While you were out shopping this holiday season, and maybe even a little after Christmas,
When you go into a store, you may see someone outside, ringing a bell, asking you to put some coins into a red bucket.
That person's from the Salvation Army. And it seems like a nice gesture, right?
I mean, a handful of coins means nothing to you, but it could make a huge difference to the people you're helping
And it's cold outside, and these people are ringing a bell, and you just wanna help out. But, here's what you might not know about the Salvation Army
It's a religious organization. I mean, the word "salvation" is right in its name, and the organization says on its website that its primary goal
is to "preach the gospel of Jesus Christ." Now, that alone isn't a problem. I mean, there are religious charities out there that do some really amazing things.
But when you donate to the Salvation Army, you are literally donating to a church. And it's a church that holds some really awful values.
For example: like other evangelical churches, they will discriminate in hiring you, at least in certain positions within the organization,
if you are gay or lesbian. In 2001, they even asked the Bush administration for permission to override local laws that prevented discrimination
even though they were getting taxpayer money for their charity work.
Their website also used to say that all homosexuals must remain celibate. They still believe that, they just don't have it on their website anymore.
This issue has been a constant source of conflict for them. In fact, in the handbook that they use to train "soldiers" and members,
they actually quote Romans 1:18-32, as in these are the verses that guide our organization. And what do those verses say?
They say gay people should be put to death.
One of their media relations officers actually got in trouble a few years ago, when a radio host asked him about that very fact.
And his response was, "Well, it's a part of our belief system." Which really makes you wonder
How is that guy a media relations anything?
The fact is, every time you give money to the Salvation Army, yes, a lot of it goes where you want it to go.
To helping people who are less fortunate. But a portion of it is going to fight against LGBT rights.
It's kinda like buying your food at Chick-Fil-A. I mean, yeah, you get your waffle fries, but a portion of your bill
is lining the pockets of a family that has actively made life worse for LGBT people.
Now, I sincerely applaud the good work the Salvation Army does, and they do a ton of it.
And I'm not saying that all of the people within the organization, the people who are ringing those bells, are bigots.
Far from it. But if you're an atheist, who would never give money to an evangelical church, why would you give money to the Salvation Army?
Especially now, if you know what their beliefs are. The only answers I can think of are because you wanna help people,
and because it's just so damn convenient when they're right in front of those stores.
But you know what? There are other charity organizations that do amazing work, and they could use your help,
and they're only a click away online. So, you know, give money to Doctors Without Borders, or Donors Choose
or - cheap plug for a group I work with - Foundation Beyond Belief. They're all doing great things.
And best of all, their generosity is not rooted in a holy book that treats homosexuality like a disease.
So the next time you see someone ringing one of those bells outside a store, wish them happy holidays
But pass them by. Save your money for an organization that actually shares your values.
My name is Hemant Mehta, and I write at FriendlyAtheist.com. What do you wanna see a video about?
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