Church Attendance survey

What moves us to go to church?

Results of a recent survey said something about the church-going habits of the American people, ranked by states.

Not necessarily that I believe numbers are simple indicators of individual religious devotion, but it does certainly go to one aspect.

Understanding the why might be as important as the actual number returned in the survey.

Do residents of Utah and the Southeast tend to believe that church attendance is their best use of Sunday?  Does my regular attendance at church make me a better person than I would otherwise tend to be?  Perhaps devotion to Sunday church services indicates people who find something meaningful therein.  If so, why is it not a more uniform metric?

I honestly doubt that it has anything much to do with competing to be the best or most hypocritical piousness.   But it certainly might.

And when thou prayest thou shalt not do as the hypocrites, for they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.  (3 Nephi 13:5)

Homosexual "Marriage"

Viewed from a wider perspective, nothing very dramatic actually comes with this disappointing development.  The encroachment has been gradual and incremental, since the initial "camel's nose under the tent".

 Supposedly, the Supreme Court has spoken by choosing to remain silent.  But nothing precludes revisiting the ignored appeals in the future.  Until the Court issues a specific ruling, the controversy has no closure.

Nonetheless, the homosexual players have become emboldened in their sense of accomplishment, which will result in inevitable greater sense of entitlement. Predictibly, they cannot  ever be satisfied with this concession or any other, but will continue pressing to “normalize” their deviance in other ways.  Already, homosexual partners are anticipating the next step in legal manuvering.  From a Deseret News quote, "Now that this is settled, the focus is getting adoptions done for those couples. That will be the No. 1 priority for them."

 Sadly, there is no lasting happiness to be found in the false promises of such deviant behavior.

I intend no antipathy toward any individuals – I am satisfied that the legal demands have been met, despite the majority of popular voter opposition.  But I have no obligation to recognize things as anything but what they really are.  This is strictly a legal fiction, legalizing homosexual "marriage", not some higher moral standard.

In my view, it is not and never will represent anything to do with principles of equality.  And it clearly violated democratic ideals, to have federal courts dictate what voters can approve, and have approved.

I predict that the sense of vindication and hubris will prove to be pyrrhic and ephemeral, as are the rewards of all of Satan’s enticements.

We will continue to decry and oppose the tide of evil, as with legalized abortion and other such offensive and evil abominations.

Official response from the Church as appropriate to this occasion.

I am in a difficult place, trying to reconcile the counsel for civility with current events.  But it has ever been so, even with followers of Jesus in former times...

Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

  

Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

Life in the world continues…

April 2014 General Conference: Let Your Faith Show

Elder Russel M. Nelson offered counsel regarding our personal faith.  As he was travelling, the plane lighted the "fasten seat belt" warning. Seated near him, a hysterical woman was terrified and agitated by the turbulence they encountered.

Because faith is the antidote for fear, Elder Nelson said, "I wished that I could have strengthened her faith." After arrival, the woman's husband apologized for her.  He said the best reassurance he could offer was, "Elder Nelson is on this flight, so you don't need to worry."

In the challenges to our faith in the modern world, religion is the tie back to God.  Are we securely tied to God or something else?  Where is our faith?  Celebrities can fade.  Faith is always safe in Christ.  We need to let our faith show.

In his career, Elder Nelson faced medical challenges against his religion.  Medical associates asserted that he should not combine his medical practice and his religious faith.  Elder Nelson observed that truth is not divisible.  All truth emanates from God.  All truth is part of the Gospel.

He did not comply with the associates demands.  He let his faith show.

Full freedom cannot be experienced if it is constrained by men.  We experience problems as a result of putting priorities ahead of God. Danger lurks when we try to divide ourselves with expressions such as “my private life” or even “my best behavior.”

Evil, error, and darkness will never be truth, even if popular. A scriptural warning so declares: 

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness.

Public opinion polls are informative, but cannot be grounds for violating God's commands, even if popular.  Notwithstanding the wisdom of the popular WWII song, 50 million Frenchmen CAN be wrong.

In 1986, President Thomas S. Monson said:

Of course we will face fear, experience ridicule, and meet opposition. Let us have the courage to defy the consensus, the courage to stand for principle. Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. … Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with [faith] have courage as well.

Increase your faith, proclaim your faith, let your faith show!

EU Temple Tax

In a back-page article, the Deseret News gives notice that an EU court has ruled that the LDS Temple in Preston England will no longer be considered as a "public place of worship", and will be subject to a tax as other such private organizations.

The rationale for tax exemption stems from the idea that social governments have a vested interest in the perpetuation of organizations that promote the welfare of members of society.  This is generally viewed as a relative furthering of the interest of government.

In this instance, the EU court apparently ruled that a private place of worship, even if it is property of a charitable religious organization, must be subject to taxation because it is not open to public access.  Entry to LDS Temples requires a Temple Recommend, which is available to worthy members.

The basis for this court ruling is tortured logic at best.  It is probably indicative of a government that is desperate for any source of tax revenue.

Certainly there must be many examples of private business that operates as a charity, yet maintains places of private activity in premises that are not open to the public.  The right to privacy is an essential feature of property rights.  Categorizing tax status according to who has access to private facilities is a bizarre legalistic nuance.

As the fostering and participation in religious organizations wanes in Europe,  it is likely that other such finely legalistic manipulations will come into play.  Apparently European government no longer feels obligated to consider religious organization as contributing to the general welfare or of any worth that distinguishes from any other enterprise.

This legal decision would not really seem to represent a great liability to the LDS Church, but it is probably a significant reflection of the future of interaction between secular government and religion in the EU.  Sadly, a little bit of tax revenue now seems a more important consideration.

It would be interesting to see a list of what the EU governments still consider as fully tax-exempt properties.

I have never been to the Preston Temple, but I have visited a number of LDS Temples in the US.  They generally feature a common room to accomodate non-members visiting the Temple, but not participating in Temple ordinances.  So formally, it is probably not even true that Temples do not allow "public access".

"Gay" in the News: Arizona and "NO GAYS ALLOWED"

Why do homosexual advocates insist that the Arizona law will result in "NO GAYS ALLOWED" signs?  They seem to have reasons of their own.  Some analysis of the new law concludes that discrimination is already legal and permissible under current Arizona law.  If businesses in Arizona were inclined to plaster their establishments with such signs, they could already be doing it.

Perhaps the question that needs to be addressed is, why are opponents of the new law so convinced that it was written specifically to promote "anti-gay" discrimination?  The purpose of the new law seems to be to protect business from being sued for claiming a religious basis for their philosophy and practice.  The term "gay" is not found anywhere in the bill.

Could it be that homosexual advocates just generally oppose anything which furthers religious interests?  If so, perhaps the bill is well justified.

Of course, one of the most frequently suggested idea from those opposing the Arizona law is that nobody is forced to operate a business in Arizona.  Sort of a twisted "Love It or Leave It" slogan.  Sad to say, any business owner who presumes to have a right to religious views would be well advised to think twice.

"Gay" in the News: Kansas Overturns Religious Rights

Kansas protesters have success rejecting a religious rights bill.  Perhaps it was legislative overreach.  But nothing compared to the potential impact of federal judges overturning democratic initiatives.

Though this protester's placard represents sound advice, it is hardly definitive.

I love my mom, I even live in her house.  I also love my 1995 Toyota 4-Runner SUV.  I love furry little kittens and bunny rabbits.  I adore little children.

But we don't really have any desire to marry.  Honest.  Maybe there's a bit more to this issue than the sound bytes and slogans can communicate.

"Love" is much more than indulgence of the biological imperative.  And marriage is a "gestalt" that means so much more than "I am physically attracted to you and want to share your bed for a while".

"Gay" in the News: Oklahoma Religion in the Courts

Oklahoma court ruling clashes with religion, business.  Most religious systems advocate for moral values.  Business represent a number of religious individuals who choose not to cater to immorality.  Therein lies the conflict.

"Gay" in the News: Homophobic India

Homosexual advocates in India stage protests after India's Supreme Court ruled that homosexual behavior is a legally punishable offence.  The ruling results in reinstitution of 19th century law which had been suspended under legal challenge since 2009.

It is not really a question of proprietary government interest in legal regulation of sexual expression.  There has generally been at least some recognition that certain civil and criminal laws are justified by the obligation of the government to provide protection to citizens from certain types of sexual practice.  The question is, where to draw the line.

It is ironic to see such issues "coming out" in places like India and Africa, and Russia, where the influence of traditional Christianity - the usual scapegoat for US "anti-gay" sentiment - is minimal.

The predominant religion of affiliation in India is Hindu.

Most of Africa is predominantly Islam.

And the Russians are officially atheists.

"Gay" in the News: Arizona Controversy

Those of you who claim religious rights in Arizona are irritating to those of us who are "gay".   Opponents of the legislation assert that the result will be "NO GAYS ALLOWED" signs being posted by businesses.

Aside from the fact that no such signs have ever been produced, other than by "gays" making this argument, this is cited by homosexual advocates as a compelling and inevitable "slippery slope".

I am not convinced by the specious reasoning.  The number of tee-shirts on display with pro-homosexuality slogans is not equivalent to democratic process, nor does getting your staged protest tantrums in the news establish "consensus".  This does not even amount to "appeal to authority" logic.  It is simply demanding government support for a position that cannot be logically defended.

While the advocates for "equality" would find some satisfaction in forcing everyone to hold their hands over their hearts, stand at attention, and sing "Glory, Glory Hallelujah!" every time another "gay" flaunts his deviance, I feel no reverence for this false sense of  "equality".  It has little to do with bigotry, and everything to do with morality.

Self-identified "Gays", it would seem, have yet to live up to their own ridiculous labelling. They're just not all that gay.

LDS Liberty; Justifying Anti-Government Practices?

 An interesting anti-government scheme is suggested by members of the LDS Liberty group.  Since their libertarian roots are supposedly offended by any form of socialism, some of them show their belief by refusing to obtain a social security number, which some of them refer to contemptuously as a "Socialist Security Number".  They soon discover that they supposedly need not file a US tax return without one, which has the effect of saving lots of money, and they cannot register for the draft, which they don't support anyway.  Here are some members of the group discussing the virtues of being an anti-government activist.

Rock Waterman says:

May 12, 2012 at 9:09 pm

It is not widely known that a person who does not have a social security number cannot be called up for the draft, just as they cannot be compelled to pay the federal income tax.
Your social security number is the means by which the government lays claim to your future earnings and your service to pay the obligations of the federal government, including your duty to act as cannon fodder if needed. When FDR effectively moved the United States into bankruptcy in 1933, he pledged the future earnings of the people as collateral on the debt. We were all tricked into obtaining social security numbers, believing it was mandatory to hold a job. It is not. But it is the nexus by which the government claims ownership of the people living within the states. It takes you out of the protection of the state and makes you a U.S. Citizen.
Of course, today it is extremely difficult to function without a social security number, but some manage. The rest of us are in pretty deep, I’m afraid. We’ve sold ourselves to the devil.

Reply

• Christopher Hansen says:

  July 23, 2012 at 2:09 am

  You are correct. “We’ve sold ourselves to the devil.”
  You cannot be a faithful LDS and be a Socialist. The Prophets have said so since the 30s.
  If you want to send the 666 SSN back to them you need to use the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
  I have not filed a 1040 Return in over 34 years. I have letters from the IRS that I am not required to file a 1040. I know I am exempt and my lawyer tells me I am exempt. My children do not have SSNs. I sent the number that they assigned to me back long ago. Remember…SSN belong to the government. They are NEVER YOUR number. Read the instruction card if you don’t believe me. They OWN it…Not you.
  The Church supported the RFRA. Elder Oaks spoke to Congress telling them that the Church supported it. God allows those that seek liberty to find it but only if you REALLY want liberty enough to do anything to get it except be immoral or violent. No need for that God provides the way.
  With 31 USC Section 5112(e) and the RFRA every Latter-day Saint that wants to be free from the IRS and Social Security and other Federal entanglements can be free. But you have to WANT to be free and WORK to be free. Freedom is not free.
  Any man or woman that is not willing to risk what the Founding Fathers risked are not really worthy of liberty nor celestial glory IMHO.
  Mormons need not apply. Only Christian Latter-day Saints. (See 3rd Nephi Chapter 27)
  “Next to being one in worshiping God, there is nothing in this world in which this Church should be more united than in upholding and defending the Constitution of the Unite States. If members of the Melchizedek Priesthood allow the U.S. Constitution to be destroyed, they not only forfeit their rights to the Priesthood, but to a place in this highest degree of glory as well.”
  (David O. McKay, The Instructor, Feb. 1956, p.34)
  Why be LDS and a Socialist with their card? You cannot serve two masters. Either liberate yourself or EXPECT to lose your priesthood.

  Reply

Christopher Hansen says:

July 23, 2012 at 1:56 am

Over ten years ago my sons became ALMOST eligible for the draft. I called the Draft Board or whatever they are called and told them that my sons were old enough to register but that they did not have Social Security Numbers and asked if my sons could register without them.
The nice guy told me how to get them Social Security Numbers.
I informed him that I had religious objections to such numbers and so did my sons and that they would NOT be applying for Social Security Numbers.
I was told that my sons COULD NOT register for the draft without Social Security Numbers. Naturally they never registered.
Did you know that without a Social Security Number that you cannot file a 1040 Tax Return either?
The Income tax is “voluntary” because you have to volunteer just like you have to volunteer to be drafted. The prophets and apostles have repeatedly told us to eschew Socialism. A Social Security Number is how you become a Socialist.

To him that has eye to read let him understand.

Reply

A few words of counsel from one of the Lord's anointed addresses the issues raised here.

 Dallin H. Oaks, Our Strengths can Become Our Weakness

 First, Elder Oaks refers to "one note hobbies":

 ...My first example concerns Satan's efforts to corrupt a person who has an unusual commitment to one particular doctrine or commandment of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This could be an unusual talent for family history work, an extraordinary commitment to constitutional government, a special gift in the acquisition of knowledge, or any other special talent or commitment.

In a memorable message given at the 1971 October conference, Elder Boyd K. Packer likened the fulness of the gospel to a piano keyboard. He reminded us that a person could be "attracted by a single key," such as a doctrine they want to hear "played over and over again." He explained:
Some members of the Church who should know better pick out a hobby key or two and tap them incessantly, to the irritation of those around them. They can dull their own spiritual sensitivities. They lose track that there is a fulness of the gospel, . . . [which they reject] in preference to a favorite note. This becomes exaggerated and distorted, leading them away into apostasy. [Boyd K. Packer, Teach Ye Diligently (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1975), p. 44] 

Next, he cites the example of one who favors certain isolated words from selected prophetic counsel:

 ...A related distortion is seen in the practice of those who select a few sentences from the teachings of a prophet and use these to support their political agenda or other personal purposes. In doing so, they typically ignore the contrary implications of other prophetic words, or even the clear example of the prophet's own actions. For example, I have corresponded with several Church members who sought to use something President Benson is quoted as saying as a basis for refusing to file an income-tax return or to pay income taxes. I have tried to persuade these persons that their interpretation cannot be what President Benson intended, because both he and his predecessors in that sacred office, and all of the General Authorities, have faithfully filed their income-tax returns and paid the taxes required by law. The servants of God are under the Master's commands to follow him and to be examples to the flock (1 Timothy 4:12; 1 Peter 5:3). We should interpret their words in the light of their walk. To wrest the words of a prophet to support a private agenda, political or financial or otherwise, is to try to manipulate the prophet, not to follow him.

Lastly, he warns against those who takes too much pride in a particular individual strong point.  Note that he makes specific reference to spiritual gifts:

 ...A person who engages in self-congratulation over a supposed strength has lost the protection of humility and is vulnerable to Satan's using that strength to produce his or her downfall. In contrast, if we are humble and teachable, hearkening to the commandments of God, the counsel of his leaders, and the promptings of his spirit, we can be guided. We can be guided in how to use our spiritual gifts, our accomplishments, and all of our other strengths for righteousness. And we can be guided in how to avoid Satan's efforts to use our strengths to cause our downfall.