The Problem with the Salvation Army

If you hang around the right corners of the internet, you've undoubtedly encountered at least an article or two on why participating in donation drives with the Salvation Army, either by ringing the bells for them or by donating to a bell ringer, can be deeply problematic, mostly driven by the simple fact of the disrespect of the Salvation Army towards the LGBTQIA+ community.

In reaction to this, the Salvation Army at the National level and numerous smaller regional levels have responded, not by recanting their theology condemning lifestyles outside of the monogamous, married, cishet norms, but by attempting to assure all that their theology ALSO respects the image of God and so they should welcome all to their shelters.

Defenders of the SA often point to those statements, shrug, and say; "Just because they disagree with a lifestyle doesn't mean they won't help." And for some members of the SA church, that might be true. But there is a problem... Churches are ultimately a collection of individuals, and in emergency situations, the flaws of an individual will often UNSTOPPABLY take precedence over any kind of national, umbrella policy.

If you have been badly wounded, and an EMT arrives to give aid, if they choose not to due to a "disagreement" with your lifestyle, there is no appeal. Sure, another source of help MIGHT arrive, but in an emergency, you are often completely at their mercy. That's why proposed laws in favor of the "religious rights" of emergency care providers are so deeply dangerous: in a critical moment, there is no time to argue about lifestyle or constitutional rights. You need help now, and if they refuse to provide it, you are out of luck.

For all of their National and or regional posturing on people from all walks of life being deserving of help, the fact of the matter is that the Salvation Army's theological stance towards the LGBTQIA+ community compromises their capacity to give Christ-like emergency aid on a FUNDAMENTAL level. For every caregiver who understands that their own, personal beliefs on appropriate relationships should not interfere with offering the love of God to another, as repeatedly commanded in the scriptures, those who do not understand that are still placed in a position where they will turn away someone in need, and in that moment, the money the organization has been given has been misused. These aren't isolated incidents, but instead inevitable consequences of the theology behind the Salvation Army.

Even with all of the good that they do (and they do a LOT of good for a lot of people) such a fundamental flaw should be a dealbreaker. Your money is better spent going elsewhere than their kennels, your time is better spent doing things other than ringing their bells, because despite their PROBABLY good intentions, the fact is that until they finally reevaluate who they are on a fundamental, theological level, their ability to provide aid to those in need will be tainted in a way that shouldn't be ignored in the name of the Christmas feel-goods.

When participating in any charity work, especially in areas concerning emergency care, it is vitally important to understand the underlying ideologies at work. With religious organizations, that means knowing their theology. And if their theology condemns the lifestyles of a group most likely to find themselves in need of emergency shelter, food, or other care, then they are a bad choice to provide said care.

You wouldn't put someone who vocally despises animals in charge of a pet shelter. How much more careful should we be when it comes to the care of those who bear the very image of God?

A Parent's Calling

"My daughter just came out of the closet to me as a Lesbian, and I don't know what to do."

I hadn't been PLANNING on doing Pastoral Care. I was just getting a haircut. But the Lord tends not to care much about days off or personal schedules, and this man, likely attending a church that wouldn't be particularly jazzed about this state of affairs, heard that I was also a Pastor and thought he'd try me out first.

His daughter, his little girl, his perfect princess... a lesbian. His stylist had just shook her head and said something to the tune of "Well, kids these days are different," and he looked at me, clearly expecting a sermon on the failings of a parent and a command to get his daughter back in line.

He certainly wasn't expecting the first thing I said: "First of all, Congratulations."

The room froze. I feel somewhat fortunate that I hadn't said it right as my stylist was making a clip or I might have lost some blood. He stared at me like I had just turned into a duck. "What?"

"Your daughter. She came out to you. That means that, somewhere along the line, you did something in your parenting to give her reason to believe, or at least hope, that her Dad would be loving and understanding with that information. Not everyone manages that. So Congratulations. Somewhere along the line, you did the right thing, fulfilling the baptism vows you made, and you can see that now. Well done."

The room stayed quiet for a bit. Haircuts resumed. "But... what do I do?"

"What you've been trying to do for her whole life." I said with a smile. "Love her, support her, and show her that the trust she just put in you was well placed. There are folks who might bad mouth her, attack her, treat her as lesser for who she is. If anyone had done that to her up to now, what would her Daddy's response have been?"

"I'd have punched them in the teeth."

I laugh. "Or at least make sure they are VERY much aware that your daughter, a beloved child of God, deserves their respect, and that if they can't show that respect to her, they certainly shouldn't expect any from her family. You're proud of her, and if they can't handle that, that's on them, not on her."

He nodded a bit, had a bit of a smile on his face. "Always told her not to settle."

"Good job, Dad." I give him a little fist bump. "Make sure she hears that before she goes home. And if you said anything between when she told you and now that might make her think you love her less, apologize for it quick, and make it right. We all make mistakes."

He got up and paid, and my stylist went back to trying to tame the incredible puff of hair I'd allowed to accumulate on my own head. "My niece..." she said, hesitantly. "She's a Lesbian. But her Dad doesn't know."

I look up at her sadly. "That's her choice."

"But he could..."

"It's her choice. He must not have made her think he could handle it. But she did tell you?"

"Yeah, ages ago. Back when she was in college."

"Does she still talk to you?"

"All the time! What should I do?"

"Talk to her. And love her. If she needs more help, she'll let you know. Oh, and by the way..."

"Yeah?"

"Congratulations, Aunt. Good job."

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