Cafeteria Mormons

[_Jason Bourne]

Ultimately all I care about really is making sure I am at peace and happy with where I am at in my spiritual pursuits. After me come my wife and children. After that the friends I have that I care deeply for. After that I really don't give a rats rump much. I have done enough soul searching on this and praying, yes praying, that I am quite fine where I have arrived on this issue. That could change and I am open to that as well, in any direction.

Oh I suppose it would be nice to be a Martin Luther reformer for the LDS Church. Guy Sajer suggests that someone should be. Maybe I am too much of wimp. But I am not that worried about it now.

So Coggy or Crockett or PP or anyone can blow all the steam they want about it. I just don't give a damn about your opinion because it is worth exactly what I paid you for it.

[_Boaz & Lidia]

harmony,

I supposed at the end of the month, the most important thing is whether you and your husband have paid a full tithe.

Eat, drink, and be merry. Stop paying tithes and the kingdom will fall.

My older brother was more pathetic than all of you so called cafeteria Mormons.

Get this, until I showed him that Mormonism is false, he and his wife still paid a full tithe, even while being completely inactive.

They were inactive for over six years and yet they still paid a full tithe on gross income during that time.

STUPID. PATHETIC. FOOLISH.

Can you imagine the ward clerk as he scratches his head in complete wonderment at the full tithe from a fully inactive member? My brother said every two years he would have to introduce himself as the inactive family who paid a full tithe.

[_Blixa]

he and his wife still paid a full tithe, even while being completely inactive.

B&L, or anyone else for that matter, do you think this is common?

[_Boaz & Lidia]

Ultimately all I care about really is making sure I am at peace and happy with where I am at in my spiritual pursuits. After me come my wife and children. After that the friends I have that I care deeply for. After that I really don't give a rats rump much. I have done enough soul searching on this and praying, yes praying, that I am quite fine where I have arrived on this issue. That could change and I am open to that as well, in any direction.

Oh I suppose it would be nice to be a Martin Luther reformer for the LDS Church. Guy Sajer suggests that someone should be. Maybe I am too much of wimp. But I am not that worried about it now.

So Coggy or Crockett or PP or anyone can blow all the steam they want about it. I just don't give a damn about your opinion because it is worth exactly what I paid you for it.

Dream on Jason. Nobody could cause a reformation of the LDS church.

[_harmony]

harmony,

I supposed at the end of the month, the most important thing is whether you and your husband have paid a full tithe.

Last month, I hosted a family wedding at the church. We used the church's paper plates and cups, several of the rooms, the chapel, the cultural hall, and the kitchen. I paid nothing. That was the 6th time we've hosted a reception/wedding at our ward, and I still paid nothing.

When all my kids were home at Christmas, they were getting bored, so they took my key and went over to the church to play basketball in the church gym, out of the snow. The little ones had a blast running races up and down the hallways. I paid nothing.

My kids went to the New Year's Eve party at the church. They had a blast, danced, ate, visited with old friends. I paid nothing.

When my kids were home, they all played softball on the ward teams in the neighborhood church league. I paid nothing.

My mother in law is a paraplegic, and her ward Relief Society takes meals in to her twice a week. I pay nothing (and neither does she).

When my husband and I coached Little League for 9 years, we practiced and played our games on the church diamond. I paid nothing.

The stake had a dance last weekend. My daughter attended with her boyfriend. They paid nothing.

Perhaps you have to pay to use your ward building. I pay nothing.

[_Boaz & Lidia]

he and his wife still paid a full tithe, even while being completely inactive.

B&L, or anyone else for that matter, do you think this is common?

Yes, especially since it is one of the most pushed doctrines.

When I was a kid, the adults called it fire insurance.

I'd suppose many inactive or cafeteria Mormons feel like they are keeping their place in line by continuing to pay tithing..

Tithing and garment wearing seem to be the measure.. and yes my inactive tithe paying brother and wife did wear the Jesus jammies.

Thankfully, I came along and gave them a get out of jail free card!

[_harmony]

Dream on Jason. Nobody could cause a reformation of the LDS church.

That is absolutely untrue and you know it, Boaz. For every change the church has undertaken, it started somewhere. The temple penalties are gone, the garments have changed, the meeting schedule has changed... those are just a few examples of changes caused by members like Jason.

[_Boaz & Lidia]

harmony,

I supposed at the end of the month, the most important thing is whether you and your husband have paid a full tithe.

Last month, I hosted a family wedding at the church. We used the church's paper plates and cups, several of the rooms, the chapel, the cultural hall, and the kitchen. I paid nothing. That was the 6th time we've hosted a reception/wedding at our ward, and I still paid nothing.

When all my kids were home at Christmas, they were getting bored, so they took my key and went over to the church to play basketball in the church gym, out of the snow. The little ones had a blast running races up and down the hallways. I paid nothing.

My kids went to the New Year's Eve party at the church. They had a blast, danced, ate, visited with old friends. I paid nothing.

When my kids were home, they all played softball on the ward teams in the neighborhood church league. I paid nothing.

My mother in law is a paraplegic, and her ward Relief Society takes meals in to her twice a week. I pay nothing (and neither does she).

When my husband and I coached Little League for 9 years, we practiced and played our games on the church diamond. I paid nothing.

The stake had a dance last weekend. My daughter attended with her boyfriend. They paid nothing.

Perhaps you have to pay to use your ward building. I pay nothing.

Are you a full tithe payer or not?

[_Boaz & Lidia]

Dream on Jason. Nobody could cause a reformation of the LDS church.

That is absolutely untrue and you know it, Boaz. For every change the church has undertaken, it started somewhere. The temple penalties are gone, the garments have changed, the meeting schedule has changed... those are just a few examples of changes caused by members like Jason.

Hardly a reformation.

Besides, the leadership never addresses these changes as such, they are called *bass drum roll with echoy booming voice* REVELATIONS!

[_harmony]

Are you a full tithe payer or not?

That is not your business. When you are called as my bishop, you can ask me that. Until then, it's bad manners to ask that question.

My point is I am a member of my ward, and because of that membership, I have some privileges. One of those privileges is that I don't pay to use my ward building, no matter what my tithing level is.

A friend of mine has a son getting married in August. They wanted to get married in April, but every venue was booked in the Seattle area until mid-August. I did not have that problem. They're spending several thousand dollars for renting the site. I paid nothing. She is quite envious of my budget and the timing for my youngest son's wedding last month.

Not everything about the church is a bad deal, Boaz, to people who are fair-minded.