consiglieri wrote:I think Dan acquitted himself well, and proved that he does come across much better "in person" than he sometimes does on message boards.
[SNIP!]
I also appreciated Dan's nod to "bad behavior" from some unnamed Mormon apologists (*ahem* Will Schryver *ahem*) and how even though he did not condone their conduct, he felt constrained from coming out publicly and saying so because of the weight attached to his name and opinions.
I can understand that. In fact, I intuited as much in a post on this board prior to my hearing the interview.
I spoke by phone a couple of days ago to an acquaintance of DCP, who advised me that Dan is much more vociferous in his distaste for "some unnamed Mormon apologists" off the record than on.
I finished listening to the podcasts last night, and I largely agree with you, Consig. I've heard from multiple sources that DCP feels "distaste for 'some unnamed Mormon apologists'", though I'm not entirely sure whether this has to do strictly with personal dislike/offense--at least as far as Will Schryver is concerned. Based on something else I was told, I have reason to believe that part of this "distaste" may have to do with whoever it is that has been supporting Schryver all along. From what I can gather, this is someone that DCP would be foolish to cross.
Apart from all that, I too would like to join in the applause for the podcasts. As enjoyable as they were, they haven't really changed my opinion of Dr. Peterson in the slightest. I've always felt that he was basically a decent and likable guy whose been driven to act in horrendous and evil ways by Mopologetics. It was intriguing--perhaps ironic--that he told that anecdote about Adolf Eichmann and the "banality of evil." Though DCP's bad deeds are clearly nowhere near the level of Eichmann's, I think the basic analogy holds up: this is an otherwise good person whose bad side is drawn out thanks to a certain set of circumstances--in this case, an almost obsessive and revenge-driven need to defend the Church. (In light of this Eichmann business, I found it somewhat disturbing that DCP, Hamblin, Pahoran, et al. have been saying "Heil Mitchell!" over and over again on MDD.)
In listening to Dan discuss antiquity, and issues related to the Middle East, you can really hear someone in his element. How much better off would the world be if Dr. Peterson were to totally abandon polemical Mopologetics in favor of strictly Middle Eastern-related work? Or even if he just dropped the defensive, "attack dog" element of his Mormon publications? Is there some worry that the Pahorans, LoaPs, and stemelbows will lose their testimonies if he suddenly decides to quit acting like a condescending jerk?
Regardless, the podcasts were a real triumph. Kudos to all the parties involved.
"[I]f, while hoping that everybody else will be honest and so forth, I can personally prosper through unethical and immoral acts without being detected and without risk, why should I not?." --Daniel Peterson, 6/4/14