A global family ...

[Magyar]

This week, our Bishop told about a ward member who was badly injured in a wreck two (U.S.) states from us. He contacted the Bishop down there and local Church members are now doing whatever they can to help out.

I am not so naive as to think only Mormons would reach out in such a way. I am sure that devout Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc., do similar things. In fact, I vaguely remember reading an old WatchTower years ago that reported something similar

.

"Organized" religion takes a lot of heat. But I cannot think of any secular substitute that could thusly move the hearts of man, to immediately assist a total stranger, simply upon notification by another stranger two states away. If organized religion vanished tomorrow, what would be able to take its place?

I am prepared to stand corrected if examples can be found.

[LeSellers]

This week, our Bishop told about a ward member who was badly injured in a wreck two (U.S.) states from us. He contacted the Bishop down there and local Church members are now doing whatever they can to help out.

...

"Organized" religion takes a lot of heat. But I cannot think of any secular substitute that could thusly move the hearts of man, to immediately assist a total stranger, simply upon notification by another stranger two states away. If organized religion vanished tomorrow, what would be able to take its place?

One of my favorite sayings (mostly, I suppose, because I said it first) is "I have thirteen million brothers and sisters I haven't even met yet." (It was only six back when I started saying it.) This is a powerful argument for the necessity of religion. (In my mind "organized religion" is redundant.)

Lehi

[LDS Guy 1986]

This week, our Bishop told about a ward member who was badly injured in a wreck two (U.S.) states from us. He contacted the Bishop down there and local Church members are now doing whatever they can to help out.

I am not so naive as to think only Mormons would reach out in such a way. I am sure that devout Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc., do similar things. In fact, I vaguely remember reading an old WatchTower years ago that reported something similar

.

"Organized" religion takes a lot of heat. But I cannot think of any secular substitute that could thusly move the hearts of man, to immediately assist a total stranger, simply upon notification by another stranger two states away. If organized religion vanished tomorrow, what would be able to take its place?

I am prepared to stand corrected if examples can be found.

You are correct I cannot think of any type of organization outside of religion that has same humanitarian function for the needs of it's members (as well a non members). I don't see any private organization stepping in to fill this role in it's members life, religion has several temporal benefits that nothing else can provide.

[Nathair/|\]

This week, our Bishop told about a ward member who was badly injured in a wreck two (U.S.) states from us. He contacted the Bishop down there and local Church members are now doing whatever they can to help out.

I am not so naive as to think only Mormons would reach out in such a way. I am sure that devout Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc., do similar things. In fact, I vaguely remember reading an old WatchTower years ago that reported something similar

.

"Organized" religion takes a lot of heat. But I cannot think of any secular substitute that could thusly move the hearts of man, to immediately assist a total stranger, simply upon notification by another stranger two states away. If organized religion vanished tomorrow, what would be able to take its place?

I am prepared to stand corrected if examples can be found.

I do have to point out that fraternal organizations like the Freemasons provide similar benefits to their members and often to the public as well. Of course, their values (at least the ones I am familiar with) are rooted in religion, so maybe that's not a perfect counter-example.