Post · bonfire.cafe

Infuriating.

So the Lord's church, which taught me as a child that it had such an inspired welfare system that the government had no business taking tax money for social programs and that if only everyone did it the LDS way, we'd have Zion on earth where everyone was fed and happy, the same church which has an estimated $200 billion in investments making it by far the richest religious organization in the US and possibly on earth, is now struggling to feed its own members during the SNAP crisis, and is asking local members to *donate more* into fast offerings to fill the gap.

But even then, whether you get help, well, depends on the bishop I guess! 🤷

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2025/10/31/will-lds-bishops-step-help-those/

Archive link:

https://web.archive.org/save/https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2025/10/31/will-lds-bishops-step-help-those/

#exmo #exmormon #ReligiousTrauma #LDS #Mormon

Mx. Luna Corbden

@corbden@defcon.social replied · 19 hours ago

First of all, I consider it absolute COERCION to base any form of life-necessary aid (like food) on membership to an organization, or any identity, or belief in any ideology or worldview. If you require a family to be true-believing members of an organized religion in order to get food benefits, you are forcing belief, which goes against the doctrine of Free Agency and the 11th Article of Faith:

"We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may."

This is no different than stealing someone's food out of their fridge and holding it hostage, or kidnapping them and only doling out food when they make statements of faith. This is duress.

🧵

#exmo #exmormon #ReligiousTrauma

Mx. Luna Corbden

@corbden@defcon.social replied · 19 hours ago

The contradictions in these doctrines is no accident. When we examine the logical outcome of these contradictions, we can see the motive clear as day.

If there is no source of relief from the government or anywhere else, then people must rely on churches for help, and therefore must become members of said churches, and must conform to the churches' commandments, and then *maybe* they'll get aid.

I say maybe here, because my first test of this system came when I was just 18, pregnant, attending BYU, and married to a deadbeat. It didn't matter that I was also working part time at a minimum wage job for $4.25/hr. The bishop helped with the rent, but said it could only be for a month or two, AND I'd have to work it off at the church-owned thrift chain in volunteer hours equal to the amount I was given, at minimum wage rates.

Overwhelmed, I quit school to make ends meet, and I never did "pay back" the church for their "charity."

Even though I'd be a single mom for the rest of my years as a Mormon, I never did ask the Church for material aid again. (I did get some babysitting help from time to time, for which I was grateful, and also guilty.)

🧵

#exmo #exmormon #ReligiousTrauma

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