At 02:41 PM 9/27/2002, you wrote: >Mark Gregson wrote: > > > > > I found Eric > > > Samuelson's criticism a bit harsh, but this was probably to be expected > > > as > > > he knew little about it going in. I see his program as no more strange > > > than > > > for a backyard gathering of amateur astronomers--which is what John > > > Pratt > > > is. Here is an excerpt from what John Pratt says himself about the > > > "Feast > > > of Trumpets" program in an email message promoting it: > > > > > > <Quote> > > > There will be a symbolic and instructive program, based partly on > > > authentic > > > Hebrew traditions but mostly on my own interpretation, relating it to > > > events of the restoration of the Gospel. > > > > Any way you slice it, the "program" was bizarre. Why the heck would > > anyone want to present "information" in that style? (you can't use the > > temple as a reason because it is real and authorized). > > > >I think that Samuelson's gnostic reference is sadly pretty much bang on. > > >I have read a lot of Samuelson's comments on AML over the years, >although I haven't been there for some months now, maybe even a year or >two, but he probably hasn't changed much. He's playwright and a lot >more liberal minded than the typical ZION lister for sure (isn't >everybody?) but he is a prof at BYU and he even writes some of the >"spoken word" commentaries for the MTC broadcasts, so he does know >better ;->. He can be an irreverant satirist at times. Maybe even most >of the time. And he's perceptive. His remark about "Yo HO that I Were >an Angel" was seen by me in that vein, as a comment on the possibility >that the rather contrived first two notes of that song, sliding from oh >up to OH, (is that a full fifth of an octave?) can be quite difficult to >accomplish artfully and if you aren't careful you end up sounding like a >pirate's Yo HO. He may have just spoiled the song for me forever, which >is the ultimate compliment you can pay to a satirist. > >Actually he seemed to be pretty mild about Pratt's performance. Perhaps >in deference to his Sister in Law or whoever it was in his family who >seems to becoming a fellow travellor. But more than likely he just >figured the thing spoke for itself. How do you satirize something >that's already so far over the top? > >I have to confess that my mind was drawn to the wonderful Isaiah passage >about "wizards who peep and mutter" as I read the review. >"To the law and to the prophets" is where we should turn, as we are >sternly reminded by Isaiah, not to people who claim the right to >instruct us in things of God because of special insight. Interestingly >Isaiah says of such people that there "no light in them." I understand >that Pratt has been published in the Ensign and that tells me that he >should know better too. If part of Pratt's ritual caused Samuelson to >become uncomfortable about temple parody then it must have been >amazingly inappropriate. Samuelson would not blush easily. > >The Isaiah reference can be found at 2 Nephi 18: 19-20 > > > I believe that all rational LDS would have warning alarms going off if > > exposed to this "program". > > > >My ears were ringing. And not with the sound of trumpets! > >Tom
Geez, you guys are severe. Pratt is *not* a wizard, peeping and muttering, nor is he claiming any sort of authority from God about special insight. The guy has a Ph'd in astronomy and is a specialist in religious chronology and ancient calendars --hence the emphasis on the ancient Jewish Feast of Trumpets. I think had you actually read some of his articles, although you may not agree with all of his *speculations* (neither do I necessarily), and he is careful to make the distinction, you would be proud to have him as a member of your stake <grin>. -- Steven Montgomery [EMAIL PROTECTED] <HTML> <BODY> <a href="http://www.getusout.org";><img border="0" src="http://www.getusout.org/images/guolink.gif";></a> <P><P><BR> </BODY> </HTML> ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
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