Salvation Army
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The Salvation Army is a Christian denomination, a charity and a social services organization.
The Salvation Army was founded in London, England by William Booth, who at that time was a Methodist minister. Then on July 5, 1865 he started the movement which was originally named the Christian Mission. The name was later changed to The Salvation Army in 1878 to match its recently adopted quasi-military style and outlook.
The Salvation Army is led by a General, currently John Larsson.
The Salvation Army's main converts were at first alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes and other "undesirables" of society which the church at that time refused to have anything to do with. As a prophetic reminder to the rest of the Body of Christ, The Salvation Army decided not to practice baptism or to celebrate the Lord's Supper in any form. The Salvation Army grew rapidly, and as it did it also created friction among certain people within the society at that time. These people hired thugs to disrupt, any way they could, Salvation Army meetings and gatherings. These people grouped under the name of the Skeleton Army. Usual tactics used by this army were throwing rocks, rats, and tar, and physically assaulting members of The Salvation Army at these meetings.
The mission of The Salvation Army is to win the world for Jesus. General William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army, explained, "Salvationism means simply the overcoming and banishing from the earth of wickedness." The Salvation Army has from its founding been uncompromisingly opposed to what it sees as sin. Their idea of wickedness is based on their literal interpretation of the Christian Bible. This sometimes puts them into conflict with immoral people. It also puts them into conflict with people who see themselves as moral but base their morality on different interpretations of the Bible or on different moral systems, for example Secular humanism. Currently the Salvation Army is in conflict with the New York authorities because New York insists on firms providing medical help to the partners of gay people. Paradoxically the Salvation Army will help habitual drunks, drug addicts, criminals and other undesirables. It seems the New York Salvation Army believes it is right to deny medical help to gay people.
At the turn of the 21st Century the Salvation army had grown to operate in over 100 countries world wide. This was through its focus on the needs of humankind. The phrase of "Heart to God and Hand to Man" was its focus and its driving goal which made The Salvation Army, in the United Kingdom especially, the largest provider of social welfare (eventide homes, homeless hostels, rehab centres) second only to the government.
On March 10, 1880 members of the Salvation Army landed in the United States and began operations there.
One of the other common beliefs of the Salvation Army is that its members refrain from the drinking alcohol, smoking, taking illicit (illegal) drugs and gambling. These beliefs came from its founding on the streets on Victorian England.
The Salvation Army is a church "with its sleeves rolled up" and has always had a history of being involved in social action. It has across the world over (statistics taken from Salvation Army publications):
- Has more than 800 hostel catering for nearly 40,000 people throughout the year.
- Over 300 retraining centres.
- More than 2,000 food distribution centres, with additional emergency feeding programmes set up when and where needed.
- More than 700 eventide and elderly people homes.
- Nearly 300 hospitals and clinics.
- 202 children's homes
- 481 day nurseries and cr�ches
- 5 holiday homes
- 66 fresh-air camps
- 1,505 primary and secondary schools
- 32 domestic science and trade schools.
- 370 occupational and industrial centres for retraining and work experience
- Over 130 drug and alcohol rehabilitation programmes
- 7 institutes provide a home and training for the blind
- Over 30 purpose-built homes for the physically handicapped
- Over 400 canteens, mobile units and hostels cater for the needs of people who serve in the armed forces.
- More than 10,000 missing relatives were traced through The Salvation Army's Missing Persons services
- Nearly 500,000 prisoners were visited and given help on discharge.
- Over 30 homes accommodate almost 900 young offenders.
- The Salvation Army's night patrols, rescue and anti-suicide missions helped around about 200,000 people last year alone.
- Nearly 300,000 people received counselling from Salvation Army personnel last year.
- 75 residences are provided for students and business people who need accommodation.
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Salvation Army Doctrine
The Salvation Army, as part of its beliefs uphold the following 11 doctrines: These articles are displayed here with objections.
- Belief that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God; and that they only constitute the divine rule of Christian faith and practice.
How would they explain Bible contradictions as in The Skeptics Annotated Bible?
- Belief that there is only one God who is infinitely perfect - the Creator, Preserver and Governor of all things - and who is the only proper object of religious worship.
How would a perfect God allow evil? See Problem of evil
- Belief that there are three persons in the Godhead - the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost - undivided in essence and co-equal in power and glory.
The Doctrine of The Holy Trinity competely united and completely divided is considered a Logical Contradiction.
See also The Trinity Very Anciently a Current Heathen Doctrine
- Belief that in the person of Jesus Christ the divine and human natures are united; so that he is truly and properly God, and truly and properly man.
- Belief that our first parents were created in a state of innocence but, by their disobedience, they lost their purity and happiness; and that in consequence of their fall all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God.
How would they explain fossil and other scientific evidence that humans evolved rather than were created in the form of Adam and Eve? The above doctrine has become far less tenable since the time of Charles Darwin and Thomas Henry Huxley. How would they explain the injustice of punishing all mankind for the sins of two individuals? Before acquiring knowlege Adam and Eve could not have known that disobedience is wrong and could not have been responsible for their actions.
- Belief that the Lord Jesus Christ has, by his suffering and death, made an atonement for the whole world, so that whosoever will may be saved.
Punishing the inocent Jesus could not atone for the sins of guilty humans. It can be argued that God was guilty as he made manking imperfect and liable to sin. Therefore the punishment of Jesus can be seen as just. Christians may well see the above as Blasphemy.
- Belief that repentance towards God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit are necessary to salvation.
- Belief that we are justified by grace, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ; and that he that believes has the witness in himself.
- Belief that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.
How would they explain a loving God condemning moral people to Hell? Do they believe that those who lead moral lives but do not believe in Jesus will be punished eternally simply for lack of faith?
- Belief that it is the privilege of all believers to be 'wholly sanctified', and that their 'whole spirit and soul and body' may 'be preserved blame less unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ' (1 Thessalonians5: 23).
- Belief in the immortality of the soul; in the resurrection of the body; in the general judgement at the end of the world; in the eternal happiness of the righteous; and in the endless punishment of the wicked.
On the endless punishment of the wicked see Problem of Hell
The above objections to Salvation Army Doctrines apply largely to other Christians who take the Bible literally as well.
Youth Groups
The Salvation Army has a number of youth groups associated with it, mainly its Sunday Schools and Scout and Guide pack. It used to have the Sunbeams and Guards (female) groups as well as the Chums (male) but these have since been dissolved.
Music
One of the militaristic trappings adopted by the Salvation Army, in an effort to heighten its profile and improve the appeal of its worship, was the use of uniformed bands. This is now another way in which the Army is well-known since their musical groups, usually a brass band or smaller collection of brass instruments, are often seen in public at Christmas and in other festivals and campaigns. The standard of playing is often high and the Army operates bands at the international level (for example the International Staff Band) which are the equal of professional ensembles, though they do not participate in the brass band contest scene. Many professional brass players and contesting brass band personnel have come up through the Salvation Army, and in some cases still maintain links, for example Philip Smith, principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic, who still plays and records quite often with the Army's New York Staff Band.
External Links
References
- Information mainly all taken from various Salvation Army publications and press releases.
References
- Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "Salvation_Army" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation_Army, used under the GNU Free Documentation License
