Army Move on Atheist Chaplains Could Lead To ‘Church of Evolution’

NY Sun ^ | April 28, 2011 | SHMULEY BOTEACH

[neverdem]

The report in the New York Times that atheists are looking for official recognition as chaplains in the American military in order to cater to the needs of non-believing servicemen is interesting.

On the one hand, it’s kind of absurd. Atheist chaplains? It’s a contradiction in terms. What are they going to teach? Non-belief? What services will they offer? Non-prayers and sermons on evolution? And what comfort will they offer dying soldiers, G-d forbid (oops! Even that doesn’t work). Will they say, “Game over. You’re going to a place of complete oblivion. Thank you for your service.”?

On the other hand, I am completely opposed to any kind of religious coercion, and why should non-believing military personnel not have someone they can talk to who shares their absence of faith? If you’re an atheist and you’ve returned from Iraq or Afghanistan and you’re finding it difficult, say, to reintegrate to life back home, maybe you don’t want to talk to someone whom you think views life only through the prism of faith. In the same way that it might be uncomfortable for a Jewish soldier to talk about his deepest issues with, say, a Catholic Priest, it is arguably just as uncomfortable for an atheist soldier to talk to the same Priest.

Still it would seem that those who profess an absence of belief can’t really be religious or spiritual chaplains. If you’re an atheist then what you see is what you get. There is no other reality – higher or lower – and the word spiritual is nothing but a crude con.

I am well aware that many of my atheist friends will tell me, “Come on Shmuley. OK, so an atheist ‘chaplain’ might not be able to offer the same comfort...

[LomanBill]

>>Still it would seem that those who profess an absence of belief can’t really be religious or spiritual chaplains.

But the nature of that belief isn't for the State to judge - because as history shows...

...who, being themselves but fallible and uninspired men, have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavoring to impose them on others, hath established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world, and through all time...

--The Virginia Act For Establishing Religious Freedom
--Thomas Jefferson, 1786

Same old Bull manure, different pulpit. 

American faith, and the relation of the Individual to their Creator, is rendered in the hearts and minds of those FREE individuals - not in the state-sanctioned religious plumage of some vestigialy indulgent Roman parrot.

"Grail?  We already got one!"

 

 

[Matchett-PI]

They can hire this guy to be their "chaplain".

He's being discussed here (Especially see the "comments" section.)

[vaudine]

What are the Post psychologists and psychiatrists for? Oh, that's right--they are for shooting fellow military.

These roving creepy gangs of topsy turvy have just about found everything they can turn upside down. Let them do a little manual labor.

vaudine

[AU72]

The uniform insignia would be a problem unless there is a symbol for The Void.

And what about agnostics? Their Chaplains could use a ? for their insignia.

[Slings and Arrows]

BFL

[Aroostook25]

So which is it?
I’ve heard believers repeatedly say that atheism is just as much a belief as religion. Well, then, recognize it as a religion and give its belivers the same privileges as other religions.
Oh, but then believers say it is not a religion. It is non-belief and thus those non-believers should not get the same privileges as believers in religions.

Seems those anti-atheist believers change their story so that they can keep to themselves the privileges such as tax exemptions, days off for their religious holidays, government provided counselors/chaplains.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

The evolution of mammals is only possible with HETEROSEXUAL relationships...

The teaching that matrimony is a sacrament gives to a religious clergy the power to judge the lawfulness of marriages and power of ecclesiastical censure for divorce.

The government of men's external actions by religion, pretending the change of nature in their consecrations cannot be esteemed a work extraordinary, it is no other than a conjuration or incantation, whereby they would have men to believe an alteration of nature that is contrary to the testimony of sight and of all the rest of the senses.

The idea "thou shalt marry and be given in marriage" is corrupt and degenerate, which is an impossible immortality of a kind, but not of the persons of men.

Ecclesiastics would have men believe they are not worthy to be counted amongst them that shall obtain the next world, or absolute resurrection from the dead, as inmates of the world; and to the end only to receive condign punishment for their contumacy of monogamy as opposed to the freedom of the polygamy found in nature.

These supposed "atheists" and their ilk ignore the greater premise and scientific fact that mammals can only evolve heterosexually.

And whether either of the philosophical combatants like it or not, this idea is supported by the book of Genesis and is an absolute law found in nature.

There has never been one case of a hermaphrodite (genotype) mammal ever recorded.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

The evolution of mammals is only possible with HETEROSEXUAL relationships...

The teaching that matrimony is a sacrament gives to a religious clergy the power to judge the lawfulness of marriages and power of ecclesiastical censure for divorce.

The government of men's external actions by religion, pretending the change of nature in their consecrations cannot be esteemed a work extraordinary, it is no other than a conjuration or incantation, whereby they would have men to believe an alteration of nature that is contrary to the testimony of sight and of all the rest of the senses.

The idea "thou shalt marry and be given in marriage" is corrupt and degenerate, which is an impossible immortality of a kind, but not of the persons of men.

Ecclesiastics would have men believe they are not worthy to be counted amongst them that shall obtain the next world, or absolute resurrection from the dead, as inmates of the world; and to the end only to receive condign punishment for their contumacy of monogamy as opposed to the freedom of the polygamy found in nature.

These supposed "atheists" and their ilk ignore the greater premise and scientific fact that mammals can only evolve heterosexually because they are religious faggots (a term I invented exclusively for them.)

And whether either of the philosophical combatants like it or not, this idea is supported by the book of Genesis and is an absolute law found in nature.

There has never been one case of a hermaphrodite (genotype) mammal ever recorded.

[Neoliberalnot]

Slowly we move to a total disregard for spirtual development in order to facilitate worship of our government mother. obama is yo daddy. I say this in jest, but look at the models—see Mao, Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot—all eyes must seek the comfort of the collective we call government. Just as ancient Rome worshiped the emperor, today’s progressive politicians seek the same path.

[Christian Engineer Mass]

“the same privileges as believers in religions”

what privileges?

[Gritty]

I wonder what George Washington would say about such wicked foolishness?...

"The General is sorry to be informed that the foolish, and wicked practice, of profane cursing and swearing (a Vice heretofore little known in an American Army) is growing into fashion; he hopes the officers will, by example, as well as influence, endeavour to check it, and that both they, and the men will reflect, that we can have little hopes of the blessing of Heaven on our Arms, if we insult it by our impiety, and folly;...." - George Washington, Head Quarters, New York, August 3rd 1776

[Grut]

Religious functions aside, chaplains do useful things like counseling, providing help in personal emergencies and bypassing the chain of command on those occasions when it’s more the problem than the solution. Think ‘military ombudsman’ and you won’t be too far wrong. So the idea of an atheist chaplain isn’t all that ridiculous.

[reg45]

The Church of Non-Existence.

[reg45]

Agnosticism says that neither the existence nor the non-existence of God can be proven.

Atheism says that the non- existence of God can be proven.

That is a significant difference.

[cookcounty]

"So, when the “Church of Evolution” is officially organized, does that mean evolution won’t be taught in government classrooms?"

LOL!!

We demand "Separation of Atheism and State!!!"<

[KantianBurke]

“Still it would seem that those who profess an absence of belief can’t really be religious or spiritual chaplains”

Psychologists. Considering the vast number of vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD, I think it appropriate that more and more shrinks are stationed forward with the troops.

[neverdem]

Thanks for the link.

[GAB-1955]

He has risen indeed! Alleluia!

[ansel12]

Not really, at the street level it is just two atheists arguing.

[Lexinom]

You are right.