LDS general conference - Fall 2013
- Thread starter colton
- Start date
Very. Or rather, they tried really hard to raise me LDS.
(And I failed already. What else is new.)
spycam1
Well-Known Member
kewl
How long were you active in the church, if you don't mind me asking? Just curious.
It depends on what your parameters are exactly. I begrudgingly went to church as late as at 19 years old because my dad offered to pay my car insurance if I did. Active by CHOICE? I'm not sure I ever was, so maybe I'm not qualified to nay say. I think I paid a lot more attention to what was being said than most of my peers, but that's not really here nor there (I still remember having a Sunday school teacher in my teen years that actually knew less about her lesson plan than I did more often than not, which is even less here or there).
I really liked those Living Scriptures videos though, so there's that. Helaman's Stripling Warriors = pure badass ****.
Some view the priesthood as much more a responsibility than a right or privilege.
I know this is kind of obtuse, but the young men in my ward are responsible for taking the garbage out of the building after meetings every Sunday. The young women, who outnumber the YM about 2 to 1, are never tasked with it. Not because they can't, but because they, as daughters of God, are above it.
Holding the Priesthood is ecclesiastic janitorial work.
I think the Priesthood is largely misunderstood - it's not magic and it's not authority over anyone else. It's simply a responsibility to serve God. It's extra work, and daughters of God are above it. There are no blessings available to Priesthood holders that aren't available to any and every faithful member.
[/my opinion]
I know this is kind of obtuse, but the young men in my ward are responsible for taking the garbage out of the building after meetings every Sunday. The young women, who outnumber the YM about 2 to 1, are never tasked with it. Not because they can't, but because they, as daughters of God, are above it.
Holding the Priesthood is ecclesiastic janitorial work.
I think the Priesthood is largely misunderstood - it's not magic and it's not authority over anyone else. It's simply a responsibility to serve God. It's extra work, and daughters of God are above it. There are no blessings available to Priesthood holders that aren't available to any and every faithful member.
[/my opinion]
spycam1
Well-Known Member
Why?
The garbage thing is because the church fired many janitors in 2000 in a money-saving move. In 2010 the remaining janitorial staff was let go and the church requested that 20-25 people do the janitorial work every week. That's a lot of cleaning.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/38795446/Mormon-Church-Letter-Appointing-Members-as-Janitors
Although I do love this hilariously over produced video about why cleaning the church improves your testimony: https://www.lds.org/callings/meetinghouse-care/reverence?lang=eng
Holy ****.
Do I really have to open up that can of worms? I feel like you're going to blast me regardless of how I answer. Oh well...
I think God holds women in higher regard. I know He is "no respecter or persons", but I think the basic characteristics they generally share indicate that he trusts them in a different way than men.
These characteristics include, but are not limited to, compassion, patience, and the ability to nurture and forgive. Yeah, I know. Not all women are like that, and some men are.
Again, this is all just my opinion.
I was trying to draw a metaphor. Apparently I failed.
Joe Bagadonuts
Well-Known Member
I'll admit it's been a long time since I left the church and I really haven't paid much attention to it in the interim, but this sounds ridiculous. I recall women working very hard in the church when I attended it, probably harder than men, and although I'm uncertain if any of them ever took the garbage out I definitely don't recall that it was a responsibility of men that was in any way tied to the priesthood.
Additionally, I recall men having all sorts of privileges afforded them by the priesthood which weren't available to women. For example, all of the top leadership positions are exclusively male and only male priesthood holders can lay their hands on others to give blessings, etc. I think you've become so used to the bias that you either don't see it or you are willing to justify it no matter what.
Beantown
Well-Known Member
You're wrong. The priesthood is all about serving and helping others. especially women and children. The men are always taking down the chairs, cleaning the building etc. But also women have huge roles in Wards. Relief Society President and Primary President are the hardest callings besides Bishop.
Joe Bagadonuts
Well-Known Member
Wow! That lucky lady who gets to clean the toilets... no fair! I never get to do anything fun like that.
You're just looking for **** to argue about. I don't really care whether you agree with me or not. I'm sure there is bias in my perspective, just like there is in yours. You have an obvious ax to grind. That's fine, I have no problem with people being disgruntled. To me that's much better than blindly following. But please don't mistakenly assume I am some mormon zombie.
But anywho... You and I have different definitions of "privilege" apparently. I would hardly consider a high leadership position a privilege. That's the kind of stuff I avoid like the plague.
Again, if you disagree, fine. I'm completely okay with that. I'm not trying to change your mind or bring you back into the fold. I thought there might be someone who found my point of view interesting. Maybe nobody does. But either way, I'll respect your right to an opinion, and you can respect mine. How's that sound?
♪alt13
Well-Known Member
First of all you know very well that taking out the garbage is not what their priesthood is all about. Secondly how is it not sexist to say that this kind of work is inappropriate for women.( I think you are being disingenuous anyway because Mormon women engage in janitorial work all the time)
framer
Well-Known Member
Trash collection after church? Metaphor fail. What you were looking for is moving people. The Elders Quorum is moving someone damn near every weekend. This is not assigned to the Relief Society. It's not even assigned to the High Priests for the most part. It's the EQ, and it is by design. Now what the High Priests group is for is actually doing their home teaching at a high percentage. That is why generally the widows and perspective elders are assigned to the High Priests Group. What is great is that this is actually laid out just like that in the manual that nobody reads.
Also to say a top leadership position in the church is a desirable thing is just crazy. It is worse than moving people every weekend. Also, how many male primary presidents have you seen? Male relief society leaders? Those are pretty important positions in the ward and make up the ward council which meets, discusses, and decides important ward issues.
Also to say a top leadership position in the church is a desirable thing is just crazy. It is worse than moving people every weekend. Also, how many male primary presidents have you seen? Male relief society leaders? Those are pretty important positions in the ward and make up the ward council which meets, discusses, and decides important ward issues.
I know, right? Absolutely flat on its face.
It was what came to my mind in the moment. Trust me, I'm already sorry I said anything at all.
heyhey missed it as completely as one could.
But I'm not gonna argue about it.
spycam1
Well-Known Member
Nah, not going to blast you or anything. I think we can respectfully disagree.
The whole concept of sexism, to me, is inferring something about someone's inner characteristics based on their outer characteristics, and I feel the typical Mormon responses to women and the priesthood (and similar topics) are sexist under this definition. For instance, I often hear Mormons spout out ideas such as "men are more visual, women are more emotional" as if having a penis inherently makes me a less emotional/spiritual being. So, when you say that women are above the priesthood, I interpret it in a similar fashion--that, as a male, I'm less in some way? If women are "above it", then that means I'm "below" it? All because my body differs from that of a woman's?
I said I wasn't going to blast you, so I hope it doesn't sound like I am. But when I hear people make comments I view as sexist, I try to at least explain to them why I see it that way in the hope that maybe they'll see the sexism in their statements and change them, or that they'll be able to point out flaws in my own reasoning so I no longer have to feel offended by similar statements I hear in the future.
spycam1
Well-Known Member
Against the Word of Wisdom, like alcohol and coffee.