The Top Ten Happenings in Mopologetics, 2015

[_Lemmie]

Thank you, Doctor Scratch, a fascinating report as usual, I agree with Kishkumen that this reading from Cassius U will lift flagging spirits. Surely your yearly reports (and all links therein) are required reading at the University!

[_Markk]

Awesome doc...if I may...

Honorable mention...

Kerry Fields and his revelation that the mopologists had e-mail system for them being alerted, and that a GA was actually a part of that e-mail chain. This being after years of DCP denying the GA"'bother with the net."

For me this is a top three in that DCP raked me over coals years ago, for "insinuating" they monitored the net.

[_suniluni2]

One of my favorites from the Jenkins/Hamblin exchange:

You [Hamblin] then proceed to apply the issue to one limited and very specific topic in the area of personal names. “But, the best test of “falsifiability” for the Book of Mormon would be the absence of Book of Mormon names in the corpus of Preclassic inscriptions. If we had, say, phonetic readings for several thousand personal and place names in Preclassic Mesoamerica, and found no Book of Mormon names there, that would be problematic for the Book of Mormon.” However, we have no such lists, so no problem. So that’s all right then.

This statement is utterly revealing in multiple ways. Primarily, it shows that you are completely ignoring the far more critical question, namely whether there is any evidence whatever for the existence of any of the peoples mentioned in the Book of Mormon in the New World, at any place, at any time. Throughout, you are assuming that presence, and then working to discredit any form of disproof that might be offered. I did not initially recognize that rhetorical technique because it is so completely odd to me and, I would say, to any standard form of argumentation.

I'm sure many antis recognized this common technique used by mopologists.

[_Symmachus]

Doctor Scratch, you brighten the Holidays for all enthusiasts of Mormon Apologetics.

[_Tator]

Great job, Dr. Scratch, as usual. Any predictions for 2016?

[_Doctor Scratch]

Awesome doc...if I may...

Honorable mention...

Kerry Fields and his revelation that the mopologists had e-mail system for them being alerted, and that a GA was actually a part of that e-mail chain. This being after years of DCP denying the GA"'bother with the net."

For me this is a top three in that DCP raked me over coals years ago, for "insinuating" they monitored the net.

Hi, Mark.

I agree with you that the Kerry Shirts items were significant. All that said, I and others have known for quite a while that the Brethren have played a role in the functioning of Mopologetics. You may remember past items being discussed here on MDB concerning the divisive "factions" within the top 15 who disagreed on the role that apologetics should play. Additionally, we were treated not all that long ago to revelations from John Dehlin (and others) on the way(s) that Elder Holland apparently intervened in the publication of the final, failed, infamous issue of the FARMS Review.

[_Doctor Scratch]

Great job, Dr. Scratch, as usual. Any predictions for 2016?

It'll be interesting to see who gets appointed as Director of the Maxwell Institute. As far as predictions go.... Hmm. Tough to say. There might be further developments involving the clash between the Mopologists and the "Mormon Studies" crew. Frankly, I would be interested to see the apologists creeping out from behind the shelter of their various blogs and engaging critics more directly, but I sincerely doubt that will happen.

[_sock puppet]

Great job, Dr. Scratch, as usual. Any predictions for 2016?

It'll be interesting to see who gets appointed as Director of the Maxwell Institute. As far as predictions go.... Hmm. Tough to say. There might be further developments involving the clash between the Mopologists and the "Mormon Studies" crew. Frankly, I would be interested to see the apologists creeping out from behind the shelter of their various blogs and engaging critics more directly, but I sincerely doubt that will happen.

Do you think we might see some typical pretzel logic from the Mopes on the new pronouncement that married gays are apostates and how the children of gay cohabiting parents are now singled out for treatment? I mean, something beyond the contorted, unbelievable explanation proffered up by Christofferson and Otterson that it's to protect the children and the canard that these moves head off lawsuits without any articulation of what the legal theories behind such suits might be?

[_Lemmie]

Great job, Dr. Scratch, as usual. Any predictions for 2016?

It'll be interesting to see who gets appointed as Director of the Maxwell Institute. As far as predictions go.... Hmm. Tough to say. There might be further developments involving the clash between the Mopologists and the "Mormon Studies" crew. Frankly, I would be interested to see the apologists creeping out from behind the shelter of their various blogs and engaging critics more directly, but I sincerely doubt that will happen.

Agreed, there has eventually got to be some fallout from Blair Hodges' pronouncement of DCP-type product as "Smashmouth apologetics."

[_Markk]

Awesome doc...if I may...

Honorable mention...

Kerry Fields and his revelation that the mopologists had e-mail system for them being alerted, and that a GA was actually a part of that e-mail chain. This being after years of DCP denying the GA"'bother with the net."

For me this is a top three in that DCP raked me over coals years ago, for "insinuating" they monitored the net.

Hi, Mark.

I agree with you that the Kerry Shirts items were significant. All that said, I and others have known for quite a while that the Brethren have played a role in the functioning of Mopologetics. You may remember past items being discussed here on MDB concerning the divisive "factions" within the top 15 who disagreed on the role that apologetics should play. Additionally, we were treated not all that long ago to revelations from John Dehlin (and others) on the way(s) that Elder Holland apparently intervened in the publication of the final, failed, infamous issue of the FARMS Review.

I did not know that?

If you ever have the time and energy I would love to read a narrative of all that.

thanks
MG