Phil Bronstein likes the (anti-gay) Salvation Army

12.14.09 - 1:45 pm | Tim Redmond |

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By Tim Redmond

The Chron's Bronstein has a long post today on why he's going to keep giving money to the Salvation Army, the conservative Christian organization that thinks homosexuality is a sin and fights to keep having to provide benefits for domestic partners.

I get that they do (some) good work. So does the Catholic Church. There are all sorts of right-wing characters who give to charity, serve soup to the poor -- and try to make goddamn sure that the world never changes in such a way that the need for charity will decline.

The Army's supporters say 89 percent of the money goes directly to service. So 11 cents out of every dollar you drop in the red can goes to support an agenda dedicated to bigotry and intolerance that doesn't belong anywhere in society any more. That's too much for me.

Comments

tim redmond

I'm not trying to put the Salvation Army out of business, or say they don't do any good. They have every right as a religious group to speak out on social issues; so do liberal churches. I'm just saying that the good deeds don't outweight the bigotry, at least for me. So they don't get my spare change.

Posted by tim redmond on Dec. 15, 2009 @ 12:50 pm

Enfield

C'mon now! Methinks most of you guys live a too rarefied existence. Not that I side with the Salvation Army doctrine but at least they don't discriminate who they help. I live in Iowa and if I were to boycott every firm, agency, fraternal group or whatever for not believing like me I'd have no friends or anyone I could count on at all. If you want to be at peace, you need to be peaceable. It all boils down to being able to live and get along with all kinds of people. Don't begrudge the kettle your pocket change.

Posted by Enfield on Dec. 15, 2009 @ 11:50 am

glen matlock

Just wondering here rps, do you think that some churches should stop telling people that gays should have equal rights, that segregation is bad, the war in Iraq is bad, that no one is illegal... or just things you don't agree with?

As a non believer religion has no validity to me no matter the position, but if they are agreeing with you, are they OK?

...and the second post, more of that liberal tolerance I hear so much about? Some liberal churches take the "stupid tax" and give it to aids hostels and such things, I would guess that religious conservatives would share your view on the immorality of that.

Posted by glen matlock on Dec. 15, 2009 @ 11:03 am

rps

If churches want to be useful and relevant, even to those of us who are atheists, they should just minister to humanity and feed the hungry, heal, help unemployed get work, but not tell people how to live. Can't they just do that?

Posted by rps on Dec. 15, 2009 @ 12:55 am

marcos

I'd give them money if they'd just stop ringing that goddamn bell.

-marc

Posted by marcos on Dec. 14, 2009 @ 6:59 pm

tim redmond

I just got an email from Phil, who says he also practices the Untied Way,

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/07/DDGOULJCRI1.DTL

so he has that going for him.

Posted by tim redmond on Dec. 14, 2009 @ 4:29 pm

Bill

I'll go one further than cedichou.

HETEROSEXUALS (the majority, as polls seem to confirm) in general are a pretty dumb bunch.

They support 'Christian' and 'Catholic' organizations that abuse, degrade and demonize their very own children for having the misfortune of being born gay in a world that wishes them nothing but harm, in exchange for being robbed of their hard earned money via a weekly 'stupid tax' dropped into a collection plate so that a bunch of wealthy pedophiles can keep building their city of solid gold in Rome.

Pathetic. Immoral.

And just plain dumb.

Posted by Bill on Dec. 14, 2009 @ 3:44 pm

cedichou

Phil Bronstein is so dumb. He's proud of his silly knee-jerk contrarian opinions. He'll drop money in the Salvation Army bucket, money he could give to another organization that does some good works without the hateful agenda.

Between 80% and 90% of hamas's money goes to services. Will Phil donate to them as well?

Posted by cedichou on Dec. 14, 2009 @ 3:20 pm

the salvation army is a

the salvation army is a christian organization and they believe that the bible is law so yes they dont wont gays working there and you can't become a full member of the salvation army because you would be representen a christian church that does not mean you cant come to the salvation army to worship god because we believe in the bible and the bible says to love the the person buthate the sin even thow the salvation army has anti gay policys for workers and thouse that atend the salvation army because they would be represent a christian church that does not mean we dont help homosexuals we dont terne any body down for any thange even spertrul needs

Posted by Guest on Mar. 18, 2010 @ 11:45 pm

In general, it seems

In general, it seems Christians don't fully practice the religion they want to impose on the rest of the world. You say "... love the person buthate the sin." Okay, but that sounds like you're always looking around at who's sinning-- as you see it. Well it's not your job to figure out who's sinning and what they're doing wrong. You just need to take care of your own business and let God worry about the rest.

I agree each organization & church has the right to hold their beliefs and express their ideals. However, I think churches already get sufficient support from the public-- they benefit from the country's infrastructure and financial systems and don't have to pay any taxes, regardless of how much money they collect and invest.

I often get irritated when churches want it all: they want the right to say and do whatever they want; they want to control and legislate everyone else's behavior; they don't want to pay any taxes; and they feel entitled to my pocket change during the holidays. I don't know what they do with the money they collect. They say it's charity but they don't have to report anything they take in, so who knows what they're really doing with it? If I don't agree with what they're promoting in the world, I think it's important to send my money elsewhere.

Posted by Guest on Nov. 26, 2010 @ 9:53 am