http://mormonscriptureexplorations.wordpress.com/2013/03/02/why-im-resigning-from-interpreter/

Hamblin wrote:

Effective immediately, I’m resigning as executive editor of Interpreter for the following reasons.

1- My department told me today in essence that both my editorial work with Interpreter, and publications with Interpreter will not be considered serious scholarship. They explicitly advised me to publish in other venues. (This has been, by the way, the consistent policy of both my department and college for a quarter of a century. I have consistently been told essentially the same thing about not publishing with FARMS by every administrator. The fact that I’ve published with FARMS in the past has directly led to delayed promotion and sub-cost of living pay raises.) I am tired of receiving poor evaluations on my scholarship because publishing with FARMS and now Interpreter is considered unscholarly by BYU.

2- The directors of the Maxwell Institute complained to the administration about my public criticisms of their new policies. The administration, without giving me a chance to see or respond to those complaints, told me to stop criticizing the Maxwell Institute’s new direction.

3- I’m tired of the relentless torrent of abuse from anti-Mormons and apostates, including them sending anonymous slanderous email accusations to university administrators.

4- A person I thought was a friend recently decided to describe me (indirectly) as an apologetic hack instead of a real scholar. (This, by the way, has been the fundamental, most insidious, and perpetual slander of apostates–that a believing LDS scholar don’t do real scholarship. It is also, a classic example of ad hominem.) It’s rather depressing when your friends desert you.

5- I love research and writing. But I literally hate the bureaucratic and editing work required to run Interpreter. I’ve spent a great deal of my free time for six months trying to get Interpreter up and running. I think it is firmly established and viable now. Someone else can take it from here on out.

It’s clearly time to move on. I will have nothing more to say on these matters, and will not be taking phone calls, answering emails, or posting comments on the subject. (Sorry, I need a break.)

I wish Interpreter well, and believe it has a very important role to fulfill in LDS intellectual and spiritual life. The Board of Editors and associates have done a truly miraculous job in producing a journal ex nihilo–the third volume will be published this week. I appreciate all their efforts in creating the journal. I have every confidence that they can move ahead to a great future without me.

Wah

Nice satire!

Is this for real? Does a college professor who writes for a living use junk words like "literally" and "clearly"? That read like something an undergraduate would write for a 100 level class. I have a hard time believing that was really William Hamblin. I call shenanigans.

I note at least two grammar errors and one spelling error, also not what you would expect from a professor.

Satire isn't really my favourite thing, especially online with no indication that it is not true news. I find that it confuses people and starts urban myths, neither of which is good for already confused questioners and newbies.

But sometimes satire makes me laugh and it is an art form in its place. I like to know I'm reading the Onion or similar and even knowing ahead that it's satire I still enjoy it.

I knew after the first paragraph that this isn't real. So, well done but may be one that needs to indicate beneath its text that it's satire. (If it isn't, I'll eat my hat - or whatever!)

The link looks legit and has been updated since this was posted.

ok going out on a limb here but i'm betting if he's in any way emotionally invested in this project that would account for spelling/grammar errors especially if he is in any way distressed or angry about it. just based on what was copy/paste(?) it looks like there was more than a little emotional investment in this. Even professors aren't immune to emotion and even professors can make errors. They are human, not superhuman.

They take it serious on MADD board or Mormon Dialogue and Discussion board. Sounds real to me.

That's (MD&D) board actually.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2013 02:04PM by mckay.

Unless someone has hacked Hamblin's blog (to which he has been regularly posting for over a year), this shit's legit.

oh.

But I vote for hacking, until proven otherwise. Sounds like something an exmo would write.

Oh. Wait. Is Hamblin veering towards becoming an exxie I wonder. :)

Help me out here. What bits, specifically, sound like something an exmo would write?

Sorry, ducked out for a while.

I didn't mean specific bits sound like exmo-ese but rather the idea that Bill Hamblin would resign and write some of the comments he did, that don't sound very friendly or mo-like.

Example:

"The fact that I’ve published with FARMS in the past has directly led to delayed promotion and sub-cost of living pay raises.) I am tired of receiving poor evaluations on my scholarship because publishing with FARMS and now Interpreter is considered unscholarly by BYU."

I come from a tradition that expects believers to suck it up ("it" being anything that happens or any tenet you have issue with) and not speak aloud, even to other believers, about whatever's on your mind, other than to be 100% supportive of the mother ship. So, when I see a comment like this, that is not flattering to the institution, I am always skeptical until it's proven to be from the alleged source.

This is especially so as so many exmos write satire and spoofs about just this sort of thing - someone well known in apologist circles speaking out against the madness. In fact, here is one part that certainly sounds to me like an exmo's best dream and not from the pen/mouth of the actual Mr. Hamblin:

"I’m tired of the relentless torrent of abuse from anti-Mormons and apostates, including them sending anonymous slanderous email accusations to university administrators."

I'm sorry I thought your post was satire. It's only because it's unbelieveable to me (in a good way) that the cracks are showing in the mopologetic world (first with Dan Peterson being "fired" and now with Bill Hamblin speaking out). I think it is events like this that can start even an indoctrinated and/or committed person thinking about what they believe, or have come to believe less or to have questions about.

Questions are good! Reviewing committments is also good!

I hope that answers your query, O.U.

Ah! I'm with you now. Thanks!

Excellent points. He must be upset if he's acting out character.

Sounds like he wants BYU to appreciate his faithfulness instead of nit picking over scholarship. He thinks loyalty equals or trumps accomplishment.

Is that it?

Oh wow. You just nailed it. That is the whole Mormon attitude. You don't have to pay attention to secular rules and scholarship as long as you believe and follow the Profit. I kind of feel bad for the guy because his head is probably about to explode from the mental gymnastics. And now he is getting his hands slapped, rather than the accolades he was likely expecting. And he is probably masturbating so he knows if he could just stop that God would bless him, but he can't. So it's a hopeless situation all around.

The Interpreter published the Dehlin hit piece, and something hit the fan.

These guys should start a comedy team.

I can't read nor hear the name Hamblin without thinking of 120 innocent, dead men, women and children in Mountain Meadows, Utah.

Hamblin's an idiot and it sounds like him. I've never heard anyone but himself refer to him as a serious professor. He and DCP are identical twins separated at birth.

On the other hand, one of the most amazing people I've ever met or known is his sister, Dr. Laura Hamblin.

So these guys get the boot from MI, and FARMS, and they start up another rag that no one wants? Fools indeed. They had to know, as Hamblin admits, that BYU wouldn't approve, but they do it any way, then complain that their scholarship is not taken seriously.

If even BYU doesn't value their apologetic "scholarship", then it's way past time Hamblin bailed from the boat. What took him so long? I would guess, a big ego struggling to self-justify against the odds.

What direction will "Interpreter" take now? BYU says it's not scholarship, there's no career enhancement doing it, so who will wish to continue doing it? will it just die aborning?

The real reason for his resignation has been neglected--He needs more time to create acrostics.

(For those who may not get the reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_for_Ancient_Research_and_Mormon_Studies Go down to "Metcalfe Incident." )

Juvenille, infantile, unable to behave / think like a mature adult. Let alone like a respected scholar.

The scholarly spin-offs from FAIR / FARMS are just delightful, no? (Not unlike the x-ray emissions from a black hole, as it voraciously consumes itself, and everything in proximity, morsel by morsel.)



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/2013 10:08AM by schlock.

dropping like flies.

I've changed my mind. I read it a couple more times and think he really is the author.

From the little I've read of him, it reads like him.

Notice in Hamblin's statement that he gives as the reason for his leaving the Interpreter is that BYU does not consider articles written by their professors for the Maxwell Institute journal to be "serious scholarship."

So BYU admits it.

In Hamblin's "clarification" (added later to his blog statement) he refers to publishing in those journals as publishing "in a bubble." The reference is to people who have to live sealed off from outside, in a bubble, to keep out germs or anything that might infect them.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/2013 10:39AM by steve benson.

I'm kind of proud of BYU for recognizing that it shouldn't associate with these guys.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Maxwell Institute was transferred to the COB and BYU distanced itself from this kind of apologetics.

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,813680



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/2013 12:37PM by steve benson.

Especially when it's right next to the words "Anti-Mormons" and "Apostates."