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What the Mormons Know About Welfare
The Wall Street Journal ^ | February 18, 2012 | NAOMI SCHAEFER RILEY

Posted on 02/19/2012 7:03:57 AM PST by JustTheTruth

... Mitt Romney said he was "not concerned about the very poor" but would fix America's social safety net ...

But if he wants to see a welfare system that lets almost no one fall through the cracks while at the same time ensuring that its beneficiaries don't become lifelong dependents, he could look to his own church.

(snip)

Launched during the Great Depression, the Mormon welfare system was designed by church leaders as a way to match the ... unemployed faithful with ... temporary labor. As storehouse manager ... explains, goods and services were traded so that if a father needed food for his family he could get some in exchange for, say, repairing the fence of a widow down the road.

(snip)

... "Our primary purpose was to set up insofar as it might be possible, a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished and independence, industry, thrift and self respect be once more established among our people. The aim of the Church is help the people to help themselves. Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle of the lives of our Church membership."

(snip)

. . . the primary source of capital support is the Mormons' monthly fast, as church members are asked to contribute what they would have spent on two meals. Many give much more, says Mr. Foster.

It is safe to assume that Mr. Romney's (...) donations are supporting the kind of safety net that government can never hope to create. Jesus may have said the poor will always be with you, but he didn't say Medicaid would.

(WSJ - must excerpt)

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Government; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: inman; welfare
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There are better ways than federal government to care for the truly needy, and to help people become self-sufficient without becoming dependent and idle. As a nation, effective solutions will require local efforts within states and local communities - including churches - to address the needs, provide for those who cannot provide for themselves, and to cut back the ineffective statist, socialist, unaffordable responses of Liberals today.
1 posted on 02/19/2012 7:03:59 AM PST by JustTheTruth
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To: JustTheTruth
Welfare HAS to come from private sources, religious sources. If it comes from the government, it's the handOUT not the handUP or HELPINGhand. The former creates dependency, the latter creates independence.

There have ALWAYS been the weak, lazy, shiftless and freeloaders in every society. How that society treats them is the key to that society's success.

I couldn't agree more with this article: cut back the ineffective statist, socialist, unaffordable responses of Liberals today.

2 posted on 02/19/2012 7:14:25 AM PST by cloudmountain
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To: JustTheTruth
The way way to properly care for the truly needy is to get government out of the welfare business altogether. Government has created the Welfare Vulture Culture, wherein smarmy, conniving con artists rip off the system on a daily basis -- with the full knowledge and active cooperation of their social program enablers (including Barack Obama, who made his living enabling and empowering the Vultures). As harsh as it may seem, people in need should be forced to turn to productive members of society and directly ask for aid. The aid should be temporary -- and those "in need" should be forced to prove that (1) the need is real and (2)they will when they can become productive members of the society paying their way.
3 posted on 02/19/2012 7:14:33 AM PST by hampdenkid
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To: JustTheTruth

I think the old “social clubs” like the Odd Fellows, Eagles, and the like, were “mutual aid societies” in which you paid in when you could and you got help when you needed it. You had to be a member, though. The Masons and Odd Fellows I know had nursing homes.

I always wondered if it was unions or Social Security that put an end to that.


4 posted on 02/19/2012 7:16:44 AM PST by DBrow
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To: DBrow

A large portion of charity medical care performed by physicians ended after government took over payment, made healthcare less affordable, and started dictating to physicians based on being their largest payer. There are still many physicians voluntarily providing a lot of charity care, but proportionately such voluntary care is markedly reduced in most communities, due to governmental interference.


5 posted on 02/19/2012 7:21:17 AM PST by JustTheTruth
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To: hampdenkid
One of the most destructive aspects of the entitlement culture has been the degrading of shame as a means to correct one's behavior. The welfare cheat has no shame, and has been told not to--that is the core of the entitlement mentality. Since she has been taught that government money is free money she has no qualms about stealing more of it.

Welfare fraud is like a victimless crime to these decrepit souls. If they received aid from private sources, they would at least realize they are feeding off someone. They still might cheat, but at least they would have to face the reality of who and what they are.

6 posted on 02/19/2012 7:22:36 AM PST by hinckley buzzard
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place marker


7 posted on 02/19/2012 7:24:38 AM PST by svcw (Only difference between Romney & BH is one thinks he will be god & other one thinks he already is.)
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To: DBrow
The progressive movement after the turn of the century deliberately opposed and discouraged private charity. They held that private charity only served to "let government off the hook" for what they considered a legitimate government function and responsibility. This was how the 'Social Work' business started--Columbia even founded a "Social Work School" to teach this drivel--as a cadre of activists who saw their mission as bringing government relief to the people and not relying on private associations.

Sick, I know, but that's the way it was, and still is.

8 posted on 02/19/2012 7:28:17 AM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: JustTheTruth
President Reagan spent some time in Utah visiting the LDS Welfare system and learning how it worked. Here's an photo with him and the former and current LDS Church Presidents.


9 posted on 02/19/2012 7:31:12 AM PST by Allon
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To: hinckley buzzard

Excellent analysis. Hate to seem cruel, but people who need help should have to ask for help. Shame is a great incentivization to ascendancy.

The libs’ real goal is always to keep people down, so that they (the libs) become the masters of controlling and dispensing largess.

And then, they use titles like “Independence Card” (the Welfare Vulture Culture of the VISA or MasterCard) to rub it in the faces of the productive Americans whom they are ripping off.


10 posted on 02/19/2012 7:33:56 AM PST by hampdenkid
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To: Allon

And, that means what?


11 posted on 02/19/2012 7:58:02 AM PST by svcw (Only difference between Romney & BH is one thinks he will be god & other one thinks he already is.)
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To: JustTheTruth

The first post of this story

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2848105/posts


12 posted on 02/19/2012 8:08:19 AM PST by dragonblustar (Allah Ain't So Akbar!)
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To: Allon

So that was, what, 30 years ago? I doubt Ronald Reagan had any idea that Mormonism is truly a cult. I don’t think many did back then. I know that I have had my eyes opened enormously during my three years of lurking here. Indeed, I believe many people are now waking up to what the Mormon belief really is.


13 posted on 02/19/2012 8:13:03 AM PST by CatherineofAragon (I can haz Romney's defeat?)
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To: JustTheTruth
Sounds like the perfect way for churches to help the poor.
14 posted on 02/19/2012 8:36:28 AM PST by Raider Sam (They're on our left, right, front, and back. They aint gettin away this time!)
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To: svcw

Probably that he though it was a good idea for a church to help its congregation’s needy and a good example of private sector welfare.


15 posted on 02/19/2012 8:40:48 AM PST by Raider Sam (They're on our left, right, front, and back. They aint gettin away this time!)
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To: JustTheTruth; greyfoxx39

the mormon church has a very effective welfare system

and it is a closed system...if at all possible the church owns the farm, uses mormon volunteers to harvest the food, the church will own the cannery, mormons will work at the cannery, they will own the warehouse, mormons will be free labor at the warehouse

a closed system, it works extremely well, it’s very efficient

now, some of the concerns

it’s true that mormons on church welfare will donate labor to the church...all mormons are encouraged, pressured to donate labor to the church

a couple weeks ago i posted i couldn’t contact my (mormon) mom who is 82 she had gone to an apple orchard to pick apples for four days...retirees with time on their hands are a great source of free labor

they do not tell you...the farm is making money, the cannery is making money...and the warehouse is making money...hand over fist

first, all these entities have no employees, the labor is free

second, only a portion of the food goes to welfare...the rest is sold...to mormon members

i remind everyone that it is a requirement that every mormon household stock a one-year supply of imperishable food...and they recommend storing two

the mormon bishop is not a pastor, he does not preach, he has little spiritual function within a church ward...he is an administrator, and somewhat of an enforcer

if you don’t pay your tithing you will called to a conference with a bishop, and missionaries will come to your house and pray with you over your disobedience...if you neglect the spirit of volunteerism, again thebishop will remind you, send missionaries, and ask members of the congregation to pray for you...meanwhile your name and your dirty laundry are on display from the pulpit

that years supply of food, you must buy...if you are financially unable, they will get you started, but there’s no free ride...if you work an eight hour day, you can expect to work a second job ‘volunteering’ for the church in exchange for wheat and canned goods

every mormon works for the church, and if the bishop needs emergency free labor, he will say ‘sister smith, ive been praying to the Lord about you, and he revealed to me your ‘calling ‘ to polish the pews, clean the bathrooms, and mow the grass to be of service to your brothers and sisters in the church” and she is perfectly free to say no...but you find out people are looking at you with pity and concern now, members are praying for you, missionaries are coming to your house

if you’ve grown up on a farm and have white chickens, you know when one gets injured, the rest peck it to death...because the spot of red on a white chicken is a sign of something alien, and every chicken sees the injured chicken as an outsider, because its not all white

in mormonism disobedience is willfully turning your face from God...even if it’s a little man with church rank telling you to clean the toilets

in utah ive seen men on tractors plowing for the church, truck drivers hauling for the church, accountants doing taxes for the church, doctors treating patients for the church...when you have an overwhelming number of mormon owned businesses the lines of power are labyrinthian to make the asians green with envy...all working through bishops as bosses using spiritual unction to order members into service who obey under belief of higher calling, awareness of the penalties, or both

a typical mormon man works 40hrs at his job, six hours at religious services, twelve hours in church volunteerism, gives ten percent of his income to the church, and if the bishop needs more from him, he will announce a ‘calling’

i should mention you will not find an offering plate in any mormon church...”tithing sunday” falls conveniently within tax time, you bring your w2 to the bishop, he calculates ten percent, and asks you how you wish to pay...and you know what happens if you don’t

the statistic show that for the number of members the lds have they are per capita the richest church on the planet, and that is with only partial information of their holdings...but in 70% mormon utah, that state is #1 in th country for personal bankruptcies and #1 in antidepressant use from members going broke trying to support both themselves and the church...its very common for devout mormons to have their lights shut off so they can afford to pay their tithe

like i said mormon welfare is a very efficient system...it is also a very closed system...if it truly were run by ‘volunteers’ and its true purpose was to feed the hungry, it would be the wonder of the world

but while it does feed mormons, it requires much more than it gives...serves as an indoctrination tool...and a burden placed on members to educate them to be sùbservient to the church in belief of the Lords calling...also to make the disobedient rise to the top and expose them so they receive the bishops attention

plus it helps make the lds cult richer than hell

im an exmormon, i have worked on the farms, i have done stoop labor and climbed the ladders i have ground the wheat and ive turned around and paid the church for the food i help grow and harvest and can for them...its worse than free labor, you are paying for the privilege of being their slavè

my only excuse was that i was a “fool for the Lord”...i was born into the church, prevented from having close relationships with non-mormons even an abused child loves their parents if theyre the only family hes got...plus the parents are supposed to be gods...and the rest of the world is supposed to be demon-possessed

now im the one my mormon family says is demon possessed...my brothers and sisters see me as a threat to their kids and we haven’t spoken since the 80s when my father dìed

google ex-mormon with “free labor” added and you’ll get a warehouse full of personal testimonies

search for acquire and stand up for the truth...love to all mormons who hunger for the truth

peace out ~A.~


16 posted on 02/19/2012 8:44:30 AM PST by AnTiw1
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To: CatherineofAragon

True-—but this one idea—very much like subsidiarity in the Catholic Church—is a great idea. There are some good things done even within the cult of mormonism. There has to be some good for so many people to have a “faith” in it. I know some Mormon families and they are really good people. I do not know how deeply they understand their “faith”. I know many Catholics who have no deep understanding of Catholic Theology, who say they are “good” Catholics.

Mormonism seems ok and harmless and maybe good, until you look under the rocks.


17 posted on 02/19/2012 8:46:38 AM PST by savagesusie (Right Reason According to Nature = Just Law)
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To: AnTiw1

sorry i made an error

lds is the richest church of all the faiths per capita among americans...worldwide they’re in the middle

all that outreach costs money sorry my mistake

im imperfect guess my godhood is on hold for a while...lol

~A.~


18 posted on 02/19/2012 9:02:52 AM PST by AnTiw1
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To: savagesusie

I agree that the particular principle of private charity is good, but that wasn’t my issue.

I believe it’s the responsibility of people to know about the religion they call their own. These “good people” in the Mormon church (though remember, the Lord says there are no good people, not one) are, in their ignorance, spreading a false doctrine to others.


19 posted on 02/19/2012 9:03:31 AM PST by CatherineofAragon (I can haz Romney's defeat?)
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To: CatherineofAragon

My point is that people aren’t educated anymore-—the educational system has been virtually destroyed—too many people—even most Catholics have no understanding of their “faith”.

Yes, it is the responsibility of people to be educated, especially on the matters of faith but as children, the “educational” system put in by socialists does nothing but indoctrinate—people can’t reason when they are adults.

Most people don’t understand the evil people who control the textbooks, media, and perceptions forced onto them all their lives in “schools” etc., so it is truly a world like the Matrix-—and there aren’t many people who realize that they are incapable of rational thought until they get deprogrammed.

We are in dire straights, today—we need to take back the schools from government and educate our children (in Classical Virtues like prior to Dewey—teach the Truth) so children can actually process information and make intelligent decisions when they are adults. Then, cults will not have a chance to exist except in small little communes which will be marginalized and in some cases eliminated by common sense.


20 posted on 02/19/2012 9:17:25 AM PST by savagesusie (Right Reason According to Nature = Just Law)
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