"(CNSNews.com) – Atheists and humanists serving in the U.S. military are leading an organized push for official recognition of their own chaplains, or something akin to chaplains. They contend that they are being left out, even though they say they outnumber participants in established religions." http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/atheists-military-are-demanding-their-own-chaplains As an atheist, I find this embarrassing. All I ever wanted when I was in the service or working after my time in the military was to be left alone. I didn't want a sergeant refusing to put atheist on my dogtags. I didn't want to be ordered to attend religious services. I didn't want to be sent to talk to a Christian chaplain when I was getting married. When I was working, I didn't want to have to deal with memos to the boss saying that only fundamentalist Christians should be eligible for promotion in the organization. I didn't want people expecting me to attend prayer meetings. But, atheists demanding to have the trappings of religion is embarrassing.
I don't see the issue with it. Secular soldiers may not want to talk to the religious chaplains, so why not allow every group to be represented? I know I would have little interest in talking with a priest, a psychologist would be more helpful.
I can understand that you would want to see a psychologist. Me, I never wanted to talk to a chaplain, period.
Chaplains are trained to deal with more than religious services and needs. That is a great story. If I ever became an officer I'd probably go into the Chaplaincy.
Obama goes back on his word, violates separation of church and state... Obama Rejects Ill-Advised Conscience Protections for Military Chaplains January 3, 2013 President Obama issued a statement Wednesday rejecting several provisions of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including a conscience protection for military chaplains that he called ill-advised.
Dude. Come on! An atheist chaplain? It's a contradiction in itself! How stupid. What does he do? Wave spaghetti around?
That's a fair point, what qualifications would an atheist chaplain have? Psychology would make sense, I guess.
^ This. I would want someone who shares something resembling my own worldview to chat with in a difficult situation, not someone with beliefs that I would find foolish and unhelpful. I wouldn't care what someone's god purportedly thinks or does. I'd want a good secular counselor to speak with in lieu of a chaplain, I think. Don't they have counselors available now, though?
Someone can be a priest. Someone can be a psychologist. Someone can be both: priest and psychologist. So what do you compare? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbrZY4mordU
What has happened to modern atheism? It seems like it's trying to turn itself into a religion. These sort of demands are turning secular humanists into a joke.
Don't chaplains have to be part of some recognised organisation? Are these people suggesting to put forward representatives from some atheist group? Or are they going to be members of a religion, who just happen to be non-theistic? The first one seems really stupid. The latter should be just fine, surely.
