The Right To Vice? (tentative title)

I've just found out about a thing called the Skeleton Army, who were created to mess up the Salvation Army's efforts against alcoholism and "loose morals".

Well, I was rather surprised to discover that the Salvation Army was such Serious Business; what I saw of it, on the media, was a glorified thrift shop network, always "that one place where you donate the old stuff you don't want anymore so that the poor may have it".

Anyway, I was rather suprised to find that they would not only piss off people (wouldn't their task be automatically prestigious socially?), but piss them off enough that they'd organize a remarkably large counter-movement for the explicit purpose of messing them up.

With a skull-and-bones motif.

I mean, what's this, CardCarryingVillainy?

This movement seems representative of other tendencies I've noticed (notably, the tendency to fling White Knighting and Holier Than Thou accusations at people, or to automatically hold "faithful" people in contempt), that I had always chalked up to prejudice and/or Tall Poppy Syndrome, but this goes rather further beyond mere snark.

So, what motivates people to behave like that? Can these reactions be predicted, and prevented?

Well, I've heard criticism of the Salvation Army now for homophobic stances they espouse.

The group you linked to and their activities were in the late 1800's (that isn't really clear from your post- it sounds like you are criticizing modern people based on some ultra-obscure group from the past).

I think the Salvation Army was definitely a social movement in the past- I know it comes up in Shaw's play Major Barbara, which was in that time period. As the article mentions, the Salvation Army was part of the Temperance Movement, and the Skeleton Army was a "movement" organized by an angry saloon keeper.

The Skeleton Army sounds like some of these groups (I think they were called "Mohawks or something like that) of rich people in England during the 1700's who liked to cause mayhem for amusement (basically people who have too much time on their hands and get their kicks from harming others).

edited 12th Jun '13 8:19:35 AM by Hodor

That sounds parallel to the various right wing groups currently in the US, who agitate against gun laws, and are funded by gun manufacturers.

They may do a lot of good stuff, and in fact I think they are probably a net positive effect, but groups like the Salvation Army also come across as a bunch of creepy buzzkill assholes. The kind of people who brought about prohibition in the 1920s USA, or banned Christmas after the English civil war, or who thought the workhouses were a great idea.

So, I think I can understand why people would oppose such a bunch of holier-than-though prigs.

The Salvation Army is a for-profit institution anyway, I don't donate to them. They're basically a business that relies on people giving them free shit to sell.

edited 12th Jun '13 1:50:49 PM by Barkey

So, remember that Salvation Army was not always a thrift store selling goods to pay for charitable work. They used to actually be, you know, an army :)

Murdering Muslims, burning sinners etc. All good Christian work! (I jest but you get the idea)

edited 12th Jun '13 1:59:41 PM by breadloaf

The Salvation Army is a non-profit Christian charitable organization.

That also happens to run a business and a church out of said business.

Pretty much every large charity runs a chain of shops, in the UK at least, so...

Running a business doesn't somehow preclude giving the proceeds to charity, you know. A couple or three years ago I worked at a thrift store that raises money for a local ministry that gives food and shelter to the homeless.

Still, given some recent stuff I've read about some SA higher-ups making some really nasty anti-gay comments (don't have link, sorry), I probably won't be supporting them anytime soon.

Honestly I can see why the Skeleton Army arose. Anytime you have an activity you enjoy and you get some upstart clown telling you how you should live your life and getting all up in your business, people tend to get ornery about that kind of meddling.

Seriously. Fuck groups like the old Temperance movement. I don't like anyone who goes around shoving their noses into how other people live their lives.

What is this topic even supposed to be about? The right to get drunk off your ass or are we simply complaining about the Salvation Army? I thought it would have been about the first from the title, but uh.. it's mostly complaining about the Salvation Army.

I think its human nature.

Gossip is major activity in hunter-gatherer society. And celebrity scandal and crime shows is very popular in television. Enforcement of community standard and punishing lawbreaker who break them give great pleasure to human brain.

Appearance of groups who 'more devout' is also natural occurrence. Many religious groups is created when some founders believe their religion had gone 'lax' and create more 'strict' subgroups. creating 'higher moral standard' is appear to be effective signaling of rising social status.

You'll be happy to learn that you no longer have a choice in the matter and will be required to be disdainful of the Salvation Army. And of course when I say "You'll be happy" I mean "You WILL be happy because we say so or else."

Ok, this thread is going nowhere, fast. We don't need a thread to bitch about the Salvation Army. Locking it up. Sorry, @The Handle, if you want to try again with an OP that doesn't invite complaining, feel free.