Salvation Army Employee Will Be Fired if He Marries a Woman

Oh, the shoe is on the other foot now. I wonder where Captain Harsh stands on same sex marriage?

Capt. Johnny Harsh of Oshkosh, Wis., says he's been receiving letters and e-mails from people angered over the Salvation Army's decision to uphold its long-standing rule that an officer in the agency may marry only another officer.

Harsh was suspended from his position as leader of the Oshkosh Salvation Army after he announced his engagement to a woman he named only as "Cia." Harsh's first wife, Capt. Yalanda "Yoley" Harsh, a Salvation Army officer, died suddenly of a heart attack in June. A few months later Harsh said he met Cia, 56, a nurse, on a Christian online dating Web site.

"I prayed and told the Lord, I can't stand being single. Can you please give me a woman on the outside and inside," said Harsh. He said it was love at first sight. 'One word describes her. Wow.'"

Harsh said the organization's rules regarding marriage are outdated, unfair and must be changed, but he doesn't want his personal situation to harm the Salvation Army.

...

"[The rules] are not scriptural. They are man-made," Harsh said. "God could care less about the uniform or a position. I am doing this so future officers don't have to go through what I went through."

(Crossposted at Bilerico Project)

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Comments

[StephanieInCA]

OMG, his name really is Captain Harsh? I thought you were just being cheeky.

Anyway, this is just bizarre. Like Bob Jones bizarre: http://urbzen.com/2008/12/11/putting-the-fun-in-fundamentalism/

[bwalsh1]

He knew the rule when he signed up, if he doesn't want to live by it he can leave the church.

I don't agree with the Salvation Army, which is why I'm not a member. People who do sign up know what they are getting into, and it is their problem if they decide they no longer want to live their life according to the organizations rules. The Salvation Army hasn't done anything wrong, they are simply upholding their own standards, which is admirable even if you don't agree with them.

This reminds me of Catholics who complain because priests can't get married. Why do they care? Most priests gladly give up married life to be "married" to the church, and the ones who can't leave the priesthood and get married. If a person agrees to live their life in a certain way, it is their free will, not some kind of oppresion. What is the huge deal? If you don't like it, go be Episcopalian.

[CobaltBluescott]

But he was, under their rules properly married; I can't believe this is their first employee to have to face widowhood. what's up w/ that?

[gifu]

Some humans can make life so complicated...........Why? I will never, ever know.

[MomfromTexas]

My great grandparents, grandparents, and one of my cousins were/are Salvation Army officers. This rule is for practical reasons. When you are an officer, you work for the church. When you are a married officer, both you and your spouse are thought to be working for the church, even if one stays at home and raises the children, because the church recognizes that raising a family is a job, as well, and the church recognizes that the support of the spouse who stays at home is essential to the success of the one working directly for the church. Both spouses being officers makes the commitment to the church absolute. Whether you work directly for the church or stay at home, you are performing either job for the success of the church. Since both spouses' jobs are considered of equal importance, both the husband and the wife are given the same military rank. When one is promoted to a different rank, the spouse is promoted, as well. You can work directly for the church and raise a family at the same time, as my great grandmother did. Because you are working for the church, you go where the church wants you to go, when the church wants you to go, and you have to be able to pack up and move quickly. If both spouses were not officers and one had a career outside the army or did not have a moral obligation to the army, this wouldn't be possible.

[MomfromTexas]

I want to add this because I ran out of room...Most Salvation Army people are not officers. They are soldiers. These are the regular members of the church. Officers are the ministers (which encompasses many jobs outside of "preaching," such as being social workers, youth leaders, etc.). Only officers have to marry officers. Soldiers can marry anyone. The man mentioned in this article could resign as an officer and become a soldier without any problem, but he would have to give up being a minister for the church.

[DoomtoNeoCons]

Uhh.. It's not a real army.

[LucadoFan]

Um... the officer-wife's role is NOT to stay home and raise the children - she has just as much official responsibility as the officer-husband...between the two of them, they divide the work - whether it's youth group leadership and planning, womens or mens group leadership, preaching, social work, funerals, weddings, janitorial work (yes, if there's no janitor, they are doing it!), building/grounds maintainence, representing TSA to the community and other agencies, fund-raising, yadda, yadda, yadda... between the two of them, they decide how the children will be raised, and, generally, the kids are right there in the middle of it helping too!
Also, each officer holds their OWN rank based on their OWN years of service (yes, they used to both hold whatever rank the husband had - that is no longer the case). For example, one is a Lt. for five years, a Captain for ten years, and then a Major. Most officers remain Majors for the remainder of their service. Lt.-Colonel, Colonel, and Commissioner are ranks that are given by meritorious service and special leadership appointments.
Your comments regarding the need to be ready to move at a few weeks notice are correct and apply to this marriage regulation - it would be extremely difficult for a non-officer spouse to uproot from their job, etc, every three to five years...anyone out there wish to do that on a regular basis just because your spouse is a Salvation Army Officer???

[BusGreg]

Stupidity such as this is why I don't support Sally.