My father had 11 years of training before being ordained and Priested – following 2 years in the Deaconate – they go to their own Training College for two years before being commissioned and I don’t know what authoritative body is actually doling out licenses to these people to marry people – but it’s quite appalling –

I would once again get involved with them in a more vulnerable time in my life following the premature death of my father and certainly found them to be a brainwashing cult like so many people have already described – and TOUGH to ultimately get out of! – they literally swallow you up – I was years deprogramming and decompressing and trying to wash them out of my hair – I did so privately and in total isolation -
which translated into a lot of lonely Christmas’ as well – And when I think back to my teens and early 20′s – I WAS NEVER ever home and literally LIVED at other people’s houses because they condition you into believing that they’re better even than your own family – and when I think back to it – my own family didn’t even know where I was half the time so it must have been very worrying for them – I even vacationed with them – and did try to put in the usual daily perfunctory call – but still – all that time away from home with The Sally Ann wasn’t really all that necessary or healthy! –

They’ve been projecting since the 60′s – ‘The Decline and Fall of Christianity’ so Church has gained a little more perspective here in Canada because of two people in the workplace and more career opportunities for women – I went on to become a Government Speech Writer – and the need for families to cocoon, connect and catch-up – like we do – It starts with ‘Friday Family Fun Night’ on the weekend – your life no longer revolves around Church, thankfully – if you go at all it’s usually for the more watershed moments in your life – Christmas, Easter, Weddings, Funerals and Christenings – even women can be ordained in the Anglican church now – But I think the worldwide numbers speak for themselves! – 700 Million in The Catholic Church – 80 Million in The Anglican Church and a laughable 2 Million in The Salvation Army – they’ve had to close the Training College here in Toronto – the 6 or 7 Cadets they do get have to train in Winnipeg – they’re closing and amalgamating churches all over the city – we recently went to hear a trumpet player from a prominent group who was extended family to us – and I debated over and over again whether or not to cancel soon as I found out it was with the Army – and I’m certainly glad we didn’t – there were 25 people came to the concert including us -but they were ALL 65 plus year old men – so it’s not a self perpetuating group anymore – there were more people on the stage/platform than there were in the audience – but we rushed away for a late dinner – and I couldn’t wait to get away from there – they give me the creeps and it all comes back – I didn’t even have anyone from the Sally Ann at my wedding either – some didn’t even know I’d married -

And what’s with all the rules and NO Make-up – the women all look very strange and homely and – pale AND could certainly benefit from some lipstick, blush and mascara at th very least –

The defining moment for my life was when I got into a professional symphonic choir here at the age of 17 instead of going to Training College and they HATED it that they could no longer control me – BUT it was the conductor who ultimately talked some sense into me for about 45 minutes one night and persuaded me to follow another path in life, which I did, I was born with 3 creative genes – Singing, Writing (like I said earlier -I became a Speech Writer for Cabinet Ministers here in Ontario!) and decorating – interior design has since become my cherished hobby – and he happily gave me away at my wedding – I think he knew there was very little respect for The Army out there and they were in fact an extremist Christian Cult that brainwashses people –

I made the mistake of working in their bookstore for a mere 80 dollars a week – and they were so upset/jealous by my being in this other choir – that they were going to fire me – AND I could have reported them to the authorities and The Ministry of Labour – trust me – they’ve HEARD all out the Army and their discriminatory hiring practices – especially against gays – and at least once a month or once every twomonths – I would be taken upstairs by the Major running the store to be brow-beaten, brainwashed and interrogated about my personal life and who I was dating etc. – did I LOVE so and so – that I was in no way good enough to marry into that particular family because of my family background – I wasn’t allowed to decorate the store – use the word ‘dainty and feminine’, which I actually am – I’m 5 ft. 2 in stature – ‘, so I listened to her and totally extracated it out of my vocabulary – And I wasn’t allowed to play classical music either –

I was lucky – our Bandmaster’s wife hated The Army as much as I did – SO she got me another job with her insurance company – Transmerica – and it gave me a 3 year window to relax – gain some perspective – save some money – and decide what I ultimately wanted to do with my life –

Because of the disproportionate number of women to men – competition to find a mate is ‘rife’ and as I mentioned before – they do it with NO makeup, whatsoever (ha,ha) in the Salvation Army and most of the single women are sexually frustated – and talk about sex non-stop – this woman even talked about oral sex at 9:00 in the morning when we were dusting –

But I do like the writings and article called ‘Return of the Salvation Army’ by Christopher Hutcheon and I invite those struggling with this outfit to read it – but he says – ‘Once a mass movement – The Salvation Army can be laughed off by anyone with any degree of dignity and intelligence and has already gone the way of many other evangelical buffooneries –

But that says it all – DAINTY, DAINTY DAINTY!!! (ha,ha) I see where this particular Major recently passed away – she actually hailed from a part of Canada where people are known not to be terribly bright so it translates – she did try to stay friends after I left The Army and I would understandably have nothing to do with her – but I’m very happily married back in The Anglican Church for 30 years and Free, Free, Free of The Salvation – Hallelujah – Really!!!

A few years ago my partner got out after about a year in the cult. He was subjected to mind control techniques, expected to give the Sallies all his money, and forced to break off all contact with his old friends and family. They even took away his cellphone to try to stop him contacting his friends and family! It was like he just vanished. For months I didn’t know where he was or even if he was alive. They had told him he could never see me or talk to me again; if he had a girlfriend she had to be from the Sallies. He had a lot of mental health issues related to the mind control experience and this is why I suggest counselling may be able to help you.

The good news is that now our lives are back to normal and we have moved on. Be brave and God bless!

Our firm has been priviledged to obtain very damaging information about the army. Do not challenge the army for your life may be in danger. The army will come after you and try to destroy you, your family, your career and home. Be careful.

Hm, somehow I think that contradicted the explanation of “carrying out the letter of the will.”

Another Jake: this clearly isn’t an example of one “budget-managing executive” making a “bad call.” A lawsuits of this magnitude wouldn’t get filed and litigated without the support of church leadership.

And Dave, I really doubt that the Salvation Army was really “only trying to get the specifics of the will carried out,” as if the church were only looking out for the interest of the deceased. They were trying to get more money; the interest of the deceased was clearly contrary to theirs.

http://donttellthedonor.blogspot.com/2007/05/greenpeace-survives-shake down-from.html

The Salvation Army folks were in the right, following the letter of the Di Stefano’s will, as the trustees of the estate had no business futzing with the details of who got what after the death of the Di Stephanos. The trustees, for whatever reason, chose to pursue the spirit of the will, and although I can’t say that I would’ve done the same, I can see their intentions. That said, I can’t fault SA for their actions; they were only trying to get the specifics of the will carried out, which to them was divvying up the money between the organizations specified in the will. Greenpeace Fund was not in the list.

Those of you who do fault them would probably fault them regardless of the circumstances, as you likely would with any Christian organization. Guess bigotry knows no bounds.

Anyone picturing Mr. Burns writhing his hands and going all “Smithers! Go take those dead people’s money this instant! …Excellent.” is probably less right than someone picturing an overstressed budget-managing executive going all “How am I gonna keep this place running?! I’m gonna get canned!”

It doesn’t matter anyway really since they will lose the lawsuit, greenpeace will get their cut, as they should, and somebody at salvation army will hopefully get the axe.

Filing a lawsuit to stiff another entity over money from the kindness of strangers is so much more than just a bad judgment call.

In my city they make some people listen to their sermons before giving handouts (that were donated).

Also, people need to remember that there’s far more to every story than what one reads in the newspaper. It’s best not to jump to quick judgements. I tend to not trust any news story that seems totally one-sided, whether or not I like which side won.

The Salvation Army is NOT a charity, it is a CHURCH.

There is no separation between the Salvation Army religious sect & the charitable organisation.

They operate in much the same way as the Mormons or the Jehovah’s Witnesses – they give charity to the needy but use it as a cover to hock their religious beliefs.

If the story had been about the Mormons or the JW’s squeezing money from another charity, no-one would have been surprised. But, for some unknown reason, the Salvation Army seems to have built up a veneer of respectability.

Hopefully people might now take notice and start to see the Salvo’s for what they really are.