Christmas with a capital cranky curmedgeon

The  Salvation army seems to be taking some flack for using  funds from their campaigns for  prison mission work and handing out sunshine bags as an outreach program. I even heard people calling into our local talk radio alarmed at this turn of events. Some went so far as to angrily state that they will no longer be putting their hard earned dollars into those kettles.

OTTAWA — The Salvation Army is playing Santa to federal inmates, delivering gifts and season's greetings inside prisons across the country.


The "Sunshine Bags" contents vary by region, but are usually stuffed with treats like chocolate bars, candies, peanuts, magazines or personal hygiene products.

Some correctional officers are furious the Salvation Army is directing charitable dollars to Christmas presents to a population that includes murderers and rapists — especially in tough economic times.

"When you donate to a charity like that, in your mind you think you're helping kids and poor families have a Christmas. You don't think you're giving money so inmates can get Sunshine Bags," said one veteran prison guard at Ontario's Fenbrook Institution, where about 450 inmates will receive the bags Thursday.

The guard said while the bags don't have a high value individually, the cost is significant when multiplied for thousands of offenders in penitentiaries across the country.

Hmmm lets take a look at the name, beginnings and mission of the salvation Army shall we?

Definition of salvation.

n.

1. 1. Preservation or deliverance from destruction, difficulty, or evil.
   2. A source, means, or cause of such preservation or deliverance.
2. Christianity.
   1. Deliverance from the power or penalty of sin; redemption.
   2. The agent or means that brings about such deliverance.
   
    

Preservation or deliverance from destruction or evil eh? Hmmm pretty sure we have that in Prison. Be the agent or means to bring about deliverance from sin and evil? Again I'm thinking if you are in an army that fights despair or evil ..what do ya know, jail just might be one of the top ten places to go...go figure...

The beginnings of their Mission? 

The Salvation Army's main converts were at first alcoholics, morphine addicts, prostitutes and other "undesirables" unwelcomed into polite Christian society, which helped prompt the Booths to start their own church.

The shame, the horror....imagine a Christian organization acting so bloody CHRISTIAN? Who would have thunk it?

Now I partially blame our current injustice system, folks are so frustrated with the lack of convictions. With The easy sentencing I can almost forgive them for thinking that only the most vile specimens of humanity must actually reside in jails.

Even if that were so, so what?

Even I, a baaad Christian,  knows that these are exactly the types of souls that Christ was most interested in saving. He did not die on the cross to make a pathway for only those  who slightly pad their expense report, who take the Lords name in vain, bring home staplers from work, who covet their neighbour's wife's fine bosoms and firm young derriere, that lie or cheat or drink a dram too much. According to the legend he died for every dead, living or future soul no matter what their sin if they sincerely repented and asked for forgiveness.....And yes that means even rapists and murderers.

That is mission that  Christ set "us" to do, that is the Christan way, at least that is the way Christians are supposed to be.

So you can or not drop cash in the kettles because visions of poor children getting toys stopped dancing in your head. Feel free to judge the works of these good Christian bothers and Sisters based on wrongful delusion of  a sliding scale of sins. You can decide who is deserving and who is not of your funds, it is your right, just do not fool yourself with your own Christian goodness and charity, because me thinks you might require more growth in this area...

But What do I know?