Thursday, December 09, 2010

Do NOT Donate to the Salvation Army

If their being a right-wing evangelical Christian organisation isn't enough for you right off the top (and it damn well should be), they are

pro-forced birth, even in cases of genetic abnormality
pro-execution, if in a somewhat wishy-washy way
anti-assisted suicide, which they frame as a "dignity" issue, as if dying slowly from a horrible disease is ever dignified
anti-same-sex-marriage, as well as pro-patriarchal family structure
anti-gambling!
of the opinion that LGB people should remain chaste unless they are willing to marry someone of the opposite sex, and seem to advocate that it's possible to "pray away the gay". They claim in Canada not to discriminate against LGB people in the provision of services (although I'm skeptical), but they openly do in the US.
anti-divorce, and pro-patriarchal marriage
anti-porn, and consider using porn to be an "injurious lifestyle" (This position statement also seems to take a fairly hardline stance against doing anything specifically for the purpose of obtaining sexual pleasure, yeesh.)
anti-stem-cell research, as well as for circumscribing scientific research based on their interpretation of Biblical morality; they also seem to be for the idea of forcing people to raise handicapped children they don't want (which, as a handicapped person, I am totally against)
in favour of even non-believers observing a/the sabbath
anti-drinking, and really seem to be taking the line that "use is abuse" for pretty well any drugs (don't look to the Slave Nation Army to help with decriminalisation, legalisation, or harm reduction programmes!)

Not only that, but their Calgary branch is throwing away Harry Potter and Twilight toys on the grounds that they're unsuitable because they promote "witchcraft and vampire themes"...but they think toy guns are perfectly okay to give away.

They've also had to make public apologies for child abuse, including rape, in Australia and New Zealand.

Rustin also worked at a SA relief depot in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, and his major complaints about them were that they were far more interested in doing things that would look good to the media and outside observers than actually providing concrete help. He relayed an anecdote about an incident where, after he had essentially taken over the station and gotten it running efficiently, the burning question of the hour among the SA members was which uniform they should be wearing the next day...