Must-bang Sally

I didn't realise the Salvation Army was such a cult. Harold Bishop on Neighbours made it seem innocuous and gormless. Not to mention old-fashioned. But it seems that's not the case. Besides marching up and down streets banging tambourines and singing for Jesus, it seems that this little group of do-gooders sign their souls over to earthly masters too.

This disturbing story reveals how "officers" in the Sally Army sign contracts swearing that, should their current spouses ever die, they would only marry a fellow Sally Army Officer. That's not just weird. It's morbid.

Besides disturbing me a bit (okay a lot!), this also arouses my curiosity. It begs the question (although they'd probably say it "fundraises the question"), what is that particular rule for? Any rational mind can see that the primary purpose of priestly celibacy is to keep property in Church hands. Do the Sally Army own property? Because of their appeals, I'm guessing they have a lot of second hand stuff but do they have anything that they wanna keep?

Of course, it could be Scientology-style secrecy. They might not want the words of "Onward Christian Soldiers" to fall into the wrong hands.

Or maybe it's a minor point in their overall crazy, half-lived lives:"We're like an army. But we fight for God. With tubas. And bonnets."

Maybe it's all that inter-breeding that makes 'em crazy!