Posted by:
Yaqoob
(
)
Date: January 07, 2013 01:36PM
I don't always write posts, but when I do I either get lambasted or ignored... (I love you guys, you are just like my family.) ;-)
I have a theory, maybe discussed here at RfM, definitely alluded to in lots of posts. It is this: I've been forming this notion that the LDS Church is divided into two parts: 1) The paid members of the church (The Corporation) and 2) The non-paid members of the church (Stakes and Wards). I get this impression that they are almost two completely separate organizations, with separate cultures, separate purposes, and separate beliefs to an extent. I have this idea that the local stakes and wards are almost like "franchises" of the corporate church in SLC. Work with me people...
The "Corporation" in SLC makes the pamphlets, the scriptures, refines and redefines dogma, dictates and controls. All the people here are paid employees, to included the big 15, their staff, missionaries, CES employees, temple maintenance, big infrastructure, marketing, and of course business enterprises etc. They make the grandiose music, put on the massive church productions twice a year; they have the amazing meeting halls, they own the huge network of goods and services. (This is the REAL church, FYI; the one that should receive 99% of your disdain and contempt IMHO.) With echelons of leadership above the little neighborhood ward, no transparency, and creating legendary mystical personae of its leaders the normal person doesn't know the celebrities in this "church" ONE BIT other than the cult-like interactions the leadership may have when they come down from on high to visit a "franchise."
The Wards and Stakes: we know these people well. These are our TBM families, and they were US until we (@RfM) said "screw this!" No one gets paid here. Everyone works really hard: Stk Pres, Bishops, RS pres, EQP, your mom and my mom (working their asses off with dinners, programs, church service...) Lets not forget the ward house maintenance staff ("Every Member a Janitor.") These are the people who cry and pray for us when we depart the faith (no one at the Corp. gives two sh*ts when a letter requesting official resignation hits; they turn the hard task over to local leadership, per usual.)
My very Wahabbi Salafist TMB father always likes to condemn the Catholic Church (and all the rest) for taking money from parishioners to operate, to pay the local clergy etc. He sees that the local ward and stake to which he belongs is virtuous because no one makes money.
The problem is he fails to see the business model of the big Church (the Corporation): It sucks free labor and dollars from the little people in the little churches and that goes straight to the big church; all the people who do the heavy lifting in the community and keep the church floating and functioning smoothly make NOTHING and do almost everything. The stakes and wards pay their franchise fee weekly to the Corporation. Sometimes, the real "church" calls you up to the big leagues to be part of it if you were a worthy, rich, and powerful stake president (leader of multiple regional franchises.)
Its just like fast food franchising, except you make minimum wage at Burger King for cleaning the shitters.
Its a brilliantly evil business model from the way I see it. Any other thoughts? I am throwing my Ex-Mo blog together at the moment (not hit the Interwebs yet), and this will be a foundational concept I will use over and over, with much kudos to my family at RfM; turning into a graphic as well. Any other input will be acknowledged and gratituted.