My Column in "Mormon Times"

[Daniel Peterson]

Peterson tries to pretend that Joseph Smith didn't just make it all up and lie about it:

 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeterson/2014/10/doctrine-and-covenants-76-is-deeply-significant-in-many-ways.html

[Daniel Peterson]

An unashamed racist to his very core, Peterson makes light of the sufferings of small black children in sub-Saharan Africa:

 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeterson/2014/11/a-place-designed-to-make-saints.html

[Daniel Peterson]

In a rare fit of honesty, Peterson admits that his weird little cult is going the way of the dodo and the carrier pigeon:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865615415/A-church-for-exiles.html

 

So what's going to replace his huge Mopologetic $alary when Mor(m)ondumb disappears?  Selling used cars, maybe?

[rockpond]

In a rare fit of honesty, Peterson admits that his weird little cult is going the way of the dodo and the carrier pigeon:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865615415/A-church-for-exiles.html

 

So what's going to replace his huge Mopologetic $alary when Mor(m)ondumb disappears?  Selling used cars, maybe?

 

Great observations.  Thanks.

[Daniel Peterson]

Desperately trying to save his lunatic and irrational superstitions, Peterson denounces science:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865615945/A-note-on-the-limits-of-archaeology.html

[Daniel Peterson]

Peterson tries to whip up more worship for the person whose birthday he really celebrates in December:

 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeterson/2014/12/a-modern-witness-to-the-baby-born-in-bethlehem.html

[rockpond]

Peterson tries to whip up more worship for the person whose birthday he really celebrates in December:

 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeterson/2014/12/a-modern-witness-to-the-baby-born-in-bethlehem.html

 

Great article!  I love that quote from Brigham Young describing his friend and prophet.

[Daniel Peterson]

As some of his critics have been pointing out again recently, Peterson hates and rejects Jesus' ideas of love and kindness.  But it's not surprising, given his general dishonesty, that, in his most recent explosion of vitriol, Peterson pretends to care about whether Jesus actually existed:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865619115/The-evidence-for-Jesus-is-early-and-powerful.html

[Tacenda]

As some of his critics have been pointing out again recently, Peterson hates and rejects Jesus' ideas of love and kindness.  But it's not surprising, given his general dishonesty, that, in his most recent explosion of vitriol, Peterson pretends to care about whether Jesus actually existed:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865619115/The-evidence-for-Jesus-is-early-and-powerful.html

Thanks Dr. Peterson, anytime I can read someone providing a good case that Jesus is the Christ with historical evidence, always helps.  Since a FC it seems I'm struggling with belief in our Saviour, which is sickening I know.   

[Daniel Peterson]

I'm glad it helped.

 

I hope to do much more on the topic, but that takes time.

 

Best wishes to you.

[Daniel Peterson]

In yet another typically angry rant, Peterson ridicules some of the greatest works of nineteenth-century American literature in a desperate attempt to make his precious "Book of Mor(m)on" look better by comparison:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865619619/How-the-Book-of-Mormon-differs-from-19th-century-literature.html

[Daniel Peterson]

Peterson attacks science, arguing (with his usual angry vitriol) that righteous people should turn their backs on godless and wicked "scientists":

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865620611/Rethinking-materialism-in-science.html

[MormonFreeThinker]

Peterson attacks science, arguing (with his usual angry vitriol) that righteous people should turn their backs on godless and wicked "scientists":

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865620611/Rethinking-materialism-in-science.html

 

I am glad the brother Romney likes science 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765666858/Romney-says-climate-change-presents-a-big-challenge-to-US.html

[strappinglad]

Well, THERE are a group of scientists who are getting some fortitude with logical thought to back them up. Hopefully they can withstand the barrage of slights against their character which are bound to arrive surrounded by outrage that they dare to challenge the consensus thinking.

[MormonFreeThinker]

 outrage that they dare to challenge the consensus thinking.

 

It is a good thing to challenge the consensus using good peer-reviewed evidence, it is not okay to challenge it using pseudoscience. 

[strappinglad]

Don't get too enamored with peer review. There are serious flaws with it. Just as a hint at what can go awry, here is a blog about just a few of the problems.

http://blogs.berkeley.edu/2013/10/04/open-access-is-not-the-problem/

[MormonFreeThinker]

Don't get too enamored with peer review. There are serious flaws with it. Just as a hint at what can go awry, here is a blog about just a few of the problems.

 

Are you saying that blogs are better than the scientific literature? Don't get too enamored with blogs.  

You do not challenge a consensus by writing a blog post, that is not how scientists work. 

[strappinglad]

Fine, you do the research about the problems with peer review. I gave you somewhere to start. Come to your own conclusions, but be fair and read several sources. The blog I referred to was not presenting a paper, even though it sounded like it at first. It was commenting on an actual paper that was presented.

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/345/6200/992.summary

http://theconversation.com/hate-the-peer-review-process-einstein-did-too-27405

[MormonFreeThinker]

Fine, you do the research about the problems with peer review. I gave you somewhere to start. Come to your own conclusions, but be fair and read several sources. The blog I referred to was not presenting a paper, even though it sounded like it at first. It was commenting on an actual paper that was presented

 

and you do the research about the problems with blogs. 

Scientific papers are not perfect, but they are better than blogs. 

 

Many blogs cherry pick the evidence and data, and misrepresent the scientific literature. I am not saying the peer-review is perfect, but it is better than a blog that is full of pseudoscience. 

[strappinglad]

So, an article in Science Magazine, or Nature, or some other journal is the equivalent of a blog in your mind. I linked other articles but learning is an acquired taste.

[MormonFreeThinker]

So, an article in Science Magazine, or Nature, or some other journal is the equivalent of a blog in your mind. I linked other articles but learning is an acquired taste.

 

You first linked to a blog. Science or Nature are well respected journals, but something tells me that you don't read the papers. Did you read the Science article you linked to? 

[Daniel Peterson]

In which, sputtering with contempt for unbelievers, Peterson claims that, because somebody hid some ancient book somewhere, Joe Smith's Book of Mor(m)on is twoo:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865621147/Book-of-Mormon-and-other-hidden-ancient-documents.html

[Daniel Peterson]

Backed up against the wall, Peterson finally admits that there's absolutely no evidence to support Joseph's Myth and the Book of Mormon:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865622217/Creating-a-cumulative-case-for-the-Book-of-Mormon.html

[strappinglad]

Nail struck cleanly on the head Bro. Peterson. I liken it to those 3D images that one had to look at in a particular way before the 3D picture would jump out. Until you saw it , you didn't see it.

[rockpond]

Backed up against the wall, Peterson finally admits that there's absolutely no evidence to support Joseph's Myth and the Book of Mormon:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865622217/Creating-a-cumulative-case-for-the-Book-of-Mormon.html

 

Good article.  I'm not sure how anyone would ever go about proving that a 1,000 year multi-author history book is "true".  Which pieces must one prove to deem it all true?  Seems an impossible or, at the very least, a never-ending task.  I think small and specific arguments are all we can ever accumulate.  Aside from faith, of course.