Popular BYU Randy Bott Takes Heat for Comments

[_Yong Xi]

The General Authorities have resorted to subcontracting out responses for the difficult issues to BYU professors. When the professors fall flat on their faces and create PR problems, they are thrown under the bus.

In fairness to Professor Bott, how does one explain and defend a wicked practice?

[_Kishkumen]

Actually there is a very easy answer. And that's why the church of today is being criticized. They refuse to admit their past leader could have possibly been wrong. Every time they say "we don't know why god forced us to do that" they keep the issue alive.

Obviously, if it were as easy as that, it might easily be done. It isn't, and so it hasn't been done. Once a tradition has been set in place, it is not always easy to get it to change course, especially when claims to divine involvement are in play.

[_Equality]

Church leaders sought divine guidance regarding the issue and more than three decades ago extended the priesthood to all worthy male members.

Fascinating. Note that absent from this statement is any declaration that church leaders received divine guidance, only that they sought such.

[_Rollo Tomasi]

This may have already been mentioned, but Randy Bott's blog has now been taken down (probably because it contained a post with a rationale for the priesthood ban that was very similar to what he expressed to the Post). The Church is really hopping on the damage control.

[_just me]

Do you know what?

I've thought about this and I am beginning to feel sorry for Randy Bott.

All he's done is regurgitate that which he has been taught his whole Mormon life. The fact that it is embarrassing and hurtful and discriminatory is not his fault.

The Church should apologise to him for teaching him things that have no moral, doctrinal, or rational basis whatsoever, other than some racist was appointed as Prophet and no subsequent Prophet had the balls to correct it until long after MLK was dead.

He is going to be scapegoated and hung out to dry by the Church for saying things less inflammatory than Brigham Young did when speaking as the Prophet.

I certainly feel for the guy. He's gotta be loading his pants over this.

[_Drifting]

Apologising and saying the doctrine was 'wrong' would call into question how 'right' everything else about the Church is. The droves of people that Jensen spoke of leaving the Church would turn into a mass stampede - that's why they will never admit it was wrong abd apologise for having a discriminatory practice.

[_Buffalo]

Church leaders sought divine guidance regarding the issue and more than three decades ago extended the priesthood to all worthy male members.

Fascinating. Note that absent from this statement is any declaration that church leaders received divine guidance, only that they sought such.

The lawyers are now firmly in charge of the helm.

[_Molok]

Church leaders sought divine guidance regarding the issue and more than three decades ago extended the priesthood to all worthy male members. The Church immediately began ordaining members to priesthood offices wherever they attended throughout the world.

This is the kind of stuff that pisses me off about the church. Church leaders can seek divine guidance and get an apparently immediate answer, but apparently they can't get an answer from God about why the ban was established, or any other myriad questions where it would be convenient to have a direct line to the almighty. Talk about having your cake and eating it too.

[_Drifting]

Do you know what?

I've thought about this and I am beginning to feel sorry for Randy Bott.

All he's done is regurgitate that which he has been taught his whole Mormon life. The fact that it is embarrassing and hurtful and discriminatory is not his fault.

The Church should apologise to him for teaching him things that have no moral, doctrinal, or rational basis whatsoever, other than some racist was appointed as Prophet and no subsequent Prophet had the balls to correct it until long after MLK was dead.

He is going to be scapegoated and hung out to dry by the Church for saying things less inflammatory than Brigham Young did when speaking as the Prophet.

I certainly feel for the guy. He's gotta be loading his pants over this.

I would attend hs court of love as a witness armed with quotes from past Prophets. I would ask the court! On his behalf, whose comments were the worst; Brigham Youngs; Mark E Peterson's; Spencer W Kimballs; Nephi's or Randy's....

[_LDSToronto]

As one might have expected, DCP has arrived on the scene to manage damage control among the faithful.

http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/57105-an-unfortunate-attempt-to-explain-the-pre-1978-restriction-on-priesthood/

Good luck, Dan. This one is a real stinker, and from a learned colleague at BYU, no less.

Summary:

It's okay to be a little racist and say racist things as long as you are a nice, kind person.

...and as long as you are unsure of why you are saying/doing those racist things (that part brought to you by the Church).

H.