They’re a staple of holiday shopping, as ubiquitous as Muzak carols and endlessly repeating “one day” sales: Salvation Army bell ringers stationed just outside store doors, playing on Christmas spirit (and perhaps a little consumer guilt) to get you to drop a few dollars into their ever-present red kettles.
It would merely be a sweet charitable tradition, except that the Salvation Army is no mere charity.
The organization, which conducts numerous programs to aid the poor and others in need, is a militaristic church — a church that does not accept gay people unless we never act on our desire for love and intimacy.