CoJCoLDS: A "McChurch"?

[_Mister Scratch]

An intriguing thread underway over on the fittingly named MADboard. The well-known and well-loved poster named Abulafia has begun a thread asking whether or not the LDS Church is sympathetic to cultural differences. Her basic line of argument is that the Church tends to "force-feed" certain aspects of American culture to non-U.S. Mormons. Key examples include things like the decor of meeting houses, and basketball courts in the cultural halls. (Even the kitchens, she notes, are stocked with U.S.-influenced items.)

The poster called Baurak Ale puts it thusly:

The Basket Ball courts don't impress me I must admitt, I live in Australia and I think every Chapel has one, it seems its sort of like the McDonalds franchinse mentality or something, its almost like we can't have a Chapel without one like you can't have a church without a cross. I am really not sure what the church is trying to achieve by attempting to incalcate Basket Ball to the world through the church, perhaps someone could write to the first presidency and find out but then again we are not suppose to contact them, I dunno? As far as I know no lds Prophets have been superstar basket ball champions, perhap it started with a Prophet that was a mad basket ball fan, I don't know the origin. An archaelogist could be forgiven for thinking our chapels were basket ball stadiums if he was trying to indentify a chapel in a 100yrs.

Although this is funny, I think it touches on something quite profound, and I have to wonder: is the Church (and the Brethren, for that matter) genuinely sensitive to or interested in cultural differences? Or is the Church sending out a subtle message that it would prefer to Americanize the rest of the world? I am glad, at least, the Church eventually got around to allowing sac meetings to be conducted in languages other than English, but will they allow for a bit more flexibility in some other arenas?

[_Who Knows]

This is sort of applicable. When I was a kid, we moved to England to live for a while. When we got there, the only american in the ward was also the bishop. He got released after a few years, and my dad (we were the only other american family there) then got called as bishop. Can't remember what happened when we moved back to the US.

I think this sort of thing happens all around the world.

[_grayskull]

Which is further evidence that it's the apologists, not the church who thinks "presentism" is a fallacy.

[_moksha]

I think combining culture with architecture goes fist in glove with combining culture with doctrine.

[_Mister Scratch]

This is sort of applicable. When I was a kid, we moved to England to live for a while. When we got there, the only american in the ward was also the bishop. He got released after a few years, and my dad (we were the only other american family there) then got called as bishop. Can't remember what happened when we moved back to the US.

I think this sort of thing happens all around the world.

How interesting. It seems that "God's way" as far as the Brethren are concerned, means U.S. pop culture of the 1950s. This reproduction of American things in other parts of the world suggest that, in effect, the Brethren would like the rest of the world to resemble the world of Leave it to Beaver. Hearing the Brethren discuss "only one set of earrings" and things such as that only reinforces the '50s mentality. However, there is quite a difference between mere talks about this sort of ideology, vs. actually spreading it to other diverse cultures.

[_Polygamy Porter]

Right down to the white shirts and ties in AFRICA



Church Diversity Breaks Stereotypes

Diversity? What diversity? Native Africans dressed like white utah Mormons?

As further perpetuation of Amerimormonism on other nationalities in their native land, areas of the world where polygamy have been LEGAL for hundreds of years, the Mormons come in and tell them that they cannot join until they break up their polygamous family!

Just like Coggie and why me.. HYPOCRITES!

For grins, download the hi-res image to see the token WHITE guy in the very back! Also notice how attentive the members are....

[_Mephitus]

Welcome to McMormons, can i take your order?

Yes, i would like some...salvation....redemtion....oh, and a side order of guilt
OH! and can i get some westerner conformity on the side please?

Oh yes, it comes with every meal. Would you also like some temple tokens of fellowship or perhaps some whitewashed history?

I guess i have to eat it all if i want to eat here at all don't I?

oh yes sir, but i love it so! It makes me feel better inside each time i swallow that broken glass.

Ok, so how much does that come to?

That will be 10% of your life income and a death oath. Please pull up to the next window with your temple recomend ready for inspection.

[_ajax18]

We were specifically told to use soccer examples instead of basketball as a missionary in Colombia. I honestly don't think the Church gives 2 bits on whether you want a basketball court or a soccer field. I think a soccer field would be much more effective at doing what they were designed to do, find new members and reactivate old ones.

There must be some financial reason or something more to why the Church built a basketball court in Australia than an effort to Americanize the rest of the world. Maybe the basketball court is easier to change to a dining hall? Latinos often use basketball courts to play microfutbol.

I really have a hard time seeing what exactly LDS Inc. is getting out of Latin America and Africa. Lots of members and lots of financial liability and problems if you ask me. My MP specifically ordered the tithing requirement for baptism to be overlooked. This was just one woman who decided to be up front and honest about not paying it. From my experience I'm sure most just pay lip service to tithing. I have a hard time believing the Church is making money in these places.

Just exactly what else should they have built in Australia?

[_asbestosman]

I remember in the MTC I had a particular meeting where we were instructed to be careful to distinguish between what the core message of the gospel is and American culture. That was almost 10 years ago. The church was obviously aware of it at that time.

Interestingly, when I was in my second city, a general authority visited the mission and told the members various things. Not long afterwards I was at dinner with some members and heard them complaining that what he asked works in America but wouldn't work there. I thought that was strange especially since I don't think people in America like being proselyted by their neighbors either. Also, many youth complained about the advice not to date outside of the fold. The youth told me they found that to be nigh impossible considering how small their numbers are over there.

Anyhow, I think the brethren are aware that the issue exists and I also believe that some steps are taken to address it. After all, there are some missionaries who wear lava-lavas or whatever those skirt thingies are called.

[_Polygamy Porter]

Welcome to McMormons, can i take your order?

Yes, i would like some...salvation....redemtion....oh, and a side order of guilt
OH! and can i get some westerner conformity on the side please?

Oh yes, it comes with every meal. Would you also like some temple tokens of fellowship or perhaps some whitewashed history?

I guess i have to eat it all if i want to eat here at all don't I?

oh yes sir, but i love it so! It makes me feel better inside each time i swallow that broken glass.

Ok, so how much does that come to?

That will be 10% of your life income and a death oath. Please pull up to the next window with your temple recomend ready for inspection.

You forgot the most important line:

Would you like LIES with that?