More companies owned by religious groups

[snopes]

Comment: Is it true the Mormons or LDS owns Marriott chain and Walgreens?

I've heard that the Marriott family is/was a Mormon family, but that's a far cry from saying that the entire chain is "owned by the Mormons."

What Class Bravo said. The owners are Mormons, but the Mormons (Church of LDS) are not the owners. (At least for Marriott - not sure about the other one. Chick-Fil-A's owner is Mormon also).

[Not_Done_Living]

With 55 million LDS in the US, i am sure there are many companies owned by Mormons.. just wondering though...

is Mormon business ownership a cause for concern or something?

[Errata]

Originally Posted by Not_Done_Living

With 55 million LDS in the US, i am sure there are many companies owned by Mormons..

What??? Thats wildly inaccurate. That number would mean over 1 in every 6 Americans was Mormon. That simply isn't the case, and it should be obvious that that isn't the case if you have much experience with America (outside of the state of Utah where they are the majority). Its closer to 1 in 50. There are under 7 million mormons in the US, with a similar number living outside the US.

[Skeptic]

Originally Posted by Errata

What??? Thats wildly inaccurate. That number would mean over 1 in every 6 Americans was Mormon. That simply isn't the case, and it should be obvious that that isn't the case if you have much experience with America (outside of the state of Utah where they are the majority). Its closer to 1 in 50. There are under 7 million mormons in the US, with a similar number living outside the US.

No doubting you, as it seems a reasonable estimate, but how is this fact known. Isn't religious affiliation kept off census forms for constitutional reasons in the USA. Surveys would not be accuurte, as religion seems to vary from place to place.

[Tantei Kid]

Originally Posted by Not_Done_Living

With 55 million LDS in the US, i am sure there are many companies owned by Mormons.. just wondering though...

is Mormon business ownership a cause for concern or something?

Eh, there are people, not me of course , who feel their enthusiasm for John 12:8 for their temples is a little excessive. (admittedly they do good charity too). That and the money goes to massive efforts to convert people to a religion that came to pass exceedingly dwindling in disbelief. Er, that is a religion founded by a documented con artist. Not that I would confront any of them about what they believe, that's their private business.

That said, I have nothing particular against Mormon people operating a business (even if 10% of my purchase goes to the church), but I would think twice about patronizing a business run by the church itself.

truett cathy , ceo of chic-fil-a is a Southern Baptist, not a Mormon.

Originally Posted by Tantei Kid

Eh, there are people, not me of course , who feel their enthusiasm for John 12:8 for their temples is a little excessive. (admittedly they do good charity too). That and the money goes to massive efforts to convert people to a religion that came to pass exceedingly dwindling in disbelief. Er, that is a religion founded by a documented con artist. Not that I would confront any of them about what they believe, that's their private business.

That said, I have nothing particular against Mormon people operating a business (even if 10% of my purchase goes to the church), but I would think twice about patronizing a business run by the church itself.

Mormons pay 10% of their person income, not the businesses they work for. Even as a business owner, most draw a salary, they pay 10% of that not the revenue of the company.

And the documented con artist thing about Joseph Smith? Get real! Documented by anti-mormon writers who quote themselves and other anti-mormon bigots to back up their claims. The is no documentation, only hearsay and conjecture, always spouted by people who were members of the mobs, people who stole lands from the early Mormons, pastors of church's who lost members to the new church, and reporters who opening admitted to making stuff up to sell newspapers and books. They all quote each other as sources to back up their lies. Look closely sometime, I have many of those books they never quote facts, they only quote each other as their proof that Joseph Smith was a con artist. It was then and is now an easy thing to toss out, to damage a persons reputation because it takes little proof and most people are not initiated enough to dig deeply enough to find the truth, it's so much easier to accept a lie. Thats why the network news is so successful, no one really cares when they lie it sells.

[Kev]

Originally Posted by noftessa

What Class Bravo said. The owners are Mormons, but the Mormons (Church of LDS) are not the owners. (At least for Marriott - not sure about the other one. Chick-Fil-A's owner is Mormon also).

Are you talking about Chick-Fil-A's founder and chairman S. Truett Cathy? He's a Baptist.

Originally Posted by Kev

Are you talking about Chick-Fil-A's founder and chairman S. Truett Cathy? He's a Baptist.

Wow, my bad. That is what I get for listening to a Mormon!

Seriously though, a friend told me that the founder was Mormon, which is why the restaurant was closed on Sundays. I totally regret passing on that info with checking it first. Sorry, and thanks for the correction.

I know the mormon's own a multi million dollar company that owns radio stations in big markets accross the country. Its called Bonneville International Corporation. managed by Deseret Management Corporation, is a broadcasting company wholly owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church). Headquartered in the Triad Center Broadcast House in Salt Lake City, Utah, Bonneville's name alludes to the prehistoric Lake Bonneville which once covered much of modern-day Utah.

Bonneville owns about 30 radio stations and one television station. Additionally, the Bonneville Communications arm provides broadcast distribution services to non-profit organizations, notably the LDS Church during its semi-annual General Conferences.

Originally Posted by noftessa

What Class Bravo said. The owners are Mormons, but the Mormons (Church of LDS) are not the owners. (At least for Marriott - not sure about the other one. Chick-Fil-A's owner is Mormon also).

Marriott the family are mostly Mormons but like any franchise the individual motels and hotels could be owned by anyone. Only a few are owned the corporation.

As for Chick-fil-A it is owned by and Evangelical, however many of the local chains especially out west are owned by people who happen to be members of the LDS church.

The Mormon Church does not own casino's or Coke either. If someone who was once a member owned a casino he or she would be excommunicated from the church and therefore not be members anymore.

[Steve Eisenberg]

Originally Posted by noftessa

What Class Bravo said. The owners are Mormons, but the Mormons (Church of LDS) are not the owners. (At least for Marriott - not sure about the other one. Chick-Fil-A's owner is Mormon also).

Marriott was founded by a Mormon, and I think one is currently the CEO, but the company is investor-owned (listed on NY Stock Exchange).

According to Wikipedia, Chick-Fil-A is indeed owned by an individual, who is a Southern Baptist.

[Debunker]

I am amused by the statements that such-and-such is owned by "the Mormons" or "the Catholics" or "the Jews" as if they are entities where every member is an owner. If one Mormon buys a company then all Mormons own it?

[snopes]

Comment: This is actually an old rumor, that Safeway is owned by the
Mormon Church. I believe it's totally false. In fact, my father was a
Safeway manager for years and he told me that it was an old myth. It's a
publicly-traded corporation, and I doubt if any one group owns a large
chunk of it.

[snopes]

Comment: Dear Whomever,

I have heard, alternately, the persistent rumor that the Catholic Church
is the owner of the most property on Manhattan in NYC or that is owns the
most valuable property in NYC; specifically St. Patrick's Cathedral in
lower Manhattan.

Originally Posted by snopes

I have heard...that the Catholic Church
is the owner of ....St. Patrick's Cathedral in
lower Manhattan.

No, we just rent it from the Jewish World Church....

[Judecat]

Since there are more Catholics in Manhattan than any other religious affiliation, then it might be true to say that most of the residental property is owned by Catholic families but that doesn't mean the Catholic Church owns them.

And as far as St Patrick's being the most valuable propety, how are you measuring value. I can't think of any measure of value where any church would be more valuable than a high rise, or a mansion. Even if you are talking about the just value of the real estate if it were vacant, would not be any higher for the land St Patric's sits on per square foot, than the property next door.

[Errata]

Originally Posted by Judecat

And as far as St Patrick's being the most valuable propety, how are you measuring value. I can't think of any measure of value where any church would be more valuable than a high rise, or a mansion. Even if you are talking about the just value of the real estate if it were vacant, would not be any higher for the land St Patric's sits on per square foot, than the property next door.

I agree that its pretty questionable. I'd think a skyscraper would be worth more.

But a mansion, seriously? Have you seen the cathedral? Its looks more valuable than any celebrity private home I've ever seen, and most people living in manhattan don't own houses. Even rich people in manhattan generally have luxury apartments in the city and mansions in the suburbs, not mansions in manhattan.

According to this report, the cathedral is estimated at $155 million. But really its difficult to properly appreciate its value since who is going to buy a catholic cathedral and be able to get the same use out of it?

In comparison, Bill Gates' 50k square foot private mansion, one of the most expensive in the world, owned by the richest man in the world, was only assessed at $125 million.