long ago ideas

“When we are tired, we are attacked by ideas we conquered long ago." - Friedrich Nietzsche Long ago, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery conquered false claims that the Book of Mormon was fiction or that it came through a stone in a hat. But these old claims have resurfaced in recent years. To conquer them again, we have to return to what Joseph and Oliver taught.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

What would it take?

Because I teach environmental science and ethics, I'm constantly discussing environmental issues with students and peers. I came across a comment by an environmental scientist who asks himself a question I'd like to pose to Mesoamericanists, if any will ever dare have a conversation.

Is There Anything in the Global Warming Debate That Would Convince Me I'm Wrong?
There is a constant process I go through, from a forecast for tomorrow, to when I train with weights. Unless challenged, you do not improve. So the challenge is listed in the title above. I must always seek the right answer. It’s not getting soft, it’s simply using this methodology to either confirm or deny my idea.
So, is there anything in the global warming debate that would convince me I’m wrong?
As a matter of fact, yes. [He gives his examples]
Now, I ask people who don’t see things my way: Is there anything that can challenge your position on this? If not, then your position is dogma, very different from what is needed to strive for the correct idea on this matter.
I'll apply this to Book of Mormon geography. Here are a two things that could convince me I'm wrong, or at least prompt me to reconsider:
1. A single document that unequivocally shows Joseph Smith taught or believed in a Mesoamerican setting.
2. A single archaeological finding in Mesoamerica that is not merely a "correlation" but a direct evidence of Book of Mormon people living there in the right time frame.
Now, I'll pose the question to the Mesoamericanists: Is there anything in the Book of Mormon geography debate that would convince you you're wrong?
Based on what they've written, no amount of Church historical documents or archaeological evidence in North America (or lack of such evidence in Mesoamerica) would convince the Mesoamericanists they are wrong. The only thing would be a declaration from the current President of the Church that the Book of Mormon events all took place somewhere other than Mesoamerica--and no doubt they would parse that every which way before conceding.
I'm very interested if any Mesoamericanist can cite any other specific thing that would convince them, but I don't expect any of them to come forth with any suggestions. In my view, based on their writings, their position is dogma, not science or rational argument. 

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