Why the Church is Declining in Chile

[Guest]

Many years ago I sent a letter to the First Presidency, suggesting that they reduce the three block hours on Sunday to two hours, and this was especially important in places like Chile and other places where people must take buses to Church, and sometimes for hours to and from, and that this was extremely hard for many poor people without cars to do. In Utah, a Mormon family may have to drive perhaps a mile at most to get to a Mormon chapel. In Chile, a family without a car may have to take two or three buses, taking hours, there and back, with babies pooping in their pants during the trip. I suggested that the Church reduce to two hours, and also that the Church does what other churches in Latin America do, buy buses for the poor who have no cars.

Of course, my advice, as usual, was totally ignored. Recently, I found the following comments from a Mormon in Chile who suggested many similar things to his bishop. Cars in Latin America are very, very expensive, because there are simply a lot fewer of them, and more demand for them. The supply/demand thing makes them much more expensive. A 2,000 dollar car here, would cost 10,000 dollars in Chile. The man wrote:

"the branch i use to attend to had a high baptism rate, but they also had a high falling away rate. the bishop asked me once why this was so, and i was honest and i told him, transportation. about half the people did not have cars and couldn't always get a ride. nobody is going to spend, say, 2 hours one way getting to church with children, strollers, and then spend another 2 hrs getting back home. so the bishop said, we have a bulletin board with cars that are for sale. and i said bishop, if these people could afford to pay $8,000-10,000 for a car, they would have one. i suggested the church purchase a van and ask members to go by the homes and pick people up. that idea was rejected. the reason? the church wants them to be "independent." if the church started picking them up in church vans, then they will never work towards owning a car." so i said, then their attendance will keep dropping. the bishop then said they make it to work, during the week, they can make it to church." and i said they get paid for going to work, so they make the effort. so what i am saying is, the church needs to quit being so hard line, especially in areas were people are not hard core conservatives. the members are going around in circles, so they quit attending. "

Typical Mormon bishop response isn't it? If we pick them up in Church vans, the people will get "lazy"*** and not work to get cars!!! OH MY GOD! And I thought only American Mormon bishops were IGNORAMUSES!
Church leaders have only THEMSELVES TO BLAME for the predicament in Chile and elsewhere. It is THEY who looked the other way while Mission Presidents were baptizing for NUMBERS instead of CONVERSIONS. It is THEY who insist that the three-hour-block must be UNIVERSAL thoughout the Church. What works in Utah, must also work in Chile. What works for a rich white Mormon, must also work for a poor brown Chileano. Once again, it is not the stupidity of Mormon leaders that hurts the Church, it is the "laziness" of rank-and-film Members. The Members are always "blamed" for not being able to fulfill the expectations of the leaders, even when those expectations are ill-founded, ill-conceived, and ill-applied.


***The poor are poor in Chile NOT because they are "lazy" but because the rich and government KEEP them poor by not paying them enough for them to put their children through college. The rich and the government want the poor to remain poor and powerless; eternal servants to the Privileged Class.

[_Fence Sitter]

When was the last time you were in Chile? When I was there chapels were never more than a few minutes away and bus rides were so cheap that only the poorest of the poor could not afford to take them.

[_Daheshist]

read my post again. I NEVER WROTE that the poor could not afford bus fair. I wrote that it "could" take hours. The man whom I quoted wrote "up to two hours" not me. He is from Chile. Sure, a few chapels may be close by to poorer areas. I doubt seriously that all or even most LDS chapels in Chile are conveniently within a few minute bus ride of all poor Members.

When was the last time you were in Chile? When I was there chapels were never more than a few minutes away and bus rides were so cheap that only the poorest of the poor could not afford to take them.

[_Jersey Girl]

Please, what is the significance of "babies pooping in their pants"?

[_aranyborju]

Did the bishop of the ward in Chile not live in Chile?

[_Fence Sitter]

I have been to Chile and the chapels are that close to members. I do not doubt that there are a few people that have to spend hours traveling to and from Church, but the majority don't have that problem in Chile.

[_Fence Sitter]

Did the bishop of the ward in Chile not live in Chile?

You know this is really funny if you are familiar with Chile, at least in the East West direction.

[_Fence Sitter]

Please, what is the significance of "babies pooping in their pants"?

Well if you have ever sat on a crowded Chilean bus for hours on end next to a dirty diaper you would not ask this question.

(I know you did not ask me Jersey Girl but I do have some personal experience in this particular area.)

[_aranyborju]

Sorry about your pants fence sitter. Lol.

[_Daheshist]

I've never been to Chile. I was quoting a Chileano who lives in Chile. But I've been to Brazil, and it took me a good two hours to get to a language school by bus, which was no more than 10 to 12 miles away by car, from the time I walked out of the home I was staying in until I walked into the school.

Did the bishop of the ward in Chile not live in Chile?

You know this is really funny if you are familiar with Chile, at least in the East West direction.