MsJack wrote:First, I need to say that I don't agree with the name-calling being directed against Hamblin on this thread. Remember that every time you call an apologist a name, you give him/her an excuse to talk about something other than the issue at hand. I find Hamblin's perpetuation of false information and name-calling as frustrating as the next person, but let's not stoop to his level.
I've seen some of Hamblin's handiwork. He's clearly not interested in the exchange of ideas, and most of his "contributions" to apologia have been
ad hominem attacks and condescension. You don't have to call people names to recognize the quality of their thought and writing. The quote from him in the OP is far more damning to him than making fun of his weight because it's just more of the same tired crap from him. No substance to it just whining. Maybe he thinks such tactics work.
Second, in addition to Patrick's example, I recall an exchange between Greek Orthodox blogger Perry Robinson and Blake Ostler wherein Blake got upset at what Perry was writing about Mormonism and threatened to talk to his advisor and/or department chair in his PhD program (can't remember which) and have him disciplined. EDIT: It was the regents at his university that Blake threatened to talk to. See below.
So the idea that it's only "anti-Mormons" and "apostates" trying to use back-door channels to censor people is very much untrue. Like Stak says: it happens on all sides. Spend long enough writing on the Internet and you're bound to upset someone enough for them to write to your bosses, etc. or threaten defamation suits. There's no need to play the part of martyr over it.
It does happen on all sides, and the apologists do this all the time. They've slandered Ritner, blacklisted and smeared Michael Quinn, smeared Grant Palmer and Martha Beck, and stopped Chris Smith and Trevor Luke from publishing. The hypocrisy is staggering.
"It doesn't seem fair, does it Norm--that I should have so much knowledge when there are people in the world that have to go to bed stupid every night." -- Clifford C. Clavin, USPS
"¡No contaban con mi astucia!" -- El Chapulin Colorado
