Recovery from Mormonism

newnamenephi Mar 2014

Below is a breakdown a typical month in my family (wife & 3 teenagers - and we live close to a ward building):

Sorry if this has been done before. I was going to respond to the recent post about the gas expense associated with Mormonism but then my figures got a little out of control so I decided to make a dedicated post.

1) 4 trips to church for Sunday service. Many times we would drive two vehicles because of one of us would have to stay for meetings either after or before.
2) 4 PEC/WC/Welfare meetings
3) 1 BYC meeting
4) 1 Fireside
5) 1 Stake youth function-at the stake center
6) 1 Elder's presidency meeting
7) 1 YM Youth presidency meeting
8) 1 YW Youth presidency meeting
9) 1 Stake YW Adult presidency meeting
10) 4 Wednesday night youth activities (both cars used each time)
11) 4 Tuesday night basketball to reactivate/con non-members
12) 1 Home teaching to 2-5 members for the men
13) 1 Visiting teaching to 2-5 members for the women
14) 1 Monthly service project
15) 1 Scout committee meeting
16) 1 Ward social function
17) 1 Scout off-night function
18) 1 Scout campout
19) 1 Clean the church
20) 1 Splits with missionaries
21) 1 Adult temple trip
22) 20 EARLY MORNING seminary
23) 1 Being home taught for our family
24) 1 Wife being visit taught by assigned sisters
25) Magnifying our callings (doing all the support work with lessons, activities, supplies, scouting, planning, counseling YW/YM, etc.)

#.........Miles.......Hours
1).........24..........12
2)...(counted in #1)...10
3).........4...........2
4).........4...........2
5).........15..........3
6).........4...........2
7).........4...........2
8).........4...........2
9).........15..........2
10)........32..........8
11)........16..........8
12)........15..........4
13)........15..........4
14)........10..........2
15)........4...........2
16)........4...........3
17)........4...........2
18)........100.........12 (if you just say 'working' hours)
19)........4...........2
20)........15..........2
21)........180.........8
22)........160.........20
23).....(in home)......1
24).....(in home)......1
25)........50..........20
------- -----
Month:.....683.........136
Year:......8,196.......1,632

8,196 miles @ 13mpg = 630gal @ $4 gallon = $2,520
1,632 hours @ $9.10 (Oregon min wage)... = $14,851
=========
Annual real expenses plus free service.. = $17,371

For all this free service and real expenses, I also got to pay another five figures in tithing/fast offerings so I could keep my cult club card!! (temple recommend)

Plus all the extra expense from buying TONS of things for the YW, YM, SS Class, Elders, RS, Scouting, church functions and lessons for which my wife and I never had the local ward reimburse us because it would get taken from their minuscule budgets. All while the big 15 are sitting on billions upon billions!

S-I-C-K-E-N-I-N-G!!!!!

zenmaster
Re: The real financial cost of Mormonism-My family's example.
WOW...that really puts it into perspective!

BTW, I need a nap. Just the thought of all those meetings and activities is making me tired!

deco
Re: The real financial cost of Mormonism-My family's example.
136 hours a month...

4 weeks @ 40hr week = 160

Mormonism is not just a victimless crime, it is nearly a full time job.

Dave in Long Beach
I don't know how anyone can find the time or money for anything else!
It's bad enough that mormon parents are just baby machines for the company,er, church, but then they have to check their minds and hearts in their 20s and dedicate everything to the church. This is your one and only life and you don't get time to even have a hobby on the side. Mormonism is all or nothing (thank god I chose the latter!).

madalice
Re: The real financial cost of Mormonism-My family's example.
This is why when we were TBM I kept track of time, gas and miles.

I considered most of it as time and money spent running a charity organization. They tell the government thats what they are, and they get tax breaks because of it. I figured I should get a break too.

First of all I deducted every penny I spent on church from my tithing bill.

If you are still paying tithing, you may be able to lower that bill considerably. You just need to realize that your time and money are ALL donations to a charitable organization.

If I owed $50 in tithing, but spent $10 on yw, and $5 on gas, I would pay $35 in tithing. If I spent a week at girls camp, I would pay myself minimum wage for at least 40 hours. I would deduct that from my tithing. This lessened the tithing bill considerably.

When tax time rolled around I would take deductions for tithing, and then add up all the money i'd spent on gas etc. (keep your receipts!) This made a big difference in what our tax return would be.

I had no problem saying I paid a full tithe. It's time and money, and it matters. I don't care if they say it matters or not. It mattered to me. I don't know why more members don't do this.

dragonmystic
Re: The real financial cost of Mormonism-My family's example.
No wonder I didn't quite know what to do myself when I stopped going to church and church functions...

Sad Stuff
Re: The real financial cost of Mormonism-My family's example.
Suppose all that time and money had gone to truly humanitarian causes instead?

Think of all the worthless millions of man-hours that have been wasted in repetitive "Temple Time" alone. How much good could have been accomplished in the world if the church had spent those hours on decent and practical projects.

"Will a man rob God? And yet ye have robbed me..." Some scholars have argued that the Old Testament saying was actually referring to religious leaders who misused the funds they received from the faithful.

Re=Poster
Re: The real financial cost of Mormonism-My family's example.
It's all part of "The Great Mormon Money machine"

Read:

http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon392.htm

donbagley
Re: The real financial cost of Mormonism-My family's example.

It cost my father two sons, a price he was happy to pay.

Bite Me
Re: The real financial cost of Mormonism-My family's example.
Holy crap!

smo
Re: The real financial cost of Mormonism-My family's example.
Whoa...

A big thanks to newnamenephi. I printed out your post and sat down with my wife on the bed just now. We went over each and every line, this was our EXACT LIFE for 22 married years.

If it weren't so damn close to reality it would be hilarious. Thanks much for sharing!

"Recovery from Mormonism - www.exmormon.org"