From the June 22, 2012 blog by Peterson:
Since it has now been publicly announced, I suppose that I can break the self-imposed public silence that I’ve maintained, with only a couple of minor exceptions, regarding my dismissal as editor of the Mormon Studies Review, published by Brigham Young University’s Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, after founding it and directing it for twenty-three years. ...I vigorously reject the insinuation that the Review was in a crisis that necessitated emergency mid-volume intervention, and that it now requires a post-Peterson “detoxing” period before it can be permitted to resume publication
#1 This was LONG overdue by BYU...congrats in dumping Peterson, one of the worst Lds apologists in ignoring obvious historical and theological evidences about Mormonism. (Unlike many Mormons, he can't claim ignorance to the proofs he has had access to)...
#2 How BYU dumped Peterson is another matter, and shows precisely why people deem the Mormon church as a "cult."
From the FAIRLDS Conference talk Peterson gave last August: : ...during the last conversation that I had with the director of the Maxwell Institute before I left for six weeks overseas—I was dismissed by email roughly a week into my trip, while in Jerusalem—I was informed of the new course to which the Maxwell Institute is now committed...
As Peterson mentioned in that June 2012 blog of his: ...The formal statement mentions my associate editors — Louis C. Midgley, George L. Mitton, Gregory L. Smith, and Robert B. White — and pretty clearly implies that they, too, have been dismissed. They didn’t even receive an email. The newly-posted statement on the Maxwell Institute’s website, I suppose, constitutes their notification and their thanks for, cumulatively, many years of service...One of them had written Dr. Bradford several days ago, asking whether he was to be canned along with me, but received no answer. Another called Dr. Bradford by telephone, but his call was not returned. One is traveling in Europe without Internet access, and still knows nothing about any of this (though his earlier calls to Dr. Bradford, regarding a matter that now seems to have been related, also went unanswered). My own emails to Dr. Bradford received no response, and their receipt was never even acknowledged. For those of you who may be managers in either the public or private sector, a word of counsel: Don’t treat your employees this way.
Source: Of Gratitude, and Its Expression (June 22, 2012)
Please note on all of the above: All of these Mormon leaders wound up as "losers"...Peterson's apologetics style -- along with those around him -- got shot down...with the final straw coming when they went after internal Mormon member-critic John Dehlin.
The end result? Peterson and several of his FAIR cohort apologists got fired...see BYU Professor Daniel Peterson Fired as Editor of Mormon Studies Review at BYU’s Maxwell Institute
Mormon Neal Rappleye took Peterson's side, yet still noted re: the "hit piece" that Peterson's co-apologist Greg Smith was doing on John Dehlin:
"As I explained, the article, written by Greg Smith, was rumored to be a “hit piece.” Dehlin’s consistent justification for attempting to stop its publication has been that he felt a need to stand-up against the “old-school” apologetic bullies. (From where I stand, it’s the one who gets an article critical of themselves censored by threatening to get high-level Church officers involved who’s the bully, but that is just me.) Problem is, neither Dehlin nor anyone else who insisted the paper was ad hominem have actually seen and read the contents of the paper. All those who have read it insist it is nothing of the sort, so some are changing their tune. Now it is being said that Dehlin and his activities are not “worthy” of such notice from an academic journal, even if that journal is on “Mormon Studies.” For example, one observer has said “It’s kind of embarrassing how many of the apologists seem to think it’s appropriate for an academic journal, sponsored by a major university, to publish a 100+ page, ‘footnoted’ exposé of the religious views of the host of an Internet podcast. The tone of the article could be all hugs and kisses, and it would still be cringe-worthy.”
Source: Controversy over dismissal of BYU professor
Bingo on that last "observer's" statement!
Peterson lampoons what BYU was regarding as "distasteful pseudoscholarship"...but frankly, not only is that all that FAIR and its cohort of apologists have been...but as mentioned in the previous comment, that's all its hit piece by Greg Smith was amounting to be...
Last weekend (Feb. 10, 2013), John Dehlin expanded his over 5-year-old presentation to include -- and take direct aim -- at FAIRLDS...
This all provides a bit of backdrop to the 2012 behind-the-scene fireworks drama where FAIRLDS was preparing what was described as a lengthy "hit piece" on fellow Mormon John Dehlin, an internal critic of the church.
These FAIRLDS Apologists wrote a supposedly "scholarly" publication for BYU's Maxwell Institute...Dehlin apparently got wind of it...met with an LDS General Authority, who then not only pre-empted the "hit piece" but had the BYU Maxwell Institute decision-makers "can" these five FAIRLDS apologists.
Surprisingly, Dehlin, in the above talk, still refers/links people to FAIR. So, he's NOT operating at the level of "sour grapes."
Do Mormons and others interested in this realize what a stark realization this is???!!! The so-called 'Restoration' -- the foundation of all things Mormon & heart of any Mormon missionary presentation -- is no longer defensible! If BYU (the Lds church) is no longer the ONLY 'game' in town, then there was no absolute apostasy -- only a historical partial one. Therefore, no jumpstart from scratch was need; therefore, the so-called 'restoration' was unnecessary...superflous.
The newer approach is simply: "Hey, we're 'Christians' and 'they [other sects] are Christians, too. Can't we just all 'get along'?"
The "Restoration" as worthy of defense has been washed by the wayside as of 2012!!!
This is great information, thanks.
bfl