Does Anyone Give Money to the Salvation Army Outside Stores?- Page 3

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 12/1/09 at 5:59pm

And I should point out that if the SA announced that they believed blacks, women, or any other group to be lesser human beings, I'd feel the same way.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 12/1/09 at 6:12pm

Reginald, I cannot believe I came up with that on my own, so I must have stolen it from somewhere else.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 12/2/09 at 11:11am

There is actually a brand new organization launching January 1st focusing on non-religious humanistic generosity. For those of you that are atheists, secular humanist or just have a problem with the agendas of many religious organizations today, this might be a foundation you would appreciate.

http://www.foundationbeyondbelief.org/

[Eris0303]

Posted: 12/2/09 at 12:59pm

I don't put money in the buckets because those dang bells are annoying. I did adopt an angel through them this year. Through this program you get the ID# of a child, their gender, and what they need (winter coat, clothes, etc). You purchase the items at JCPenney.com and they will ship them to the SA for free. I find this preferable because I don't have to question where my money is going. I know that some little girl is going to have a winter coat that she might not have otherwise.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/11/09 at 10:22am

I hesitated bumping this thread back up, but another site I post on was having a similar discussion and someone pointed out this section of the The Salvation Army's Website -

That the loneliness of Adam was remedied by God through the creation of a woman, not a second man (Genesis 2:21, 22)...

The Army recognises that same-sex friendships can be enriching, Christ-honouring relationships, bringing joy through mutual companionship and sharing. However, same-sex relationships which are genitally expressed are unacceptable according to the teaching of Scripture. Attempts to establish or promote such relationships as viable alternatives to heterosexually-based family life do not conform to Godâ??s will for society...

For this reason, and in obedience to the example of Jesus whose compassionate love was all-embracing, Salvationists seek to understand and sensitively to accept and help those of a homosexual disposition and those who express that disposition in sexual acts. Salvationists are opposed to the victimisation of persons on the grounds of sexual orientation and recognise the social and emotional stress and the loneliness borne by many who are homosexual. (emphasis mine)....


For this reason such practices, if unrenounced, render a person ineligible for Salvation Army soldiership, in the same way that unrenounced heterosexual misconduct is a bar to soldiership. The Army recognises the strength of feeling about sexual identity, and the difficulty many find in expressing this identity in keeping with scriptural standards.

So there you have it. It's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. You're going to live a life of loneliness and depression, and if you genitally express your homosexuality, don't think about joining the Salvation "Army."

Now, I do acknowledge that that site goes to there Indian website (and I pointed it out the person who showed it to me), but since it's Salvation Army International, I think it's something that should be acknowledged.


Salvation Army on Homosexuality Updated On: 12/11/09 at 10:22 AM

[tazber]

Posted: 12/11/09 at 10:30am

"genitally expressed"

Classic.

[romantico]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 10:31am

"Some will say, but the Salvation Army performs good work the organization feeds the hungry, shelters the homeless, clothes the impoverished, whether gay or straight.

Yes, yet there are many other organizations performing the same work as the Salvation Army that do not discriminate against gays and lesbians, that will not use your donation against you.

From the Salvation Armys Web site The Army regards the origins of a homosexual orientation as a mystery and does not regard a homosexual disposition as blameworthy in and of itself or rectifiable at will. Nevertheless, while we are not responsible for what we are, we are accountable for what we do; and homosexual conduct, like heterosexual conduct, is controllable and may be morally evaluated therefore in light of scriptural teaching.

For this reason, such practices, if unrenounced, render a person ineligible for Salvation Army soldiership.

I can find a charity more worthy of the stray dollar in my pocket.

I'll tell you that I used to contribute to the Salvation Army, though I was never enthusiastic about the organizations missionary work.

But even before the big feud between the Salvation Army and the city of San Francisco over an ordinance mandating that city contractors provide equal benefits to employees, I was made aware that the organization with a reputation for kindness did not take kindly to gays.

I was living in Missouri in the early 1990s and a womens volleyball league was playing its games at a Salvation Army gym. One Sunday night, players arrived and found the gym locked up and dark. Salvation Army officials had been made aware that the league was affiliated with an LGBT sports association. They decided to serve the sporty servers a get out notice because the Armyâ??s position is that the â??sexual union leading to a one-flesh relationship is intended to be between male and female.

Maybe, at first thought, barring 30 women from playing volleyball seems small when compared to the Salvation Army served 33 million people last year and raised about $2 billion for its programs.

But think about those numbers, think about the power of the Salvation Army. It is a massive Christian evangelical organization with a quasi-military structure and raising $2 billion a year and it promotes discrimination against gays and lesbians in its employment policy; at local levels of government, going so far as to threaten to close soup kitchens in New York if the city enacted domestic partnership legislation and at the national level of government, including negotiating with the Bush administration to guarantee that faith-based groups could discriminate against gays and keep their federal funding.

We can find charities more deserving of our dollars and our volunteer time.

http://www.365gay.com/opinion/neff-no-gay-change-for-the-salvation-army/

Updated On: 12/25/09 at 10:31 AM

[AbbaRabbit]

Posted: 12/25/09 at 12:22pm

fun fact: every single bell the salvation army uses, no matter what state and/or country you are in, was made by hand in connecticut.

[romantico]

Posted: 11/21/11 at 4:31pm

Tis the season, so I am bumping this thread. I went to my local Stop N'Shop today only to be greeted by a Salvation Army greeter ringing that God Damn Bell. This particular greeter was wearing a "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" button and she was telling people as they walked by 'Merry Christmas' and 'God Bless'. First off,I do not recall in the past any of the volunteers actually speaking. Second of all,I wanted to ask her if the Salvation Army STILL hate gay people(for the record,they do!) I'll be curious to see if the store gets any complaints but I have to go back there tomorrow and if I see her I will ask her about 'the gays'.

Just a reminder to those who come in contact with this anti gay group.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/21/11 at 6:19pm

Do they still have those "this could have been a dollar..." papers you can print online?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/21/11 at 6:43pm

The Salvation Army holds a positive view of human sexuality. Where a man and a woman love each other, sexual intimacy is understood as a gift of God to be enjoyed within the context of heterosexual marriage. However, in the Christian view, sexual intimacy is not essential to a healthy, full, and rich life. Apart from marriage, the scriptural standard is celibacy.

Sexual attraction to the same sex is a matter of profound complexity. Whatever the causes may be, attempts to deny its reality or to marginalize those of a same-sex orientation have not been helpful. The Salvation Army does not consider same-sex orientation blameworthy in itself. Homosexual conduct, like heterosexual conduct, requires individual responsibility and must be guided by the light of scriptural teaching.

Scripture forbids sexual intimacy between members of the same sex. The Salvation Army believes, therefore, that Christians whose sexual orientation is primarily or exclusively same-sex are called upon to embrace celibacy as a way of life. There is no scriptural support for same-sex unions as equal to, or as an alternative to, heterosexual marriage.

Likewise, there is no scriptural support for demeaning or mistreating anyone for reason of his or her sexual orientation. The Salvation Army opposes any such abuse.

In keeping with these convictions, the services of The Salvation Army are available to all who qualify, without regard to sexual orientation. The fellowship of Salvation Army worship is open to all sincere seekers of faith in Christ, and membership in The Salvation Army church body is open to all who confess Christ as Savior and who accept and abide by The Salvation Army's doctrine and discipline.

Scriptures: Genesis 2:23-24; Leviticus 18:22; Mark 2:16-17; Romans 1:26-27; Romans 5:8; I Corinthians 6:9-11; I Corinthians 13; Galatians 6:1-2; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; I Thessalonians 5:14-15; I Timothy 1:15-16; Jude 7
What we believe

[StockardFan]

Posted: 11/21/11 at 7:21pm

Celibacy? Yeah, that's realistic.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 11/22/11 at 11:10pm

they are vehemently anti-gay, hence I give them only dirty looks

[Eris0303]

Posted: 11/23/11 at 2:20am

Queer Dollars

[romantico]

Posted: 12/30/11 at 1:31pm

A friend just forwarded this to me and I had to share.

"I volunteered at the Salvation Army center around here a couple years ago, helping families pick out toys. It was really fun and I thought I was doing a good thing until two men came in. They were in poor shape, they wore a lot of layers and their jackets and pants had dirt and dust on them. I think they had been sleeping outside. They were coming in to get food from the kitchen, and one of the staff members took them to another room that wasn’t the kitchen. After a while, they were both escorted out of the building. I learned later that day they were kicked out because the staff speculated they were a gay couple and didn’t want to cater to those kind of people.

I can’t even look at the bellringers without being ashamed of them. They help a lot of people, but I don’t want to contribute to a group that still considers homosexuality to be condemnatory."

http://transbliss.com/2011/12/salvation-army-ringing-anti-gay-bells/

[romantico]

Posted: 11/19/12 at 12:42pm

With Black Friday fast approaching I am bumping this thread!

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 11/19/12 at 2:03pm

The Rainbow World Fund donates mostly donates medicine, but food and clothing, to countries in South America, South Africa, Haiti, and they're starting a partnership in Cuba.

Also, if you're in San Francisco for Christmas, stop by City Hall and see the Tree of Hope.

I've been volunteering for the last four years and it's an organization very close to my heart. If you want a pro-gay, world aid organization to donate, check them out.
Rainbow World Fund

[blueroses]

Posted: 11/19/12 at 2:12pm

I haven't contributed any money to the Salvation Army since I learned about their stance. There are plenty of other groups that help those in need.

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 11/19/12 at 2:19pm

OH! DUH!

Larkin Street Youth Services runs all of the homeless outreach, housing, kitchens, and other services in San Francisco. Most kids and young adults in the program aren't gay, but they're trying to get back on their feet. I was a client for 2 years when I first moved here, and without them, I wouldn't be where I am today.

They're funded mostly by corporate donations, some city/state funding, and private donations and every penny helps.
Larkin Street Youth Services

[romantico]

Posted: 11/19/12 at 3:09pm

The Ali Forney Center is who I've donated to for the past couple of years. I feel my money is going to a good cause and they really need it.

http://www.aliforneycenter.org/

[romantico]

Posted: 11/26/12 at 7:08pm

Salvation Army's Red Kettle Holiday Campaign Takes Heat From Gay Rights Activists

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/26/salvation-army-gay-rights-voucher_n_2192085.html