Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant sect known for its charity. It is an international movement that currently works in over 120 countries. The theology of the Salvation Army is "mainstream Protestant".
Salvation Army Beliefs, History, Quotes and Facts
The Salvation Army is a Protestant denomination and an international charity which has become famous around the world for its work in the social services. This denomination is run much like a military, with individuals being referred to as "soldiers" and ranking officials in the organization being given military titles like "General."
The founder of the Salvation Army was William Booth. Booth was born in Nottingham, England, in 1829. As a young man he joined the Methodist church and shortly thereafter, about 1844, he allegedly had some sort of "conversion experience" which led to his becoming a revivalist preacher a couple of years later. In 1862, he left the Methodists to "evangelize" among the poor. Booth started the East London "Christian Mission" in 1865; the name was changed to "The Salvation Army" in 1878.
His decision to focus on people like prostitutes, child laborers, and thieves allowed the Salvation Army to flourish without directly competing with other evangelical sects, and his extremely efficient, military-like organization quickly made the Salvation Army a major charity.
Social services are provided by the Salvation Army to a wide variety of needy individuals, including elderly people, individuals struggling with substance abuse, and the homeless. The organization has soup kitchens, residential housing facilities, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers to provide services, and it is also involved in disaster relief around the world. Salvation Army bands march in parades all over the world to raise awareness about the works of the Salvation Army, and people in almost every country benefit from this organization.
Salvation Army - Scandals, Errors and Heresies
There is no question that General William Booth did much worldly good by founding the Salvation Army. However, they are sadly bad willed heretics deceiving and murdering souls.
Salvation Army on Homosexuality
The salvation army teaches on their US homepage, SalvationarmyUSA:
"Sexual attraction to the same sex is a matter of profound complexity. Whatever the causes may be, attempts to deny its reality or to marginalize those of a same-sex orientation have not been helpful. The Salvation Army does not consider same-sex orientation blameworthy in itself. Homosexual conduct, like heterosexual conduct, requires individual responsibility and must be guided by the light of scriptural teaching.
"Scripture forbids sexual intimacy between members of the same sex. The Salvation Army believes, therefore, that Christians whose sexual orientation is primarily or exclusively same-sex are called upon to embrace celibacy as a way of life. There is no scriptural support for same-sex unions as equal to, or as an alternative to, heterosexual marriage."
The salvation army teaches that homosexuality's cause is not known; but scripture teaches that homosexuality is a result of idolatry.
Romans 1 "Because that, when they knew God, they have not glorified him as God, or given thanks; but became vain in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened... who changed the truth of God into a lie; and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God delivered them up to shameful affections. For their women have changed the natural use into that use which is against nature. And, in like manner, the men also, leaving the natural use of the women, have burned in their lusts one towards another, men with men working that which is filthy, and receiving in themselves the recompense which was due to their error... they who do such things, are worthy of death; and not only they that do them, but they also that consent to them that do them."
Romans 1 clearly teaches that homosexuality is "against nature," which means that this orientation is foreign to man's nature; that is, it is NOT INSTILLED BY GOD. As a result of idolatry, God sometimes allows a demon to take people over, possess them, and change their sexual orientation, as St. Paul describes.
Men and women are given over to homosexuality for inundating themselves with sins of impurity (masturbation, sexual sins within and without of marriage) – thereby worshipping the flesh rather than God. For this sin they can get possessed by the demon of lust, which takes them over and corrupts their entire orientation. (And they can be cured of this.) People also become homosexuals by engaging in idolatry by either harboring a perverse fascination with human beings over God – thereby worshipping the creature rather than the Creator – or by simply worshipping something that is a creature or the work of one's hands. The fact that all homosexuals are possessed by a demon is corroborated by the fact that most homosexual males can be identified by their effeminate external mannerisms. What explains this? It's obviously the demon's presence in the person making itself manifest externally – the external, unnatural mannerisms revealing the internal corruption of the soul.
Isaias 3:9 "The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! For they have rewarded evil unto themselves."
Notice that the prophet Isaias, referring to homosexuals, says that "they have rewarded evil unto themselves." This is strikingly similar to Romans 1 above, where St. Paul says that homosexuals have received "in themselves the recompense [reward] which was due to their error."
"The Salvation Army does not consider same-sex orientation blameworthy in itself."
Homosexuality is condemned throughout the Bible. Sodomy is one of the sins that cries to heaven for vengeance. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for this very sin.
Jude 1:7 "As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighboring cities, in like manner, having given themselves to fornication, and going after strange flesh, were made an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire."
Leviticus 18:22 "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
Leviticus 20:13 "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."
Deuteronomy 23:17 "There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel."
1 Kings 14:24 "And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel."
1 Kings 15:11-12 "And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father. And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made."
Other Doctrinal Errors
The official creed book of the Salvation Army is The Salvation Army Handbook of Doctrine, published by the International Headquarters in London. The "General Order" which prefaces the book states:
"This volume contains an exposition of the principle Doctrines of the Salvation Army as set forth in its Deed Poll of 1878."
"These Doctrines are to be taught in connection with all Salvation Army Officer's training operations, both preparatory and institutional. It is required of officers of all ranks that their teaching, in public and private, shall conform to these eleven Articles of Faith."
Denial of the Necessity of Water Baptism
The Salvation Army administers no baptism. They assert that it is not necessary "in order to receive salvation." They reason that there are climates and circumstances which would make immersion impractical, so only repentance and faith are required (Handbook, pp. 185-186). Their creed book devotes nine whole pages, trying to prove baptism is not essential to salvation (pp. 180-188).
But Christ commands, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:15-16).
The Bible also teaches that baptism is for the remission of sins.
Acts 2:38 "But Peter said to them: Do penance, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins: and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
That's quite clear. The Bible says that baptism is for the remission of sins. It takes away sins.
Acts 22:12-16 "And one Ananias… Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked upon him. And he said… arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."
This clearly indicates that St. Paul's sins would be washed away in baptism.
Jesus teaches that all men must be baptized to have the faith and be saved.
Matthew 28:18-20 "And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…"
In the very last INSTRUCTION THAT JESUS CHRIST GIVES THE APOSTLES BEFORE LEAVING THIS WORLD – He gives His Apostles two commands: to teach all nations and to baptize. This should tell everyone something about the importance and the necessity of baptism. Baptism is bound up, by Jesus Himself, with the very command to teach all nations the Christian faith. That's because no one can be saved without it, as we see in St. Mark's Gospel.
Mark 16:15-16 "And he (Jesus) said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned."
Jesus says that those who believe and are baptized will be saved, which indicates that the unbaptized will not be saved. But some ask: why didn't Jesus say, "he that believeth not and is not baptized shall be damned," after saying he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved? The answer is that those who don't believe are not going to get baptized, so it's not necessary to mention baptism again.
Romans and Ephesians teach that one comes out of sin through baptism... Continue reading: The Bible teaches baptismal regeneration and that baptism is necessary for salvation
Baptism and the Lord's Supper Excluded
Page 188 of their creed book teaches baptism and the Lord's supper should not be practiced at all today. Their members are not to speak against those religions, which practice baptism and the Lord's supper, unless those religions teach these are essential. The Salvation Army makes no provision for the celebration of the Lord's Supper. Jesus plainly said of the memorial supper, "This do in remembrance of me" (1 Cor. 11:24). The Salvation Army excludes it so that they might testify to themselves and others "against the danger of trusting to any external rite as though it has a virtue in itself" (Handbook, p. 188). Such is the "testimony" of arrogance and unbelief.
John 6:53 "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you."
Protestants do not believe that the Eucharist is the actual body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. Catholics believe that after the consecration at Mass, "the Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true man, is truly, really, and substantially contained" in the Eucharist under the appearance of bread and wine (Council of Trent, Decree on the Eucharist). The Catholic view of the Eucharist was unanimously held for the first 1,500 years of Christianity. The biblical support for the Catholic teaching on the Eucharist is overwhelming and undeniable.
In John chapter 6, Jesus clearly says that his flesh is food and his blood is drink, and that you must eat his flesh and drink his blood.
John 6:51-58 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whosoever eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever."
Jesus says over and over again, in the clearest terms, that His flesh is food and His blood is drink. He says that unless you eat His flesh and drink His blood you shall not have life in you.
The Jews scoffed at the notion of eating his flesh; in response, Jesus confirms that this is exactly what he meant.
Non-Catholics claim that the words of Jesus in John 6 are not meant to be understood literally. They claim that Jesus was speaking only metaphorically or symbolically. Such an interpretation is not justified by the context of John 6. Furthermore, it is clearly refuted by what Jesus said to the Jews immediately after expressed their disbelief at the idea of eating His flesh.
John 6:52-53 "The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you."
The Jews did not believe that it was possible (or that Jesus could really mean) that He would give them His flesh to eat. They said exactly what the Protestants are saying today. If Jesus had been speaking in purely metaphorical (rather than literal) terms, as the Protestants say, then here was the perfect opportunity for Him to assure them that their fears were unfounded. It was the perfect moment for Jesus to explain that He didn't really mean that people would eat His flesh, but that He meant something else.
So what does Jesus say to them? In response to their disbelief, we see that Jesus repeats the same message, that it's necessary to actually eat His flesh and drink His blood, but in even stronger terms. He tells them that if they don't eat His flesh and drink His blood they will not have life in them (John 6:53).
There's more: in John 6:54, the Bible switches from the word phago (meaning "eat") to trogo (meaning "chew" or "gnaw") to leave no doubt that Jesus actually means eating his flesh.
The word phago (meaning "to eat" or "consume") is used nine times in the original Greek text of John 6:23-53. Phago is sufficient to convey the idea of eating Jesus' flesh. Immediately after the Jews expressed their disbelief that Jesus could mean such a thing, we read (in John 6:54) that Jesus switched to an even stronger and more graphic word. The word He then used (in John 6:54 and following) is trogo. This word literally means "to gnaw, chew or crunch," as even a Protestant study bible accessible on the internet will confirm (http://www.studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=5176). Therefore, to eradicate all doubt about the necessity to eat His flesh, Jesus switches to a word which means nothing but literal eating ("gnawing, chewing"). The same word trogo is used to mean literal eating in Matthew 24:38 and John 13:18.
John 6:54-56 "Whosoever eateth [trogo] my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth [trogo] my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him."
In light of this evidence, it is absurd to argue that Jesus didn't mean that people would actually eat His flesh and drink His blood.
After telling them that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood, many of his disciples left him; this proves that it was clear to all present that Jesus said and meant that people must eat his flesh.
John 6:60-68 "Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? ... From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life."
If Jesus did not really mean that people would eat His flesh and drink His blood, then He would have clarified His meaning and stopped these disciples from leaving Him over a misunderstanding. He would have said something like this: "Wait, you misunderstood me. I was only speaking symbolically. I didn't really mean that people would eat my flesh and drink my blood." But He doesn't do anything of the sort. He lets everyone who cannot accept His message walk away. This is an overwhelming contextual indication that everyone understood that Jesus was speaking literally of the necessity to eat His flesh and drink His blood. They simply couldn't accept it, and Jesus wasn't going to deny the truth or modify what He had told them.
The fact that many of Jesus' followers left Him over the necessity to eat His flesh and drink His blood is sadly illustrative of how this issue would, at different times in Church history, be a prime cause of people leaving the true faith of Jesus. It happened again in the 16th century, when many left Jesus and His true faith because they refused to believe that the Eucharist is the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ.
Protestants admit that the blood of the passover lamb mentioned in Exodus 12, which the Hebrews had to mark their doors with, signifies Jesus as the Lamb of God slain for the sins of the world; they don't realize that god also commanded the Hebrews to eat the passover lamb... Continue reading: The Bible teaches that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist
The Salvation Army has allowed the ordination of women since its beginning, although it was a hotly-disputed topic between William and Catherine Booth. The fourth, thirteenth, and nineteenth Generals of the Salvation Army were women.
Catherine Booth (the founder's wife) was a woman preacher who addressed great audiences. She wrote a vigorous defense of the "female ministry." The Bible teaches that women may not function in a teaching, authority role over men (1 Tim. 2:12ff; 1 Cor. 14:34-35). The role of a public woman spiritual teacher, pastor, priest, minister etc. over man is not the place of woman. This further demonstrates, in addition with the other information covered, that they are neither biblical nor Christian.
Salvation Army, Founded by Man
If you worship with the Salvation Army, William Booth started your sect in London in 1865.
If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex-monk of the Catholic Church, in approximately 1520.
If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII (an ex-Catholic) in the year 1534. Henry VIII decided to create his own church when Pope Clement VII would not grant him a divorce with the right to remarry.
If you are a Mennonite, Menno Simons (an ex-Catholic) created your religion in 1536.
If you are a Presbyterian, John Knox (an ex-Catholic) founded your sect in Scotland in the year 1560.
If you are a Congregationalist, your religion began with Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.
If you are a Baptist, John Smyth created your sect in Amsterdam in 1605.
If you are of the Dutch Reformed church, your church began with Michaelis Jones in New York in 1628.
If you are a Quaker, your religion began with George Fox in 1652.
If you are a Protestant Episcopalian, Samuel Seabury created your sect in the American colonies in the 17th century, as an offshoot of the Church of England.
If you are Amish, Jacob Amman created your religion in 1693, as an offshoot of the Mennonites.
If you are a Methodist, your religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1744.
If you are a Unitarian, Theophilus Lindley founded your sect in London in 1774.
If you are a Mormon ("Latter Day Saints"), your religion comes from Joseph Smith, who revealed it in Palmyra, N.Y. in 1829.
If you are a Seventh Day Adventist, your religion was created by Ellen White in 1860.
If you are of the "Jehovah's Witnesses," your beliefs came from Charles Taze Russell in 1872.
If you are a "Christian Scientist," Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy devised your religion in 1879.
If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as "Church of the Nazarene," "Pentecostal Gospel," "Holiness Church," "Pilgrim Holiness Church," "Assemblies of God," "United Church of Christ," etc., your religion is one of the thousands of new sects founded by men in the last century.
If you are Catholic, you know that your religion was founded in the year 33 by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, true God and true man; and that this one Church, to which people must belong to be saved, will exist until the end of time.
Jesus promised, "I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18). This means that his Church will never be destroyed and will never fall away from him. His Church will survive until his return, it means that the Church will, until the end of time, remain essentially what she is. One must belong to the one true universal Church Jesus Christ established to be Saved, for he who refuses to hear the Church is like the heathen and publican (Matthew 18:17).
Only the Catholic Church existed in the tenth century, in the fifth century, and in the first century, faithfully teaching the doctrines given by Christ to the apostles, omitting nothing. The line of popes can be traced back, in unbroken succession, to Peter himself. This is unequaled by any institution in history.
