Can the Mopologists Rise to the Challenge?

[Doctor Scratch]

One of my privileges as the B. H. Roberts Chair is getting to write the Top Ten list each year. It is, as the old phrase goes, a “richly satisfying” exercise. But it’s January and not December, and so my mind is naturally drawn to the idea of resolutions—or “challenges,” as it were. Simply put: I would like to challenge the Mopologists generally—and Daniel Peterson in particular—to take up the pen and defend their activities. I wouldn’t ask them to do anything that I was unwilling to do myself, so my challenge is simple:

What are the Top Ten Best Things that Interpreter Has Published?


I’m genuinely curious about this. I’m also 99% certain that no one will accept my challenge, and here’s why:

—Interpreter has published some lump of crap every week for over 500 weeks. Who, if anyone, has read all of it? I would be willing to bet that DCP himself—the President, no less!—has not read even 10% of the articles. And by “read” I mean the whole thing—skimming or merely reading the abstract doesn’t count.
—Mopologetics is riddled with hyper-politicized infighting. So, while Allen Wyatt or Kyler Rasmussen *may* have read enough articles to put together a Top Ten, they don’t dare publish it out of fear of pissing off DCP, or John Gee, or some other loose cannon. How much hot water would they be in if one of the egomaniacs failed to make the Top Ten?
—Ultimately, the main tactic is, and has always been, volume rather than quality. The President doesn’t make boasts about the “impressiveness” of the “scholarship”; the only thing he can point to is the regularity and volume. Well, having regular bowel movements is a positive thing, too.


So I hereby issue a challenge to the Mopologists! Bring your A-game! Rise to the occasion! Or, fulfill my prophecy and do nothing. The choice is yours!

[drumdude]

Mormon Stories has a “Top 10” right on their front page.


Why doesn’t Interpreter?

[Everybody Wang Chung]

After 10 years and hundreds of articles, I would be hard pressed to come up with even 3 that are worth the time for someone to read.

As one very well-respected scholar with the Maxwell Institute recently said at a small gathering when describing the Interpreter, "Whatever the Interpreter is trying to accomplish, it's certainly not accomplishing it through scholarship."

[Philo Sofee]

—Ultimately, the main tactic is, and has always been, volume rather than quality. The President doesn’t make boasts about the “impressiveness” of the “scholarship”; the only thing he can point to is the regularity and volume. Well, having regular bowel movements is a positive thing, too.

[Moksha]

I imagine Dr. David Bokovoy would have a top ten Interpreter article.

[Philo Sofee]

I imagine Dr. David Bokovoy would have a top ten Interpreter article.

Nope. He was disqualified when he schooled the entire Mormon apologetics on what the Documentary Hypothesis is, since they didn't know it. That's offensive.

[Dr Moore]

The predictable, disingenuous rejoinder to this challenge would be a top 10 list of "most commented" articles in Interpreter history.

[Gadianton]

Coming up with a "Top 10" would be an extraordinarily difficult task for other political reasons as well. There would be a lot of pressure to secure at least half the spots for DCP and those of his closest friends.

[dastardly stem]

Coming up with a "Top 10" would be an extraordinarily difficult task for other political reasons as well. There would be a lot of pressure to secure at least half the spots for DCP and those of his closest friends.

Who wrote the piece that makes the top ten would be as interesting as which articles make it, I suppose. If Midgley doesn't get one into the top ten, that'd be a terrible slight. May I propose for DCP's consideration:

Atheist Piety: A Religion of Dogmatic Dubiety just to make sure he covers that base. What other authors need to have an item in the top ten? Gee?

If so, this may be a more comical list than a highly regarded list. I really hope DCP does it.

[dastardly stem]

Mormon Stories has a “Top 10” right on their front page.


Why doesn’t Interpreter?

I went to see what you're talking about. There's a link to "John's Favorite Interviews" click on that and its all him. I was hoping to get his favorite guests. Ah well. I guess we can consider "Top Episodes" or "Most Important Interviews" as his favorite. Those two seem to be the same list with a different named link.

It would be nice to show up to Interpreter and see a list of the top utilized or top commented, and their favorites list.