At first blush, this story seemed too bizarre to be true; alas it is not. [h/t Gateway Pundit] As noted by Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit, a few weeks ago the Salvation Army stepped into the social justice arena and began promoting the premise of white guilt.
According to an “internal study guide” from the charitable organization intended to “foster positive conversations and grace-filled reflection among Salvationists“, the white members and donors to the Salvation Army were requested to reflect on their inherent racism. According to the Salvation Army’s “International Social Justice Commission“, this was presumably of some charitable value.
Obviously, this request stirred up some controversy. In an era where the toxic issues around Critical Race Theory being taught in schools has been in the headlines, there is likely not a worse time for a charitable group to join the social justice cause and push CRT toward the aggregate public.
Many people were surprised by the decision of the Salvation Army to push the divisive issue of racism in what appeared to be an effort by the organization to enter the orbit of wokeism.
Quite frankly, I cannot reference a more ridiculous organizational decision than this example in recent memory. However, that said, while the original decision was nuts, the effort to clean up the mess they created for themselves is exponentially more nuts. Amid the backlash, the Salvation Army released the following statement:
[LINK]
The first thought of ‘what were they thinking‘, becomes compounded by realizing the Salvation Army is a partner with something called the “International Social Justice Commission.” I mean, seriously, what the heck is this all about?
Mistake one might be taking the intent of a historic organization away from charitable giving and into the toxic and divisive world of racial politics. Mistake number two is doubling down on the decision to engage with race in some ill-fated effort to establish politically correct bona fides.
If you wanted to completely destroy the guiding mission of a charity, the Salvation Army is showing everyone exactly how to do it.
I’m not sure what qualifications or prisms others use, but myself, as a donor, I want to see my money used by a charity in such a way as to care for people who are in the most need – and that has absolutely nothing to do with race or any other qualification. I am literally stunned by the intent of the Salvation Army in this mess, and their cleanup effort is even worse.
This is one of the biggest disappointments of the year, and yet, again shows that organizations can lose their entire purpose by following leadership making stupid decisions.
Jim Hoft follows up the issue with a highlight showing the Salvation Army is in a crisis now, because people are not giving to the charity at the time of year when the Christmas Season Salvation Army kettles usually raise a lot of money.
(Fox-13) […] Not only is the nonprofit organization short on donations, they also are in desperate need of bell ringers to staff the red kettles seen at businesses around the country. (read more)
Well, DUH! What exactly did The Salvation Army expect to happen?
My wife and I are very selective in our charity. For decades, Salvation Army was without question on our list.
This year, as a result of the story above and “at the last minute”, we withheld our donation to them. And, it is unlikely we will ever donate to them again. Once that trust is lost, I walk away.
Currently, the vast majority of our giving is to local organizations. The nation-wide charities all seem to have lost their way. Oh, well.
Soros and his Committee of Evil have managed to infest practically every Company/Organization Board in the nation.
So right you are.
It is inherently racist to presume all “white” people are inherently racist.
Sally Ann drank the poison. Now live with your decision.
Be sure to remember next year and the next and the next…..
What was once a gift to help the needy has now been turned into a moral obligation to pay for “racism and oppression” perpetrated by people who happened to have the same skin color as me.
Nope!
No more money from me.
Once an organization gets converged and under the control of Social Justice Warriors there is no way to save it except by removing them. Until then they will double or triple down on the same controversial and counter productive policies. The woke left does not know how to apologize, reform or change course. They are demonic fanatics and the only way to deal with them is to excise them from an organization like a surgeon removes a cancerous tumor.
Correct.
The Catholic Church, my Church, was influenced by Saul Alinsky … the Church threw away Charity … replaced it with Social Justice … now the Church hierarchy & charities are the Democrat’s personal Useful Idiots.
So true. I got tired of being labeled a racist & offered “training” etc. etc., while the priests that spoke out about the church leading the faithful into the Marxists ranks, were punished and the pedophiles protected. The last church bulletin boasted of the new formation of another social justice committee. “Climate Change, the new pro life. ”
That was the final straw. Joined the ranks of the fastest growing denomination……….ex Catholic
There are still many conservative parishes with conservative priests in America … I found one … I support that Parish and their Charities … I love The Trinity, Mass, Communion & Holy Water.
My Byzantine Catholic church doesn’t focus on social justice; we support some local charities and next will donate things for the troops.
Beautiful Churches and Services.
Sorry to break this to you, but it’s been that way almost from the inception of the Catholic Church. The Romans knew a extraordinarily efficient way of completely controlling people when they saw it. My advice to you would be to run for the life of your soul. The problem with that is most all Christian Churches are now equally tainted. We are fast approaching a time again of home church, well hidden.
I’m not turning my back on 2,000 years of magnificent History and Catholic Faith just because some bad/evil people used the Church and/or Faithful to advance their heresy.
“Christian charity” is chopped liver to all the sheep being directed by the Social Justice Warriors.
NOTHING good comes from Social Justice.
It really is amazing how, over the last year or two, so much corruption has been laid out for the public to view. From the Big Pharma corruption of the FDA, CDC, and NIH to “woke” charities and companies feeling emboldened to show their true colors. Also CRT in public education, radical public school boards, massive election fraud and traitors at the FBI and DOJ, to sex trafficking at the CIA. Not to mention the massive FAILURE and public suffering when liberal policies are enacted. It must ALL be fixed if our nation is to survive.
Trump said he would drain the swamp. And he is because he showed us where the plugs need to be pulled. It’s up to us, we the people, to get in that muck, find those damn chains and yank those suckers out “POP,” and then we can start to watch it drain. The more we pull, the faster it goes down.
right you are Dwayne. sooner or later we will have to get our hands in the muck. when I was a little boy my father would tell me when I didn’t want to do my chores, ‘the faster you get it done, the sooner you can go play’ He was right of course and I’ve never forgotten it.
Well said… so many “trusted” things exposed for what they are: fronts for marxist Dems
the Apocaypse is the ‘Great Revealing’
Halleluia, It’s a coming. not just no more censorship but the release of hundreds of withheld cures, a return to a gold-based currency, free energy and our Republic up and running again!
Get woke go broke, again this line becomes true, almost a sure bet.
Watch………….the drop in donations will be hyped as proof that all white folks are irredeemably RACCIISSSSS. And I don’t care.
True dat.
Three ‘sayings’ come to mind here –
“Everything woke turns to shit.”
“Play stupid games. Win stupid prizes.”
“You can’t fix stupid.”
ETA –
“Let’s go Brandon!”
If it ain’t woke, don’t ‘fix’ it.
…..if this is the original Ronin In PA, who I followed for years, thank you. No, U can not fix stupid. Most parents can’t fix Stupid. Governments can fix Stupid. Only us! U and Me. It begins at the grass roots level…..precinctent level. Volunatay anywhere U can. Don’t say what U really mean (the f__k in RINOs) will not vote for you. U have to be smart. Don’t play by any rules. It’s freedom for this Republic or slavery for the rest of the communists. I know! Been tound the Horn many times. Lived in communisty countries. It would kill U to C. the results of their idiotology. Don’t give in….and for pets sake don’t ever give in. Love 2 all.
I go to various grocery stores 3-4 times weekly and this season I have seen only a few people
put money in the kettle. Apparently, where I live, WE are the silent majority.
When I see a kettle, which is rare, I drop in a note telling them why I am not donating.
Look up what the head of the SA makes..talk about white privilege.
His title, as listed on the booklet in question, is “The General”.
I usually check a website called Charity Navigator to check on such topics as what is paid out for salaries. I’m not challenging you by any means, but can you provide a link? I would be very interested in this information and could not find it on Charity Navigator.
Actions have consequences – welcome to the real world. I will never donate to them again.
Anything that is American and a tradition the Woke Left aims to destroy. We stopped giving to the SA this year for the first time.
Oh lovely but I don’t buy it. Desolve your stupid Social Justice Commission AND fire your board members responsible for it and maybe, maybe I’ll consider next year.
We have given generously to Salvation Army for decades, this year included!
Because I started sending in early November b4 all the BS! I did also throw $ into kettle at various stores but less than I would have had they not gone woke! And it was because I felt sorry for bell ringers standing in cold, wet weather’ The main reason we gave generously all these years was because so much $ went directly to help needy & the main ppl received less compensation than many organizations! But next year when they send request directly, we will no longer donate! They can go ask all the WOKE ppl to donate! Feed up with this balcony!
Falling donations can be blamed on the blatant racist attitude of the SA toward white people. However, it’s doubtful the shortage of bell ringers can be blamed for the same reason. However, their vaccine mandate can.
I guess the blacks and illegals can’t make up the difference. Maybe next year.
From Guidestar:
Mission
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
——————–
Priceless.
Most Catholic pro-life organizations don’t support the Salvation Army.
I’m confused. Why did a Catholic University, Notre Dame, give Barack”I Never Saw An Abortion I Didn’t Like’ Obama an honorary degree? Did I miss the local Cardinal or the Pope ordering it rescinded?
Any way you look at it, smearing and libeling potential donors is probably not a particularly good business practice.
I doubled my usual donation, but gave it to Samaritan’s Purse instead of giving it to Salvation Army.
the ‘Purse’ is worse, and for worse, read pedophilia!
Just ask Black Rifle Coffee what being woke means.
This makes me wonder how much of our donations go to needy people and how much of it goes to woke liberals, or funnels it’s way into disguised George Soros political organizations. They seem to know how to find the money and use it for their terrible causes.
start donating your time and food stuffs that you have purchased to LOCAL food banks, No Money involved.
On one hand that’s true, on the other hand the food bank system is an industry, and it involves lots of money and tax-write off wheeling and dealing behind the scenes, not to mention making sure certain people get certain foods that others don’t get. I used to volunteer at one, people turned a blind eye, but still in all it went on.
When Trump was POTUS there was supposed to be a letter from him put in boxes, some food banks refused, I didn’t like seeing that being a political thing, but not really my point about it being an industry free of corrupt hazards. Out of most orgs though, you are correct, the food bank is one of the safer things to participate in.
Nothing is really sacred anymore.
Give donations to st Vincent DePaul they have better stuff and take care donations much better !🙏🙏
Soup kitchens for bums, flop houses for drug addicts and vagrants. I think I’ll keep my White nose out of the Sally’s business. Joe’s illegitimate government can pick up the slack.
Some of my family members have been donating their time bell ringing and financially supporting the SA in their community for years. They were quite angered with me when I forwarded the article and sent several emails to me trying to refute the story. They sent me the boilerplate response they had received from their local SA official when this story initially happened a few weeks ago. I did not choose to engage in a back and forth, but I did say how disappointed I was in the direction they are heading (internationally).
I have supported my local SA for many many years not only around the holidays but throughout the year. While I believe they historically have done a lot of good, I also believe their current leadership leaves much to be desired (duh). It is for that reason, that I’ve decided to pick different charities to support this year and going forward. Once I’ve felt like I’ve been burned, there’s no going back for me. This happened to me with Wounded Warriors too (see https://www.foxnews.com/us/wounded-warrior-projects-top-execs-fired-amid-lavish-spending-scandal ). Once a charitable organization screws up with their stewardship, they’re done. I work hard for a living and I want to know that what I’m willing to give to help is really getting to the person in need…………..not for some stupid SJW “training” or for someone to mismanage the money I’ve given.
It’s really a shame because I never ever felt that race had anything to do with plain old Christian (and non-religious) giving. I never asked what race people were who needed help. The thought never even crossed my mind. I just felt that it was the right thing to do.
Honestly, Dennis Prager was so spot on when he said, “The left ruins everything it touches.” It’s truly demonic what the left is able to do.
Truly demonic. People don’t like to acknowledge that it is exactly that, but it is.
We are witnessing what a Godless society looks like.
The left has provided a welcome home, within their ranks for satan, the father of lies.
Nothing good will come of an NGO. Nothing. Just as the Girl Scouts do the bidding of the globalists, so does the Salvation Army.
.
“The Salvation Army has been an affiliated non-governmental organisation with the United Nations (UN) since the UN’s formation. As one of the founding NGOs, The Salvation Army holds ‘consultative status’ at the UN and may formally contribute to its work in conjunction with other non-governmental, non-profit, public or voluntary organisations, and faith-based organisations with similar status.”
https://www.salvationarmy.org/isjc/ISJCUN
It has been the first time in my life I passed to give in the little red kettle.
The leadership needs to learn a lesson the hard way.
But, do you really think that they will truly connect the dots? Somehow these people always manage to find it to be someone else’s fault.
Sorry Ken. Epic fail bru
I used to stuff a few bucks into those red kettles.
Past tense. Tired of this ****
Up until this year, I have given to every Salvation Army kettle for about 50+ years.
When I read about their BS “woke” crap, I vowed never to give a single penny to them for as long as I am alive.
There are other organizations who actually do a great job of taking care of folks without passing judgement on those who try to help out others who are not doing well in life, and Do Not try to judge those who are willing to help those who are in need.
Let them learn from their lesson & I hope they go under for their making such a bad decision.
when your management operates in a bubble, you can t help but step on your d!(k…. everybody is with us right????????nope
I am sick that I willingly gave a $5 donation today in front of a large chain store, THEN saw this report 😖
I sent checks each December to SA. They do serve our local community. However, I am not one to support the wokarati and this December I sent my check to Samaritan’s Purse.
Put a hurting on the CEO of the Salvation Army’s massive salary!
Seems they have become dumb as rocks. They will never get any more money from me.
I’m glad the Salvation Army outed themselves. I’ll not donate another dime to them.
Trying to impress the wokies didn’t pan out too well. Let the lefties donate out of their pockets. Good luck.
I came across a couple of trunks of nice things in my grandma’s attic that I didn’t recognize. I am asked my mom and she said that a couple they knew had joined the SA (I am certain it was SA?) and one of the tenets was to own nothing.
They didn’t want to get rid of everything so stored some stuff with my grandparents.
I always thought that was odd. Also, unlike most local charity shops, our local store wouldn’t allow their workers dibs on anything donated. As annoying as it was for solidly middle class senior volunteers picking through toys I donated (I wanted the less advantaged community members to have our gently used nice toys but they seldom made it to the sales floor), the SA workers really needed things donated sometimes and were forbidden to get them. They were afraid. I made a point of giving workers a few things off the loading dock when they expressed interest. A Friend of Bill’s book and a child’s kitchenette.
Need isn’t about race or ethnicity; we all have hard times in our lives. I don’t treat people differently; we are all equal in the eyes of God. Even those grabby sr citizens.
I found out back in the 1980’s and 1990’s about various charity thrift shops where the “volunteers” that “worked” there did it primarily to be there when something came in from a donor – from the teeniest little ashtray to tables, chairs –
I was told by a neighbor who rationalized, very comfortably, “well, that’s how they get paid”
but volunteering means NOT getting paid!
Thrift shops used to be a really good place to go until they were ruined – most places now just have absolute junk that you couldn’t even sell at a garage sale for 50 cents but then it is absurdly all over-priced
I gave to the Red Cross regularly until I found out that they “diverted” $500k for “infrastructure expenses” from the money they collected from the Sep 11 2001 attack. Not a nickel since. I shopped regularly at Target for some incidentals until they allowed pedophiles in the girl’s dressing rooms. I haven’t been in one since. When the Red Cross told me I needed to apologize for being white I politely informed the people collecting money for them that my money was toxic seeing as how I am a white person. In addition, I don’t have accounts at FB or Twitter. I am very careful to vote with my wallet as often as possible. I encourage everyone to do so especially since our votes at the polls have been taken from us.
They obviously never knew who their donor were… I’m done.. I loved my Grandparents but I can no longer honor their wishes for annual SA financial support.. That said, I think they would be very upset at this turn of events..
I saw a bell ringer today, my brain said pfft as I walked by.
Years ago we had hurricane Isabelle come through. A friend of mine lost both her husband and son. Salvation Army would not help her in any way, told her there were other people that needed help. No one else in the area had been killed and over all there was minor damage in the area. So we never figured out exactly who they were helping from that storm. I will never forget going to a double funeral. Since then I have not given a penny to SA.
There are many places where one can donate and give. I do not support racism. We fought for many years to eliminate racism, and now we find out that the Salvation Army is racist. Stay away from them. If you give to them, you are a racist.
They lost me at “white privilege”. They used to be a favorite. Getting ready to make my 2021 donation to Tunnels to towers instead. I will not ever again donate to SA until every last one of current leadership is gone and a true apology, not the doublespeak they have been spewing is made to those of us that previously supported them.
Anyone heard anything regarding Meals on Wheels it’s also an annual charity for me.. If it has been infected too the animal shelter will be happy this years unless they too have issue with white dogs or cats
O’Sullivan’s First Law.
I give every year to SA in recognition of the good work it does in my county. But SA doesn’t allow me an option to donate to my local county chapter. Every donation seems to be funneled to a regional or national office. I have no idea how SA funding reaches the county level. Because my father and brother were staunch board members of their local SA, I’ve donated regularly in honor of their work. My enthusiasm is definitely waning, however.
The charism of every Christian organization and denomination wanes over time. Some organizations sunset themselves. Most try to find a new gimmick to keep going. I suspect that the charism of SA is fading, and SA is trying to make up for its lack of spiritual vigor with social justice enthusiasm.
I stopped giving to my alma maters due to their woke nonsense.
My church has gone woke also. It’s “welcome and affirming,” as long as you have the right opinions. The national denomination is in a death spiral.
It’s hard to leave a church you have belonged to and supported for decades. I’ll keep rearranging the deck chairs for a while.
I know what you’re going through re:church. I too am leaving after decades. When the pastor got into ‘social justice’ that was the turning point, but it’s hard. Actually, we could say the church left us, it left the Word. Social justice is secular/worldly ‘justice’, not God’s justice.
Find another congregation. Don’t give in. Don’t be one of those people who decides to withdraw from fellowship with believers because “you don’t have to go to church to believe, or worship.” I won’t go into all the reasons why I believe that is wrong, and absolutely contradicts Biblical teaching.
To withdraw from church completely is to attempt to withdraw as a member of the Body of Christ. It lessens us and our brethren. They need you. You need them. There is work to be done as Christians and it needs our active participation. Don’t hide your light under a bushel.
Praying the rosary is helpful for me – I think someone else is praying the rosary, too – I thought I read somewhere years ago that at 3:00 every afternoon, the rosary was prayed in The Phillippines . . . that was a long time ago. I notice that various Catholic parishes seem to be downsizing the rosary, to once a week, when it used to be every morning you could go there and find others praying the rosary (after Mass).
I could go there on the way to work and it really helped!
Now I watch Father Mitch Pacwa on youtube, the “Holy Rosary in the Holy Land” –
it would be great if one could conduct a giant Zoom session of the rosary every day – don’t have one’s face on the screen necessarily, just aim the camera at the hands holding the rosary and all the different voices blending together –
the rosary is powerful, I think
Those brave men in the shipyard at Gdansk in Poland, on their knees, praying the rosary in the face of the Soviet Union was profoundly moving (to me)
Thank you for the encouragement Menagerie. Fortunately, I am in a worldwide bible study ministry so I am in the Word and have fellowship there, but it isn’t a church. Several people I know are struggling with this issue with their church. I am praying for guidance.
Humble suggestion: Look for a PCA church (Presbyterian Church in America). Not to be confused with the PCUSA (Presbyterian Church in the United States). Some 40 years ago when homosexuality began to invade American Presbyterian houses of worship, the denomination split, with those who try to adhere to every word of the true gospel forming the PCA. The PCA churches are homes of the strongest expositional preaching you will find in our nation.
Thank you for this suggestion. I grew up in Dr James Kennedy’s church decades, decades ago. I moved from FL and ended up in a different denomination. Thanks for describing who is who in the split as I knew of the split but not the end result. There’s a Pres church near me, but I think it’s USA as I believe they had a BLM sign out front a year ago:(:( Guess they didn’t want to get burned down. I’ll keep your information. I’m praying for God’s guidance.
I received a request by mail, asking for a donation. I replied that since you now believe all white people are racist, I will be keeping my “green” money. I also mailed the return envelope with insufficient postage.
“If the SA automatically assume their white donors are racists, do they also then assume poor white folks are all racists too?
Do the SA distribute donations to the poor, according to skin color?”
WOW! That is an extremely interesting question? Excellent point!
Gov’t does, why wouldn’t they?
this demonstrates a few things to me.
Conservative America is the driving force behind all things good about our country. If leftists gave equally then it wouldn’t matter that conservatives rejected wokeism.
The left only exists due to the patience and generosity (toward those in error) of conservatives. And conservatives put up with a lot of lunacy as part of our ideal of loving others as ourselves.
More and more conservatives are closely following what’s happening to our nation and are individually yet somehow also collectively rejecting leftist ideas and behavior and quietly yet forcefully re-asserting conservative values.
conservatives like to be left alone but fiercely defend against threat once its fully recognized. Poking the conservative hornets’ nest will prove fatal for the left.
Not “individually, yet collectively” making similar decisions.
It is that conservatives share (some) similar values, ethics, morals, and history, making it likely that given similar inputs and situations, they will individually reach similar conclusions.
This individual and bottom-up decision process is alien to collectivists, who see decisions as properly made from the top, by “experts” and communicated down to the drones.
This is why they search in vain for the “vast Right Wing Conspiracy” which exists only in the individual decisions of people who share a common vision.
That said, I think that we may need to act more directly in opposing those who would destroy our country.
Exclude them, refuse to trust or do business with them, refute their lies at every opportunity, and teach American values at every opportunity.
John in Indy
Conservatives and newly awoken independents.
“I cannot reference a more ridiculous organizational decision than this example in recent memory.”
Gillette ” Hold my beer!”
Ad is bullying. Pretty nasty.
F*ck Gillette. I will be using Barbasol, BIC, schick, noname, etc. ..
I switched to wet shaving many years ago with a single blade safety razor and will not go back to modern shaving until I physically have to. Several videos give you the rundown on what to buy and how to use it.
Grow a beard.
The marxists continue to purposely separate us from our cultural institutions. It is beyond demonic. They cannot be allowed to continue dividing us. We must preserve our fellowship to defeat them.
How can it be “beyond demonic” since it comes from Hell?
Why won’t the Salvation Army speak the name of JESUS? Not just the Army but purportedly most Christian churches in this country. You all think ‘Christ‘ is enough, it’ll do, no need to upset people, let’s not anger the Catholics among us who now run the show (Lutherans and Baptists in particular pay attention). His name is JESUS and his anointment is ‘Christ‘ or ‘Messiah‘ forever before he walked with us and forever after, and the man who did that walking, his name is JESUS, and JESUS Christ. Please show some respect. [I should make it clear, this rant is in reference to the closing of the Army’s statement above ‘that is the model set by Christ’] Rarely if ever does one even hear the name of Jesus anymore, people dance around it, like ‘the Son of God’, ‘our Lord’, ‘the good shepard’, ‘Christ’, all well and good but none are as powerful as JESUS! Was there ever a time when the Army spoke the name of JESUS? Is the Army afraid of losing donations if they say the name of JESUS? Has the Army turned into yet another toothless and out-of-date tradition? and Is this just another example of the great albeit gradual apostasy? In the name of Our Lord and Messiah JESUS Christ, Merry Christmas and God bless us one and all.
p.s. ‘let’s talk about racism’? ‘the international social justice commission’? Are you all certifiable? Exactly which side are you on? Choose wisely. I for one want to know exactly where all that money you gather every year ends up. Actually I’ve been wondering that for quite some time now and No, I won’t take your word for it. This article has been an eye opener, thank you CTH.
Yes JESUS a name above all others. There is just something about that name
HIS name is LORD JESUS CHRIST
All they had to do was stick with their mission.
Soup.
Soap.
Salvation.
JESUS CHRIST is King!!!!!
You write: “You all think ‘Christ‘ is enough, it’ll do, no need to upset people, let’s not anger the Catholics among us who now run the show (Lutherans and Baptists in particular pay attention).”
What do you mean, exactly, may I ask? Are you saying Catholics aren’t Christian or don’t “call upon the name of Jesus”? Apologies if I am misreading you. Every day in the Western and Eastern Liturgies, and in the “Oriental Orthodox” Liturgies (Coptic, Armenian, etc.) they bring Our Blessed Lord and Savior literally physically present for consumption by the faithful. He incarnated Himself into the human race so the human race could be incarnated into Him. That Incarnation is the whole point of these ancient Liturgies, and the Gospel itself. So, if that isn’t “calling on the name of Jesus,” what is?
Or do you have in mind “Catholics” like Amy Coney Barrett, let alone Joe Biden? Those two are very from one another religion-wise, and very, very different again from Traditional Latin Mass goers, or Archbishop Viganò or Bishop Athanasius Schneider. Catholicism is the largest single Christian denomination in the U.S. and the world, so you naturally get all types in that “big tent”. But trust me on this, Catholics themselves generally know who among them are believers and who are not, but it is probably just a fact that most people don’t really truly believe the faith they say they embrace. At least that’s just a truism of big faiths that have a long history: many people in those are ‘cultural’ this or that, as in “cultural Catholics”. They don’t know much about their religion, but it is part of their cultural milieu. (That’s definitely true of Islam.)
You also write: “His name is JESUS and his anointment is ‘Christ‘ or ‘Messiah‘ forever before he walked with us and forever after, and the man who did that walking, his name is JESUS, and JESUS Christ.”
Well, his name is Yeshua, or Yeshu’a, which is itself a contracted version of Yehoshu’a (i.e. Joshua). It means “Yahweh saves”. And as the original Joshua led God’s People into the Promised Land, so Yeshu’a leads all who follow Him into the Promised Land of His Eternal Presence. And of course He gets to decide who His true followers actually are.
Merry Christmas.
“Jesus” is the Latin version derived from the Greek. “Joshua of Nazareth” would have been been how He was known in His life (in effect, if one would translate it directly). But that name appeared in its Greek form, its Hebrew form, and in Latin on the Cross itself, so it is truly hallowed in any one of the three forms.
PS: Sorry; forgot the “PS” there after “Merry Christmas”.
Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.