Why DCP’s Proposed Beatitudes Book is Problematic

[Doctor Scratch]

I noticed that, on “SeN”, Dr. Peterson has proposed yet another book project that he likely will never finish. (Why not focus on the anti-CoC film project, one wonders?) On the one hand, I wish him luck—he has a terrible track record when it comes to finishing book projects. No doubt trying to write them via blogging is a bad idea.

But I would like to suggest that there is a deeper reason why (a) this Beatitudes book is a lousy idea, and (b) why DCP struggles to complete book projects. Simply put, he’s “cursed.” For starters, he is about the last person on earth who has the standing to write a book about the beatitudes—I mean, Jesus. This is like asking Aaron Rodgers to write a book about the efficacy of vaccines. Dr. Peterson has been *horrible* to literally hundreds of people over the past several decades, and the evidence for it is all over the Internet.

Start with SHIELDS, for example. You have him trashing James White, and belittling and ridiculing all sorts of people, and with him with his fancy PhD behaving like a snotty elementary school student. There is his email to Gerald Bradford and his various FARMS articles. There is his significant editorial work—the John Dehlin “hit piece” and the Grant Palmer pile-up being merely two examples among many.

So, is this really a person you would trust to interpret *the beatitudes* in a meaningful way? Is this a kind, contrite, Christian person? And I get that Dr. Peterson is a flawed person who struggles the same as all of us. But he doesn’t apologize for *anything*, ever. He’s never admitted wrongdoing (except when he posted the lynching photos), and he has never made any effort to, e.g., have those crappy emails removed from SHIELDS.

And the thing is: if he did this and led the way, others would do likewise. If he came out and said, “You know what? I disagree with Jonathan Neville, and even though I haven’t read anything he’s written, I recognize that he is a fellow Latter-day Saint and want to treat him with kindness,” then what do you suppose that Steve Smoot would do in terms of his racist act at the “Neville-Neville Land” blog? What would the FAIR Mormon folks do?

This, fundamentally, is why DCP can’t finish books. It’s not a matter of energy or will power or talent. It’s a matter of refusing to do the right thing and to make amends. So long as he continues to pretend that his behavior hasn’t hurt people, he will never finish another book.

[malkie]

Dr Scratch, is this an attempt at "reverse psychology"? Are you actually trying to motivate him?

You can tell us - we'd never let on

[drumdude]

List of known upcoming books by the author Daniel C Peterson:

Yet to be titled book arguing for the Resurrection of Jesus
Yet to be titled book on the “fine-tuning” arguments for the existence of God
Yet to be titled book on the Beatutudes
Yet to be titled book on the compatibility of science and religion
Yet to be titled book on near death experiences
Yet to be titled book on irreducible complexity/intelligent design
Yet to be titled essay on Joseph Smith's connection between lightning and volcanoes
Yet to be titled book attacking the New Atheists circa 2010



Did I miss any?

[Doctor Scratch]

Dr Scratch, is this an attempt at "reverse psychology"? Are you actually trying to motivate him?

You can tell us - we'd never let on

Motivate him to being a better person? Perhaps. He seems to think that posting about his travels, and about loved ones who’ve died, and other so-called “vulnerable” things are somehow going to paper over the genuine harm he’s done. If he is serious about the beatitudes and what they represent, then let’s see him treat his worst enemies in a way that Jesus would approve of.

[Everybody Wang Chung]

List of known upcoming books by the author Daniel C Peterson:

Yet to be titled book arguing for the Resurrection of Jesus
Yet to be titled book on the “fine-tuning” arguments for the existence of God
Yet to be titled book on the Beatutudes
Yet to be titled book on the compatibility of science and religion
Yet to be titled book on near death experiences
Yet to be titled book on irreducible complexity/intelligent design
Yet to be titled essay on Joseph Smith's connection between lightning and volcanoes
Yet to be titled book attacking the New Atheists circa 2010



Did I miss any?

There were those two books he promised BYU he was going to finish in exchange for his paid sabbatical in 2014.

[Gadianton]

Some of those titles might be covered here, but there is the Seven book series, A Reasonable Leap into the Light which he's also working on.

[drumdude]

If I were getting paid well to go abroad several times a year and babble at poorly informed tourists, I probably wouldn't write a book either.

[Doctor Scratch]

Some of those titles might be covered here, but there is the Seven book series, A Reasonable Leap into the Light which he's also working on.

Indeed, and that’s a perfect illustration of my point. What’s more difficult, from a Mopologrtic perspective—writing a 7-volume book series? Or apologizing to Jeremy Runnells, John Dehlin, and James White? The fact that the one seems so impossible tells you precisely why the other is never going to happen.

Or, sure: let him prove me wrong. Let him prove to the whole world that you can be a colossal, abusive dick while simultaneously managing to pump out book after book arguing for classical Christian values. Success is the best revenge, right?

[Everybody Wang Chung]

Dr. Scratch,

I wonder if you've ever thought of writing a biography of DCP when he has passed? If anyone can give an accurate portrayal of DCP, warts and all, it would be you.

I hope you give it some thought. Many people would love to read it and it would make DCP roll over in his grave knowing that Dr. Scratch is the keeper of his legacy.

Two books that would definitely be displayed prominently on my bookshelf would be the biography of Louis C. Midgley by Dr. Shades and the biography of Daniel C. Peterson by Dr. Scratch.

[Dr Exiled]

These two books need to be written.