supporting love, not hate - Remember: the Salvation Army is a Church, not a Charity!

[mickeym]

Y'all, I just don't even know, any more. I have always given to the Salvation Army during the holiday season; my spare change any time I was out and about went into one of their red kettles. And now, well. Thanks to lexicale, I know differently. Copied from her post:

A reminder this holiday season!

Pass by those red buckets, ignore those jingling bells.

The Salvation Army is a church not a charity. They are an anti-gay religious group that openly discriminates in its hiring process and denies benefits to same-sex partners. They are also pro-life.

But more significantly, they use the money they get to pay lobbyists to pass anti-gay legislation.

Here is a list of legislative action that the Salvation Army has funded to deny homosexuals their rights, or even make homosexual sex a criminal act.

For every dollar you put in their bucket, some of it will be spent to oppress gay men and women and make the world a worse place.

Here is a PDF from their own website detailing their bigoted and ugly views on sexuality -- a view point that has contributed to the bullying of and suicide of gay teens in this country.

There is the argument that they do feed the hungry -- and they do -- but please keep this in mind.

In 2004, when NYC planned to require businesses to extend benefits to same-sex partners, the Salvation Army threatened to close all their soup kitchens and leave the city. To be clear: The Salvation Army would rather people starve to death than recognize the rights of gay people.

They are a disreputable and bigoted group that do not deserve your support, especially when there are so many other, better charities out there working to feed the hungry.

So when you go shopping this season, please remember to pass by those buckets. Do not give them a cent. Money that you earned, that you worked for, that you donated in good faith, should not be used to back hate legislation.

Instead, please consider donating to one of these reputable charities:

Goodwill
The Red Cross
Doctors Without Borders
Habitat for Humanity
The Trevor Project

PLEASE spread this message and let your friends know. You can repost this info in your own journal, or link back here to mine.

Deceitful businesses such as the Salvation Army do not deserve your support. Taking people's money with the explicit goal of feeding the hungry, and then using it to back hate legislation, makes them dishonest at best, thieves at worst, and bigots either way.


EDIT: I added a link to cite the incident with NYC. Also, I got the date wrong -- it was 2004, not 2001. My apologies! I definitely want to keep all my facts straight and honest :)

EDIT 2: I changed the last line to explain why I believe the actions of the SA to be dishonest.

Comments

[lexicale.livejournal.com]

Quick edit on my facts: The incident with NYC happened in 2004, not 2001. I mistook one date for another. Here's a citation:

http://chicago.gopride.com/news/article.cfm/ArticleID/1824489

Sorry about that >.o

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

A fixed it :) Thank you! *snugs*

[kitanabychoice.livejournal.com]

Damn. I knew that and as soon as I donated a few bits of change I was like "AH CRAP." ... can't take it back now, so.

[ruby-jelly.livejournal.com]

ok, food for thought, thanks.

While I knew they were a Christian entity, I'm really sad to think they're actively spending money to this end. Foolish of me, I guess.

[twelve-pastels.livejournal.com]

While I don't approve of that, I will still give them money. They did my great uncle a large and particular favor during the last war, and I owe then for that.

[spn-j2fan.livejournal.com]

This is terrible. I did know they were a "Christian" group, although I can't consider any of these behaviors Christian in spirit at all. They're disgusting and abhorrent, and everything that is exactly what Christian is not supposed to be.

I had no idea they supported such cruel and prejudicial ideas.

[miafeliz.livejournal.com]

Hear! Hear! This is perfect and every year I have to explain why I don't give to the Salvation Army.

[kgoodbuddy.livejournal.com]

They've parked their bucket right outside the front of my store. I refuse to give them a dime, but maybe now, I'll tell them why. I get preached at enough by some of my crazy-ass Jesus freak customers----ring that bell in my face one more time, and I guarantee it's not going to be pretty;)

[deathbymutation.livejournal.com]

...I had no idea and I already donated $2. Fucker.

[cypher-away.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't donate to the Goodwill, either. It might just be the headquarters that my area's under, but I worked for that company for almost three years and they in no way cared about people. They continually screwed over their own employees and cared only about their bottom line.

[geneli4.livejournal.com]

i had no idea!

[ms-nerd.livejournal.com]

I have mixed feelings about this. The Salvation Army is the ONLY outlet in our town where people can get a hot meal/free clothing. If I don't donate to them, how are the kids at the local family centre going to get their breakfast or lunch or get snow boots every winter? LOCALLY the good outweighs the bad.