Thom, this "truth is relative" approach you're taking is fine and dandy-- to a point.
But Beck DOES say her story IS the "definitive" book on issues such as the abuse story (refer to the Sunstone article). And the Sorenson reference doesn't coincide very well, since he is working from a hypothesis, and Beck says she is working from the "facts" of personal history and experience.
I'm with D. Michael. If Beck feels she can take our culture and her father to task, then she better darn well be ready to allow herself to be put under the same scrutiny. I see no reason to take a watered down approach in critiquing her story.
--Mahonri
Thom Duncan <thomduncan@???> wrote:
Thom Duncan replies to:
>-----Original Message-----
>From:
>aml-list-bounces+thomduncan=gmail.com@???
>[mailto:aml-list-bounces+thomduncan=gmail.com@???.
>com] On Behalf Of Marianne Hales Harding
>Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 3:26 PM
>To: aml-list@???
>Subject: RE: [AML] Beck, Leaving the Saints
>
>>past maybe the high-level things. We shouldn't expect Beck's
>>experiences to "be" the way the Church really is, but neither
>should we
>>discount it because it doesn't jibe with our own experience.
>
>Well then how is a person to judge whether or not someone is a
>reliable narrator?
Why do we have to, unless the book proclaims itself as THE definitive book
on such-and-such. When John Sorenson writes a book on Book of Mormon
geography, I'm going to expect serious research (that I can duplicate if I
chose). When a person writes a personal memoir, I'm really not expecting to
read anything other than their own experiences.
>(loved that being pointed out in the Sunstone review) then I
>do reserve the right to say, "Hey, that doesn't jibe with my
>experience."
Which doesn't in anyway invalidate Martha's experience. Both your and her
experiences are equally valid.
Thom
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