What a sad day. A grevious day.
We get 'the Salvos' coming into the Tavern shaking their tins, collecting for all the 'good' that they do. To date we have always dropped our coins and even notes into the tins. But no more. They used to do good,
but something has poisoned their well.
The Salvos were drawn from all Christian groupings but ran largely as an 'Alt-Church'. Good folk, kind folk, joined for the Uniform and the respect that the public gave. And to do good. They sang, they marched, they banged the drum. But the Long March through that vernerable Institution by the wicked and the evil has done it's work and this year's Christmas appeal just might be thin.
This is what they say of themselves.:
Unfortunately with the state that education has fallen into, even the Salvos cannot (not allowed?) discriminate between Freedom and License.The Salvation Army is about people finding freedomIt's a pretty broad statement, but we're a pretty diverse bunch. Across the country we're engaged with every demographic and every age group.
Hmmmm. Not the Way, the Truth and the Light then?We're active in the big cities, the country towns and even outback cattle stations.You’ll find us involved in national issues and you’ll also find us one-on-one in your local cafe.Regardless of where we are or what we're doing, one thing always remains true: we're about people finding freedom.
Freedom from fear. Freedom from neglect. Freedom from poverty and addiction.Freedom to dream. Freedom to love. Freedom to make a difference.Freedom to live life to the full.
We believe in freedom through communityWe believe in the power of community. People loving other people, and people helping other people.Those who ‘have’ sharing generously – sacrificially – with those who don’t. People finding acceptance, encouragement, healing and support without discrimination. We believe no-one should have to ‘go it alone’.Our goal is to be community builders, not just service providers. We don’t give up on people – not only responding to immediate needs but journeying with people for the long haul, helping them to find freedom and stay free as well.We believe in freedom through actionWe’re not afraid to get our hands dirty to help secure freedom for others.If the environment is unpleasant, we’ll still go. If the task seems impossible, we’ll try anyway. We’re convinced that freedom is for everybody. No exceptions.We see ourselves as a movement rather than an institution – inspiring, equipping and inviting people from all walks of life to join the fight and be part of helping secure freedom for someone else.
We believe in freedom through faithWe believe that true freedom encompasses body, mind and spirit.Our faith convinces us that hope, purpose and fulfilment can be everyone’s story.Our freedom journey started with Jesus, and he continues to be the foundation, inspiration and driving force of everything we do. We believe Jesus was, is, and always will be about people finding freedom.
Note the lower-case 'f' in Faith. Note the almost grudging eventual reference to Jesus. Their journey may have started with Jesus but look where it is ending. They have marched right off a cliff somewhere en route. William Booth and his wife Catherine will be turning in their graves, poor sods.
The Salvos, you see, have 'endorsed' the evil program that has been forced upon Schools. It is encouraging it. It is pushing a program which counters pretty well every moral stance that the Booths started out with.
Here is what their new 'press release' says:
Salvation Army in Australia Supports "Safe Schools" Initiative
But the programe does not do that. It teaches children to BE transgender and homosexual. It makes schools very UNsafe.
The Salvation Army supports the Safe Schools Coalition Victoria in its initiative designed to reduce homophobic and transphobic behaviour and create safe learning environments for all students.
There is a passage in the Bible that talks of Beams and Motes. The Salvos need to reread a few times.
The Salvation Army is concerned by the very high level of bullying, higher levels mental health issues and the highest rates of suicidality of any group in Australia for same-sex attracted and gender diverse young people. The Salvation Army’s Victoria State Council (VSC) has been aware of the negative claims about the Safe Schools program and its related materials but believes these to be unfounded.
Chair of VSC, Major Dr Geoff Webb says “Our social policy unit has reviewed the official teaching resources provided by the Safe Schools Coalition and the four official guidelines. It has also studied the independent review commissioned by the Australian government, together with other materials. None of the negative claims made about the program accurately reflect anything in the official materials reviewed.
Hey, guys. Ever hear of Mandy Rice Davies?
“Provided schools adhere to official teaching resources and the official guidelines, there should be no issues with Safe Schools. We support the provision of safe learning environments for all students,” Webb says.Dr Webb notes that a Federal Government independent review found that the four official guides are consistent with the aims of the program and are appropriate for use in schools.
“Our findings are consistent with the government’s review,” Webb says, “and the resource All of Us is consistent with the aims of the program, is suitable, robust, age-appropriate, educationally sound and aligned with the Australian Curriculum.”
Their announcement has caused and will cause dismay.
The Salvation Army in Victoria has welcomed the Andrews Government commitment of additional funding to ensure that every Victorian secondary school is involved in the Safe Schools programme by the end of 2018.
Prof. J.J. Ray sank a pint slowly and glumly. He spoke to the bar:
The program is ostensibly an anti-bullying program but its far-Left authors expanded it way beyond that. It actually promotes homosexuality. From Karl Marx on, the far-Left have hated the family and this is yet another attack on it. Some of its features:
* Teaches girls to bind their chests so their breasts won't develop
* Encourages student cross-dressing
* Teaches kids gay and lesbian sexual techniques
* Encourages kids to use either boys’ or girls’ toilets
* Integrates gender theory and sexual themes across all subjects
I have on various occasions in the past donated to the Sallies. Because of their welfare work in wartime, military men tend to have a soft spot for the Sallies and I certainly have always thought well of them.
Anne, the lady in my life, used to sing with the Sallies on street corners when they still did that and I have always regarded that history as a great credit to her.
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| New Salvo's Uniform |
Time does however tend to corrupt organizations that started out as idealistic and it seems that the Sallies have drunk the Leftist Kool-Aid now. They are not who they were. They now support a program that valorizes homosexuality and devalues the traditional family.
Morgan Cox writes:
"I just phoned the Salvation Army. They confirmed that they reviewed the "safe" schools program (the full unedited Victoria state version) and fully support it. I highlighted to them some of the reasons why as parents we hold grave concerns about the program.
I was told that they feel sorry for me and my view.
They think its a great program"
Until recently their front page said: "However, same-sex relationships which are genitally expressed are unacceptable according to the teaching of Scripture. Attempts to establish or promote such relationships as viable alternatives to heterosexually-based family life do not conform to God’s will for society."
The have always of course ministered to sexual deviants as being persons in need, but they have never until recently approved of homosexual practices.
Like the Anglicans, they have now let go of Bible teaching and adopted a secular do-gooder philosophy.
It will not end well.
They will fade away as the Anglicans are fading away.
They will never again get a donation from me and I hope that others concerned for healthy families will follow suit. Politically, what they have done is asinine. Conservatives are the big charitable givers and they will now choke a lot of that off .
I have asked my Bouncer to keep an eye out for strangely attired Salvo ladies, and to check that they really are ladies.
Pax
As a former Salvationist, I can say that this is all about the money. For many decades, over a hundred years in fact, the Salvation Army has happily accepted government assistance for their programs. Over the years, government has quietly increased its influence over the Salvos by introducing "conditions" to these payments. Initially these conditions were in line with Salvationist values. "You cannot discriminate against certain groups when assisting people" for example was completely in line with Salvationist policy anyhow which gave help based on need, without respect to the religion, creed, race or sexual orientation of the recipient.
ReplyDeleteBut then the government gave more and more funding to the Salvation Army as a cheap alternative to directly paid welfare. Salvation Army Officers are paid scandalously little, so the governments saw a way to save money. The Army became reliant almost totally on government handouts as many Salvationists who held onto the ethics of doing what is right - not what is popular, started to fall away and stopped giving money. Giving from within the Army's own membership plummeted.
The Army was in a bind. Do what is right and lose government funding for their "works", resulting in the closure of most of their welfare, drug recovery centres and homeless centres, or bow to the pressure to conform to government policy and abandon their moral compass.
It is clear which pathway they chose. Ignoring Matthew 6:33 and many other clear Biblical instructions, they decided that it was more important to pave the pathway to hell with comfortable beds and warm meals for the needy than to forego the ability to supply those beds and meals so that they could continue to stand in line with the work of Christ in saving souls and converting followers. They lost their nerve and abandoned the real fight in favour of the easy way... something the Bible itself warns against. The Salvos serve mammon now. (Luke 16:13)
The Salvation Army died spiritually thirty years ago in the United Kingdom where it was born. The same spiritual maladies which killed it there: compromise with the world, loss of spiritual direction, loss of faith and the diminution of true followers of Christ with its ranks; it now suffers elsewhere in the world. The Salvation Army in Australia was already nearly spiritually dead before they accepted this "Safe Schools Program". Their decision to embrace it will merely hasten that death.
Many thanks for coming in, standing at the bar and giving so generously. All that you say is so clear. It is a crying shame that the Salvos have fallen, but they are not alone. Pretty well every Christian Church, including the Catholics, have 'taken Caesar's coin' with the inevitable result of being garrotted by the attached strings.
DeleteI have a table by the window for you and drinks will flow to it all night.
It is sad that each so called 'church' becomes corrupted by politics and power over time.
ReplyDeleteJesus founded 'his' church and we should all follow 'his' teachings. Those teachings, even though we all fall from grace, lead to the ultimate truth.
There is no other truth...
Sad indeed. When Christ returns He will ask, "Just what was it I did not make clear?"
DeleteThey were particularly vital during the wars, a sad day indeed.
ReplyDeleteYes, and in the years after.
Delete