What can you tell me about the Jesus Army?

[fake]

They don't like their members going out with non-members.

 

They own plenty of properties and assets.

 

I think they still levy tithes? (a percentage of your earnings given to the organisation)

 

Like some other religions they want you to believe what you are told rather than let you read the Bible and make up your own mind.

 

They don't practice the teaching of Jesus.. see above.

 

They insist that everyone is a sinner.

 

In my view they are more of a cult similar to the Jehova's witnesses.

[Fibutton]

They have lots of trucks on the motorway?

[petejm2000]

Fake - that is a good summary esp the bit about the bible , they do tithing a different way now they have a fixed amount for the church and fixed amount for their centres regardless of income

 

fiButton- they have many vehicles not just ones that say Jesus army but also for their many businesses like goodness foods , tbs builders merchants, skaino etc etc

[Toby-Tuviya]

I myself have been a member and ok I had a bit of a bad experience but I do think there are some nice, caring, lovely people and a little misguided making comments about them. Oh and before anyone goes spitting the dummy out of the cot. When we use words about others then somepoint them very words can comeback us too.

[Number Six]

Well they were outside the townhall again this weekend with their bus. It's funny how they are much more visible when there are new students about.

 

I was waiting to meet someone who was a bit late so was able to watch them for about 10 minutes. They had a little 'band' who sounded like they were tuning up for the whole time as they never got quite loud enough to hear over the noise of the street, and they weren't playing what I would call a recognisable 'tune' either.

 

Whilst that was going on, they had a child of about 9 giving out luminous orange crosses to people, because it's hard to say 'no' when a small child is giving you something.

 

They also had adults and children giving away chocolate bars to children, mainly.

 

And no point in the 10 minutes I was waiting right by them did any of them try and explain their beliefs to me or anyone else. I did get asked if I'd like to go to a party at Ponds Forge, but there was no explanation as to what it was for.

 

I'm not sure that getting children (and some adults) to give chocolate and other things to children (and a few adults, but it was mainly kids) and inviting them to a party, without explaining what it is about, is a particularly ethical thing to be doing.

 

Also, from what I've read of the Christian God he's really vain and insecure so I think he'd be a little annoyed that there was more emphasis on the chocolate than his 'awesomeness'

 

It's not very often I see religious people in the street and feel quite so sorry for them. They all seemed insecure and timid.

[gotone]

Lovely, genuine, caring, misguided nutters then.

 

Really? who are they harming? Do they try to pass on a message of peace given by a man that lived how he preached? Or are they a violent enemy within? expand on your comments please.

[Number Six]

Really? who are they harming? Do they try to pass on a message of peace given by a man that lived how he preached? Or are they a violent enemy within? expand on your comments please.

 

Well I have to say that the people I saw outside the town hall on Saturday didn't radiate that sense of calm and confidence that a lot of street evangelists have. They didn't seem happy at all, and seemed peculiarly lacking in confidence, given that they believe they know they have a perfect eternal life waiting for them, and a benign, omniscient, omnipotent being looking out for them in the meantime.

 

They looked like they were going through the motions, and that is rare amongst people who have chosen to stand on a street corner to tell people 'the good news'. Maybe they didn't choose to do it?

 

I believe that as soon as someone believes that they have a special bond with a God, they see themselves as different from everyone else - and different because God is 'on their side' - that ultimately leads to all sorts kicking off.

 

If you google for 'Jesus Army' you will find plenty of testimonies from ex-members telling you how controlling the organisation is. Jesus Army Watch has not been updated for a long time, but as it deals with historical information it is still a good place to start.

[Number Six]

Here's a testimony about what it's like to question the Jesus Army, from Joolz Denby

 

It was the mid-eighties. My partner and I had moved from Bradford to London because he was in a rock band recently signed to a major label and I was - still am - a writer. We didn't like it much, we were used to people who spoke to each other in the street and the shiny impersonality of London masking the grim, dirty reality beneath was a burden to our spirits.

 

One night, to cheer ourselves up, we decided to go to the pictures: a new film, much heralded by the alternative critics with a supposedly brilliant soundtrack. It was called 'Near Dark'. Dressed in my Gothic finery, my waist-length hair dyed brilliant scarlet I left the cinema that night full of energy, feeling better than I had for days. We discussed the film excitedly as we crossed to the Leicester Square area. I noticed a small temporary stage had been set up - at that time of night - and a crowd was listening to a speaker. Curious, we went to have a look, after all, we'd nothing else to do . . .

 

A silver-haired man was preaching - oh, I realised pretty fast this was a Christian meeting - to a bunch of street people and others dressed in fake combat gear, as if it were a uniform.

 

I've always been interested in religion, in faith, like my father before me; my dad, the soldier-scholar, always seeking for the truth. I've studied religion, and still study it, in all it's forms for many years now, but then, I was young and didn't know what I know now . . . As I listened to the man preach about how he could heal the sick, cure cancer, get addicts off drugs and drink simply by the laying on of hands (his hands, of course), I felt anger at his cruel lies rise in me.

 

Maybe I was over excited by the film. Maybe I was outraged at his lack of conscience or maybe his oily, self congratulatory tone raised my hackles.

 

'You lying *******' I yelled, 'how can you say stuff like that? Cure cancer? You should be ashamed . . .'

 

Before my mouth closed I was surrounded by the combat gear people.

 

I was grabbed by the arms, boots kicked my shins, I struggled as punches were landed in my ribs, carefully, so they couldn't be seen. Furious, I lashed out at whoever came near, shouting for my partner, but he couldn't get to me as the press of people around me was so solid.

 

They held me as I thrashed around and then one of them, a pale, acned young man with wonky black framed glasses put his clammy (it was, I remember, looking back I think he was more frightened than me, I was just livid) hand on my forehead. I tried to bite him, but he kept me at arm's length while the others kept hitting and kicking me when they could, but always, always, out of sight of any witnesses.

 

The pale boy coughed. 'Demons' he said in an unconvincing nasal voice, 'demons, come out of this woman . . .'

 

A chorus of 'praise the lord' rose from my assailants.

 

I stopped struggling for a moment, fascinated.

 

'What?' I said.

 

'Demons, come out of this . . .'

 

'Hold on a minute . . . Demons? Are you real? D'you think I'm - no, it's - d'you think I'm posessed?'

 

'Well, you are . . .' he quavered.

 

'I'm not.'

 

'You are . . . You are, they said you are and . . .'

 

'Oh, ********. I'm not. I'd know, wouldn't I? I think I'd at least have some ****ing idea if I was demon possessed, wouldn't I? Eh? My head would spin round or something and I'd sick up mushy peas -oh, come on, honestly . . .'

 

'Well . . .' He looked slightly doubtful.

 

'Oh, stop this, it's silly - demons! Honestly, what are you thinking? You're English, for God's sake, making a scene like this in public, what would your mum think, eh? Eh?'

 

He took his hand away and looked embarrassed; the kicks and punches re-doubled. Later, I'd sit in the bath and cry with the pain of my bruised ribs and aching, black and blue shins. But at that moment, I was plain old angry.

 

Then a big, bearded fella stepped in and clamped his huge paw on the pale boy's head, nearly pushing him to the ground and dislodging his precarious specs.

 

'Demons!' He growled in a bass rumble, 'demons! Come out of our brother - we know you've got into him from this woman! Come out, demons!'

 

The combat gear people dropped me like a hot brick and clustered round the pale boy like flies round jam. Their faces were blank and insectile, their voices robotic. Their eyes were empty, like shark's eyes. For the first time, I felt a shiver of fear - and repulsion. My partner grabbed me and we ran off.

 

I looked back, and saw the silver-haired preacher watching me, his face in the flickering London neon unreadable; then his voice started up again, repeating the same lies as before.

 

Then suddenly, I felt a hand on my arm. I spun round, ready to fight - but it was an elderly couple.

 

'I'm sorry, Miss' the old man said in a gentle voice, full of concern. 'I saw what happened, we both did, didn't we, dear . . . I - we - well, we wished we'd had the courage to speak out. We're Christians, you see, but that chap and his people, they're wicked, they're - it's not right. Thank you, for what you did . . .'

 

I couldn't think of anything to say. The old couple smiled and walked slowly away. I'd started shaking and my partner was worried about me. He put his arm round me as we walked. I leant against him, my mind whirling.

 

'Those ********' he said 'did you see those bloody fake army outfits? I picked up a leaflet, they call themselves The Jesus Army - mad, the lot of them . . .'

 

The Jesus Army.

 

That was my first encounter with Noel Stanton and his true believers, but it wasn't my last. I hope Stanton remembers that night; remembers the red-haired Goth woman who his Christian brothers and sisters beat up.

 

Because these days, my hair is grey and I'm not a Goth, but I haven't forgotten him - oh, no . . .

 

http://www.jesusarmywatch.org.uk/info/experiences/joolz.htm

[woodmally]

I used to regularly see Jesus Army vehicles around Sheffield - I remember back in the day they used to have a double decker bus on Fargate some days, and more recently I've seen a Jesus Army people carrier around - but I haven't seen either for a while.

 

Does anyone have any experience of the Jesus Army or know what has happened to them in Sheffield?

 

All I know is they often hold events at ponds forge. Also they used to park their army of vans on Duke Street. I felt like I was being invaded I know I'm an athiest but I dont require that much resource to fight me.

[Number Six]

Yes, they invited me to "a party" at Ponds Forge, but I didn't have my trunks with me.

 

At least they're putting some of the money they expect from their members back in to the city I suppose?