The Salvation Army has repudiated and apologized for anti-gay remarks made by a PR staffer for the Salvation Army’s Australian operation, a gaffe which has renewed scrutiny of the group's policies toward homosexuality.
Major Andrew Craibe, a media relations director for the SA, appeared on an Australian radio show popular in the gay community and was asked if the SA believes gay people “deserve death.” He responded, “Well, that’s part of our belief system,” before pointing to language in Bible scriptures that rebukes homosexuality and is included in the SA’s handbook.
The SA in the U.S. blasted Craibe’s remarks, saying the group “fully and emphatically rejects the statements.”
“There is no scriptural support for demeaning or mistreating anyone for any reason including his or her sexual orientation,” said a statement from the U.S. branch. “We stand firmly upon our mission to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”
The SA’s Australian arm also distanced itself from Craibe’s remarks, apologizing and releasing a Q&A pledging a commitment to diversity and to offer services to all Australians. Its apology (PDF) alled Craibe’s statements a “miscommunication.”
The organization’s views on homosexuality have simmered mostly in the background but gained a spotlight in December when the New York Times reported on a boycott by gay activists of the group’s ubiquitous red kettles which collect donations around the holidays.
The Times highlighted the Army’s position statement, which notes that Scripture forbids sexual intimacy between members of the same sex and that the Army believes gay people should “embrace celibacy as a way of life.”
The SA operates in 122 countries.