What I am about to write is my opinion and not worth more than that....Rivendale wrote, in regard to Vogel:...This and therapy helped understand himself in an analytical way. He also expressed no intent to purposely target people and try to make them lose their faith. In essence, I don't see him as attacking Mormonism by exposing it's flaws.
Well, I am a huge fan of Vogel, and RFM, and as a interviewer John Dehlin. And because of my commute listen to them often, I genuinely enjoy their platforms. I really can't say enough about the Ritner, RFM, Dehlin's.... 13 hours on the Book of Abraham, with JD being the layman asking the questions that folks like me want to hear, and Ritner being the expert answering the questions and RFM dumbing it down in a logical way with his sense of humor....in my opinion it is priceless and one could almost throw away any books or papers on the subject and still have a more than balanced understanding of the history and issues with the Book of Abraham.
What you wrote about Vogel is true, I have heard his disclaimer several times, and with RFM (and Reel) also, and in almost every podcast of JD's, after he does the opposite and feels bad. They say they are not there to lead people out of the church but to give them the truth so they can make informed decisions and that is partly true....I guess.
Then they go on and laugh, make fun of, put members down just about everything Mormon at the expense of the LDS church leaders and believing membership. I do the same thing without a platform, as do most folks here. Heck RFM and Reel now party and get buzzed doing so in MLAD.
Sandra, will tell you the same thing, I have heard here say so, that she wants members to be informed of the truth, so they can make an informed decision. She still believes in agency, she is not these folks HS. Does she laugh and joke at the leaders and members expense, sure, but hardly as deep as RFM, Reel, and others....and her quick wit is very common sense based and almost impossible to argue with. I love it, she is very funny and a icon.
Vogel is much more reserved, but none the less has his moments, his remark recently about Joseph Smith running with the heavy plates in the most recent DCP movie, was actually DCP's lunch, was classic, and very funny. But...Lol, with Vogel, I have to be careful when I listen to him when I drive, his monotone voice puts me to sleep sometimes. Coffee and Vogel go well together, and well worth it. He is a champion in my opinion for putting his reference books free online (Internet Archive),they are invaluable when doing a deep dive on a subject. I would love to sit down and have a beer with him and just pick his brain.
My point in all this is that it is human nature, we are bias based creatures, and that we who spend so much time looking at, learning, debating and arguing about it, in my opinion we need to take a step back and understand our hypocrisy's, and raise our right hand and say....guilty. Then carry on .
Kish picking out the Tanners over the others is not working, nor will it ever. It is in sorts, like saying NFL quarter back Kurt Warner should not be in the Hall of Fame because he gave public thanks after every game to his "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
