In this newsletter: What it means to fundraise in order to save your child's life, why I want the LDS church to spend its money as fast as it possibly can, a menu-planning guide, and a house tour in Toronto. Come see.
I have a really hard time understanding how you can stay in a religion that hoards money like this while not helping it’s “flock” as you call it. The hypocrisy of organized religion, to me, makes being a believer and follower almost impossible. I am glad you find solace and happiness in your faith but I don’t understand it.
Same with the Catholic Church…money-hoarding and religion seem to go hand in hand. Of course the Catholics need that money to fight their ever-present lawsuits, but the results are the same. Shameful.
Thank you for sharing this. I gave what I could to the gofund me. We all can help, but what a shame there are such huge pots of money sitting around making more money and not helping anyone!
I agree 100% with you. It’s really most unlike what Jesus Christ did and would do! When my sister Jenn died from cancer, her husband was still paying the bill. The church could help so many people and instead they still require their members to give 10%. One of the many reasons I’m no longer in it.
I feel this way about all churches. My husband and I have worked hard in the public sector. He is retired Army followed by retiring from municipal employment. I am a retired educator. We have paid taxes - federal, state, property, sales - you name it! I am not complaining - we live in a very upscale home in an upscale subdivision, we drive nice cars, we travel, etc! My issue is that 5 different pastors are paid enough tax-free money by their mega churches that they also can live in this subdivision but ask their congregations to tithe, to volunteer, etc. then give nothing back to our communities other than “thoughts and prayers!” I was raised Catholic; my husband was raised in the Methodist church. We are both part of the growing numbers of people in this country who are done with churches and organized religion! (PS I know these pastors pay the same taxes I do - I’m talking about the fact the churches do not pay taxes on their profits!)
Thank you for speaking out on this issue (and all the social issues you confront). I appreciate that your efforts to change your church are more effective from within.
Churches with this amount of wealth and power should have never been tax-exempt and should effectively have to pay wealth taxes if they are not using it for charity. The greed within organized religions has been toxic for thousands of years and the U.S. should be actively fighting it. We should all write to our local and federal politicians to address this issue.
I could probably talk for days on this topic, and I'm so grateful that you've brought it up. I've always admired your ability to see things so clearly and compassionately - from abortion to gun control to pretty much every topic you bring up. And I have always been curious about how you view religion, particularly Mormonism, within this context. I was raised relatively strict Catholic, but left the church in my early 20s. My husband and I found a wonderful Methodist church, but then a new pastor arrived and the whole money-centric thing happened. The church built an enormous new building with state-of-the-art everything, spent $100k on a Steinway grand and then decided they needed a huge organ because a donor wanted it, etc etc. We have both left organized religion. I have come to realize that organized religion is much more about money and power than anything else. The church leadership get lots of money, they use it to (among other things) buy off politicians (power) in order to remain tax-free so they have even more money. Then they get their congregations riled up around some very un-Christian thing like shunning LGBTQ+ people (where in the bible does it say we should hate people???) and the minions give more money to the church and feel holy. I am spiritual. I am not religious. I can see God in nature, in my children, in love, in a diversity of people so vast I will never know it all. I hope for all the best for Jessica and George. Thank you for sharing this!
I’m an ex-Mormon now. But agree with you 100%. When I think of the amount of good they could and should do it makes me so sad… and when I think of all those years I gave an honest and fair tithe thinking the church needed it (and at a cost to my family- less resources for us - every single check hurt) it makes me so angry…
Thanks for bringing this awful condition to light, Gabrielle. It’s sad that it’s hard to rally support around a cause because it’s not common.
I, too, wish the church and other big organizations had different tax laws and gave away more. I heard a rumor on tik tok (so take this with a grain of salt!) that Kris Jenner started a church in order to not pay taxes. The way that tax laws are set up make it so easy for people to take advantage of this and that’s infuriating. I want to say one thing, and that’s that I have seen the church help members in smaller ways that I think are significant. My old congregation was paying for dozens of people to attend therapy. They paid my husband’s rent and gave him food when he lost his job. I know that they provide humanitarian relief aid to people on the ground when disaster strikes. I don’t think that’s nothing. But I also think they could do more to solve large, global issues. I work for a non-profit trying to cure Alzheimer’s Disease. So much good could be done if large corporations were forced to give, and it would be great to see the church leading the charge in that. So I guess I’m trying to be positive and also recognize the good that is already happening, but also say that we have a long ways to go.
This is a fantastic newsletter and I wholeheartedly agree with the points you brought up. Just this week in Sunday school, an area leader brought up the fact that the church is building temples more quickly than it is growing so we need to increase our dedication to temple work. And my immediate thought was, “Or perhaps they can pump the breaks on temple building and rebuild Ukraine?” The church does a lot of good, but the numbers don’t add up and it NEEDS to be doing so much more. Let’s rebuild countries, cure diseases, expand services to underserved areas, etc. Thank you so so much for sharing!
I was surprised when I read your post. Mainly because I think the Church of Jesus Christ donates to over 2000 organizations or partners globally. They do a lot of giving! This is an article from 2018 so a little out of date, but it does sound like they are trying to support (which I interpret as donate) to Rare Genetic Diseases and and NORD research organizations and families.
I have only seen a lot of good come from our local congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ where we live. No one is paid. Leaders, including myself at times, are generous with Church funds and services.
Globally I have also seen a lot of good as the Church of Jesus Christ has donated to many good organizations. Could they do more? Maybe, but we aren't there working for a global charity trying to get money distributed globally to those who need it most without wasting it. Is it hoarding? Probably not. No one is Church uses donations for extravagant lifestyles and hoarding it for themselves. Prudence? Yes. They invest a lot of money, donate a lot of money, invest in education, create jobs, etc. The list is long. I will happily donate to an organization that I know isn't wasting my donation.
I was raised Catholic and then joined the Mormon Church at the age of 16. 16 years later I left and since then, I have just simply been me, sitting comfortably with my values and more rounded view of the world and its inhabitants. I have a distinct dislike for religious institutions and knowing they sit on a disgusting amount of wealth whilst continuing to take from their brethren, many of whom are poor and vulnerable, is shameful. It would be wonderful if church-going Mormons, for the next 12 months just diverted their tithe into a fund for this little boy and others and watch their money in action for causes other than those that continue to subject them to their masters e.g. 'get to the this new temple and show how grateful you are for such lavish buildings provided to you our most worthiest'. It would send a powerful message. P. S I like to dream. xx
I have a really hard time understanding how you can stay in a religion that hoards money like this while not helping it’s “flock” as you call it. The hypocrisy of organized religion, to me, makes being a believer and follower almost impossible. I am glad you find solace and happiness in your faith but I don’t understand it.
Could you give us an address to write to regarding LDS hoarding billions instead of helping poor and needy? Point person?
Same with the Catholic Church…money-hoarding and religion seem to go hand in hand. Of course the Catholics need that money to fight their ever-present lawsuits, but the results are the same. Shameful.
Thank you for sharing this. I gave what I could to the gofund me. We all can help, but what a shame there are such huge pots of money sitting around making more money and not helping anyone!
I agree 100% with you. It’s really most unlike what Jesus Christ did and would do! When my sister Jenn died from cancer, her husband was still paying the bill. The church could help so many people and instead they still require their members to give 10%. One of the many reasons I’m no longer in it.
I feel this way about all churches. My husband and I have worked hard in the public sector. He is retired Army followed by retiring from municipal employment. I am a retired educator. We have paid taxes - federal, state, property, sales - you name it! I am not complaining - we live in a very upscale home in an upscale subdivision, we drive nice cars, we travel, etc! My issue is that 5 different pastors are paid enough tax-free money by their mega churches that they also can live in this subdivision but ask their congregations to tithe, to volunteer, etc. then give nothing back to our communities other than “thoughts and prayers!” I was raised Catholic; my husband was raised in the Methodist church. We are both part of the growing numbers of people in this country who are done with churches and organized religion! (PS I know these pastors pay the same taxes I do - I’m talking about the fact the churches do not pay taxes on their profits!)
Thank you for speaking out on this issue (and all the social issues you confront). I appreciate that your efforts to change your church are more effective from within.
Churches with this amount of wealth and power should have never been tax-exempt and should effectively have to pay wealth taxes if they are not using it for charity. The greed within organized religions has been toxic for thousands of years and the U.S. should be actively fighting it. We should all write to our local and federal politicians to address this issue.
I could probably talk for days on this topic, and I'm so grateful that you've brought it up. I've always admired your ability to see things so clearly and compassionately - from abortion to gun control to pretty much every topic you bring up. And I have always been curious about how you view religion, particularly Mormonism, within this context. I was raised relatively strict Catholic, but left the church in my early 20s. My husband and I found a wonderful Methodist church, but then a new pastor arrived and the whole money-centric thing happened. The church built an enormous new building with state-of-the-art everything, spent $100k on a Steinway grand and then decided they needed a huge organ because a donor wanted it, etc etc. We have both left organized religion. I have come to realize that organized religion is much more about money and power than anything else. The church leadership get lots of money, they use it to (among other things) buy off politicians (power) in order to remain tax-free so they have even more money. Then they get their congregations riled up around some very un-Christian thing like shunning LGBTQ+ people (where in the bible does it say we should hate people???) and the minions give more money to the church and feel holy. I am spiritual. I am not religious. I can see God in nature, in my children, in love, in a diversity of people so vast I will never know it all. I hope for all the best for Jessica and George. Thank you for sharing this!
I’m an ex-Mormon now. But agree with you 100%. When I think of the amount of good they could and should do it makes me so sad… and when I think of all those years I gave an honest and fair tithe thinking the church needed it (and at a cost to my family- less resources for us - every single check hurt) it makes me so angry…
Thanks for bringing this awful condition to light, Gabrielle. It’s sad that it’s hard to rally support around a cause because it’s not common.
I, too, wish the church and other big organizations had different tax laws and gave away more. I heard a rumor on tik tok (so take this with a grain of salt!) that Kris Jenner started a church in order to not pay taxes. The way that tax laws are set up make it so easy for people to take advantage of this and that’s infuriating. I want to say one thing, and that’s that I have seen the church help members in smaller ways that I think are significant. My old congregation was paying for dozens of people to attend therapy. They paid my husband’s rent and gave him food when he lost his job. I know that they provide humanitarian relief aid to people on the ground when disaster strikes. I don’t think that’s nothing. But I also think they could do more to solve large, global issues. I work for a non-profit trying to cure Alzheimer’s Disease. So much good could be done if large corporations were forced to give, and it would be great to see the church leading the charge in that. So I guess I’m trying to be positive and also recognize the good that is already happening, but also say that we have a long ways to go.
This is a fantastic newsletter and I wholeheartedly agree with the points you brought up. Just this week in Sunday school, an area leader brought up the fact that the church is building temples more quickly than it is growing so we need to increase our dedication to temple work. And my immediate thought was, “Or perhaps they can pump the breaks on temple building and rebuild Ukraine?” The church does a lot of good, but the numbers don’t add up and it NEEDS to be doing so much more. Let’s rebuild countries, cure diseases, expand services to underserved areas, etc. Thank you so so much for sharing!
I was surprised when I read your post. Mainly because I think the Church of Jesus Christ donates to over 2000 organizations or partners globally. They do a lot of giving! This is an article from 2018 so a little out of date, but it does sound like they are trying to support (which I interpret as donate) to Rare Genetic Diseases and and NORD research organizations and families.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/church-providing-awareness-support-for-latter-day-saint-families-facing-rare-diseases?lang=eng
I have only seen a lot of good come from our local congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ where we live. No one is paid. Leaders, including myself at times, are generous with Church funds and services.
Globally I have also seen a lot of good as the Church of Jesus Christ has donated to many good organizations. Could they do more? Maybe, but we aren't there working for a global charity trying to get money distributed globally to those who need it most without wasting it. Is it hoarding? Probably not. No one is Church uses donations for extravagant lifestyles and hoarding it for themselves. Prudence? Yes. They invest a lot of money, donate a lot of money, invest in education, create jobs, etc. The list is long. I will happily donate to an organization that I know isn't wasting my donation.
https://philanthropies.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/humanitarian-services/PDFs/2020-ldsc-report.pdf
I was raised Catholic and then joined the Mormon Church at the age of 16. 16 years later I left and since then, I have just simply been me, sitting comfortably with my values and more rounded view of the world and its inhabitants. I have a distinct dislike for religious institutions and knowing they sit on a disgusting amount of wealth whilst continuing to take from their brethren, many of whom are poor and vulnerable, is shameful. It would be wonderful if church-going Mormons, for the next 12 months just diverted their tithe into a fund for this little boy and others and watch their money in action for causes other than those that continue to subject them to their masters e.g. 'get to the this new temple and show how grateful you are for such lavish buildings provided to you our most worthiest'. It would send a powerful message. P. S I like to dream. xx
Will this motivate you and perhaps other Mormons to stop giving the Tithe?
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/latter-day-saint-charities-boosts-global-efforts-2020