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Thursday, December 12, 2013

The Salvation Army: 5 Ethical Questions to Ask Before You Feed the Red Kettle



Ring-a-ling-a-ling - the bell beckons passers by to drop their change into the red kettle of the Salvation Army (SA).Yet even charity isn't as simple as it seems. What ethical problems surface when the SA is scrutinized? Shouldn't we be concerned about the destination of our good deeds? When it comes to large organizations, it isn't enough to blindly give. As Catholics (or any Christians, for that matter), we have a moral obligation to hold charities accountable. Since there are many options, we are capable of making a difference by giving to good, morally sound organizations. Last year, I wrote an in-depth piece outlining and providing sources to some very disturbing facts about the Salvation Army. Here, I have condensed the information in an easily read list of five:

What's the Salvation Army's Stance on Abortion?

On the surface the beginning of the SA Positional Statement is morally sound. There is acknowledgment that all people are created in the image of God and therefore have unique and intrinsic value.  They further state that human life is sacred and everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. The Salvation Army also accepts that life beings at the moment of fertilization. So far so good.
Later, in same section, there are shocking contradictions. The Salvation Army notes that termination can occur  when 'carrying the pregnancy further seriously threatens the life of the mother' or diagnostic procedures identify a fetal abnormality causing only a 'very brief post natal period'. Further, rape and incest also represent a 'special case for the consideration of termination'. These exceptions portray a troubling contradiction to the professed 'sanctity, unique dignity and respect' due to the 'image of God' found in our unborn brethren.

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