you understand it perfectly. The church is not a central hub for disseminating donations to charitable causes, so the whole idea of needing to run it through the LDS church via the bishop is annoying. Like you, I would feel better just giving the check back, but that would offend her. In the grand scheme of things, its not a big deal. It just reminds me of the Church's' solicitation to aging members to will their estate to LDS inc. rather than their own offspring. Some LDS folk find a way to make everything about the Church. Its not that there are many days of the week that go by without the church requiring your attention.
The Church has a vast charitable organization. Fast Offerings support people who cannot support themselves. Much of that support is goods that come from the Church's canneries, farms, etc. But there is also need for cash to pay for rent, utilities, etc. The Fast Offering fund would be the same as giving to Salvation Army, the local homeless shelter, etc.
charity wrote:I would send the check back. If you can't, in good conscience, do as she asks, then don't accept the responsibility.
If you use the check for anything other than her retrictions on it, you are not being honest. But you don't have to accept it.
Since its my mother in law, I consider this my wifes call. I'm sure she means well, but has just overstepped the bounds of consideration for young children and etiquette.
I don't expect to see same-sex marriage in Utah within my lifetime. - Scott Lloyd, Oct 23 2013
Here's the deal, maxrep. Your mother-in-law wanted to make a big donation to the church, but knew she wouldn't have enough money left over to give her grandkids any gifts afterward. (Priorities, you know.)
So she decided to give the gift to you to give to the church. That way, the exact same money passes through both sets of hands. In other words, this whole thing is her way of killing two birds with one stone.
Genius, eh?
"Finally, for your rather strange idea that miracles are somehow linked to the amount of gay sexual gratification that is taking place would require that primitive Christianity was launched by gay sex, would it not?"
Here's the deal, maxrep. Your mother-in-law wanted to make a big donation to the church, but knew she wouldn't have enough money left over to give her grandkids any gifts afterward. (Priorities, you know.)
So she decided to give the gift to you to give to the church. That way, the exact same money passes through both sets of hands. In other words, this whole thing is her way of killing two birds with one stone.
Genius, eh?
Ha ha!
Ya, I've got half a mind just to tell here I gave the money to the three Nephites. She works at the temple, and its awfully slow there, that's probably where these ideas hatch.
I don't expect to see same-sex marriage in Utah within my lifetime. - Scott Lloyd, Oct 23 2013
How about this: Would you be averse to teaching your mother-in-law a little lesson of your own?
When she asks what you did with the money, tell her you donated it all--every penny--to the Church of Satan. Say you did so because it's not fair that Christian churches get all the money and that the Church of Satan should get some donations, too.
I rather think that'll guarantee she never pulls this little stunt ever again.
"Finally, for your rather strange idea that miracles are somehow linked to the amount of gay sexual gratification that is taking place would require that primitive Christianity was launched by gay sex, would it not?"
It's one thing to make a donation to a charity in someone's name as a gift (and then provide the "recipient" with a card telling them about it), although I've never understood this type of gift-giving unless the recipient has requested such a thing. It's another thing to provide a check to someone as a gift with an instruction that they are to donate it to a particular organization. Sounds like in this case the giver is just trying to manipulate the "recipients", rather than provide any sort of gift to anybody.
But what do I know - I've received an iPod as a gift in the past, so apparently that makes me a bad person according to our resident "charity" expert.
I may be going to hell in a bucket, babe / But at least I'm enjoying the ride.
-Grateful Dead (lyrics by John Perry Barlow)
Mister Scratch wrote:I think you should donate the money to The Human Fund---the made-up charity invented by George Costanza on Seinfeld. Donating the money to the LDS Church is basically the same, as it is rather like sending your money into a black hole. Will it actually go towards humanitarian aid? Will it go towards Pres. Monson's tailoring bill? Will it be used for the mall? Nobody knows.
Hey! good tailoring is expensive ;) I hear that malls are too.
skippy the dead wrote: But what do I know - I've received an iPod as a gift in the past, so apparently that makes me a bad person according to our resident "charity" expert.
With all the suffering in the world, those of us who live in a warm house bigger than we need, drive when we could ride a bike, have one extra pound on our bodies, or have more than one change of clothes, have it all because someone else doesn't have enough to eat or a warm place to sleep.