Thank God for the LDS Church....

[Jack Shephard]

Originally Posted by CC1

Glad your friends found some help. However we should not confuse this kindness with spiritual truth. Just as I am sure there are many benevolent Muslims it does not make their religion truth and these kind Mormons are in the same boat.

Agreeing to accept help with groceries, etc is not an equal to having spiritual truth. Please don't think that I am trying to merge the two.

[commonsense]

A UPC assembly I know of always made it clear........they were not a social agency.

I've been part of churches that did grocery showers for needy saints but that's all I've ever seen.

[deadeye]

Originally Posted by commonsense

A UPC assembly I know of always made it clear........they were not a social agency.

I've been part of churches that did grocery showers for needy saints but that's all I've ever seen.

I pastor a church...and have so for almost 20 years....and for every genuinely needy person there are 100 leeches, bloodsuckers, and con men....and if you run the church like a social agency you will find that you will spend massive amounts of your members hard earned cash to support folks who are smoking, drinking, and druggin' thier money away and then coming to the church with their hand out and a sob story about their hardship.

Forgive me if I sound cynical and hard...but I just had a man rip off several of the saints in the church I pastor to the tune of thousands of dollars.....

After awhile I get sick of it.

[deadeye]

And by the way...I live in an area that is about 30% Mormon....and believe me...there is alway an ulterior motive to their charity....mind you i dont blame them...but mark my words...the folks that they are giving charity to will find themselves cut off in time if they do not join.

[deadeye]

And the LDS church will not suffer deadbeats for very long.

[Jack Shephard]

Wow Deadeye way to show up and kill the mood. LOL

I live a place that has the highest population of LDS outside of Orem, UT. and they are not all bad for sure. Charity is a good thing. If there are leeches and stuff that will abuse the system as a pastor you could interview them and let them know what you can and cannot do to help. IF they are in a place of real need they mostlikely will accept groceries when offered and if they press for money then dig further.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Sweet Pea

I think it is awesome that the LDS are helping -

however, having had some minor contact with former LDS people - please don't think for one minute that they won't try to proselyte them into the LDS ! Believe you me!

Just as a matter of curiosity, does this family needing help attend your church? Not that it matters, I was just curious. I think I have read somewhere in the past that you attend a UPC church.

This is standard practice Ive heard. We had them come to my apartment when me and a brother rented a place. We had no furniture and they seemed to be making a note of that. Said we could get help at their church.

Ive heard from Mormons too that it's standard practice to have surplus food and stuff stocked up for LDS that need it. Great system

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by deadeye

I pastor a church...and have so for almost 20 years....and for every genuinely needy person there are 100 leeches, bloodsuckers, and con men....and if you run the church like a social agency you will find that you will spend massive amounts of your members hard earned cash to support folks who are smoking, drinking, and druggin' thier money away and then coming to the church with their hand out and a sob story about their hardship.

Forgive me if I sound cynical and hard...but I just had a man rip off several of the saints in the church I pastor to the tune of thousands of dollars.....

After awhile I get sick of it.

There are UPCs that are experiencing great growth because they ARE taking the members hard earned money, from a willing heart, and helping the poor.

[whoami]

I did quite a bit of research on the LDS church at one point and their religious beliefs are really out there (IMO) but the actual members are some of the kindest, moral people I have ever met. It appeared that many of them don't actually believe some of the more outlandish aspects of their founding theology and choose to focus on their family oriented social structure instead.

There were Mormon missionary's coming to my house for awhile, they'd stay and talk thinking that they were making headway with converting me when actually I just found their theology interesting, like reading a science fiction novel. I told them up front that I wasn't interested in joining but wasn't opposed to discussion. Sometimes they'd stop by while I was working in the garden and they'd just immediately jump in and start pulling weeds and planting with me and offered to help paint my daughter's room. They're seriously nice people. They do have an agenda of recruitment, but if you politely say no they will not (in my experience) ever get nasty about it.

Its awesome that they're helping out your friend.

[Aquila]

I think what the LDS has done for people is wonderful. I think their teaching is a bit flaky, but that's my opinion.

I do think Pentecostal churches should help people more.