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A friend of mine who used to be one of the Prophet's guards ended up leaving the LDS church. One day I got a good chance to ask him why he left. He explained that he found the church to be detrimental to his family. They had him and his wife going on so many callings, etc. that they were neglecting their home and children. That was so dissonant from the basic LDS ideas about family that he couldn't reconcile them.
Since I have lived out here I've seen both, I've seen how the mormon religion has worked for people and I have seen how it hasn't, just guess it's like any other religion or lifestyle choice. BTW I'm not mormon.
Why does it matter to anyone if LDS build opulent temples? As long as they aren't asking for Federal money to do it, or stealing land from the city or state, let them build whatever they want to.
But they ARE receiving Federal and Local money by being TAX EXEMPT. They build their temples in the most exclusive areas, thus depriving local governments of their tax base. Think of how many thousands of dollars in property taxes are charged to property owners because the churches choose not to pay taxes. They also don't pay Federal taxes despite the fact that they operate for all intents and purposes as a BUSINESS.
I don't understand why people get upset because a group stands up for what it believes in. I didn't see anyone marching in the streets when the Cali Sup Ct. overturned the voters will. Yet, the anti-prop 8 folk continue to work to undue the people's will in the courts. To me that is the much worse than a group that raises funds in a democratic election.
Remember, the argument is not what is wrong with gay marriage...it is what is right with it. How does it benefit society? Also, it is NOT a private matter...Marriage is a three party deal (the man and woman AND the state). there is a reason for this. The state, who work for the people, have a stake in marriages and families. I understand the homosexual argument, but I don't agree that because a group has a particular desire that the rest of society must accomodate them to the society's detriment.
Same sex partners also raise children, if that is what you are referring to. btw, doesn't the State have ENOUGH control over our lives. It is bad enough that they steal our hard earned dollars through the 10os of taxes that we are forced to pay, Social Security and Medicare.
I've never been to a LDS church.....
but if they have the funds and the vision....they should be able to build whatever place of worship they choose to.
I realize many churches tax free status is bugging people. I would be prone to think a building/land worth over X amount of dollars should probably have to pay some sort of property taxes at the least. I guess it is in determining what amount the X should be that makes it a big box of worms no one wants to open.
I'm not Mormon, but have you ever looked at some of these out-landish "Mega-Churches" being built now a days. Then look at some of the Catholic churches, you'll see that they are all the same in nature. Ugly and self sanctified for the self righteous holier than thou types. I would much rather attend a small coutry church where the preacher knows each and everyone of the families and thier children. If the Mega-churches used all that extra money to help the poor and the hungry like Jesus wants us to, well the world would be a much nicer place to live.
Its a huge waste of money to build these places.
I 100% agree with that statement. All of those mega churches should be made to pay taxes like the rest of us.
I had a job in which I worked with many Mormons. I can tell you they do not give charity to people that are not their fellow Mormons. The only time they have spent any money that was not for helping other needy Mormons was when they spent 40 million dollars in California for Proposition 8. Weird, in this economy ultra religious people spend so much money on something so stupid. They could have spent that money helping people keep their houses, or feeding children, etc.
I had a job in which I worked with many Mormons. I can tell you they do not give charity to people that are not their fellow Mormons. The only time they have spent any money that was not for helping other needy Mormons was when they spent 40 million dollars in California for Proposition 8. Weird, in this economy ultra religious people spend so much money on something so stupid. They could have spent that money helping people keep their houses, or feeding children, etc.
This is false. Wow. Not even close.
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-851-18,00.html (broken link) is just a quick example.
It's true, my boss was a Mormon bishop and he hired more Mormons. I jokingly said I needed financial help one time, they all told me to join their church first, then they could help me!
It is public knowledge that the Mormon church was the biggest church behind prop 8 in California last year. With so much suffering going on in this world, they spent a fortune to persuade voters into voting against gay rights.
So your experience with ONE Mormon means ALL Mormons are like that.
The LDS Church gives millions, if not billions, of dollars to people not of their faith that are around the world. Some of it is in the form of food, clothing, medical care, housing, etc.
It was not one experience with one Mormon, my whole department was Mormon and several people in other departments were Mormon, I also had a close friend as a teen that was a Mormon. Three of them at the same time told me I had to join their church in order to recieve any sort of Mormon charity.
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