Cassius Gives High Mopologetics Studies Honor to Pa Pa

[_Kishkumen]

Scratch,

I typically disapprove of all this Cassius business. But this was indeed witty and very funny stuff. Thanks for the belly laugh.

Stick around. There is much more where that came from. And, speaking from experience, there has already been a lot of great stuff.

I am sorry you typically disapprove of Cassius University. Did you disapprove of Simon Belmont being on the faculty? Do you take Cassius to be a monolithic entity or "hive mind"? You have me curious about your objections.

[_moksha]

Most likely PaPa will need to disavow all this to remain at MAD or at least not display his medallion and bronze plaque there.

[_Dr. Shades]

I don't think I have any respect for anyone who has posted in this thread.

So does this mean that you've lost your self-respect?

This thread is intended to upset someone who is easily upset by things like this.

Uh, HELLO? Receiving the precious and coveted Sampson Avard scepter is a prestigious and heady honor. It can't possibly UPSET PaPa; it can only make him extremely honored and ecstatic.

PaPa's a sensitive guy and though it's not your responsibility to walk on glass around him, there's no need to go out of your way to upset him.

I don't understand you at all. When you receive a coveted honor, do you get upset? Why or why not?

It's no wonder that ex-Mormons have a bad reputation.

What's your evidence that Doctor Scratch is an ex-Mormon?

[_RockSlider]

Scratch,

I typically disapprove of all this Cassius business. But this was indeed witty and very funny stuff. Thanks for the belly laugh.

Stick around. There is much more where that came from. And, speaking from experience, there has already been a lot of great stuff.

I am sorry you typically disapprove of Cassius University. Did you disapprove of Simon Belmont being on the faculty? Do you take Cassius to be a monolithic entity or "hive mind"? You have me curious about your objections.

I disapprove of Simon Belmont in any form that I've seen on this message board. The dude's basically on mental ignore, typiclaly nothing he posts is worth my time to read.

All of the fake university hoop law, with the implied sophistry and pomp. I'm just a simple man, blue collar and dislike much of DCP types for their pompous attitudes by being involved in the real thing let alone a make believe one. At least I know DCP's life has been in higher education. The make believe doctor (for all I know) would gain a bit more respect from me if I knew he had similar experience.

An anonymous poster, referred to as Doctor hiding behind a fake university, for all these many years. I find this cowardly and irritating.

[_Presbyter]

What's your evidence that Doctor Scratch is an ex-Mormon?

I have more informants than you can count.

[_Kishkumen]

An anonymous poster, referred to as Doctor hiding behind a fake university, for all these many years. I find this cowardly and irritating.

Rockslider, I respect that you feel this way. Heaven knows I've had my tussles with Doctor Scratch. Having said that, I will respectfully disagree with your take on Cassius University. Cassius University is a send up of the pomposity that characterizes a good deal of Mopologetics. It is not emulating Mopologetic haughtiness as flattery or agreeing with that posture.

You should also be aware that some of the "faculty" of Cassius actually do have PhDs and teach in respectable universities. We are appalled at the misuse of academic training and bona fides to cow laymen into submission and discourage them from investigating things for themselves. In some cases, Mopologists may have actively frustrated better understanding of important historical subjects because they felt they knew better than the rest of us. If true, such behavior smacks of professional misconduct which I will not be a party to or leave free of criticism.

Finally, Mopologists often treat criticism of Mopologetics as an attack on Mormonism. Non-believing or non-mainstream scholars of Mormon intellectual issues have been targeted for harassment and substantive, real-life harm by Mopologists. Since I cannot count on individual LDS people not to target my job or membership in the LDS Church, I prefer to remain as anonymous as possible for fear that they just may choose to come after me. For this reason, I am less likely to be critical of Doctor Scratch and Gadianton for maintaining strict anonymity, although I do not agree 100% with everything they may do.

I recently had a conversation with a friend who turned her unpleasant experience as a young professional in Utah into a comic. The comic depicted aspects of Mormon culture in a fairly negative way, but mostly through the behavior of people she had known on the job. It was not an anti-Mormon-faith smear job. Still, when she posted the comic online, she received hundreds of angry and hateful comments from members of the LDS Church. While I am sympathetic to the fact that it is not pleasant to see something one holds sacred depicted in a less than flattering way, I think this points to a real problem that Mopologetics typifies in its nasty attacks on unsanctioned representations of Mormonism.

Cassius University and its faculty stand steadfastly against this kind of behavior.

[_MCB]

Yes, given the Danite tradition, and the more subtle forms of Danitism practiced today, anonymity for critics becomes important. The LDS hypersensitivity to criticism, and persecution complex is only evidence of a foundation that is washing away. If they were more secure in their beliefs, they could laugh along with the comic aspect. Instead, they are offended.

Catholics, in contrast, just laugh at the legend of the patent-leather shoes, and many others.

[_sock puppet]

An anonymous poster, referred to as Doctor hiding behind a fake university, for all these many years. I find this cowardly and irritating.

Rockslider, I respect that you feel this way. Heaven knows I've had my tussles with Doctor Scratch. Having said that, I will respectfully disagree with your take on Cassius University. Cassius University is a send up of the pomposity that characterizes a good deal of Mopologetics. It is not emulating Mopologetic haughtiness as flattery or agreeing with that posture.

You should also be aware that some of the "faculty" of Cassius actually do have PhDs and teach in respectable universities. We are appalled at the misuse of academic training and bona fides to cow laymen into submission and discourage them from investigating things for themselves. In some cases, Mopologists may have actively frustrated better understanding of important historical subjects because they felt they knew better than the rest of us. If true, such behavior smacks of professional misconduct which I will not be a party to or leave free of criticism.

Finally, Mopologists often treat criticism of Mopologetics as an attack on Mormonism. Non-believing or non-mainstream scholars of Mormon intellectual issues have been targeted for harassment and substantive, real-life harm by Mopologists. Since I cannot count on individual LDS people not to target my job or membership in the LDS Church, I prefer to remain as anonymous as possible for fear that they just may choose to come after me. For this reason, I am less likely to be critical of Doctor Scratch and Gadianton for maintaining strict anonymity, although I do not agree 100% with everything they may do.

I recently had a conversation with a friend who turned her unpleasant experience as a young professional in Utah into a comic. The comic depicted aspects of Mormon culture in a fairly negative way, but mostly through the behavior of people she had known on the job. It was not an anti-Mormon-faith smear job. Still, when she posted the comic online, she received hundreds of angry and hateful comments from members of the LDS Church. While I am sympathetic to the fact that it is not pleasant to see something one holds sacred depicted in a less than flattering way, I think this points to a real problem that Mopologetics typifies in its nasty attacks on unsanctioned representations of Mormonism.

Cassius University and its faculty stand steadfastly against this kind of behavior.

Well said, Kish.

[_RockSlider]

Kishkumen,

I only threw that out there because you asked. Your response was well put, thank you, and I do understand the danger to one’s career in this arena, so no, I cannot really blame any of you. I suppose it’s the circumstances that bring all this about that angers one, and misplaced anger finds easy targets.

I suppose it was not until this thread and your comments here that I realized the “space balls” approach to this Mopologists satire.

Carry on.

[_Kishkumen]

No worries, Rockslider. You are a cool guy and I am not at all angry with you. I am, however, genuinely passionate about certain problems in LDS apologetics. This is an issue that, for better or worse, I have paid a real personal price for in angst and reflection. I have really gone the rounds with both Doctor Scratch and Daniel Peterson. In the end, however, I have concluded that, while I can respect Mormonism as a legitimate faith, I cannot abide by the damage that has been done to honest members by some apologists. And while there is room for disagreement in the details, I have concluded that on the whole there is a serious problem, and sometimes satire and other forms of humor address them pretty damn well. Writing to the apostles doesn't seem like a realistic or productive option, particularly for me.

Kishkumen,

I only threw that out there because you asked. Your response was well put, thank you, and I do understand the danger to one’s career in this arena, so no, I cannot really blame any of you. I suppose it’s the circumstances that bring all this about that angers one, and misplaced anger finds easy targets.

I suppose it was not until this thread and your comments here that I realized the “space balls” approach to this Mopologists satire.

Carry on.