I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

[_personage]

"I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". Is that a little disturbing? "I BELONG"
Can you get away with saying "I go to church there" or is that not good enough?

[_Roger Morrison]

"I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". Is that a little disturbing? "I BELONG"
Can you get away with saying "I go to church there" or is that not good enough?

Hi Personage, not sure of your point? Seems one can "belong" and not "go"...or "go" & not "belong"? Do you 'attend' & not 'fit-in'? Are you 'Proud-t-b-Mormon'? Do you sing with gussto, say "AMEN" the loudest, arrive early and leave late?? Or, are you reluctantly obeient & obediently submissive?

Whatever, enjoy Your day... Warm regards, Roger

[_Jersey Girl]

I haven't heard anyone actually make that statement. When I was actively attending, I would have stated "I'm a member of a Southern Baptist church". I still am, I just stopped attending.

Does that help?

Jersey Girl

[_personage]

The point is that I don't hear people outside of the LDS church refer to themselves this way. I have never heard someone say "I belong to the Methodist church". As a Mormon you kind of do feel like you belong to the church, like they own you. Your time is not your own and you have to answer to authority figures on a regular basis. Your level of worthiness to participate in certain activities is judged by officers of the church.
I may be making too much of this but it has always bothered me to hear primary kids sing that line. There are a lot of primary songs that creep me out.

[_Mercury]

"I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". Is that a little disturbing? "I BELONG"
Can you get away with saying "I go to church there" or is that not good enough?

Oh great, looks like I have to bow to an older God. Hello Anubis.

More than a little disturbing. I remember singing it in Primary and getting creeped out. Too many kids just repeating what the song leader has them repeat. Later a parallel I would draw is the education through music tactics of the Hitler Youth Corps.

[_Coggins7]

The point is that I don't hear people outside of the LDS church refer to themselves this way. I have never heard someone say "I belong to the Methodist church". As a Mormon you kind of do feel like you belong to the church, like they own you. Your time is not your own and you have to answer to authority figures on a regular basis. Your level of worthiness to participate in certain activities is judged by officers of the church.
I may be making too much of this but it has always bothered me to hear primary kids sing that line. There are a lot of primary songs that creep me out.

Its a colloquial expression. What is your point?

[_Coggins7]

More than a little disturbing. I remember singing it in Primary and getting creeped out. Too many kids just repeating what the song leader has them repeat. Later a parallel I would draw is the education through music tactics of the Hitler Youth Corps.

What king of human being do think is going to take this kind of thing seriously? Who is your target audience?

[_Mercury]

More than a little disturbing. I remember singing it in Primary and getting creeped out. Too many kids just repeating what the song leader has them repeat. Later a parallel I would draw is the education through music tactics of the Hitler Youth Corps.

What king of human being do think is going to take this kind of thing seriously? Who is your target audience?

Your imaginary audience you are speaking to, of course!

Everybody run! "Gojira's" panties are in a bunch!

[_JAK]

"I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". Is that a little disturbing? "I BELONG"
Can you get away with saying "I go to church there" or is that not good enough?

It might be a location/cultural expression. I have heard people say: I belong to the United Methodist Church. That, in some areas, simply means the person is a member of the church identified. I also hear people say: We’re Lutherans. The expression means the same thing.

When people don’t belong in the sense of being a member -- on the membership list, they may say: We’re currently attending the Baptist Church. That generally means what is transparent in the expression. They are attending but do not have an official membership.

The difference often is that a member is regularly hit up for financial contribution. Some pledge by the week or the month or the year. Local churches with bills to pay generally prefer to get money from individuals on a regular basis by pledge usually by the week. If the people attend every Sunday, it’s logical that they include their pledged amount weekly. At the very least, church groups want a monthly payment.

Televangelists on all religion channels or who appear on commercial channels (Sunday) take money any way they can get it. They often have a campaign for some “project” they appeal to listeners to get. What the money actually goes for, people who send it may have no idea. I saw one: Help us feed the starving people in Africa!. But those appeals are problematic. How do they intend to convert money into food?? What is the percent of operating expense? How much is skimmed off the top before any money at all is converted to food?

While this is a bit beyond your question, it is relevant to the issue of membership and level of control one may have in that religious group.

Money speaks a loudly in religion as anywhere else. And make no mistake, religion is a business. Generally, membership in the club requires financial payment of dues characterized in some fashion.

JAK

[_Blixa]

Unless I'm missing something, it also strikes me as a common way many people describe their relationship to a religion...