[wmfights]

Army chaplains trained last month to participate in the CSF’s spiritual fitness initiative say it is about protecting soldiers’ mental health in the event of a traumatic experience, not conversion.

"Most traumatic events have an element of soul wounding," said the Rev. Dr. Chrys Parker, an Army chaplain, in a statement about the training.

[Intolerant in NJ]

The spiritual statements include: “I am a spiritual person;” “My life has lasting meaning;” and “I believe there is a purpose for my life.”...they seem like fairly easy questions to answer - if you really know what you believe and are confident in your convictions - the atheists must be extremely unsure of their nonfaith if merely being asked these questions is so threatening to them.....

[married21]

As an effective alternative to the current religion-based Army training, the atheists are proposing.... what exactly?

[bmwcyle]

Just use Christ then.

[1010RD]

Atheists should only care about the ends, not the means. This method works and the science supports it.

Why not simply set up an alternative method based on atheism and let soldiers choose? That way we could compare outcomes.

[denydenydeny]

Counseling without reference to God is hollow and meaningless, as they discovered in the old Soviet Union. The USSR was a country full of drunks but the government forbade 12-step programs because of the “higher power” stuff; their atheistic drug and alcohol programs were useless.

In theory it is possible to treat an abstract, completely secular idea as a “higher power” for the sake of a 12-step program (I’m reminded of Christopher on the Sopranos wanting to use the traditions of the Mafia as his higher power) but those are equally hollow. No one wants to turn to an abstraction for comfort.