| Author | Message | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 134 Registered: 4-2000 |
The McKee Baking Company (headquartered in Collegedale, TN) just announced having baked 130 billion snack cakes since 1930. Ellsworth McKee, their top executive, attended the ASI Convention in Cincinnati this last weekend. With Little Debbie sales of $978 million dollars in 2003, it is apparent that the SDA Church leaders are tongue-tied about Ellen White's sugar and chocolate health reform. Having been on the campus of SAU (formerly SMC)many times, the intensely sweet aroma of Litttle Debbies is far less than pleasant throughout the campus. The smell is even less pleasant when your roommate comes back from working at the factory (smile). The McKee family has generously contributed to various SDA ventures--including the construction of the McKee Library at SAU. Wow, I used to see those huge railroad tankers filled with corn syrup waiting to be unloaded at the McKee plant. This alone should be enough to cause Ellen White to partially awaken from soul sleep. With the McKee's contributing big bucks to SDA enterprises, nobody at the Cincinnati Convention Center pointed out to Ellsworth McKee that his company is seriously violating Ellen White's "sweet cake" prohibition. As always, however, money talks loudly! | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 820 Registered: 11-2002 |
In all fairness though isn't Little Debbie a privately owned company? It really dosen't have any ties to the SDA church other than being owned b SDA people, is this correct? I love Little Debbie choclate brownies. And, they are only 25 cents whereas the competer that has brownies that don't even taste as good are 99 cents. | ||
| Raven Registered user Username: Raven Post Number: 15 Registered: 7-2004 |
I know someone whose husband has worked as a distributor for Little Debbie for many years and still does. He is always frustrated that Sunday is the only day he can pick up his load for the week, because of the Sabbath, and he says it really makes Sunday a rough day for him since he also tries to fit in church twice that day. Even if Little Debbie ignores the health message, at least they keep the Sabbath! | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 135 Registered: 4-2000 |
Susan, The McKee Baking Company, a private SDA company, is a long-standing member of the General Conference sponsored ASI (Adventist Supporting Instititions). Dennis J. Fischer | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 136 Registered: 4-2000 |
Raven, Interestingly, the McKee factories close down only ONE HOUR before sunset on Fridays (not enough time for their employees to avoid the prohibited Sabbath shave). | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 414 Registered: 3-2004 |
Very interesting. I knew there was a reason I did not buy any Little Debbies. Other than the fact that any amount of sugar makes me sick. Of course the company owners cry all the way to the bank because I do not buy their products. Diana | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 821 Registered: 11-2002 |
I never before heard of ASI. I would like to know more about it. Do all their employees have to take off on Saturdays and have to work on Sundays? Is this a corperate policy? Out here on the West Coast where they cannot see everything their empoyees are doing is the Saturday off/Sunday on policy in effect? My cousin used to work at the Loma Linda factory. She had the coolest job at the factory. She put the toy in the boxes of Rusketts. Now 30 years later we laugh so hard when she tells the story about one afternoon at work to make her job a bit less boring she took the Rusketts out of the box and filled the cereal box with those tacky little two-bit toys. We've always wondered the expression on the persons face who was (un)fortunite enuf to get that box of cereal. Oh, the corny things bored 19 year olds can think to do! The local SDA preacher is really pushing the SDA's to write letters to the elected politions for passage of a bill before the House that wold make employeers give time off because of religious convictions. So, would the SDA's at Little Debbie be happy to accommadate their employees who want to attend church on Sundays? Attend Ash Wednesday services? Attend Good Friday services? How about Easter Sunday services? What is your thoughts on this? | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 538 Registered: 12-2003 |
ASI is an organization which independent Adventist business owners may join as members. Their businsses become registered as ASI-affilliated businesses, and they can atend the annual conferences, etc. and do networking. It's a way of Adventists finding other Adventist businesses so they can buy services from other Adventists and keep the money "in the family", so to speak. It's kind-of like an Adventist chamber of commerce. ASI charges dues, and they encourage their members to give donations to ASI which ASI gives to Adventist mission projects. (The donations, of course, are tax-deductible.) Prosperous Adventist businesses like Little Debbie wield a lot of political power in the church. Southern Adventist University has certainly felt the impact of the McKee's desires which, if honored, yield sizable donations to the school. It is ironic that a very conservative Adventist would make a fortune on high sugar, high fat junk food! Colleen | ||
| Hoytster Registered user Username: Hoytster Post Number: 101 Registered: 9-2003 |
I've never heard of Little Debbies, so I googled and found the following, excerpted from http://www.bakingbusiness.com/feature_stories.asp?ArticleID=71231&PF=print: "Chattanooga, TN-based McKee Foods Corp., the maker of Little Debbie snack cakes, offers a similar promotional product lineup. Altogether, the leading US snack cake brand features more than 25 different products geared toward the various seasons and holidays. Little Debbieís most recent introduction was Easter Crispy Bars, which are similar to its Marshmallow Crispy Bars, except they were made with pastel blue-, pink- and yellow-colored crispies. In addition to Easter, Little Debbieís seasonal offerings include Valentineís Day, Christmas, autumn and a Stars and Stripes line for the Fourth of July." Easter? Christmas? Again, the bottom line is the bottom line. This is probably well-known to y'all, but my reading of Rea's "White Lies" made it clear that EGW was in the book-writing business, that she did it for money, and she had to keep writing all those volumes because that was her source of income. How sad, that such terrible things were handed off as visions from God, so that EGW could have a higher standard of living. Too bad that she wasn't born 100 years later, where she could have been a novelist, officially making up her stories. She might have rivaled Steven King. - Hoytster | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 822 Registered: 11-2002 |
Might have. A lot of her books sure do have scary themes. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 417 Registered: 3-2004 |
I like the way the SDA business strictly follows their leader. I was going to write something else, but it would be very sarcastic, which I can do well. All I will say is that it is very sad that so many people are deceived and they think they belong to the "remnant" church. It is sad that people with money can wield so much power, just because they belong to a certain church and have so much money. Where is Jesus in all of this???? God is so awesome and He will prevail. Diana | ||
| Mary_jane Registered user Username: Mary_jane Post Number: 18 Registered: 3-2004 |
Greetings! Susan2 -- NO!!!!! McKees do NOT let Sunday-keeping employees take Sunday off, or any of those other days you mentioned. They are all just as bigotted against non-SDAs as it is possible to be. I worked there as a Temp for several weeks. They do have wonderful people working there. And the chocolate chip cookies are heavenly while they are still warm from the oven. They have stacks of their products around for the taking...much better than tempting employees to steal it. There was a group of people protesting the use of chocolate and sugar, on the campus, for a long time, carrying signs and all that, trying to bring to the attention that the main employer of students, and basically the economic foundation of the college was based on use and comsumption of the very things the church was supposed to be so much against. The college security department did a lot of unethical and illegal things to them. The man who led the group was jailed a couple times and has (successfully) sued the college because of the way they treated him. I know someone who worked for Campus Safety at the time and have heard a lot of terrible things. Things the church wouldn't want to members to know. MJ | ||
| Melissa Registered user Username: Melissa Post Number: 420 Registered: 7-2003 |
If that law passes, they'll have to let their employees have Sundays off ... or Fridays or whenever depending upon the religion.... wonder how they'll like it then.... | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 418 Registered: 3-2004 |
As an SDA I was taught to be law abiding and that the church as a whole cares about all people. What I am finding out since I left it is very different. But, Why am I not shocked??? The church was born in deception and is continuing that pattern. One would think that if an SDA's employer is expected to give the SDA employee time off for religious activities, then an SDA employer would do the same for their non SDA employees. I just do not get it any more. I am so glad I can rest in Jesus every day and do not have to worry about a certain day. How could I have believed all that deception for so long??? Guess I was stubborn and did not want to learn until recently. God is awesome. Diana | ||
| Vchowdhury1 Registered user Username: Vchowdhury1 Post Number: 8 Registered: 7-2004 |
Just a thought. I'm sure the reason that the Little Debbie Company as well as other SDA business owners will not give their Sunday-keeping employees Sundays off is because SDA's have the elitist position that their day (Saturday) is the CORRECT day, so therefore they don't have any obligations to employees that requests other Religious days off (Sundays, ash Wednesday, good Fridays, etc). | ||
| Pw Registered user Username: Pw Post Number: 92 Registered: 6-2004 |
I had no idea that Little Debbie had SDA ties. I don't buy or eat that type of junk, yet how can they push products that are contributing to obesity when the SDA's are supposed to be health experts? I'm sure those creams have a good amount of lard. They seem to have no problem marketing a product to make money and yet at the same time condemn people for consuming them. | ||
| Ladylittle Registered user Username: Ladylittle Post Number: 38 Registered: 4-2004 |
If I understand correctly, they do not use lard or other animal products, that's why we could have them as a treat from time to time when I was growing up! Mary | ||
| Ladylittle Registered user Username: Ladylittle Post Number: 39 Registered: 4-2004 |
I should correct that, other animal products that could be only taken by killing the animal. Milk and eggs, etc are used. Mary | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 540 Registered: 12-2003 |
Vchowdhury1, I believe your are 100% correct. That is the unmistakable sense I've gotten over the years as I've heard the church push "religious liberty". In fact, I remember hearing conversations as a child between my mom and dad (a nurse and physical therapist, respectively) regarding weekend work. While I remember no specific exchanges, I do remember things being said about "so-and-so could work on Saturday because they aren't Adventist, anyway." There was never the underlying sense that employess should necessarily be treated equally in regard to their desires or religious persuasions. It was about protecting the Adventists' rights to attend church. Very recently (past couple of years) a non-Adventist I know was required to come to work on Sunday at an SDA institution in order to help do capital repairs on the building. Instead of hiring it done, the head of it all declared that those in management would come on Sunday and do the work themselves. This person is known to be non-SDA, and all the administrators knew this person attends church on Sunday. However, no exceptions were made. This Sunday venture was not compensated in any way, even with time off. At the same time, this organization has a rule that NO ONE is to come to work on Saturday for any reason. You're right, Vchowdhury1. The issue is that SDAs protect the Sabbath at all costs. Sunday worship attendance needs no protection because it's a sin. Like Diana, I'm so thankful God is God, and He is awesome--and He is Sovereign over all our messes! Colleen | ||
| Raven Registered user Username: Raven Post Number: 16 Registered: 7-2004 |
I don't have any Little Debbies in my house to verify this, but I highly doubt they use any lard in their products. However, I'm sure they use plenty of hydrogenated vegetable oils, which is probably as bad or worse! |
