable to the general membership than is the realm where you are currently dwelling (e.g. arguing about your own personality traits, focusing on the plausible deniability of somewhat esoteric minutia, etc).

Just a thought. With deep respect.

John

You have to realize that I am interpreting this from the larger context of DCP's nearly 3-decade Mopologetic career. Small things set him off, he carries dumb, petty grudges over dumb, petty things, and he has a tendency to retaliate in ways that are spectacularly out of proportion to the original offense (and that's being awfully generous in assuming there ever was any real "offense" in the first place). To cite just one example, take his recent meltdown on Facebook after being chided by LifeOnaPlate and the narrator for his support of the misogynistic, anti-female-politician article. Not only did he lash out against LoaP and narrator for this, he posted several retaliatory, self-deprecating, passive-aggressive "responses" on his blog.

Bearing that in mind, consider what his reaction likely was to getting dressed down by Dehlin. Dehlin is probably an "apostate" in Peterson's eyes, which would be bad in and of itself, but not only is Dehlin a NOM/"apostate," he's really popular, and has quite a large audience--much, much larger, I daresay, than the Maxwell Institute's. Dehlin has resisted ecclesiastical punishment somehow, and is trying to "change" the LDS Church.

So, all things considered, do you really think that DCP has a high opinion of Dehlin? Provided that the allegations are true, I would be willing to bet that it was precisely this "Comments" exchange that pushed him over the edge, and led to him writing this so-called "attack piece."

Thanks Scratch

[_Simon Southerton]

In any case the gist of the "intel" is this:

Dan Peterson was recently planning a very harsh 100-page hit piece on John Dehlin for the [FARMS Review] but it was opposed by Gerald Bradford and apparently even found its way to the desk of a General Authority, who put a stop to its publication.

I had to suppress a chuckle when I read this. Is it true? I don't know, but it certainly has the smack of truth about it. Very, very interesting, in any case. I'm more curious than ever to see what has found its way into the latest issue of the Review.

I can confirm that your intelligence is true Scratch, and the GA was one of the 12.

Well done Dan

[_Doctor Scratch]

Wow, Simon, really? Can you say anything more? (Or perhaps you can tell me via PM?)

[_Simon Southerton]

Wow, Simon, really? Can you say anything more? (Or perhaps you can tell me via PM?)

Yep. Can't really say more. I've just sent PM.

[_CaliforniaKid]

I can confirm that your intelligence is true Scratch

Now there's something you don't see every day.

[_zeezrom]

I've concluded that DCP finds enjoyment in feeling persecuted. In fact, I think he thrives on it.

[_Kishkumen]

I can confirm that your intelligence is true Scratch

Now there's something you don't see every day.

A watershed moment in the history of counter-Mopologetics, to be sure!

[_Doctor Scratch]

I'd like to point out that DCP hasn't publicly denied this, and he's usually quite quick to pipe up in response to things like this. Furthermore, just recently it came to my attention that FAIR has been making an effort to publicly smear John Dehlin on the FAIR Wiki.