How would you characterize the dominant relationship of a member, to the Church?.
Is it:
a) A parternship where members serve the formal Church organization, and vice versa?
b) A client-server relationship where the Church member is there to serve the interests of the Church primarily?
c) A client server relationship where the Church serves the members primarily.
And, the rejoinder, what kind of relationship should it be?
The Member-Church relationship
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_moksha
- _Emeritus
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Re: The Member-Church relationship
I think it would be like a well run kingdom in which the members are subjects of the Crown and the King has a dutiful hierarchy of appointed Nobles who help administer the Kingdom.
Cry Heaven and let loose the Penguins of Peace
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_Corpsegrinder
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Re: The Member-Church relationship
That’s pretty much what J. Reuben Clark thought of the member-Church relationship…
At a missionary general conference in April 1960, Clark said of the Church "...this is not a democracy; this is not a republic; this is the kingdom of God. The president of the Church is our premier, if you will, his agent, his possessor of the keys. Our free agency which we have does not make us any more or less than subjects of the Kingdom and subjects we are, --not citizens, Brother Mark." He made a similar statement at a general conference fifteen years earlier.
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_jon
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Re: The Member-Church relationship
Sadly, the relationship between Church and member resembles more closely that of a bully and their victiom than perhaps is comfortable...
Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior, which may manifest as abusive treatment, the use of force or coercion to affect others, particularly when habitual and involving an imbalance of power. It may involve verbal harassment, physical assault or coercion and may be directed persistently towards particular victims, perhaps on grounds of race, religion, gender, sexuality, or ability. The "imbalance of power" may be social power and/or physical power. The victim of bullying is sometimes referred to as a "target."
Bullying consists of three basic types of abuse – emotional, verbal, and physical. It typically involves subtle methods of coercion such as intimidation. Bullying can be defined in many different ways. The UK currently has no legal definition of bullying, while some U.S. states have laws against it.
Bullying ranges from simple one-on-one bullying to more complex bullying in which the bully may have one or more 'lieutenants' who may seem to be willing to assist the primary bully in his bullying activities. Bullying in school and the workplace is also referred to as peer abuse. Robert W. Fuller has analyzed bullying in the context of rankism.
Bullying can occur in any context in which human beings interact with each other. This includes school, church, family, the workplace, home and neighborhoods.
(taken from Wikipedia)
Obviously some of things listed above don't occur (e.g. physical assault) but if were honest, the way the Church relates to its members can perhaps be described as a form of bullying.
Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior, which may manifest as abusive treatment, the use of force or coercion to affect others, particularly when habitual and involving an imbalance of power. It may involve verbal harassment, physical assault or coercion and may be directed persistently towards particular victims, perhaps on grounds of race, religion, gender, sexuality, or ability. The "imbalance of power" may be social power and/or physical power. The victim of bullying is sometimes referred to as a "target."
Bullying consists of three basic types of abuse – emotional, verbal, and physical. It typically involves subtle methods of coercion such as intimidation. Bullying can be defined in many different ways. The UK currently has no legal definition of bullying, while some U.S. states have laws against it.
Bullying ranges from simple one-on-one bullying to more complex bullying in which the bully may have one or more 'lieutenants' who may seem to be willing to assist the primary bully in his bullying activities. Bullying in school and the workplace is also referred to as peer abuse. Robert W. Fuller has analyzed bullying in the context of rankism.
Bullying can occur in any context in which human beings interact with each other. This includes school, church, family, the workplace, home and neighborhoods.
(taken from Wikipedia)
Obviously some of things listed above don't occur (e.g. physical assault) but if were honest, the way the Church relates to its members can perhaps be described as a form of bullying.
'Church pictures are not always accurate' (The Nehor May 4th 2011)
Morality is doing what is right, regardless of what you are told.
Religion is doing what you are told, regardless of what is right.
Morality is doing what is right, regardless of what you are told.
Religion is doing what you are told, regardless of what is right.
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_Corpsegrinder
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Re: The Member-Church relationship
Sadly, the relationship between Church and member resembles more closely that of a bully and their victiom than perhaps is comfortable...
...or pimp and prostitute.
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_Buffalo
- _Emeritus
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Re: The Member-Church relationship
More of a dominatrix type affair. The church is the one holding the whip.
Parley P. Pratt wrote:We must lie to support brother Joseph, it is our duty to do so.
B.R. McConkie, © Intellectual Reserve wrote:There are those who say that revealed religion and organic evolution can be harmonized. This is both false and devilish.