Salvation Army pulls controversial racism guide amid public outcry
Many social media users posted calls to stop donating to the organization due to the guide
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Salvation Army has removed a document from its website called "Let’s Talk About Race" after criticism over the racially charged language instructing white people and Christians to "evaluate" racist attitudes and practices.
"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 Salvation Army posted on its website. "That was never our intention, so the guide has been removed for appropriate review."
A Salvation Army EMS vehicle is setup as a cooling station as people lineup to get into a splash park while trying to beat the heat in Calgary, Alberta., Wednesday, June 30, 2021.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Additionally, a link to the guide that had been originally posted in April was taken down from the Salvation Army website as of Tuesday.
"Let's Talk About Racism" was created by the Salvation Army International Social Justice Commission and was meant to provide "internal dialogue" on the issue of racism among members of the Salvation Army.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"While many Salvationists have acted firmly and courageously against racism, The Salvation Army acknowledges with regret, that Salvationists have sometimes shared in the sins of racism and conformed to economic, organizational and social pressures that perpetuate racism," the guide stated.
The international Christian organization has major goals for its latest venture. (iStock)
The guide's "introduction" states that Christians need to "evaluate" racist attitudes and practices.
Additionally, the guide said "White culture" has challenges it needs to overcome, including "denial of racism" and "defensiveness about race," and states that "White Americans" need to "stop trying to be ‘colorblind.’"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In a statement posted Thursday, the Salvation Army rebuked claims that "the Salvation Army believes America is an inherently racist society" as has been taught as part of the critical race theory push in schools, corporations and local governments across the country.
"Those claims are false, and they distort the very goal of our work," the Salvation Army said. "The truth is that The Salvation Army believes that racism is fundamentally incompatible with Christianity, and we are called to work toward a world where all people are loved, accepted, and valued. Our positional statement on racism makes this clear."
The charity group faced pushback online after the reports of the racism guide spread, including from comedian and Washington Times columnist Tim Young, who said he will no longer donate to the organization.
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"No one claimed you entered a ‘political war,’" Young tweeted. "They did correctly claim that you pushed Critical Race Theory. Your response doesn't help... You've lost me as a donor and avid shopper."
"It is extremely unfortunate to see the @SalvationArmyUS get sucked into the disaster of Critical Race Theory & woke politics," Fox News contributor and Fox Nation host Tammy Bruce tweeted. "Those cancers know no bounds. "
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Avoid giving to the Salvation Army this Christmas," political vlogger Paul Ray Ramsey tweeted.
"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," a spokesperson for the Salvation Army told Fox News Digital in a statement. "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."
The organization added, "The Salvation Army continues to listen and address the worries of concerned parties while maintaining that the resource was never a replacement for our position statement on racism, our policies, or our mission. The Salvation Army’s mission is clear: to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination."