I should be filling this blog and/or
Bryce and Annalise's blog with all of the good things that we have been up to, but today I have something on my chest and I have to get rid of it somehow, so I am coming here.
When did the Mormon religion become a religion of food? I mean I know there are jokes about Mormons and their green Jell-o and funeral potatoes, that I am okay with. What bothers me is that it seems like there has to be a treat or refreshment at every single thing we do. It has been this way for a long time and I'm all for having some occasional treats at a ward get together or something, but what I wish we did not have is all the junk when we go to church...as well as EVERY church function!
This has bothered me for a while, but today it has gone over the top and something seriously has to be done. I just don't know what to do yet. I know that everyone will not agree with what I have to say, but like I said, I have to get it off my chest. It is really bothering me.
Where to begin...there is so much, I don't even know where to begin. I could start with the fact that every Sunday my son comes out of his Primary class with candy bars...one week he had 4 and another boy in his class had 7. 7! Okay, they were fun size, but still 4? 7? That is just not necessary. Or I could start with the huge bag of candy on the table that instantly caught my daughters attention as I took her into the Primary room (no, she didn't notice the picture of Christ or anything else in the room), or the sucker wrappers on the floor of the church, or the bags of candy Bryce used to come home with! Bryce doesn't even eat that stuff and none of the rest of us needs to either! Or I could point out the fact that all that stuff is horrible for everyone, but especially dangerous for those with food/food dye allergies and sensitivities. I understand that candy and treats are a great incentive, but seriously...
But instead, let's start with my Sunday School class. It is, after all, what I personally feel most guilty and bothered by today. I teach Sunday school to the 15/16 year olds. I've only had this calling for a few weeks and I love it! I love those kids! What I don't love is that every week since I have been there, there have been some kind of treats. The kids offered to bring some in so that the teachers don't have to provide them every week. That is nice and all, but why do we have to have treats at all? It seems like that is just what has come to be expected. Some people say that it is the treats that keep the youth (and maybe some adults) coming to church. Well, in my opinion if we are only coming for the treats, we are missing the entire point of going to church.
Today I allowed my students to have poison while at church, and I feel horrible about it! You see, for most people a couple of rice crispy treats or a brownie, or a sucker may not hurt you much, but for a young person who suffers with Type 1 Diabetes (we have two young people in our age group alone), even this amount of this type of food could be as dangerous as consuming poison, little bits at a time. No, I didn't bring the food in, but I didn't stop it either. It killed me as this young man had to sit and make the decision whether to join his peers in eating this food stuff, or standing out even more among his peers.
There is also another person in this class who has discovered recently that eating this type of food truly has a negative effect on them and they are trying to eat more clean and healthy food. They do a great job while at home, so why should they have to have this type of temptation at church?!
Another young lady thinks she needs to lose weight and is obviously uncomfortable having the treats around.
You may be saying, "well, then, they should just not eat it and let those who do want the treats to eat what they want." That may be easy to say, but think back to when you were 14, 15, 16 years old. How important was peer acceptance back then. They want to fit in, they don't want to be different. Not to mention that sugar is an extremely addictive substance and if it is there, many of us will eat it, even if we know it is not good for us! Little kids especially!
Not to mention, why is eating candy and treats even necessary in church? That is not what our church time is supposed to be used for!
So, I am going to talk to my teaching partner and the kids in the class and we are going to make some changes. I know there will be some who are upset by what I am going to do, but my job is to teach about the Savior, the scriptures, and to help my class feel the spirit. I truly feel that having food in class every week is not only totally unnecessary, but also a distraction that makes it hard for others to feel the spirit. I know this is definitely true for me (who has thought about this throughout the class and all day since) and the boy who stood up during the closing prayer and quietly snuck up to the plate of treats and grabbed one. It was also shown to me last week, when at the end of class I asked the group what they had learned or felt during the lesson and the only response I got was...where did the brownies go? Obviously the focus was not in the right place and something needs to change!
...I warned you. Stepping off my soap box now...
