Saturday, January 31, 2009

Pocket Change

It turns out the LDS church just reported about $190,000 in donations to pass prop 8. I blogged on the details of that at isocrat, here.

The funny thing is I knew they gave more than the couple grand they were initially claiming; everyone did, right? But I find I was happier with the illusion.

Rob's mom is staying with us and I find this news to be kind of upsetting. That's where some of her money went: to deciding on those commercials, threatening California parents that children in school may talk about the same sort of family that her grandkids have, if they didn't act to forcible divorce her son and I.

I know the LDS people we love didn't mean to pay for such. I know most don't even want to. However, many believe it's like a supernatural necessity to give money to the LDS church. I get that it probably breaks them up too, and I'm not angry at her for it; though I'd much rather family not fund legally hurting family. Can't the LDS church set up separate accounts :-): one for families who don't want to pay to harm the gay couples in their clan, and another for those who don't mind?

Anyway, I just liked it better when the illusion was that their inadvertent contribution was more like a fraction of a cent, than anything that could be shown in real coins.

12 comments:

Queers United said...

I don't know what Rob's moms opinion is on gay marriage, your relationship, etc. What if she writes a letter to the church as a straight ally, and how disappointed she is in the un-Christlike behavior of the Church.

Kevin Jackson said...

Yeah- Separate accounts would make me feel better. Good idea.

Unknown said...

I could only imagine feeling out a tithing slip with those other accounts listed :)

I've always had trouble paying tithing for reasons like this... I have heard multiple takes on how to get around it.

1. Our leaders will be judged for how the money will be used. Not me.

2. Put all my money in the fast offering fund. We at least know where that goes, and 100% of it goes there.

3. Donate to some other charitable organization.

MoHoHawaii said...

Separate funds?

Ahem.... the LDS Church provides no financial disclosure of any kind. It's a financial black box.

One of the ideas that's been floating around in the wake of Prop. 8 is making churches adhere to the same financial reporting practices that other nonprofits do. It makes sense to me-- if we are going to subsidize churches by allowing contributions to them to be tax deductible, then we should at least hold them to standard accounting and reporting standards.

(Fast offering funds have no more visibility than tithing. You get no report on how they are actually spent.)

By the way, I'm on the side of those who suspect that the $180K figure recently reported understates things by quite a bit.

Unknown said...

Fast offerings go to those in need... it doesn't go to churches, temple building, missionary funds, "moral" issues, etc.

The LDS Church is amazing when it comes to helping those in need. Sure, we don't know specifically what the fast offerings are spent on, but we do know it goes towards others, and from what the church has done as far as humanitarian efforts go, I would be happy to give them fast offerings.

Craig said...

I'd say the church is barely adequate in helping those in need (not amazing). It donates an insignificant fraction of its income to humanitarian efforts, and no matter what we're told, there is no disclosure or oversight over where any monies the church receives goes - no matter what category the members check on their little slip.

I'm not discounting that the church does help needy people, but it could do a hell of a lot more with its billions in annual revenue.

Scot said...

"I don't know what Rob's moms opinion is on gay marriage, your relationship, etc. "

It's complicated as far as I can tell: somehow it is that both we are meant to be together as a family and the LDS church is right. For the kid's sake, I don't try to perturb the balance. I'd like her to write a letter, but am not asking her to.

Evan: "I have heard multiple takes on how to get around it."

I vote 2 or 3 :-).

MoHoHawaii "One of the ideas that's been floating around in the wake of Prop. 8 is making churches adhere to the same financial reporting practices that other nonprofits do."

That seems reasonable to me, but I can hear the Scientology lawyers gearing up.

"By the way, I'm on the side of those who suspect that the $180K figure recently reported understates things by quite a bit."

How would anyone every find out?

Craig: "I'm not discounting that the church does help needy people, but it could do a hell of a lot more with its billions in annual revenue."

I know I never give to a charity before looking at how much money goes to programs and how much goes to administration and such. It seems most members would want to know this, regardless of what the law was, wouldn't they?

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