?????Gospel Literacy Program????? Insiduous indoctrination.

[_Lemmie]

Obviously, the church is concerned with retention of members.

Obviously. And if the lds church couldn't teach lds doctrine, would they still hold literacy classes?

[_Maksutov]

“Reading opens up a world of ideas that [a nonreader] can’t even imagine,” said Sister Jean B. Bingham, general president of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Sister Bingham and her husband, Bruce, traveled to the West African country of Sierra Leone in early June to help implement the Church’s pilot Gospel Literacy program. The Binghams visited the communities of Freetown, Kenema, Bo and several other towns in Sierra Leone, June 5–16.
The Church is creating the pilot program to teach reading and writing skills while teaching gospel principles in countries where literacy rates are low. In Sierra Leone many Church members lack the literacy tools they need to be able to fully participate in the gospel.
How it works
“Gospel literacy is about learning to read and write so you can understand … the principles of the gospel so that you can teach your own children or your neighbors,” said Project Manager Melissa Hawkley.
Learners meet with gospel literacy teachers on Sundays and begin learning to read letters, numbers and single words while studying gospel principles. They’re also encouraged to practice their reading and writing skills throughout the week and to teach their families what they are learning.
“The first part of a gospel literacy lesson is a picture discussion,” said Project Manager Cason Curriden. “Now that picture is centered around a gospel principle or a gospel story from the Bible or the Book of Mormon.”
He continued, “After that picture discussion, they’re then able to transition into learning letters and forming words.”

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.or ... erra-leone

What a shame that the Church is using poverty stricken peoples lack of literacy as a manipulative way of indoctrinating them. Why not just teach them to read and write with no stings attached?

Cultural imperialism. Conquest by bloodless means. Telling struggling and often desperate people that the church is the answer to all of their problems. Ye old exploitation via the white man's burden. We've seen it for centuries.

[_Themis]

What a shame that the Church is using poverty stricken peoples lack of literacy as a manipulative way of indoctrinating them. Why not just teach them to read and write with no stings attached?

The article suggest this program is for members of the church. In what way is it manipulative to teach them to read using material from the religion they already believe in?

[_Dr Exiled]

Now if only some enterprising missionaries could use the storyboard to teach the discussions and trick convince the people that the good feeling they get from learning to read is really God testifying that the church is true .....

[_Stocks]

Not going to get tied up in pedantics. It is a fact that the illiterate are among the most vulnerable individuals, sub populations or swaths of any society today, in any post agrarian civilization, which at a minimum covers every person alive since the dawn of the first industrial revolution.

So yes, targeting illiteracy is a noble cause.

And yes, doing so as a back door to convert people who by definition are the least well read, therefore most vulnerable to being influenced by what they read first (such as the Book of Mormon perhaps), I think is less than noble.

It is disingenuous because the primary goal is NOT to liberate people from the prison of illiteracy. The primary goal is to convert them to a religion which is based in part upon the teachings of a single book.

[_Stocks]

Can anyone name one genuinely humanitarian cause that the Mormon church consistently supports everywhere, with no church strings attached and no missionaries assigned to assist with a baptism oriented outcome?

Homelessness?
Hunger?
Literacy?
Disease?
Abuse?
Bullying?
World peace?
Tolerance?
Civil rights?

Anything?

[_Themis]

And yes, doing so as a back door to convert people who by definition are the least well read, therefore most vulnerable to being influenced by what they read first (such as the Book of Mormon perhaps), I think is less than noble.

Is that what the church is doing or is the program targeting people who are already members?

[_Dr Exiled]

They are learning how to read from Even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. So, that has to be worth 10% of their meager earnings and they also get two hours of boredom mixed with a little guilt now and then. But there's more .... they also get to be living examples of how sucking 10% away from hungry people somehow breaks the poverty cycle .....

[_mentalgymnast]

And yes, doing so as a back door to convert people who by definition are the least well read, therefore most vulnerable to being influenced by what they read first (such as the Book of Mormon perhaps), I think is less than noble.

Is that what the church is doing or is the program targeting people who are already members?

To me it appears that they are already members.

Makes a difference, doesn't it?

Regards,
MG

[_Stocks]

Like any other church program, it starts out by serving members.

And in regions where the need is great, guess what, magically more people who need are becoming members to gain access!

Bingo. Two birds with one stone. Right?

If the church really cared about solving illiteracy, as in REALLY cared, would it offer that training for free to everyone with no strings, or just to members?