DCP’s Mormon scholars testify: abandoned?

[drumdude]

It seems after a flurry of testimonies in 2010, the number of new ones has trickled to a stop. There was one in 2021, and zero in 2022.

I wonder how many of these scholars may have changed their testimony in the subsequent 12 years? Would definitely be interesting to revisit them.

https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/tes ... ex-by-date

[Kishkumen]

I would like to see this revived. It was nice to see LDS academics express their faith in writing.

[Salvete]

Yeah, ever since he gave it over to FAIR, it just kinda died.

[Kishkumen]

Yeah, ever since he gave it over to FAIR, it just kinda died.

I wonder why FAIR doesn't find this to be a valuable resource. People complain about academics all being atheists and communists. Perhaps that impression is just to valuable to want to counter it with plentiful evidence of believing academics?

[IHAQ]

Yeah, ever since he gave it over to FAIR, it just kinda died.

I think you have the chronology wrong. It just kinda died, after which he gave it over to FAIR.

[dastardly stem]

With all due respect to our good Reverend, I've seen the enterprise as a bit desperate. Whether some smart person believes a religion or not shouldn't really mean much. There are smart people believing all sorts of religious things and even crazy sounding non-religious things. Belief isn't the hallmark of what scholars leave behind. it's their scholarship. Once we make it about them, we lose.

"well this PhD guy said he believes in Scientology."

Is that an argument for scientology or an argument for how smart people can believe stupid things?

I suppose I"m far too sensitive about hero worship or cult of personality thinking to get much out of this type of thing.

[IHAQ]

With all due respect to our good Reverend, I've seen the enterprise as a bit desperate. Whether some smart person believes a religion or not shouldn't really mean much. There are smart people believing all sorts of religious things and even crazy sounding non-religious things. Belief isn't the hallmark of what scholars leave behind. it's their scholarship. Once we make it about them, we lose.

"well this PhD guy said he believes in Scientology."

Is that an argument for scientology or an argument for how smart people can believe stupid things?

I suppose I"m far too sensitive about hero worship or cult of personality thinking to get much out of this type of thing.

I suppose the question might be posed as to why Mormon scholars have stopped testifying...or have they simply learned it's best not to associate with DCP, FAIR etc?

[malkie]

With all due respect to our good Reverend, I've seen the enterprise as a bit desperate. Whether some smart person believes a religion or not shouldn't really mean much. There are smart people believing all sorts of religious things and even crazy sounding non-religious things. Belief isn't the hallmark of what scholars leave behind. it's their scholarship. Once we make it about them, we lose.

"well this PhD guy said he believes in Scientology."

Is that an argument for scientology or an argument for how smart people can believe stupid things?

I suppose I"m far too sensitive about hero worship or cult of personality thinking to get much out of this type of thing.

I suppose the question might be posed as to why Mormon scholars have stopped testifying...or have they simply learned it's best not to associate with DCP, FAIR etc?

I can see a number of possibilities here:

• MST is not well publicized (in general), so eligible scholars are not aware of it
• Prof P may have been actively soliciting testimonies, and nobody has carried on (If I recall correctly, he even wrote a "testimony" for a dead scholar, on the grounds that said scholar would certainly have been willing to be included if he were still alive)
• eligible scholars are aware of MST and choose not to participate, for a variety of reasons.

I know someone who was a stake president and who held (perhaps still does hold) a research professorship. He doesn't appear on MST, but I have no relationship with him that would allow me to ask him why.

[drumdude]

If I recall correctly, he even wrote a "testimony" for a dead scholar, on the grounds that said scholar would certainly have been willing to be included if he were still alive

Wow.

[sock puppet]

If I recall correctly, he even wrote a "testimony" for a dead scholar, on the grounds that said scholar would certainly have been willing to be included if he were still alive

Wow.

I wonder if DCP was channeling that dead scholar while DCP was out water witching?