In the past, we've written about the Salvation Army's public statements on gays. We've also reported local shelter violence against women, discrimination in accommodations, and mismanagement of funds. If that didn't give you a better idea of what Salvationists are really like, perhaps this will.
It seems the church's main American office in Virginia has what's called an International Social Justice Commission. Does that title make you feel all warm and fuzzy or does it activate your Spidey senses?
The commission recently released a pamphlet entitled "Let's Talk about Racism." While we're sure this booklet has at least some sage advice for all of us, there's one tenet that should come as a slap in the face to any normal person.
It seems white supporters of the organization are being asked to offer a sincere apology for their race. In case you didn't get that, you (if you support the Salvationist Church in any way) need to say you're sorry for being white.
We don't know about any of you, but we don't recall ever being asked what color we wished to be...or gender...or anything else...pre-conception. Does anyone out there with half a brain think that this request went over well?
The church has since withdrawn the pamphlet, calling it written for only church members and suggesting the booklet's statements were all taken the wrong way. This came after donations began to plummet. The pamphlet is "under review," so it may show up in some form in the near future.
