We have several different funds set up, which get income from different sources. There are very specific things that each fund can be used for...I don't think (and really hope) that political activity does not fall under acceptable use of what we consider sacred funds.
Ask a Mormon, Part 3
- Thread starter Eran of Arcadia
- Start date
- Status
@El Mac: I don't know. Probably from tithing, but very indirectly.
So, how would one find out?
I had a meeting with my Bishop today, and I meant to ask him, but we had a bit of an emergency, and I kind of forgot.
I can see why there's a bit of a controversy. The Church itself seemed to ask the members to fund Prop 8 (voluntarily, of course) and said that it would also work with other groups in order to get it passed.
I can understand how the Church feels it has a divine mandate to fight gay marriage tooth 'n nail, but I can't see how they can keep their church/charity legal status after helping fund Prop 8 endeavours. It might lose it's legal standing
I can understand how the Church feels it has a divine mandate to fight gay marriage tooth 'n nail, but I can't see how they can keep their church/charity legal status after helping fund Prop 8 endeavours. It might lose it's legal standing
I highly doubt that it broke any laws or regulations regarding these issues, they are pretty careful about that sort of thing. I don't know what the relevant laws are on the matter though.
I doubt it too, but the spirit of the separation seems to have been violated.
Fifty
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So Eran/DT, on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being "I'm glad they did it", and 10 being "I'm leaving the church", how mad are you that they funded this unethical legislation?
I don't see it as unethical, as such, even though I disagree with the Church's support of it. I would say about a 5, I still view the Church as a whole in the same way. This isn't the only thing they have done that I don't agree with.
When you factor in some of the misinformation campaigns that were spread during some of our churches (not by people from Salt Lake though), and the evaporation of goodwill towards our church, I'd say I'm around a 7.
It would really take a lot for me to leave the church though.
It would really take a lot for me to leave the church though.
Fifty
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Speaking of the notion of "leaving the church", how strongly is mormon theology tied to the institution of the LDS? So, for instance, suppose the church authorities did something that was just obviously massively horrible, and there was no doubt they did it. Is it possible just to leave the institution of the LDS and still be a mormon, or would you cease to be a mormon at that point? Or is your core belief in mormonism so strong for personal reasons that nothing the church could do would make you leave it?
One can be "Mormon" in a sense without accepting the authority of the LDS Church - there are a number of break away denominations, although I think that if you add their membership to ours the LDS Church is still around 95% of Mormonism. Wikipedia views it that way, with the LDS Church as just part of the Latter Day Saint movement, although like I said we are the vast majority. From the early days many people left the Church because of disagreements with the leaders but still accepted a lot of our unique doctrine; David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, did this, for example.
I couldn't do this, because my belief in the leadership of the Church (not that they are perfect, but that they are overall what they, and the Church, claim to be) is connected to my belief in the unique doctrines of Mormonism. Others may disagree; I don't personally think they are right, but they are internally consistent.
I couldn't do this, because my belief in the leadership of the Church (not that they are perfect, but that they are overall what they, and the Church, claim to be) is connected to my belief in the unique doctrines of Mormonism. Others may disagree; I don't personally think they are right, but they are internally consistent.
Fifty
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So suppose it turns out that the LDS is directly funding some massive genocide in Africa... what does Eran do then?
Honestly, I'm not totally sure how to answer the first part of your question. I'll need some time to think about it. I'm leaning towards being Mormon and the LDS institution being very closely related (i.e, it would be difficult to be much of a Mormon without being part of the LDS church), but I need a little more time.
I could see a scenario where I would leave the church. In fact, a few months after I came home from my mission, I was VERY close to leaving the church. My father committed suicide while I was on a mission, and I felt like many members of the church, including some with the actual Salt Lake group, were...less than supportive. I came back feeling pretty jaded, and it took me a long time to get over it.
Also, you know, I was pissed at God. I go off thinking I'm doing the right thing, and I lose my scholarship, my girlfriend (to my roommate!!!! lame!), and came pretty close to losing my mother. I felt like God didn't uphold his end of the deal.
I think I could possibly leave for a temporary time if I came under extreme emotional duress again, or if the LDS leadership did something absolutely effing crazy...neither of which i think are very likely
I could see a scenario where I would leave the church. In fact, a few months after I came home from my mission, I was VERY close to leaving the church. My father committed suicide while I was on a mission, and I felt like many members of the church, including some with the actual Salt Lake group, were...less than supportive. I came back feeling pretty jaded, and it took me a long time to get over it.
Also, you know, I was pissed at God. I go off thinking I'm doing the right thing, and I lose my scholarship, my girlfriend (to my roommate!!!! lame!), and came pretty close to losing my mother. I felt like God didn't uphold his end of the deal.
I think I could possibly leave for a temporary time if I came under extreme emotional duress again, or if the LDS leadership did something absolutely effing crazy...neither of which i think are very likely
edit: holy crap, Matt, I'm sorry.
I have my doubts about the validity of the Old Testament accounts of the Hebrew settlement of Canaan, as it happens, and since I don't believe the Bible to be the sole source of authority, I don't have to obey those prophets - if it were happening now, I would leave the Church unless God Himself gave me a direct argument that I should stay. And by direct, I mean "using means of communicating with me that He has not heretofore used". After all, God would have to expect most people, including me to react that way.
Mowque
Hypermodernist
And, at the risk of seeming obnoxious...Where does the Mormon Church sit on the death penalty?
I don't think the LDS Church has an official position, in the sense that it says anything about supporting or opposing it, but I think it more or less has no problem with it if that is what the criminal justice system decides is the right thing. Utah was possibly the first state to execute someone after the ban was lifted in the 1970's (could be wrong) although I can't assume LDS doctrine = Utah legal code.
Thanks. Its a sad story, but I'm mostly over it now. No point in being mad at people. It was a while ago.
I do not believe we have a position
Mowque
Hypermodernist
really? huh...maybe I'm just used to a Church that has a position on everything,lol
- Status
Similar threads
