Has it really been almost a week since I’ve blogged?! That is a clear sign that i have been busier than ever! Its crazy what turns life takes. I work every day to complete the tasks that need to be done and still find myself wanting to do more. The past week has been CRRRRRAAAAAAAZZZZZZYYYY Chancho! I can’t even tell you! I had some interesting interactions this weekend. You may be able to relate with any religion you are. Here was one of mine this weekend.
Y.E.S. I am L.D.S. aka Mormon. Yes, there are a lot of members of the LDS church in Utah. Yes, we have certain values that the World may not understand. Yes, many states also have large religious denominations. ex. Southern Baptists in Mississippi. But that does not mean I should go to Mississippi and talk crap to a Baptist on why I hate their religion and bring up random untrue facts and hateful gossip!!!
Untrue Fact #1 that was thrown in my face this weekend by a ignorant woman >> “I hate Mormons. They are such hypocrites. They own the tobacco companies and the liquor companies and yet they say they don’t allow drinking and smoking!”
“Excuse me? Where are you getting this information?” I said with a complete face of ‘whatchu smokin’ lady?’
“The Mormons own the state of Utah and so they own the liquor stores and tobacco companies…” she continued.
>>HERE COMES MY SOAP BOX!<<
Wow wow wow Little missie. First of all no one owns the State. The US Government runs the country and gives certain rights to the states to control their own laws. Which in turn means that we have political leaders that may or may not have religious views. No one sets a law, it is reviewed and redesigned to fit the needs of the people with voting to set it in stone. Which you have control over. We are a democracy! Welcome to Earth.
Second, if you did your research, the ratification of the Twenty First Amendment not only ended national prohibition, but it also gave individual states the right to choose their own system of controlling and distributing alcoholic beverages. The Utah legislature at that time believed that the state, rather than private enterprise, should control sales.
The purpose of control is to make liquor available to those adults who choose to drink responsibly – but not to promote the sale of liquor. By keeping liquor out of the private marketplace, no economic incentives are created to maximize sales, open more liquor stores or sell to underage persons. Instead, all policy incentives to promote moderation and to enforce existing liquor laws is enhanced.
So……… If your arguing that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints promotes the use of Alcohol you are straight up wrong. There are eighteen states and one county in Maryland which control the sale of alcoholic beverages at either the wholesale or retail level. This accounts for nearly 1/3 of the nation’s population. These states share a common purpose – to promote moderation in the consumption of alcoholic beverages and to discourage excess and abuse.
Next, false fact that Tobacco companies are partly owned by the LDS Church. In the United States, the IRS code allows for an individual to donate stock to a non-profit organization and receive a tax deductible donation credit. Because the Church can neither control which stocks are donated, nor which stocks are in mutual fund shares that are donated, there have been times when interest in companies whose products are not in keeping with Church standards have been donated. The Church can not control that, it would be against the laws of the Country.
There have thus been instances in the past where reportable donations were made and when the church received and then liquidated the holdings as a matter of public record. Yet, this does not mean that the Church purchased stock in these companies, or had continued to profit from stock held in such companies. The Church merely received a donation, which it liquidated in accordance with its standard financial practices.
Another thing, have you never heard of the Utah Department of Health Laws? or maybe the Utah Indoor Clean Air Act? or say the Youth Access Laws or the Federal Regulations of Tobacco Sales? It’s like talking to a child when people say ignorant things like that!
I hope to hear more of these ignorant rants because it gives me a chance to prove that yes they have their opinion but unless you check your facts, your opinion in fact is eminently wrong.
Have a great Day and do your resesarch!
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