Tuesday, August 27, 2013

A Little More Nibley

The main BYU University Conference starts today. It is time, on this serious occasion, to remember this quote from Hugh Nibley:
In an apocryphal but very ancient account, Peter, in the course of a debate with Simon Magus, points out that people either take themselves or the gospel very seriously--nobody ever takes both seriously. At our Utah universities we take ourselves very seriously, but the suppression of free and open discussion of things academic, while it provides needed security to those who have reason to shun honest scrutiny, can only contribute in the long run to mounting jealousy, suspicion, and tension. There is a point beyond which reticence ceases to be prudence and makes only for misunderstanding." (Hugh Nibley, "Nobody to Blame," CWHN 17:126.)