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Memaw
Guest
Popes have met with all kinds of leaders. I was disappointed to learn of the SA’s connection to Planned Parenthood. God Bless, Memaw
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TARRAT
Guest
I was actually suprised to read somewhere here either on CA or AA that the Salvation Army isn’t thechnically a christian group. They do not baptize. I think I also read that you kind of move up by seniority. Not sure if this second part is true. Anyhow.
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ghatch
Guest
I recall reading the same thing. I believe it was a Catholic Answers blog post.I was actually suprised to read somewhere here either on CA or AA that the Salvation Army isn’t thechnically a christian group. They do not baptize. I think I also read that you kind of move up by seniority. Not sure if this second part is true. Anyhow.
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PaulDupre1
Guest
On the positive side, The Salvation Army consistently ranks at the top of the “Best Charities” list because they are all volunteer and have the largest percentage of contributions that actually get to those for whom the donations are intended.
Theological differences aside, I applaud Pope Francis for his outreach to every organization that is “praiseworthy and of good report” (Phil 4:8).
We who oppose wickedness and the oppression of the poor need all the help we can get. “If they are not against us, they are for us.” (Mark 9:40)
It is time that all Christians of every stripe band together to oppose evil.
Paul
Theological differences aside, I applaud Pope Francis for his outreach to every organization that is “praiseworthy and of good report” (Phil 4:8).
We who oppose wickedness and the oppression of the poor need all the help we can get. “If they are not against us, they are for us.” (Mark 9:40)
It is time that all Christians of every stripe band together to oppose evil.
Paul
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ghatch
Guest
I get what you are saying. But I have to disagree slightly. The salvation army are claiming to be a Christian Faith (I drive by their church everyday to work)and yet they do not practice baptism. So I disagree with you when you say they are with us. I think the works they do are great but if the cost is leading those astray or giving those a false sense of salvation than which is better? Feed the body and not the soul or feeding the soul at the expense of the body. Works without faith is dead… Or something like that.
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PaulDupre1
Guest
I see what you are saying. But I have known some Salvation Army folks. They are like Catholic Charities in that they give to those in need without asking them to convert. They just give because the need is there.
So I don’t think they are leading anyone astray. Most non-Christians can’t distinguish one Christian faith from another; to them a Christian is a Christian. I saw that when I was an LDS missionary in Taiwan. To those people the LDS church was just another chapter of the same club, along with the Catholics and the Protestants. No matter how hard I tried to explain to people that we were “different”, to them we looked the same. After a while I gave up and was just glad that we were introducing them to Jesus (at the time I thought the Mormon Jesus was the real Jesus).
The point of this is that anyone who shows people that (Jesus = goodness and kindness with no strings attached) is okay with me.
Paul
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ghatch
Guest
Where I live they (Salvation Army) are far more visibly active in the community than Catholic Charities. I don’t know of any Catholic Charity that would be known as such to the general public. Maybe St Vincent De Paul.
So yes they do great things for the community, and I myself have even given to the kettle campaign in the past. But I did so because I thought they were a Christian group. This year I’ll give my money to SVP.
So yes they do great things for the community, and I myself have even given to the kettle campaign in the past. But I did so because I thought they were a Christian group. This year I’ll give my money to SVP.
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QNDNNDQDCE
Guest
You are making too much of a distinction between “Christian” and “non-Christian.” In this particular usage, the term Christian reflects the presence of a valid baptism. So for instance, imagine there existed a Protestant denomination that decided that abortion was a sacrament and aborted babies on the altar every Sunday instead of celebrating the Eucharist. Absurd, yes, but the members of such a denomination would be “Christian” insofar as the term is being used here and in a way that the members of the Salvation Army are generally not. Is that really a meaningful observation in relation to the subject of giving money to charity? Would you give to this imaginary denomination because they are “Christian” rather than to the Salvation Army? Or, using a more common example, would you give to a Protestant charity with the putative goal of offering material assistance to, say, Latin Americans, when in reality they are primarily seeking to win easy proselytes from traditionally Catholic countries? These charitable groups are undeniably “Christian,” but they are not to be supported.
To me, this discussion of whether Mormons, the Salvation army or other denominations are Christian is incredibly petty. As if baptism was the only thing in the world that mattered. Isn’t it enough that they are striving toward a common good they share with us as best as they understand it? I would give without hesitation to a non-Christian charity that only sought to feed the hungry. Although I understand favoring Catholic charities.
To me, this discussion of whether Mormons, the Salvation army or other denominations are Christian is incredibly petty. As if baptism was the only thing in the world that mattered. Isn’t it enough that they are striving toward a common good they share with us as best as they understand it? I would give without hesitation to a non-Christian charity that only sought to feed the hungry. Although I understand favoring Catholic charities.
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ghatch
Guest
your post sounds like relativism. They’re okay we’re okay everyone is okay because although we don’t believe the samething we’re doing good works. Salvation army doesn’t practice baptism or communion. If there were just a charity I wouldn’t care because charities don’t practice those things either. But the Salvation Army has Churches, which puts them into a different category.
Christians and non-Christians are capable of doing very charitable things and because I choose to support a Christian over a non-Christian group is not pety. Would you give your money to a Satanist group running a soup kitchen over giving it to a soup kitchen run by Christians? I’m using extremes I know but the point is valid.
Christians and non-Christians are capable of doing very charitable things and because I choose to support a Christian over a non-Christian group is not pety. Would you give your money to a Satanist group running a soup kitchen over giving it to a soup kitchen run by Christians? I’m using extremes I know but the point is valid.
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