The Salvation Army foolishly thrust itself into the intolerant world of woke when it issued a blanket call for apologies and repentance from allegedly racist whites..In what appears to have been an attempt to appease the destructive radical woke crowd, the Salvation Army tarnished its trusted image. What a shame..On the heels of a swift backlash, the Salvation Army retreated from, or is at least rethinking, its push to promote anti-racist and critical race theory that points an accusing finger at white donors..On one hand, the Salvation Army “denounces racism in all forms” and has operated on that principle since it was founded by William Booth in 1865..Yet, by singling out white donors, the Salvation Army appears to have embraced the racism it denounces..In its global guidebook entitled Let’s Talk About Racism, the Christian charity urged white donors to “lament, repent, and apologize for biases or racist ideologies held and actions committed..“In the absence of making anti-racist choices, we consciously uphold aspects of white supremacy, white-dominant culture, and unequal institutions and society,” the document states..The Salvation Army asked white people to think about how they’ve “consciously or unconsciously” supported prejudices against racial minorities and “acknowledged with regret, that Salvationists have sometimes shared in the sins of racism and conformed to economic, organizational, and social pressures that perpetuate racism.”.In another document, entitled Study Guide on Racism, the Salvation Army’s International Social Justice Commission, said white people are guilty of “unconscious bias” and “unwittingly perpetuate racial division” even if they don’t overtly show it..“We must stop denying the existence of individual and systemic/institutional racism. They exist and are still at work to keep white Americans in power.”.You’d think the Salvation Army was responding to droves of white people writing cheques or shoving bills and coins into the Red Kettles while stipulating their charitable donations must aid whites only..Of course, that doesn’t happen..The Salvation Army appears to have been duped, or bullied, by woke radicals. It even adopted their language..Wokism, despite pious proclamations that claim to fight for race, gender and sexual injustice, is a nasty thing based on hardcore Marxist ideology..In reality, it is intolerant, venomous, and strives to crush anyone who disagrees with what it promotes. It has a particular distaste for Christians..The woke radicals don’t care the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign alone supports 2.1 million people in 400 Canadian communities, or that the organization serves 128 countries and preaches the gospel in 175 different languages..Or that volunteers, many of them white, manning the kettles for hours on end, do so out of colour-blind love..The outcry against the Salvation Army’s guidelines was fierce..It prompted a statement from the American arm of the organization denying it is peddling woke messaging and critical race theory..“The guide ‘Let’s Talk About Racism,’ was issued as a voluntary resource, but it has since become a focus of controversy. We have done our best to provide accurate information, but unfortunately, some have chosen to ignore those efforts. At the same time, international headquarters realized that certain aspects of the guide may need to be clarified.”.It said claims the Salvation Army believes donors should apologize for their skin colour and that the organization has abandoned its Christian faith are “simply false and they distort the very goal of our work.”.The International Social Justice Commission “has now withdrawn the guide for appropriate review,” said the statement..The Study Guide on Racism wasn’t even mentioned..“The Salvation Army’s beliefs are, and have always been, rooted in scripture. That includes our complete rejection of racism, which is in stark contrast to the biblical principle that we’re all created in the image of God,” Maj. Jamie Locke, secretary of public relations with Alberta and Northern Territories Division, told theWestern Standard..“The Salvation Army believes that the world is enriched by a diversity of cultures and ethnicities, and we are committed to working towards a world where all people are accepted, loved, and valued. We serve all without discrimination, and we respect and value the unique views and beliefs of our employees, volunteers, and donors.”.The Salvation Army has always been a rock in this world, often the first on the scene in a crisis, reaching out to pick up the fallen and discarded, an organization founded on strong Christian principles carried out with love..It is a beacon of light and all that is good and noble..It’s tough to criticize the Salvation Army..But the fault lies in the message delivered, not false interpretations of what it clearly stated..When you target a particular skin colour that’s racism, even in today’s climate where piling on white people is in vogue..Slobodian is the Senior Manitoba Columnist for the Western Standard.,.lslobodian@westernstandardonline.com
The Salvation Army foolishly thrust itself into the intolerant world of woke when it issued a blanket call for apologies and repentance from allegedly racist whites..In what appears to have been an attempt to appease the destructive radical woke crowd, the Salvation Army tarnished its trusted image. What a shame..On the heels of a swift backlash, the Salvation Army retreated from, or is at least rethinking, its push to promote anti-racist and critical race theory that points an accusing finger at white donors..On one hand, the Salvation Army “denounces racism in all forms” and has operated on that principle since it was founded by William Booth in 1865..Yet, by singling out white donors, the Salvation Army appears to have embraced the racism it denounces..In its global guidebook entitled Let’s Talk About Racism, the Christian charity urged white donors to “lament, repent, and apologize for biases or racist ideologies held and actions committed..“In the absence of making anti-racist choices, we consciously uphold aspects of white supremacy, white-dominant culture, and unequal institutions and society,” the document states..The Salvation Army asked white people to think about how they’ve “consciously or unconsciously” supported prejudices against racial minorities and “acknowledged with regret, that Salvationists have sometimes shared in the sins of racism and conformed to economic, organizational, and social pressures that perpetuate racism.”.In another document, entitled Study Guide on Racism, the Salvation Army’s International Social Justice Commission, said white people are guilty of “unconscious bias” and “unwittingly perpetuate racial division” even if they don’t overtly show it..“We must stop denying the existence of individual and systemic/institutional racism. They exist and are still at work to keep white Americans in power.”.You’d think the Salvation Army was responding to droves of white people writing cheques or shoving bills and coins into the Red Kettles while stipulating their charitable donations must aid whites only..Of course, that doesn’t happen..The Salvation Army appears to have been duped, or bullied, by woke radicals. It even adopted their language..Wokism, despite pious proclamations that claim to fight for race, gender and sexual injustice, is a nasty thing based on hardcore Marxist ideology..In reality, it is intolerant, venomous, and strives to crush anyone who disagrees with what it promotes. It has a particular distaste for Christians..The woke radicals don’t care the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign alone supports 2.1 million people in 400 Canadian communities, or that the organization serves 128 countries and preaches the gospel in 175 different languages..Or that volunteers, many of them white, manning the kettles for hours on end, do so out of colour-blind love..The outcry against the Salvation Army’s guidelines was fierce..It prompted a statement from the American arm of the organization denying it is peddling woke messaging and critical race theory..“The guide ‘Let’s Talk About Racism,’ was issued as a voluntary resource, but it has since become a focus of controversy. We have done our best to provide accurate information, but unfortunately, some have chosen to ignore those efforts. At the same time, international headquarters realized that certain aspects of the guide may need to be clarified.”.It said claims the Salvation Army believes donors should apologize for their skin colour and that the organization has abandoned its Christian faith are “simply false and they distort the very goal of our work.”.The International Social Justice Commission “has now withdrawn the guide for appropriate review,” said the statement..The Study Guide on Racism wasn’t even mentioned..“The Salvation Army’s beliefs are, and have always been, rooted in scripture. That includes our complete rejection of racism, which is in stark contrast to the biblical principle that we’re all created in the image of God,” Maj. Jamie Locke, secretary of public relations with Alberta and Northern Territories Division, told theWestern Standard..“The Salvation Army believes that the world is enriched by a diversity of cultures and ethnicities, and we are committed to working towards a world where all people are accepted, loved, and valued. We serve all without discrimination, and we respect and value the unique views and beliefs of our employees, volunteers, and donors.”.The Salvation Army has always been a rock in this world, often the first on the scene in a crisis, reaching out to pick up the fallen and discarded, an organization founded on strong Christian principles carried out with love..It is a beacon of light and all that is good and noble..It’s tough to criticize the Salvation Army..But the fault lies in the message delivered, not false interpretations of what it clearly stated..When you target a particular skin colour that’s racism, even in today’s climate where piling on white people is in vogue..Slobodian is the Senior Manitoba Columnist for the Western Standard.,.lslobodian@westernstandardonline.com
