Why are Mormons overwhelmingly conservative when it comes to

[creekster]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Not in terms of the metrics I am talking about.

Going to ward council is not the kind of service I am talking about.

I am sure that like my ward service in your ward only begins in ward council and PEC. From there, service is taken out to those needing it. The LDS model is different than most fo the world, to be sure, but it is no less valid. I am proud of how your ward takes care of its own in our jurisdiciton and I think we do a very good job of it. I also think we tend to keep a number of these people off of the public rolls, which should count as double service to the community. I don't really care if the "Food Not Bombs" yahoos approve of our mehtods or not. I think they work pretty well.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Not in terms of the metrics I am talking about.

Going to ward council is not the kind of service I am talking about.

So only being an activist, only sitting at a soup kitchen counts.

But going to the school boards, serving on the PTA does not help the community?

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by Archaea

So only being an activist, only sitting at a soup kitchen counts.

But going to the school boards, serving on the PTA does not help the community?

Serving PTA would count, in terms of counting as a person doing service. But it doesn't count in terms of the church organizing to perform service.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Serving PTA would count, in terms of counting as a person doing service. But it doesn't count in terms of the church organizing to perform service.

So you count Mormons serving in various public functions.

Not meaning to trumpet anything local, but I'm aware of families who donate for the past ten years at least ten sometimes as much as twenty hours per week to Cancer support groups and unsheltered children. It is done on a continual basis in our community. But the church hasn't required it, encouraged it, it just got done because it was felt to be needed.

I will agree if the Church leaders encouraged more would do it.

[DJRoss]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

I've read figures saying that Mormons donate more in tithes and in time to their churches, but I don't know that I've ever seen what % of that time and money find their way to communities in the form of service.

I could be in error, but maybe the possible contained services (within the LDS community) could be the effects of how the church was treated from its inception until the late 70's.

There could still be much of that chip on the shoulder feelings that many LDS were raised with since the US Government time and time again has let the Church down. The government is not to be trusted. They stood by while our homes were razed to the ground. They allowed our people to be burned, tarred and feathered, beaten, raped, and murdered. They stood by and let mobs drive us off of our land and steal if from us.

(Could you imagine the Church seeking redress for all the land that was taken from the Saints in the Ohio Valley and Missouri) LOL.

When we finally set up our own society, minding our own business out in a desolate land, the Government again came prepared with military forces to destroy what we had built if necessary. The Government began persecuting us directly by making laws that violated our "Freedom of Religion". Our leaders had to hide out or end up in prison, they had to flee to Mexico or risk prison or worse given the horrific things that Government sanctioned mob behavior had done.

I think the strong drift towards Neoconism by LDS members started with Reagan, whose feel good message may have begun to assuage any inherent animosity between Members and the Government. Most of the member families that we associated with when I was young were Democrats including my Parents. They were blue dogs that jumped ship when ERA and Roe v Wade became almost religious events occurring within the Democratic party.

I could be way off, but it wouldn't surprise me if that is why LDS are not necessarily out there "look at me" types when helping others. Within the walls of Sunday Service, yes, a bit of rameumptum (sp?) shoulder patting occurs.