Salvation Army

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mystified

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Without belittling the good the Salvation Army does, I wonder how much service Catholics should provide to or on their behalf. I just read that a large Catholic high school will be soliciting for the local Salvation Army.
As I understand the SA, it is classified as a church of evangelical nature that was founded by a Methodist minister.
 
Yes, they are a church, not just a social service group. Their main focus does seem to be their outreach to the poor & downtrodden. I will toss coins into their buckets at Christmas time. I was ticked off when (at least around here) the bell ringers were told they had to stand by their buckets quietly & could no longer ring the bells. They do good work but their theology is a bit lacking.
 
they are hypocrites (at least in my city they are) in that in running a shealter for the homeless they charge them money (12.00-19:00$ a night). I refuse to support them since the time when I was homeless a few years ago and refused to help me becuse I had no money.
 
jpk1313 said:
… I refuse to support them since the time when I was homeless a few years ago and refused to help me becuse I had no money.
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Woah! They REFUSED!? Gee. Now I am now doubting you :nope: It just shockes me. I could see a nominal fee IF someone had some money or requiring some assistence such as kitchen help or clean up, but you say REFUSED help. That takes me aback. And it makes me dissapoined.
 
I have & will continue to give to the Sally here in my city. They do a fine job of outreach to the poor, the homeless, the addicted. They provide training programs and do work in conjunction with our Churches here also ( Catholic & Protestant).

They provide Food, gifts & clothing this time of year to many in need. People that might not be reached by my particular Parish. It is just another way for me to try & share what God has blessed me with.

I can not say that I’ve ever met a Bad SA army officer or heard much Bad about them.
Given that their leadership is Human I would suspect that there is the occasional bad apple or bad policy out there.

In closing please let me implore you to also share what you can with someone, some family, some food cupboard or others from your abundance.

Yours in Christ
 
jpk1313 said:
they are hypocrites (at least in my city they are) in that in running a shealter for the homeless they charge them money (12.00-19:00$ a night). I refuse to support them since the time when I was homeless a few years ago and refused to help me becuse I had no money.
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I spoke with a friend of mine who’s a member of the Salvation Army and when i told him of your post he told me that he’s never heard of anyone who was turned away due to a lack of money. They would only be turned away if they are being unruly or in possession of illegal substances. Are you sure it was a salvation army related shelter??
 
mystified said:
Without belittling the good the Salvation Army does, I wonder how much service Catholics should provide to or on their behalf. I just read that a large Catholic high school will be soliciting for the local Salvation Army.
As I understand the SA, it is classified as a church of evangelical nature that was founded by a Methodist minister.
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I’m sorry but to belittle a orinization or a non-Cahtolic church that does nothing but good is beyond me. By not helping them goes against what we were tought by or Savior. We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give shelter to those who need it we are to love our neighbor.This doesn’t mean only if you are of the same religion. Remember the parable of the Good Samaritan. Did he say that because he was of a different religion he don’t deserve my help. NO as a matter of fact his own religion didn’t lift a finger to help him. But to say because were Catholic they don’t deserve our help seem shelfish and unChristian like. May I ask a aquestion, How many non-Catholics has the Catholic church helped. Did they turn them away because they were not Catholic. How many non-Catholics donate to the Catholic church to help with the food pantries and such. They didn’t say Oh there Catholic so they don’t deserve of help. They help because that is the right and Chrisitan thing to do. Helping others has no religious boundries. We may differ in our beliefs but when it comes to helping those in need we do not and should not differ. I believe that we all could learn from this Catholic High School in what it means to help others in need. Not helping is not only self-centered but selfish to say the least.
 
Wesley7 said:
I saw them (the Salvation Army) at Wal-Mart.
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Yes and the man that was a Walmart was doing a great job he was getting people to put money pot and was doing a little dance,it was good to see them doing the thing
BTW This walmart was in Charlotte nc on the East side
 
Some veterans of WWII were discussing their experience one day long ago. They had nothing but praise for the Salvation Army. It came out well ahead of the Red Cross as their favorite organization.
 
rev_kevin said:
I’m sorry but to belittle a orinization or a non-Cahtolic church that does nothing but good is beyond me. Not helping is not only self-centered but selfish to say the least.
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Rev,

I am pretty hard core Catholic. I almost never pass the SA bucket without dropping in my change. That can be several times a day during this season. I will not give a penny to the Red Cross, ever. Never liked them. Beats me why the Red Cross gets all the attention. The SA are the real boots on the ground in disasters.

If you don’t mind me asking how did you become a reverend? I never understood that title. Did you study theology somewhere and get certified by someone?
 
mystified said:
Without belittling the good the Salvation Army does, I wonder how much service Catholics should provide to or on their behalf. I just read that a large Catholic high school will be soliciting for the local Salvation Army.
As I understand the SA, it is classified as a church of evangelical nature that was founded by a Methodist minister.
Click to expand...
William Booth had been a Methodist minister but left Methodism to found The Salvation Army. His wife, Catherine, also acted as a minister in the movement. It was originally known as the East London Christian Mission, an evangelical organization that tended to the needs of the poor in that area of the city. Booth eventually re-organized it long military lines around 1878 and renamed it - the name by which it is known today. Booth was fond of saying that The Salvation Army practiced the three S’s: soup, soap, and salvation.

Its first converts to the Christian faith were alcoholics, drug-addicts, prostitutes and other undesirables not welcomed either in society or Christian society. The Booths did not use any sacraments in their approach (such as Baptism or Holy Communion). Booth believed that Christians depended too much on external signs of grace rather than grace itself. Its members are asked not to drink alcoholic beverages, take drugs, or gamble. The organization was opposed in England.

The Salvation Army’s reputation in the United States improved after it began disaster relief efforts after the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. The establishment of Victorian bell-ringers raising charity today have become an integral part of the Christmas season with over 25,000 volunteers taking up kettles over the holiday period in the U.S. alone. The church remains a highly visible and sometimes controversial presence in many parts of the world.

It is nice that a Catholic high school will be soliciting for the Salvation Army. However, the Army is not a Catholic organization, and probably the students would do better becoming acquainted with Catholic charities, as there are many of them.
 
While I’m not a member of the Salvation Army, I would not be a Christian today if the Salvation Army didn’t exist. They do a good work.
 
Dirk_Skene said:
Woah! They REFUSED!? Gee. Now I am now doubting you :nope: It just shockes me. I could see a nominal fee IF someone had some money or requiring some assistence such as kitchen help or clean up, but you say REFUSED help. That takes me aback. And it makes me dissapoined.
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sorry my cousin is an SA officer who runs a shelter now and has for over 40 years in several cities and this is not SA policy. However in cities where SA does not have its own shelter they may contact with other agencies who do, and those agencies may have their own policies.

as far as supporting SA, yes Michelle is right, it is better for Catholics to support their own church and charities who are doing the same work. However, St. Vincent does not operate in many parishes, and when they do, often their services are restricted to residents within their own boundaries (esp. if the get food from the local Food Bank). And very few have shelters. For the time being until our Catholic dioceses establishes or supports a homeless shelter in our area, we will continue to support the SA shelter. Also Catholic Charities in a particular diocese may also be limited in their services. The solution is obviously for Catholics to tithe and support them so they can expand services. For the same reason, I supported our local pregnancy testing center, founded by Evangelicals, because until a courageous group of Catholic laity started their own, there has been nothing–nothing–supported by the diocese in this area, either.

do bear in mind that in most states the SA local corps and church organization are incorporated and run separately from the charitable outreaches such as Red Kettle, Red Shield stores, rehab centers, and shelters. And bear in mind their funding and collections are also separate. You can inquire at the SA in your area how they are run. Usually your red kettle donation goes to local charitable work, not the local corps (parish church or congregation).
 
gamewell45 said:
I spoke with a friend of mine who’s a member of the Salvation Army and when i told him of your post he told me that he’s never heard of anyone who was turned away due to a lack of money. They would only be turned away if they are being unruly or in possession of illegal substances. Are you sure it was a salvation army related shelter??
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yes it was the salvation army on the corner of main and henry in winnipeg manitoba canada 3 years ago. I remember it well. I had no money was not on welfare and was told to leave becuse I could not pay the fee for a shealter bed. They also charge for there meals. $5.00 for three meals a day. When I protested saying they are the salvation army there reason for existance was to help people in my posistion they told me to get out or they would call the cops. I have zero respect for these hypocrites and when I meet people who need help like shealter or food I send them to siloam mission they at least have enough respect for the homeless not to charge them money.
 
grandfather said:
Rev,

I am pretty hard core Catholic. I almost never pass the SA bucket without dropping in my change. That can be several times a day during this season. I will not give a penny to the Red Cross, ever. Never liked them. Beats me why the Red Cross gets all the attention. The SA are the real boots on the ground in disasters.

If you don’t mind me asking how did you become a reverend? I never understood that title. Did you study theology somewhere and get certified by someone?
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I would first of all say thank you for supporting the SA.
How did I become a Reverend. Went to school and was granted the title after my studies. There are some who’s titles are Pastor, Reverend, Dr., Minister, and so on. In order to receive the title of Dr. it takes several years of study. Basically the titles of Pastor and Reverend are the same and only takes a few years of study. It all depends on your religious preference. Me being a non-dom preacher I was granted the title by Bishop McElory, Minister S.H. Edwards and Minister H.J Simpson on September 7, 2007.
I guess I could ask the same question that I don’t understand and that is why are Priests calle father?
 
jpk1313 said:
yes it was the salvation army on the corner of main and henry in winnipeg manitoba canada 3 years ago. I remember it well. I had no money was not on welfare and was told to leave becuse I could not pay the fee for a shealter bed. They also charge for there meals. $5.00 for three meals a day. When I protested saying they are the salvation army there reason for existance was to help people in my posistion they told me to get out or they would call the cops. I have zero respect for these hypocrites and when I meet people who need help like shealter or food I send them to siloam mission they at least have enough respect for the homeless not to charge them money.
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Sorry to here about what happened to you. Me and my family were homeless also but we were never refused to be feed by the SA they never asked us for a single dime. May I ask, did you try to find out why they were charging. Did you ask the Capt. about this. Did you try to get in contact with there H.Q. to see what was going on. But this is the first time I have ever heard of this happening. I serve on the board of trustees for a orginization called Family Promise, We help homeless families get back on their feet and the Capt. Alonzo of the SA in the city where I live serves on the board with me. We have talked about this because I wanted to know how they were able to help like they do. He told me that it comes strictly from donations and that they don’t charge anyone who needs help. Now on the other hand they do charge for some of the activities that they have but not for food. It may be worth making some phone calls to find out what is going on at that one SA.so this practice will stop. Now I do commend you on not turning your back on those in need and sending them to a place where they are able to get the help they need.
 
I always support the Salvation Army the best that I can.

When I was in the military, and stationed overseas, I needed to come home on emergency leave. (my mother was extremely ill)

My family and I followed all of the rules, and contacted the Red Cross, to get me home.

The RC would “loan” me the money to get home, they wanted me to sign loan papers, and would charge 20% interest. The SA gave me the money and said, “Repay it when you can.”

In more recent history, my parents home was destroyed by a tornado (while they were in it), and as two people in their late 70’s are climbing out of the rubble of a destroyed house, the RC stood there and watched.

After all of this, I will donate blood for the RC, but other than that, they get nothing. My money will go to the SA
 
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