Salvation Army

[4321dcba]

I saw a post on “Ask an Apologist” about donating to the Salvation Army and I am having a hard time understanding their reply. Basically, the Apologist said we should support the Catholic Church by giving to St. Vincent de Paul and not the Salvation Army.

I asked the apologist to reply and I got no answer.

My wife and I bought “Toys for Tots” and gave them to the Salvation Army along with some hats and gloves. They distribute them to needy children in our area. The Apologist said we should support Catholic charities and not support Protestant ones. Is this the teaching of the Catholic Church or is it the Apologists point of view?

We also have an “angel” tree at our local mall. People take and angel off the tree, buy the present on it and return it to the mall. The gift is then distributed by the Salvation Army or St. Vincent de Paul. We have no way of knowing who will distribute the gift to the children, but I suppose we could request that St. Vincent de Paul does.

Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, …lacking clothes and you clothed me.” He did not ask if you were Protestant or Catholic. If people are in need, we should help them.

Salvation Army does not preach their religion and does not ask if one is Catholic or Protestant. The only requirement is need.

I am a Catholic and I believe everything that the Church teaches. I support the Church financially and defend it’s teaching with my friends. Is this the Church’s teaching?

 

[06convert]

The church tells you to give to the needy. They don’t specify where or how. They have recommendations for how much you should give (but that’s a different story).

You have to use your own descretion when giving. Give with a well formed conscience. Obviously you should donate to the place that you feel will do the most good with what you have given them. As opposed to donating to some place that does things that are contrary to what you believe in.

I’m sure that the apologist simply meant that if you are trying to decide between giving to a Catholic or Protestant charity. As a Catholic you should choose a Catholic one. This way you know that your donation is handled by an organization that holds the same set of beliefs that you have.

The situation with the angel tree is a little different. When charaties partner up for a cause, you can assume that they both have the same goal in mind. I wouldn’t hesitate to give freely to a cause as long as a Catholic charity was at least a partner in the cause.

 

[jamanne]

The church tells you to give to the needy. They don’t specify where or how. They have recommendations for how much you should give (but that’s a different story).

You have to use your own descretion when giving. Give with a well formed conscience. Obviously you should donate to the place that you feel will do the most good with what you have given them. As opposed to donating to some place that does things that are contrary to what you believe in.

I’m sure that the apologist simply meant that if you are trying to decide between giving to a Catholic or Protestant charity. As a Catholic you should choose a Catholic one. This way you know that your donation is handled by an organization that holds the same set of beliefs that you have.

The situation with the angel tree is a little different. When charaties partner up for a cause, you can assume that they both have the same goal in mind. I wouldn’t hesitate to give freely to a cause as long as a Catholic charity was at least a partner in the cause.

Hello I come from along line of Irish catholics and have always supported the Salvation Army in their charities.My father and his brothers were involved in both world wars and ourtown a shipbuilding town was main target for hitlers bombs and my father always told us of his great respect for them on the battlefields and in the bombed out towns they gave their all for the distress of the people to this day I cant pass A
Salvation Army Kettle without hearing my fathers words :don’t ever pass the Sally ANN"

 

[06convert]

Hello I come from along line of Irish catholics and have always supported the Salvation Army in their charities.My father and his brothers were involved in both world wars and ourtown a shipbuilding town was main target for hitlers bombs and my father always told us of his great respect for them on the battlefields and in the bombed out towns they gave their all for the distress of the people to this day I cant pass A
Salvation Army Kettle without hearing my fathers words :don’t ever pass the Sally ANN"

I’m not saying that it’s wrong to give to the Salvation Army.

I was just trying to help understand where the apologist was coming from when answering 4321dcba.

Personally I wish St. Vincent de Paul did something like the Salvation Army and made it easier to throw in a handful of change to the cause. I sort of started second guessing my donations to the SA when I read the interview with General Shaw Clifton and he said that “there are situations in which abortion is the lesser evil.” I’m not suggesting that they support abortion in anyway, but that answer just kind of bothered me.

 

[jamanne]

The abortion comment coud have been one man’s opinion not an official stance.when iIwas growing up they were the first to step forward for victims of incest (taboo subject back then) and child abuse and I know in the UK ,Australia and NZ they are held in high regard , they put their money where their mouth was regardless of politics ,colour ,or creed.Just a side note , after the war my father was left disabled with six children when because of rationing and other hardships he had to ask St vincent dePaul for help at Christmas he was told condescendingly that he would be required to pqy it back .This to a man who had been in two shipwrecks and had sometimes donated his last ha’penny on a Sunday morning to the same organisation He was humiliated by his “own kind” ,so theres good and bad in every squad just something to think about Anne C