The Salvation Army Declares Themselves To Be Utterly Irrelevant
BY Herschel Smith
3 years ago
It was bound to happen. Most of the American Church is already utterly irrelevant, having declared that they no longer believe in the infallibility of Scripture, the Deity of Christ, the Trinity, the substitutionary atonement, and other necessary doctrines to be considered relevant and orthodox. After defenestrating doctrine, they picked up parity in income as their raison d’être. In other words, they adopted full orbed Marxism.
The Salvation Army has followed suit.
The Salvation Army wants its white donors to give it more than just money this Christmas season. Its leadership is also demanding they apologize for being racist.
It’s part of a push by the Christian charitable organization to embrace the ideas of Black Lives Matter, an activist group working to, among other things, “dismantle white privilege” and “disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure.”
The Salvation Army’s Alexandria-based leadership has created an “International Social Justice Commission” which has developed and released a “resource” to educate its white donors, volunteers and employees called Let’s Talk about Racism. It asserts Christianity is institutionally racist, calling for white Christians to repent and offer “a sincere apology” to blacks for being “antagonistic.. to black people or the culture, values and interests of the black community.”
“Many have come to believe that we live in a post-racial society, but racism is very real for our brothers and sisters who are refused jobs and housing, denied basic rights and brutalized and oppressed simply because of the color of their skin,” one lesson explains. “There is an urgent need for Christians to evaluate racist attitudes and practices in light of our faith, and to live faithfully in today’s world.”
Here is one response, but it doesn’t go far enough.
Entitled An Open Letter to The Salvation Army, Koukl prefaces the post by informing TSA that he is terminating his monthly donations and directing them to another organization. Koukl is also the founder and president of the Stand to Reason, a non-profit religious organization that “trains Christians to think more clearly about their faith and to make an even-handed defense for classical Christianity.”
“There is a massive number of academics—Black and white, Christian and non-Christian, atheist and theist—who have raised the alarm against the aggressive indoctrination and, frankly, bullying of CRT—not to mention the racial essentialism inherent in the view, the false witness it bears against virtuous people, and the general destruction it continues to wreak on race relations in this country. CRT has set us back 50 years,” he continued.
[ … ]
General Brian Peddle, CEO of The Salvation Army announced the initiative in February through a video in which he said “it examines racism through the lens of scripture, church and world history and guides gracious discussions about overcoming the damage racism has inflicted upon our world and yes, on our Salvation Army.”
“As we anticipate having courageous conversations about race please join me in working toward a world in which all people feel included, valued and loved on Earth just as they are in heaven,” Peddle stated in the one-minute video.
[ … ]
“Repentance solely for the fact that you’re white, we don’t think that’s very productive,” Xu told Newsweek, who also noted that 60 percent of those served by The Salvation Army are from ethnic minority communities. That’s a statistic he told Newsweek he discovered by talking to Commissioner and TSA National Commander Kenneth G. Hodder.
“Here’s the thing with the SA that’s so crazy—these people spend their entire lives serving the poor,” said Xu. “There is absolutely no reason to even suggest or insinuate repentance for their supposed complicity in racism.”
“I have a real problem with that website and the resources that are suggested readings—to my mind they do not accord with what I’ve seen at the SA,” said Theroux, who has spent more than 25 years in a governing role.
“They’re silly notions that are not going to resolve the disparate conditions of people.” Rather, Theroux said there are concerted actions people can take rather than “spending a lot of time and effort in training or gnashing of teeth.”
“I don’t think it advances real solutions and real solutions are needed,” added Theroux. “Jargon like systemic racism and whiteness being a sin is a smokescreen for correctly diagnosing the problems and addressing them in a meaningful way that will resolve them.”
You see? Even responses to the Salvation Army are poor. And note again that the Salvation Army wants people to feel as loved on earth as they are in heaven. This is universalism and it is false doctrine. If a man is not saved by grace, through faith, he is not loved in heaven. He will suffer eternal damnation.
So here is the proper response.
This false doctrine is in vogue everywhere, from unattenuated Marxism (Marx was an atheist and is in hell today), to black liberation theology (James Cone, who was an unbeliever), to it’s disinfected and cleaned up white man version by N. T. Wright. Tom Wright teaches warmed over Wesleyanism, but replaces the doctrine that you can lose your salvation and need to be able to say “I don’t drink, smoke or chew or date girls who do” (thus you partner with God in your salvation) with the doctrine that justification is based on the “life lived” (rather than now through the shed blood and substitutionary atonement of Christ). Rather than chewing tobacco, Tom Wright is concerned with whether you help the poor and erase disparate incomes.
It’s all heresy.
The Gospel isn’t about disparate conditions of people. That has nothing whatsoever to do with it.
The Gospel isn’t about finding what’s productive in your estimation.
The Gospel isn’t about diagnosing what man thinks are his problems.
The Gospel is about teaching man his real problems.
He is lost. He is a sinner because he has violated the laws of a Holy God and thus committed cosmic treason. He cannot save himself. He is dead, and dead men don’t approach God. God redeems His own by sending the Holy Spirit to quicken their hearts and receive Christ. Salvation is of by grace, through faith. Man is justified only through the shed blood of the ultimate substitutionary atonement, the death of Christ. He is assured of the resurrection because of the resurrection of Christ. He is assured of ultimate and final victory because of the ascension of Christ to the Father.
Any further discussion of things he does after salvation is because a man loves his Lord and shows the fruit of faith; works are not the cause of justification. All real problems are so because God says they are, not because man says so. Proper world and life view is based on the Scripture, and only on the Scripture.
Your income, or the income of someone else, has nothing whatsoever to do with whether you’re saved, or how you should treat them. God is no respecter of persons. He is the creator of the universe, and His only begotten Son is truly God and truly man, the only savior and way to the Father.
That is the Gospel.
Nothing that was said by the Salvation Army even approaches that, and thus they have become a sinful organization.
Refrain from giving them your hard earned money. Save it for those in need around you – friends who have lost work, church members, missions, and so forth.
On November 26, 2021 at 12:47 am, luke2236 said:
The salvation army became irrelevant and ceased receiving any donations form me when they loudly announced a couple of years or so ago that they supported lbgtqxzy whatevers. The local group also had a part of the ‘mlk day’ parade…that put paid to ANY support, or even kind words, from me. This insanity is just the icing on the cake… [and exactly WHO do they think their donors and volunteer workers are?!?!? Whitey is the vast majority from what I can see; hope the Whites in that organisation can see thru all this and take appropriate action…]
On November 26, 2021 at 1:16 am, G706 said:
A quick look at the teachings of the Salvation Army reveals that they are not really biblical, depending on works and not observing the sacraments for example.
On November 26, 2021 at 4:57 am, Robert Orians said:
So sad . It was one of the few organizations that I have supported over these 70 years but it has ended . I’m not going there ! Nope ! Keep my bucks for those who don’t compromise .
On November 26, 2021 at 7:41 am, Jimmy the Saint said:
The Church of Jesus the First Socialist sure does attract a lot of followers these days.
On November 26, 2021 at 7:46 am, George said:
Amen, Herschel.
On November 26, 2021 at 10:45 am, Chicolini said:
The salvation Army just alienated their small donor base.
On November 26, 2021 at 11:44 am, billrla said:
Charity begins at home. Sometimes, it should end, there, too.
On November 26, 2021 at 2:17 pm, Fred said:
This is a great post Mr. Smith. And it’s very instructive. Lord willing I thought to fill in some of these points.
(Marxists are control freaks and not trying solve anything but their own power. The Marxists are as subtle as the devil in appealing to folks who would honestly attempt to right fallen man. We’ll set them aside and look at lost church folk and others who really want a better world.)
““As we anticipate having courageous conversations about race please join me in working toward a world in which all people feel included, valued and loved on Earth just as they are in heaven,” Peddle stated in the one-minute video.”
This begs the question, what does God value? These people are surely lost but even the lost man seeks to right the world and to rid it somehow of sin. They are blind, can’t see sin, but by their created nature they sense the condition of the world and that it must be fixed. They’re right, but must be made to acknowledge their Sin, Christ as propitiation, and His righteousness in His kingdom.
God values righteousness, not yours, His own. Everywhere people are trying to solve the sin curse. I don’t fault them for this. For the very earth is cursed. “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life” Genesis 3:17
See how closely the quoted statement from the article above resembles Christ’s example prayer: “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10
So not only do these lost people sense the fallen nature of a sin filled world, but they desire, like a blind rat wants it’s treat, the coming in of the kingdom of God and of His Christ. It’s fascinating how closely the blind seek to resemble the kingdom they can’t see.
Ecclesiastes 7:20 is my favorite sin verse. “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”
Fallen man is depraved beyond reason, wholly wicked, and reprobate but yet they seek out the good and the just and upright way. You might be a good man compared to others. You might raise your family well, teach your children moral standards. You might even be just, equitable, and charitable, BUT, you are still a sinner. As such you lack the capacity within yourself to bring in a moral, just, and righteous society. You are not Christ. You are not the sovereign of all creation. You can’t bring in the kingdom of heaven. All of your efforts, all of your own righteousnesses remain as filthy rags regardless of your best efforts. Try as you might, you are a sinner.
And Ecclesiastes 7:29 with it: ” Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.”
God made us upright, but: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one” Romans 3:10
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23
Sinners sin, that’s what they do. The invention of the sinful heart is more sin. Every way tried by your own power and works leads to failure by remaining in your sin.
But there is a way. Christ’s very own prescription. Christ’s standing orders to His army, who are God’s host, until His return. This should be every Christians goal, and therefore the goal of every Christian organization, group, or fellowship: “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9
This is how you make it in earth as it is in heaven. How does every knee bow? How does every man do that which is right in the sight of God? The Gospel is the power of God to bring the dead sinful heart to life, to open the eyes of the blind to the salvation of Christ that they might work the works of God and His righteousness!
There is no other way: the world must be conquered by Christ through Christians effectively wielding the sword of God which is His word. Nothing but the great commission; to preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15), to bring all people to salvation by the cross, and to teach all people everywhere to obey Christ (Matthew 28:19-20) will ever bring a just and good society.
There is no law against a good work. Giving a thirsty man a bottle of water isn’t a bad thing, but it is not the power of the Gospel unto salvation to bring in the Kingdom of God and of His Christ.
Had I never been in the military I may never have known what a standing order is. Standing orders are the last order given while awaiting new orders from, in this case, the Captain of your salvation.
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16:15-16
And
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20 (all power in heaven and in earth…re on earth as it is in heaven)
On November 26, 2021 at 3:04 pm, CurtissAnn said:
Amen, and thank you. Clear, concise, truth.
On November 26, 2021 at 3:27 pm, Michael (from Utah) said:
Well, that makes it much easier to ignore the bell ringers in front of my local stores this holiday season. Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving!
On November 27, 2021 at 10:16 am, Pat H. Bowman said:
Well said, Herschel.
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 2 Ti 4:3-4.
I think the time has arrived.
On November 27, 2021 at 10:31 am, Bradlley A Graham said:
“One of the differences between this generation and say, revolutions of the 19th century is we’re not interested fundamentally in equality. We’re fundamentally interested in justice. Which means we have a greater tolerance for ideas of liquidating a class and so on. ”
Dotson Rader October 1973
So it has nothing to do with equality, racism, sins of the father or reparations. These are merely monikers that hide the true end game of mob justice and retributions dealt out to whom ever they see fit.
Plan accordingly.
On November 28, 2021 at 8:15 am, Fr. John+ said:
Acts of peaceful disobedience like knocking over those kettles, a la Christ’s purging of the Temple, could be a form of protest…Except white people doing that, would probably cause all sorts of lawsuits against us, because the courts are now completely and utterly racist/corrupt.
Imprecatory prayer still is an option!
On November 28, 2021 at 2:34 pm, LatigoMorgan said:
When you go look at their website, you find it is even worse when they get to homosexual perverts.
Not another dime. They were my number one charity until now.
On November 28, 2021 at 10:06 pm, SANDRA MOORE said:
I am dismayed that the Salvation Army has decided to choose to embrace critical race theory, and therefore will NO longer donate to your charity or the local bell ringers at the shops during this Christmas season. CRT has it roots in Marxism which teaches that white and black Americans have failed to get along in the past and can never get along in the future. It is dangerous NOT because it teaches that racism is bad, but that racism is natural. CRT holds that by virtue of being born white or black, an individual’s politics, prejudices and allegiances have already been determined, and that to challenge them is a future indulgence. Why would you embrace a theory that further DIVIDES people, rather than trying to be the solution? No longer supporting your organization.
Sandra Moore