FAIR Conference 2023

[consiglieri]

I am very much looking forward to the upcoming FAIR Conference. Moksha, do you recall where the conference is being held this year? I have a faint memory that you mentioned it here. Edit: as pointed out by Moksha in April, the conference will be held on the Lehi Rodeo grounds this year. Yeehaw!

Here is a rundown of the speakers and topics:

Wednesday, August 2

Dan Peterson: Six Days in August (note: Jesus will cry if Dr. Peterson makes a joke about Pee Wee Herman playing the role of James Strang; he will also cry if Strang does not appear in Six Days)
[snip]

I regret to report that Dr. Peterson made a joke this morning about Pee Wee Herman playing the role of James Strang. "Some of you know that my hope in the movie was to have Pee Wee Herman play James Strang. My hopes have now been dashed."

Dr. Peterson also noted that James Strang will not appear in Six Days.

There’s always CGI…

[drumdude]

Derek Westra argued that the church is being defamed in Hollywood media. He claims the wrong stereotypes are:

1) The church is overwhelmingly white
2) The church is secretive
3) The church is politically powerful
4) The church is exceedingly wealthy
5) The temple is secretive and weird
6) The missionaries are pushy and weird
7) Mormonism is violent
8) Mormonism is anti LGBT

FairMormon claims the church tried to become a member of the anti-defamation league, and were laughed out of the room. I think reasonable people can see the difference between anti-semitic claims which have no basis for truth, and "anti-Mormon" claims which are founded in actual facts and history.

Interestingly, the church thinks they can use all this bad publicity as a way to pivot and try to gain members through their own propaganda. They certainly have the money and resources to create all the media they could want. The problem is do they have any truth to back up that propaganda?

[Tom]

My guess is that the FAIR conference organizers will be reviewing presentations in advance for next year.

[drumdude]

Another concerning subtext to the conference which was led by DCP's remarks is the idea that Satan is involved in all of the events of the last few years and that they are true and sure signs that we are in the latter-ist of latter days.

They're running a slickly produced end-times video recitation of Isaiah on the heels of complaining about being portrayed as weirdos in media.

[Tom]

This is a strange presentation.

[drumdude]

And now they have Andrew Young saying that Hollywood is Social Engineering our children by creating storylines that allude to the religious right trying to ban gay marriage.

Remember when the Mormon church spent millions trying to force their religion down our throats in 2008? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

"We're not weird and strange!" *Proceeds to bring out a conspiracy theorist*

[drumdude]

"The media thinks we're anti-LGBT"

30 minutes later

"The gay snowman in Frozen is replacing Christ and Christian traditions"

[malkie]

My guess is that the FAIR conference organizers will be reviewing presentations in advance for next year.

They may need to create a Correlation Committee

[drumdude]

Q&A cancelled due to "time." Not because they wanted to get the creepy conspiracy weirdo off the stage.

[Res Ipsa]

FairMormon claims the church tried to become a member of the anti-defamation league, and were laughed out of the room. I think reasonable people can see the difference between anti-semitic claims which have no basis for truth, and "anti-Mormon" claims which are founded in actual facts and history.

I'm skeptical. To be laughed out of the room, FAIR would first have to get into the room.