Posted on 12/14/2009 12:45:15 PM PST by SmithL
The halls aren't the only thing getting decked this holiday season.
The Salvation Army, the country's biggest charity, is taking it full on the chin from a social media network mobilized against the organization's position on homosexuality and other social sins. Twitter, Facebook and gay Web sites are lit up with protest and calls for donor boycotts.
The Army's official same-sex statement suggests it's unlikely those cheery volunteers ringing bells over red kettles will be donning gay apparel anytime soon.
While homosexuals are not "blameworthy," ... "Scripture forbids sexual intimacy between members of the same sex." The Army is an unabashedly evangelical, religious entity, after all, and has also resisted domestic partner benefits for its employees.
Last month, there was another stink about the Army's Houston division demanding to see Social Security cards of needy parents before providing toys for their kids. Angry protesters claimed this was discrimination against cardless illegal immigrants.
Before we take the predictable San Francisco, to-the-barricades view on all this, let's consider the Catholic concept of "proportionalism." This means (roughly, my interpretation) that bad conduct can be acceptable if a much greater good is being accomplished.
The Salvation Army served 33 million people in the United States last year. It raises about $2 billion a year and spends an impressive 89 percent of that on services - food, shelter, foster care and HIV programs.
It is a consistent and reliable disaster relief group.
"The first hand that reaches to pull you from the rubble of our next earthquake," Shea O'Neill wrote on the SFAppeal Web site last week, "will be the anti-gay hand of the Salvation Army."
There's no whitewashing their beliefs, if you oppose them, though the Army mission also is clear that its relief services are available to anyone "without regard to sexual orientation."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Thank you for your kindness; but, honestly the pleasure was curiously & unbeknownst to me at the time all mine. ;^)
Oops ! Forgot the Shriners. They’re well worth a donation as well !
funny how the word phobic in this case is expanded to mean discrimination. I’ve never seen anything about discrimination in the definition of the word phobia. I doubt very many people are afraid of homosexuals and as far as having an aversion to it, who is anybody to tell anybody else that their aversions to homosexuality are irrational? If what they do hits me on a visceral level that grosses me out to the point I can never accept it as normal and natural, who are you or anybody else to tell me that is irrational? My grandmother who was a staunch Democrat her entire life had to have it explained to her one day exactly what it is that gay men do. We got on the subject of gay marriage and I stated that it is the democrats for who in much higher percentages support gay marriage. Since she had been living in a time warp for about 50 years and refused to believe or even see just how far her party has come, she didn’t believe me. When I pointed out voting records to which she could not argue, she made a comment that let me know she did not really understand what gay men do. She thought they just loved each other and kissed. I explained and I thought she was going to have a heart attack. Refused to believe it and made comments about such acts that would make me seem like Mother Theresa. Her response is pretty typical for her generation from my experience although not too many don’t find out what it really means until their 80s. My generation and younger have been bombarded with the subject every day of our lives for so long that many have lost their natural aversion to it. In the same way that seeing gruesome blood and guts scenes desensitizes people. The younger generations have been brainwashed right out of their aversions to it. They know that opposing it is held up as evil even before they know what it is. Before even knowing what it’s all about, the kids now know they better not be against it.
I love the way God sets that up, don’t you? When we step out to be a blessing to others we often end up getting blessed more that we could have imagined.
Well, He usually only sets me up for a well deserved fall. LOL
"When we step out to be a blessing to others we often end up getting blessed more that we could have imagined."
You've great wisdom, my friend. ;^)
A merry, peaceful & joyous Christmas to you & yours. :^)
Only if it doesn’t disturb the horses !!
The SA helps gay people as well. I don’t see alcoholics or drug addicts trying to pressure the SA into accepting their lifestyles as natural and normal. Do you? The SA helps all sinners but does not condone being an alcoholic, drug user, or homosexual. IOW: They are consistent in their principles and actions.
It isn’t my wisdom. It is from Him and He alone deserves the credit.
The only thing I deserve credit for is the stupid stuff I do when I have already been taught better.
A merry, peaceful & joyous Christmas to you & yours as well!
Disagreeing with a homosexual makes the person a homophobe.
Much like disagreeing with Zero makes one a racist.
Nothing more than Marxist corruption of the language.
I agree with what you say, but it also could be that he/she is merely a mental 13 year old who enjoys all the attention that his acting out has brought.
“I gottcha. Thanks. My ignorance of the matter tells me that if I were to look at my states sex offender/predator registry, I would find far more hetero than homosexual offenders.”
Look at what I wrote again.
“BTW, it wouldn’t be odd if there were numerically more pedophiles among the 98% of the population that is heterosexual than among the 2% afflicted with SSAD. However, the *rate* of sex crimes against people who have not reached the age of consent is much higher among men with SSAD. In fact, that 2% commits roughly one-third of all such crimes.”
Suppose that you took a random sample of 10,000 men. Statistically, 9,800 of them are going to be heterosexual, and 200 are going to have SSAD.
Suppose the rate of predation on those younger than the age of consent among the larger group were 3% (High, I think, but just for the sake of argument).
That means there would be 294 men who committed sex crimes against minors.
Now suppose that every one of the 200 men with SSAD commits sex crimes against minors.
The *number* of sex criminals is greater among the heterosexuals: 294 to 200.
However, the *rate* of sex criminals among the heterosexuals is 3%, while the rate among men with SSAD is 100%.
Do you see now why it is meaningless to say that there are “more” sex criminals among heterosexuals than among men with SSAD?
I’ve seen them help poor families who lost their home in a fire and a wealthy neighborhood hit by a flood. They won’t ask any questions about the lifestyles of those they will help in a future SF earthquake.
During WWII, when my uncle was getting ready to ship out to the Pacific theater, his mother became ill and was not expected to live. He went to the Red Cross, and they pretty much told him to get lost. The Chaplain hooked him up with the Salvation Army, and they arranged emergency leave and transportation home. Even though he was Jewish. You're right. They don't ask, they just help. To his dying day, he cursed the Red Cross, but he always gave to the Salvation Army.
Makr
I see. You’re talking in terms of proportion. Thanks.
I'll ask again - yes or no: Is it acceptable for an individual or group to impose their moral code on another person or group?
Come on... where are you? This should be an easy answer. Or perhaps you are one of those agitating jerks who is smart enough to apply some logic but just too self centered and willful to apply the obvious result.
“Last month, there was another stink about the Army’s Houston division demanding to see Social Security cards of needy parents before providing toys for their kids. Angry protesters claimed this was discrimination against cardless illegal immigrants.”
Well just DUH!
If someone thinks they can do the Salvation Army’s job better, who’s to stop them from starting up the Queers Unite Entire Ethnic Revival or something. I mean, just go for it and leave a good organization alone. The Army will not interrupt your business and sue over not being evangelists, or not refusing to hand out toys to known outlaws.
You are being dishonest with yourself.
This thread is a winner./s/
Cleanup is needed here, if you would be so kind.
I have worked along side the Salvation Army in a disaster. There are no finer people on earth, and they will be the first on the scene with help to disasters. If you have some extra cash this season, give them some and help others as well as yourself.
TexMexIs Best endorses The Salvation Army.
““Scripture forbids sexual intimacy between members of the same sex.”
This is clear in their statement-—no acceptance of homosexuality. Not just any unmarried sex, as you said.”
For years I have boycotted for paying bell ringers, however now because they are standing firm in their professed faith in Christ, I will again support them.
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