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http://www.catholicvote.org/the-salvation-army-is-ringing-bells-for-abortion-this-christmas/THE SALVATION ARMY IS RINGING BELLS FOR ABORTION THIS CHRISTMASBY STEVE SKOJEC
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It’s a sight and sound so commonplace, Advent almost wouldn’t seem the same without it. In so many of the stores we visit to do our Christmas shopping, we see the ever-present volunteers ringing bells soliciting donations for one of America’s best known charitable organizations: The Salvation Army. Many of us give what we can, moved by the spirit of the season to increase our charitable works.
But there’s a catch. The Catholic Sistas blog reported last year that The Salvation Army’s position on abortion is not compatible with Catholic belief:
On its surface the Mission Statement of the Salvation Army, as it pertains to abortion, appears sound.
“The Salvation Army believes all people are created in the image of God and therefore have unique and intrinsic value…The Salvation Army accepts the moment of fertilization as the start of human life…The Salvation Army believes that life is a gift from God and we are answerable to God for the taking of life.”
And yet, one must delve no deeper than the next paragraph to find a most disturbing addition.
“The Salvation Army recognizes tragic and perplexing circuмstances that require difficult decisions regarding a pregnancy… The Salvation Army believes that termination can occur only when carrying the pregnancy further seriously threatens the life of the mother; or reliable diagnostic procedures have identified a foetal abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief post natal period.
In addition, rape and incest are brutal acts of dominance violating women physically and emotionally. This situation represents a special case for the consideration of termination as the violation may be compounded by the continuation of the pregnancy.”
In a 2007 interview with Der Bund, General Shaw Clifton even contrasts the SA view of abortion with that of the Catholic Church in his reply to the following question:
Der Bund: You involve yourselves with questions such as abortion. I am assuming that The Salvation Army is against it?
General Clifton: That’s too simple. We are not as conservative as our catholic brothers and sisters. There are situations in which abortion is the lesser evil, for instance in cases of severe deformities of the foetus, [or] rape…
Hold on! Didn’t we just have an election where we drew the line at those very faulty exceptions? Health and life of the mother, fetal abnormalities, rape and incest were certainly sticking points for many of us as we struggled with being faithful citizens. So shouldn’t our charitable giving elicit equivalent care? After all, here’s an issue of which we have total control. No one is voting to force you to give against your will – the object of your charity is completely up to your informed discretion.
The investigation also revealed a link between The Salvation Army and Planned Parenthood:
Life Decisions International (LDI), a pro-life watchdog organization, keeps the pro-life community informed of companies and organizations that support the culture of death through direct donations to Planned Parenthood (PP) and support abortion through other means. For a fee, one can purchase their complete list of those organizations with habitual connections to PP. LDI also has an expanded “Dishonorable Mention” section detailing charitable groups that are associated with Planned Parenthood either through donations or joint programs. Salvation Army appears on that listing in addition to groups such as AARP, Lions Clubs, the American Cancer Society, Camp Fire Girls Inc., Girl Scouts, Kiwanis Clubs, the March of Dimes, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Rotary Clubs, and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
In an interview with Drew Mariani of Relevant Radio, Douglas Scott, founder of LDI also connects the “Executive Vic President of Salvation Army International with Planned Parenthood”. Further Mr. Scott says that in some locations, “Planned Parenthood offices actually share an office with the Salvation Army”. In LDI correspondence with them, the SA quickly wants to change the subject and instead highlight, “all the good we do”.
Unsurprisingly, The Salvation Army also promotes a program of preventing “unwanted pregnancy through means such as access to reliable birth control…”
This should give Catholics pause. It certainly got my attention. While I have no doubt that The Salvation Army is doing good works with the donations they receive, it would appear that they are also supporting grave evil as well. That’s not somewhere I want my money to go.
Catholics have options for charitable giving to organizations which help the needy. The Little Sisters of the Poor are always a good choice, as are The Sisters of Life and Birthright.
What are your favorite charitable organizations in line with Catholic teaching and in need of support? Please share them in the comments.