builtonheartandsoul:

thisgingersnapsback:

skeeba:

thoughtsalatommm:

During this time of giving, I urge you to donate to more accepting charities than the Salvation Army, which is not accepting of homosexuals. In these troubled times, there is no need for an organization that is supposed to assist the unfortunate to be intolerant of anyone.

I always try to donate to charities like Toys For Tots, my local food bank, local domestic violence organizations (to find an organization near you, Google “domestic violence assistance” in your area), or the American Society for the Prevention of the Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Instead of throwing your spare change or a few dollars in that red bucket, consider putting your loose change and singles this season in a jar & donating it to a worthy cause that focuses on charity, not intolerance.

Some worthwhile charities in Colorado that could use your donations: TESSA (domestic abuse crisis shelter in Colorado Springs) and RAAP (Denver rape crisis center). Domestic abuse shelters are a great place to donate clothes, blankets, toiletries, toys, etc. 

Goodwill and The Arc are great store/charities that directly benefit people with developmental disabilities, and I can say from personal experience that they are great places to donate time, money, and items to.

Don’t forget you can volunteer, too! Volunteering at homeless shelters and soup kitchens during the holidays has always been a worthwhile experience for me.

Not to mention, the Salvation Army trashed Harry Potter and Twilight-Related toys instead of passing them on to children—or even other charitable organizations. But a toy M-16, well, that was designated to be gifted to a 10 year old…

While I completely do not agree that homosexuality is a “sin” and this does bother me, I have to say that The Salvation Army has never hidden the fact that they are a Christian group. I went onto their website to read this passage in full and this is the next part:

“Likewise, there is no scriptural support for demeaning or mistreating anyone for reason of his or her sexual orientation. The Salvation Army opposes any such abuse.

In keeping with these convictions, the services of The Salvation Army are available to all who qualify, without regard to sexual orientation. The fellowship of Salvation Army worship is open to all sincere seekers of faith in Christ, and membership in The Salvation Army church body is open to all who confess Christ as Savior and who accept and abide by The Salvation Army’s doctrine and discipline.”

Of course the cynical part of me wants to think that this may be in there to prevent a lawsuit or something, but I just wanted to add this because you can’t always take everything on Tumblr as the full truth (or in some cases, truth at all). 

I have to respect the fact that they put their beliefs out there for anyone to read, which I urge you to do if you are trying to decide whether or not to donate to their charity because I believe that when supporting a group you should understand exactly what you are supporting.

I do not agree with their stances on homosexuality, abortion, drugs, alcohol, and probably many more points. However, I am not a Christian so this is understandable.

I just don’t want people to forget that this charity, while you may not agree with all of their beliefs, has helped many people in hard times. So go read the actual website and weigh for yourself whether or not you would like to donate to them and see where your money is going. Don’t just read one paragraph off a CHRISTIAN website and decide that they are being “hateful” or not worth your time.

This article talks about what I have a bigger problem with: http://www.aclu.org/religion-belief/nyclu-sues-salvation-army-religious-discrimination-against-employees-government-fund

If you want to be a church, be a church. If you want to be a social services organization, be a social services organization.