Are Mormons Christians

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nmgauss said:
What if the recipient is a Catholic?
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Why would it make any difference if the recipient is Catholic or Methodist or of no religion at all? If work is required to receive food or other benefits the recipient is receiving his just wages not charity. Providing work for others is a worth endeavor but it is not charity and it is not what we are commanded to do when presented with people who are hungry.
 
zaffiroborant said:
Why would it make any difference if the recipient is Catholic or Methodist or of no religion at all? If work is required to receive food or other benefits the recipient is receiving his just wages not charity. Providing work for others is a worth endeavor but it is not charity and it is not what we are commanded to do when presented with people who are hungry.
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If the recipient is not a Mormon, why should the Mormon expect the recipient to have the same sense of obligation as if he/she were a Mormon. Catholics give to the poor, and the poor do not have to give back anything.
 
nmgauss said:
If the recipient is not a Mormon, why should the Mormon expect the recipient to have the same sense of obligation as if he/she were a Mormon. Catholics give to the poor, and the poor do not have to give back anything.
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What you bring up has nothing to do with my point which is if someone has to work for something it is not charity. I don’t know if LDS give to the poor without expecting something in return either on their own or in collaboration with other churches. I have seen little written about it and haven’t seen any participation from the LDS churches in my area in providing food, shelter, and services to the poor. The churches here coordinate efforts to cover the needs of the poor in the area, but hands down our local Lutheran church has got the plan. For the most part churches here leave the planning an execution of rounded help to the poor to the Lutherans we contribute labor, goods, and money, maybe in other locations LDS church members do the same work. But members do not receive charity from the LDS church they are paid for their services in food or financial assistance.
 
Since 1985, LDS Charities (aka Humanitarian Services) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has provided aid regardless of cultural or religious boundaries. Emergency assistance is provided through the Humanitarian Aid Fund, and long-term aid is provided through major initiatives such as wheelchairs, clean water, food initiative, vision care, neonatal resuscitation training, immunization, and a variety of local area initiatives.

ldsphilanthropies.org/humanitarian-services/#topOfPage
 
nmgauss said:
Since 1985, LDS Charities (aka Humanitarian Services) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has provided aid regardless of cultural or religious boundaries. Emergency assistance is provided through the Humanitarian Aid Fund, and long-term aid is provided through major initiatives such as wheelchairs, clean water, food initiative, vision care, neonatal resuscitation training, immunization, and a variety of local area initiatives.

ldsphilanthropies.org/humanitarian-services/#topOfPage
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WOW!!! Since 1985!!!🤷
 
When I was LDS, I participated in the Bishops’ Storehouse (each ward in the stake is assigned a month to volunteer there, and it’s up to the ward leadership (basically EQ and RS) to ensure that there are people there to help patrons each weekend. It wasn’t really discussed whether the patrons had to offer some sort of labor in return for shopping there (it’s like a mini supermarket). If they had to do so, we weren’t made aware of that, since it wasn’t really our business I guess. It was nice serving there, though this is nothing unique to the LDS faith of course.

I know that sometimes wards join with other churches to run various soup kitchens in the city. Other wards also did tutoring and other related services.

My favorite service opportunity by far were the Mormon Helping Hands projects after hurricane sandy. Again, it wasn’t a uniquely LDS service project, since there were various other churches and charitable organizations there. However, I did enjoy going to church with the other YSAs (young single adults), then heading down to one of the devastated sites and trying to help as much as we could.

Personally, I can understand why the LDS may ask for some sort of service or volunteering in return for receiving aid (perhaps trying to teach self-sufficiency or something like that), and I guess it also depends on how this is done. But I also know that, at least in my ward/stake, there were various service opportunities offered where nothing was asked for in return. And I hope that the LDS Church doesn’t withhold aid if someone isn’t able to offer something in return.
 
I like the attitude of the LDS organization toward charitable work. If someone asks for help and doesn’t offer to do something in return, this encourages people to be helpless. Victimhood attracts charities and liberals, and according to some interpretations, if someone enables victimhood, additional victims are likely to appear.

If you give to a needy person and don’t expect that person to be improved in the long run, then it is a waste. It’s like giving money to a drug user. He/she will not be improved by the gift.

If you give money to a needy person who got that way because of poor choices, the gift will just enable that person to continue to make poor choices. Another angle is that if you try to make the recipient feel obligated, they might begin to realize that charity may not be automatic.
 
Whether Christian by your understanding or not some Mormons do project many “Christ-like” values in the world and their communities. Heck, I know Buddhists and Native Americans that are more “Christian” then those that claim to be!
 
is non-denominational the same as “sharing one’s beliefs with no one else”?

kind of a “the cheese stands alone” system?
 
nmgauss said:
If you give to a needy person and don’t expect that person to be improved in the long run, then it is a waste. It’s like giving money to a drug user.
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No, its like giving food to a hungry person, or healthcare to a sick person, or clothes to a naked person, or education to an ignorant person. Things the Catholic Church has done for hundreds and hundreds of years as required by Christ.
 
giving something to someone with the expectation of receiving something in return is not the concept of RC charity.

RC charity is giving to those in need because they are in need, noting else, and because by doing so we are following the commands of Jesus Christ.
 
to nmgauss:

Our community (Pekin IL & Washington IL) was hit by a tornado on Sunday, and there people and organizations providing assistance in every shape and form.

Are all of those people expected to work this help off somehow? Pay for it?

Or should we be humble and thankful, and accept what people are willing to help with?

You tell me which one is right.
 
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