- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
I had a great discussion with some friends about the Church. One of them offered a perspective that I love and want to adopt. She suggested that we be citizens of our religion. A citizen is loyal but engages, pushes back and advocates. A subject is expected to do what they are told but does not engage or offer opinions and express any desire for change. Generally citizens are looked down on in the Church, but I hope we are slowly shifting. People pushing back on things like Oaks’ conference talk and the November 2015 policy are shifts in this direction. This is what makes the Church better and I hope the institution can mature enough to accommodate citizens and recognize that it will help the institution be healthier and adapt to a changing world. I love America, I feel patriotic on the 4th of July, I love pulling out my American passport when I travel and seeing our monumental buildings in Washington, D.C. But, I recognize that we’ve had good leaders and bad, have lots of blood on our hands for our treatment of African-Americans and Native Americans. I look at the Church the same way and love it, warts and all. I also want to be engaged and make it better.
This reminds me of a similar concept which is go graduate into being an adult of God rather than a child of God. Hypothetically, an adult of God would behave in an honorable and respectable way (even in providing push back or negative feedback). It is not a licence to be reckless. But being an adult should have more autonomy and independence than a child.
Very well put, I like it. Only if we can change the current culture to treat people who question or have different perspectives like adults not shunning them as is so pervasive these days. We need to develop a culture that is welcoming and loving instead of this is the only true church on the face of the earth so if you dont believe like everyone else leave !!! That current attitude sucks. Meh, I think the USA and the LDS suffer from some of the same problems: * Ideals which are not lived up to.
* Members who have a overly positive view of them.
* A degree of exceptionalism which is unwarranted. Upon further examination, neither is quite as unique as claimed.
I don’t really think most countries’ ordinary citizens, including the USA, have half as much influence as they are told they have. It is like sustaining leaders. If you are at General Conference, and you stick up your hand during the “opposed” bit, you will be told something like “your comments have been noted”, which means nothing. Likewise the US establishment works as a system of power networks, designed to shut people out and also often running within families (does the USA need yet another Clinton, Bush or even an Obama in the White House?) which overrule meritocracy.
The Church has gone the way of internationalism, and corporation empire building. Since the Church continues to grow in Africa and South America, it will always thrive of its basic, highly controlled message with cookie-cutter Elders and Sisters to deliver it. Meanwhile the hard working middle class pays the bill through tithes and offerings. I see the Church as a Kingdom or Empire. Your tithing is 10% an income tax to pay your membership dues. Beside the Temple, and the meetinghouse, I dont know what more you get. I am supposed to minister presumably to people who dont pay their 10%. Why should I? I put more into the kingdom, have a Church calling, and make less income. The Kingdom is very hierarchical, central command in the Bishop. He dictates, he orders, he judges. I’ve learned if you have any suggestions, or opposing view points you keep them to yourself to avoid any backlash, especially if you are an outsider and say in my old ward this is what they did, etc. Need a hiatus from Church, or a new ward. Just bought the home so I need to wait it out. Forgot to mention, the Elders Quorum was a take over by the High Priests in my ward, to further suppress the rising generations. No council meeting ever takes place. The young guys keep quiet for the most part. Life is whatever we make it. However we see it – that is what it is.
No matter where you live. What religion you do or don’t practice. Politics you believe in. It’s either great. Or it sucks. Or it’s really doesn’t matter.
You do get to decide. It all begins in your heart and your desire. Flex – go where you feel you need to. There have been movers and changers. Perhaps your internal call is exactly what you need to do.
jamison wrote:
Beside the Temple, and the meetinghouse, I dont know what more you get. I am supposed to minister presumably to people who dont pay their 10%…. Need a hiatus from Church, or a new ward. Just bought the home so I need to wait it out.New ward! As you say it depends on the bishop. My last three have been amazing (one is inactive but he went out of his way to help me with a non-church issue).
Our chapel gets good use and a lot happens there, so I think it is a good investment. Our ward puts on a lot of activities, gives welfare to those who need it (with one or two exceptions) which is good. The stake has also run the Addiction Recovery Program and Self-Reliance, psychological counselling, as well as back to work training (which is much better than our local state one BTW).
Quote:Forgot to mention, the Elders Quorum was a take over by the High Priests in my ward, to further suppress the rising generations. No council meeting ever takes place. The young guys keep quiet for the most part.
Very different experience over here. We have ward council at least once a month, often twice.
At the last one:
* We had two YSA.
* Six people under forty.
* At least four or five women.
* ? Three or four high priests (hard to tell these days) – two bishopric and EQP.
This is not atypical. Our bishop is in his thirties but wasn’t here this week.
Our EQ presidency reflects this trend too.
I definitly need to move, but no until my high schoolers get through. Church is not too central in their lives, like it was for me when I was their age. I just strongly disdain LDS culture. I see how I wasted much of my life, trying so hard to be a goody-goody, and for what? I should have focused on making a buck and a avoiding the agony of Church culture. Socioeconomics is what life is all about. I worked hard with kids in Title I schools. Their future is quite bleak. Oh well. I guess I’m just pointing out the obvious.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.