“My philanthropy is not borne out of my faith,” he told Forbes. “They require 10 percent tithing. I don’t consider that to be philanthropy and I don’t consider it to be part of my philanthropic giving. I consider it as club dues. People who put money in the church basket and people who go to church and pay the pastor: that isn’t real philanthropy, that’s just like you belong to a country club.”

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=30771721

My sentiments exactly. The TSCC is a very expensive social club. In my opinion the more educated, aristocratic, privileged members of society do not literally believe in the church the way your everyday chapel members do. I think this article is a good example of that.

Freudian-slip?

When you have that kind of walking around money, everything is a "Country Club".

He isn't asked to scrub a terlit.

He isn't asked to have mishies living in his house.

He isn't asked to have three non-paying church jobs.

He isn't asked to teach "primary".

He isn't asked to go home teaching after a long day at the office.

I'm pretty sure it's just little more than "Hey, John, can we borrow the jet on Friday?"

^^
this, and don't forget-

In the 80's when it came time to do the mission president thing,
the lard didn't call him to places like:

the Nicaragua Managua mission

the Alaska, Kodiak mission

or

the Ghana Accra mission

No...

For a chemical/plastics magnate, the inspired call was to the...

...wait for it...

Washington DC mission!

Right during Reagan's tenure I might add.

Gee, hummmm.

Save this and bring it up every time someone claims that Utah is #1 when it comes to charitable giving. Strip out tithing, and I'd bet that Utah falls to #50...or close to it.

Can't imagine that John Huntsman does much of anything other than call his own shots. The Cult caters to him, not the other way around.