Trending Topics

‘That Was Never Our Intention’: The Salvation Army Denies Reports That Its Guidebook Asks White Donors to Apologize for Racism

The Salvation Army is responding to allegations that its “Let’s Talk About Racism” guidebook, which has since been removed, demanded that white donors apologize for racism.

The allegations spread like wildfire following an article published by The Daily Wire one day after Thanksgiving, however, the incident appeared to have begun on Facebook from an upset online user Greg Koukl who said he would no longer be donating to the organizing after reading the contents of the guide.

However, the charity organization says those attacks are a misinterpretation. “The sensationalist claims that The Salvation Army has entered a political war are simply not true. Please see our response here,” the organization wrote in a Twitter post last month.

In a statement posted to their official website, and has since been updated since being published on Nov. 25, the international charitable organization acknowledged complaints about some of the contents in the handbook. Still, it denied forcing donors to apologize for racism.

“Elements of the recently issued ‘Let’s Talk About Racism’ guide led some to believe we think they should apologize for the color of their skin, or that The Salvation Army may have abandoned its Biblical beliefs for another philosophy or ideology,” the statement said, though the religious organization maintained “That was never our intention, so the guide has been removed for appropriate review.”

One section of the resource guide, obtained by the news station, says, “The desire is that Salvationists achieve the following: Lament, repent and apologize for biases or racist ideologies held and actions committed.”

The backlash ensued almost immediately online. “I try to be fair, so I read your pamphlet. Your apparent intent, that of equality for all, gets lost in the rhetoric,” commented one critic. “Especially in your practical responses: economic justice, racial justice, victim justice, influencing governments to promote justice..sounds radical not loving.”

The Salvation Army stated that while their organization occasionally publishes internal study guides on various social and societal issues, their goal is to help “foster positive conversations and grace-filled reflection among Salvationists.” “But no one is being told how to think. Period,” they added. 

They’ve since claimed that specific individuals were trying to mislabel them, writing, “They have claimed that we believe our donors should apologize for their skin color, that The Salvation Army believes America is an inherently racist society, and that we have abandoned our Christian faith for one ideology or another. The group added, “Those claims are simply false, and they distort the very goal of our work.” 

A spokesperson for the Salvation Army told Fox News Digital in a statement, that “The Salvation Army has made repeated efforts to clarify that we have never claimed that we believe our donors should apologize for their skin color, that The Salvation Army believes America is an inherently racist society, or that we have abandoned our Christian faith for one ideology or another.”

They added, “Regardless, false claims that were designed to harm our ability to make Christmas bright for more than 2.5 million Americans in need continue to be repeated by many.”


More news from our partners:

Video: Jan. 6 Insurrectionist Goes Viral After Crying In FBI Interview About Tasing an Officer During Capitol Riot, Claims He Was Coerced

‘It Destroyed My family’: An Athens, Georgia, Neighborhood Was Destroyed In the 1960s. Former Residents of the All-Black Community Want Reparations

‘My Defense Coordinator Is Black & He’s Going To Be The Next Head Coach’ | Let’s Hope Marcus Freeman Lasts Longer Than Tyrone Willingham Did At Notre Dame


Back to top