My fateful association with The Sally Ann as their known here in Canada began at the age of 7 and my mother had decided that I would go to their Brownie Pack because our Anglican/Episcopalean church didn't have one and one of the further criteria was that you had to go to their Sunday School - they start early and my father was totally freaking - he was an Anglican Chaplain in the war and while he lauded as most people did, their efforts to appear on the battlefield with coffee, blankets hot donuts - we all have heard the stories! - once home he had trouble relating to them as colleagues on various ecumenical/interfaith councils because there is a lot of private resentment from other Ministers about their total lack of of education - they don't even have an undergrad degree -
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!!!
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!!!