Kishkumen wrote:In any case, the demand for a detailed description of the process whereby the Book of Mormon was fabricated and foisted on others is unnecessary. As you say, one does not have to explain how the illusion was created to know that it was an illusion. A modern magician is an ethical illusionist. Joseph Smith was a pious fraudster.
Smith was the greatest religious magician of his day. His invisible props (golden plates) were used to tell a tale of a tale. Claims of angelic visitations including the First Vision were simply stories to excite the minds of anyone who would follow him in his quest to establish himself as God's prophet on earth. He saw the opportunity to make a show and he ran with it.
Then came the papyrus and mummies. He used those props to tell more tales.
RockSlider wrote:He now rates two blistering podcasts highlighting how ugly his generation of apologetics is and how obsolete it is rapidly becoming in an enlightened internet age with many eyes upon him.
Soon to be three podcasts, since I have a part 2 in the works in which I will address Professor Peterson's attempted defense and the firestorm of controversy that has swirled around his initial article.
The working title is, "Eenie Meenie Minie Moe, Catch an Apologist by the Toe."
Kishkumen wrote:In any case, the demand for a detailed description of the process whereby the Book of Mormon was fabricated and foisted on others is unnecessary. As you say, one does not have to explain how the illusion was created to know that it was an illusion. A modern magician is an ethical illusionist. Joseph Smith was a pious fraudster.
Oddly enough, there's a crossover between stage magicians and paranormal people (for want of a better term).... I've known, or known of, stage magicians who have set out to debunk paranormal activities as well as those who have engaged in them with apparent sincerity. THe two worlds touch more than most people realise.
Shulem wrote:Bumping for Daniel C Peterson, liar for the Lord.
This is why he is so caustic and unfeeling. The internal struggle must be immense.
"Religion is about providing human community in the guise of solving problems that don’t exist or failing to solve problems that do and seeking to reconcile these contradictions and conceal the failures in bogus explanations otherwise known as theology." - Kishkumen
