Stephen Smoot's Vendetta
- Gadianton
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Re: Stephen Smoot's Vendetta
What is Boylan's claim based on, does he say?
Does he know Richard in real life?
Sounds like a prime situation for DCP-like deniability if Boylan isn't able to say he knows Richard personally in real life. If it comes out that it was Smoot all along, he can just say it wasn't a matter he'd ever delved deeply into and had always spoken only to the best of his knowledge. But until then, promote the claim as if it is 100% factual; something many credible people know about.
Does he know Richard in real life?
Sounds like a prime situation for DCP-like deniability if Boylan isn't able to say he knows Richard personally in real life. If it comes out that it was Smoot all along, he can just say it wasn't a matter he'd ever delved deeply into and had always spoken only to the best of his knowledge. But until then, promote the claim as if it is 100% factual; something many credible people know about.
Social distancing has likely already begun to flatten the curve...Continue to research good antivirals and vaccine candidates. Make everyone wear masks. -- J.D. Vance
- Doctor Scratch
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Re: Stephen Smoot's Vendetta
You raise some important points here, Dr. Robbers. *Does* Boylan personally know Richard? At this point, the best outcome for the Mopologists is that there really is a Black Latter-day Saint apologist named Richard Nygren who runs the "Neville-Neville Land" blog. Because if this turns out to be a lie, then not only will it be yet another act of Mopologetic dishonesty, but it will have the added problem of being a sort of Mopologetic "minstrelsy," where they pretended to be Black in order to escape criticism.Gadianton wrote: ↑Sun Jul 24, 2022 2:27 pmWhat is Boylan's claim based on, does he say?
Does he know Richard in real life?
Sounds like a prime situation for DCP-like deniability if Boylan isn't able to say he knows Richard personally in real life. If it comes out that it was Smoot all along, he can just say it wasn't a matter he'd ever delved deeply into and had always spoken only to the best of his knowledge. But until then, promote the claim as if it is 100% factual; something many credible people know about.
It really shouldn't be that hard to locate Nygren, if he exists. Dr. Peterson claimed to know the person who was operating "Neville-Neville Land," for example.
"If, 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
- Gadianton
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Re: Stephen Smoot's Vendetta
And Doctor Scratch becomes the latest victim. "Peter Pan" accuses Professor Scratch of not knowing his real identity. But much like his Limited Geography theory, this is an unfalsifiable claim.
Social distancing has likely already begun to flatten the curve...Continue to research good antivirals and vaccine candidates. Make everyone wear masks. -- J.D. Vance
- Everybody Wang Chung
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Re: Stephen Smoot's Vendetta
I'll defer to Dr. Scratch, but there are only a few people I know who frequently use the terms "gadfly" and "blowhard." One of them is Stephen Smoot and the other is Daniel C. Peterson.
"I'm on paid sabbatical from BYU in exchange for my promise to use this time to finish two books."
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Daniel C. Peterson, 2014
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Re: Stephen Smoot's Vendetta
Where have we heard this before?Nevile Nevile Land Blog wrote:This is the first and last time I’ll mention “Doctor Scratch.” His pompous posts are worth less than the time I’ve already given them.
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Re: Stephen Smoot's Vendetta

I guess Peter has more important things to do. Or does he?
Last edited by doubtingthomas on Mon Jul 25, 2022 12:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Stephen Smoot's Vendetta
Well, while Peterson was trying to play checkers with Scratch while it was supposed to be chess, perhaps Neville thinks they are playing Parcheesi?
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Re: Stephen Smoot's Vendetta
Who is the intended audience for these blogs?
The 3-4 regular posters that comment on SeN?
The 3-4 regular posters that comment on SeN?
- Doctor Scratch
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Re: Stephen Smoot's Vendetta
I could be mistaken, but it appears that Boylan is attempting to profit off of his apologetics. He apparently has a Patreon account where “fans” (?!?) can sign up for “exclusive” Mopologetic content. Quite intriguing!
"If, 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
- Doctor Scratch
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Re: Stephen Smoot's Vendetta
There has always been a network of Mopologists who have an obsessive need to pick fights with people. In the past, their attacks were mainly aimed at EV critics like James White and Walter Martin, along with anti-Mormon critics like Ed Decker.
It’s really striking that we’ve now reached the point where somebody like Smoot is running an openly anti-Mormon blog like “Neville-Neville Land” which is devoted to tearing down the Heartlanders’ faith, with Dan Peterson egging him on.
That is the primary audience, though: it’s that cadre of Mopologists who enjoy tearing into people.
"If, 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