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DCP’s Mormon scholars testify: abandoned?
Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2023 4:56 pm
by 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
Re: DCP’s Mormon scholars testify: abandoned?
Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2023 10:19 pm
by Kishkumen
I would like to see this revived. It was nice to see LDS academics express their faith in writing.
Re: DCP’s Mormon scholars testify: abandoned?
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 5:24 am
by Salvete
Yeah, ever since he gave it over to FAIR, it just kinda died.
Re: DCP’s Mormon scholars testify: abandoned?
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 1:20 pm
by Kishkumen
Salvete wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 5:24 am
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?
Re: DCP’s Mormon scholars testify: abandoned?
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 3:00 pm
by IHAQ
Salvete wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 5:24 am
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.
Re: DCP’s Mormon scholars testify: abandoned?
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 3:03 pm
by 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.
Re: DCP’s Mormon scholars testify: abandoned?
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 3:05 pm
by IHAQ
dastardly stem wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 3:03 pm
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?
Re: DCP’s Mormon scholars testify: abandoned?
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 4:14 pm
by malkie
IHAQ wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 3:05 pm
dastardly stem wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 3:03 pm
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.
Re: DCP’s Mormon scholars testify: abandoned?
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 5:56 pm
by drumdude
malkie wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 4:14 pm
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.
Re: DCP’s Mormon scholars testify: abandoned?
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 6:01 pm
by sock puppet
drumdude wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 5:56 pm
malkie wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 4:14 pm
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?