Not God's Army

[Jacob]

Interesting article about proselytization in the US armed forces: http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/atheologies/6364/not_god%27s_army%3A_the_front_lines_of_the_fight_against_proselytizing_in_the_u.s._military

I'm curious if any of you who served in the US have comments?

[DGuller]

Pat Tillman was an atheist, and yet his military service has gone mostly without incident.

[Scipio]

Pat Tillman was an atheist, and yet his military service has gone mostly without incident.

Pat Tillman was not fragged by God.

[Viking]

I'll try to avoid bringing out the trolls here just to refer to

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/17/air-force-academy-religion-proselytism_n_1678092.html

where christian prosyletizing at the air force academy at colorado springs has provoked a secular response, among others with

Military Religious Freedom Foundation

these are the guys who keep a track about this and work on this issue.


N.B. for the extra easter egg...

http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/2012/07/congress-members-submit-complaint-to-panetta-re-mrff-influence/

a letter signed by Todd Akin complaining about the MRFF and it's attempt to stop the use of official military emblems on bibles.

N.N.B and finally

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_cIV18cEIo&feature=related

The US Army War college held a debate on how the role of faith in the military differs from the role of faith in the society itself. (it includes a Dr. Snape on the panel hihihi)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_cIV18cEIo&feature=related

[grumbler]

Jake,  I never saw any of this, and a former student currently attending the AFA has never mentioned it, either.  I am sure that it goes on, but I don't have any evidence that it goes on in any scale.

[Valmy]

As far as the AFA goes they do this on every college campus.  I get prosyletized at least once a year around here.  I have quite a collection of free bibles.

[PDH]

In front of the Union last week there were two groups of Bible Thumpers.  They were preaching the apocalypse, but different versions.  It was interesting, as they started arguing with one another, mocking each other, etc.  Eventually the campus police came because of the threat of a religious war breaking out.

[Razgovory]

As far as the AFA goes they do this on every college campus.  I get prosyletized at least once a year around here.  I have quite a collection of free bibles.

I got a cow bell from them.

[Valmy]

In front of the Union last week there were two groups of Bible Thumpers.  They were preaching the apocalypse, but different versions.  It was interesting, as they started arguing with one another, mocking each other, etc.  Eventually the campus police came because of the threat of a religious war breaking out.

Dude that is awesome!  Our Bible Thumpers never go preaching in groups so less of a possbility for Jesus inspired mob violence.

[Valmy]

I got a cow bell from them.

Everytime a cowbell rings a secular humanist goes to hell.

[Jacob]

Jake,  I never saw any of this, and a former student currently attending the AFA has never mentioned it, either.  I am sure that it goes on, but I don't have any evidence that it goes on in any scale.

That's good to know

I'd expect that there are all sorts of issues with an institution as big as the US Armed Forces, and I expect that given the place religion holds in American society some of those issues will involve religion. My sense is that it probably does go on, and sometimes as bad as the sensationalist stories portray, but that there is quite a long way to go before it's an institutional problem... but I don't know, so it's nice to hear from people who are somewhat more exposed to the facts.

[Valmy]

I expect that given the place religion holds in American society some of those issues will involve religion.

The place religion holds is rather complicated actually.  I mean very few people here have any idea what the Bible says or any real understanding of religion while 100 years ago you could expect anybody with a decent education to be very familiar with those things.  In many parts of the country religion is almost entirely absent, while in others it is really dominant.  Yet, bizarrely, giving lip service to religion is always really important.  Even as a religious person I am not really sure what to make of it.

[Jacob]

The place religion holds is rather complicated actually.  I mean very few people here have any idea what the Bible says or any real understanding of religion while 100 years ago you could expect anybody with a decent education to be very familiar with those things.  In many parts of the country religion is almost entirely absent, while in others it is really dominant.  Yet, bizarrely, giving lip service to religion is always really important.  Even as a religious person I am not really sure what to make of it.

Yeah, it's fascinating and, as an outsider, pretty alien sometimes.