Gay Mormon student sent death threats after being labelled ‘anti-Christ’ by professor

[Not Buying It]

I may have missed it, but I don't see another thread on this story:

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/gay-mormon-st ... bat6pjHHjF

2 things:

1) Any BYU professor who publicly calls out a gay student needs to be publicly reprimanded.

2) The Brethren have let this DezNat nonsense go unchecked for long enough. Heaven knows they never take a stand on anything that requires an ounce of courage, but I consider them more derelict than usual in their duty for not doing more to stop DezNat's threats, intimidation, and bullying.

[jfro18]

The 'DezNat' stuff is IMO more of a byproduct of the radicalization in politics, but the church realizes just as political parties do that the most insane believers are also the most loyal.

They don't want to anger the DezNat crowd for the same reason that political parties won't stand up to the fringe of their parties - they can't afford to lose the support even though the groups are doing more harm than good.

At the end of the day the church is a corporation and they will hold off criticizing any card-carrying members until there's no other choice.

[Not Buying It]

The 'DezNat' stuff is IMO more of a byproduct of the radicalization in politics, but the church realizes just as political parties do that the most insane believers are also the most loyal.

They don't want to anger the DezNat crowd for the same reason that political parties won't stand up to the fringe of their parties - they can't afford to lose the support even though the groups are doing more harm than good.

At the end of the day the church is a corporation and they will hold off criticizing any card-carrying members until there's no other choice.

I have no doubt you are correct - and even suspect some of the Brethren privately sympathize with DezNat. This is just one of many moral and leadership failings of the Brethren, so in that sense their non-response to DezNat is entirely predictable. You can generally count on them to not do the right thing.

[jfro18]

I have no doubt you are correct - and even suspect some of the Brethren privately sympathize with DezNat. This is just one of many moral and leadership failings of the Brethren, so in that sense their non-response to DezNat is entirely predictable. You can generally count on them to not do the right thing.

Oh don't get me wrong - I agree with you 100%. I just think they're afraid of turning away their deepest, most loyal base and because of that will be too cowardly to take a real stand against the extremism that is starting to spread a bit within the church and now we're seeing a very concerted effort at BYU to go after staff and students who are not 100% on the church's correlated and orthodox beliefs.

[Red Ryder]

Seems like the DezNat people are straight from the Book of Mormon itself.



3. For we did take up arms, silly hats, and face coverings; in order to bring justice and order to the Lords church.

4. To cleanse the institutions named after our foreprophets of inequity and sin, Thus faith Alone can’t cleanse in the last days.

5. To call out, expose, and destroy the wickedness which brings forth no fruit, but perverts and mocks righteousness.

6. Therefore the prophets, hide behind their cowardice; call upon us to bare witness, bare arms, bare knifes, and bare testimony! Until the lords university is cleansed or their football team wins, whichever occurs before the eternities end.

[Reuben]

It was Hank Smith. Isn't he the new John Bytheway?

[Red Ryder]

It was Hank Smith. Isn't he the new John Bytheway?

From the change.org petition asking for his removal. He called the student Korihor.

Hank Smith, a professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Brigham Young University, engaged with an anonymous individual on Twitter that is a member of the fringe group Dez Nat to attack a gay BYU student. Professor Smith has over 30,000 followers on his Twitter page and went on an evening rant regarding Joseph Smith. When the BYU student disagreed with Professor Smith's fringe views, he responded by calling the student "Korihor," which is a reference to a character in the Book of Mormon identified as antichrist. Professor Smith should be terminated. He apparently does not understand that Korihor had no theology; he did not believe in God. Professor Smith destroyed the trust bond that is crucial when attempting to build relationships with students and the community. He marginalized a committed, faithful, and independent-minded Latter-Day Saint. Professor Smith is not capable of leading religion courses at Brigham Young University.

Found the since deleted tweet.



And looks like he did apologize.

Hank Smith
@hankrsmith

Apr 23
I do need to apologize for calling Cal what I did. I deleted the reply. That was unjustified and unfair. My emotions got the better of me. I am very sorry.

[moksha]

I suppose it is the right of BYU professors to align themselves with the Deseret Nationalist arm of the current fascist movement that has engulfed the former Republican party, but I do hope the Brethern are aware of the ramifications. Maybe the Church can do great things in Fourth Reich House, and maybe not.