Posted by:
Tevai
(
)
Date: November 29, 2018 03:02AM
Churches (of different kinds) define themselves (and to Americans, may colloquially include ANY "houses" or "organizations" of worship--whether they are "Christian" or not).
In the United States, those entities who self-define themselves as Christian churches are presumed to follow the teachings of the New Testament, which includes "taking care" of the poor.
The problem with the LDS Church is that it self-defines as "Christian" (at least to outsiders; at least most of the time), but they are actually, legally, structured as a real estate development corporation.
Contributions (tithing, plus donations, plus financial or other valuable gifts bequeathed from deceased members) are invested into real estate, the real estate is developed (often into profit-making businesses of various kinds which have nothing to do with the LDS religion), and THOSE profits are invested again...and again...and so on. (Complicated by the fact that many of the actual employees who work the business are either unpaid, or themselves have to pay for being able to work for the corporation.)
In other churches run by other Christian denominations, finances are openly disclosed on a regular basis to the members, and there is usually some kind of self-government to which ordinary members get some kind of input.
Most of the time, this includes some kinds of finances paid out to organizations, or to individuals, who "take care of the poor" (or do other kinds of charitable works). Many times these non-LDS churches have their own organizational groups who not only spend money to "help the poor," but actually provide whatever services are necessary to those they help. (Think of Jimmy Carter, personally, himself, building houses as part of one of these groups, as one great example.)
The problem with the LDS Church is that they foster the assumption that they are a Christian group, but they do not ACT like a "Christian group," because instead of "helping the poor" (or anyone else), they are clearly, mostly, a real estate development corporation (which includes subsidiary, profit-making businesses), who funnel the considerable profits, and much of the cash flow, of the corporation to the relative handful of people who have risen to the top leadership positions.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/2018 03:12AM by Tevai.