Symmachus wrote:I am not offended, and frankly don't think anyone should be, that the Church amasses wealth (provided it is in accordance with the law), and I don't question people's sincere feelings on the issue when I question the depth of their statements about the Church's humanitarian spending (how much should be spent, and on what projects? Why not on others? And how will effectiveness be measured? What percentage should the Church hold in reserve, and for how long? What is the exact definition of "poor"? etc. etc. etc. etc.). It is very easy to criticize the Church for not living up to a standard that is no more exact than "spend money on the poor"—so easy, in fact, that I don't think it's a serious criticism.
But it is another thing entirely to criticize the Church for not supporting its members with funds that the member themselves have entrusted to the Church precisely for the benefit of the members!
$250/year?
I fail to see how that can suffice for a few months of even something like camping. Jesus Christ, reserving spaces on a campground aren't free. No, but of course: they expect the members to pay for their own camping, as they expect them to do their own cleaning.
I have said more than a few times that the Church's culture always felt like a non-violent Stalinism (or, in other words, the political style of the post-Stalin USSR). There is a very soviet-ish quality to everything they do: a gerontocratic leadership, connected by marriage and blood and living more comfortably, if not lavishly, than the masses upon whose labor they profit and to whom they send down commands in the form of quotas and plans and expectations of obedience, providing very little in return beyond somnolent meetings, humorless speeches flavored with schmaltzy kitsch, and hostility to outsiders and dissenters.
But Joseph Smith couldn't have known about 15th century verbal syntax!
As always, a thoughtful and thought-provoking post, dear consul.
"Petition wasn’t meant to start a witch hunt as I’ve said 6000 times." ~ Hanna Seariac, LDS apologist
I'm surprised they're giving you $250. Can't you just give buy a couple basketballs at walmart and send them to the gym for an hour?
"We have taken up arms in defense of our liberty, our property, our wives, and our children; we are determined to preserve them, or die." - Captain Moroni - 'Address to the Inhabitants of Canada' 1775
Mormon 8 wrote:My wife and I were recently informed that our class activities budget for the year 2020 is $250. We have 6 total in our class - this comes out to approx. 83 cents per boy per week. This is what is supposed to replace scouting. Meanwhile, $124 billion sits in an Ensign Peak Advisors account.
I had similar problems with scouting and not enough funds. I decided to deduct personal expenses I was putting into scouting from my tithing. That seemed to work for me.
I wondered if what really pisses off the bishops and class leaders is that members pay a substantial tithing particularly in the more wealthy wards and then they get a $250 or a $30 budget to carry out activities. Knowing approximately what goes to SLC and seeing the "payback" has got to raise doubts about how $$ are being spent and can be demoralizing-particularly when one is not to question how the funds are rolling in and and out.
My son the SP(me nevermo) was complaining to me he could not get $ for a desk chair that has been used for 15 years and the rollers keep coming off when he slides in and out of his desk area when counseling: "sorry there goes the roller ,thanx for picking it up brother jones, now help me turn over the chair and slam it back in-done, thanx. now you were saying about being unfaithful to your wife- oops there goes that roller again."