My funniest posts are the serious ones.
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WELS Salvation Army?":
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The Salvation Army is Holiness denomination. It is not merely a charitable organization but a heterodox denomination.
The Arminian theology of Methodism can be seen in the Salvation Army's teaching that election or predestination depends on the foreseen conduct of the individual. Lutherans teach that there was nothing in us to cause God to choose any of us; our election is caused by God's grace and God's grace alone. Lutherans place the primary emphasis in theology on what God has done for us by justifying us, declaring us not guilty for the sake of Jesus who was condemned in our place.
The Salvation Army places its main theological emphasis on sanctification, the holy life that we are to live. Like Methodism and the other Holiness Churches, the Salvation Army teaches perfectionism or entire sanctification. Lutherans teach that the Christian will remain both sinner and saint until he dies. The Christian will struggle against sin until at death he is freed forever from sin and sin's consequences.
Lutherans teach that the Holy Spirit creates and sustains faith only through the means of grace, the gospel in Word and Sacraments. The Salvation Army historically has taught that the Holy Spirit works directly on the human heart apart from the means of grace.
Among Christian denominations the Salvation Army seems to be unique in not practicing either Baptism or the Lord's Supper. Lutherans place a strong emphasis on these two sacraments as means through which the Holy Spirit works to create or strengthen faith and brings us the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
Since the Salvation Army is a heterodox church body, we cannot readily separate their charitable work from their false teachings. For that reason we cannot support such a group (2 John 10-11). Although we might admire the zeal of the Salvation Army to help the downtrodden, we cannot participate in that work with them. We might rather want to support those charities operated by the Wisconsin Synod, ELS, and congregations in our fellowship, or charities that are not connected to any religious organization.
