God-less chaplains in the military

When the news came out about atheists wanting their own Chaplain I thought it was a joke.

When you read what a Military Chaplain is supposed to do, it actually makes sense, even though I hate to admit it.

A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations.

Although the term chaplain originally had Christian roots,[1] it is generally used today in military organizations to describe all professionals specially trained to serve any spiritual need, regardless of religious affiliation. In addition to offering pastoral care to individuals, and supporting their religious rights and needs, military chaplains may also advise the executive on issues of religion, ethics, morale and morals. They may also liaise with local religious leaders in an effort to understand the role of religion as both a factor in hostility and war and as a force for reconciliation and peace.[2]

Military chaplains normally represent a religion or faith group but work with military personnel of all faiths and none. Some countries, like the Netherlands, also employ humanist chaplains who offer a non-religious approach to chaplain support. Groups such as the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers,[3] support the idea of such chaplains.

There have been a lot of complaints that haven't made the news lately regarding servicemen and women seeking spiritual help from a Military Chaplain but instead of being comforted, they are told they are going to hell unless they convert.

In the following article this statement shows it is much worse than we thought it was.

GRIFFITH: It went on and on telling me that I need to improve my spiritual fitness. But if I need help, I call this 1-800 number. So I called that 1-800 number, and I was basically just going to yell at whoever it was, and to my surprise this was a suicide hotline. I was told that I was suicidal because I was not religious.

I am a Chaplain but not a "Military Chaplain" even though I work with veterans and their families. While I am a Christian (Greek Orthodox) I help people no matter what group they belong to from where they are spiritually. If they do not believe in Christ as the Son of God, they are at least able to accept Him as a person, or at the very least, a good story of morality, love, compassion and forgiveness.

I hang out with guys covered with tattoos, love to drink beer, carry guns and they ride Harleys. Most claim to be a member of one denomination or another, but they do not attend a church. The Nam Knights have had two weddings in the last couple of years but they were at the club house. Rev. Al Paquette officiated. He is a prison pastor ministering to the jailed and forgotten by "polite society" and preaching about God's love.

RealSobriety.com Rev. Al Paquette, former badass biker, now bringing the message of hope and recovery into the darkest places on the planet. From documentary "Real Sobriety."

Real Sobriety Bonus: Rev. Al Paquette from Jill Heinerth on Vimeo.

The people I love and spend a lot of my time with would not fit in with what most "Christians" think they are supposed to be. Then again, there are a lot of churchgoers not acting very Christian at all. The only issue I have with the "atheists and non-believers" is when they try to take away from the believers because they use a "Christian symbol" as a memorial. As for the rest of what the following has to say, even I can now see the need for it.

Godless Chaplains
April 20th, 2012

LUCKY SEVERSON, correspondent: It was only fitting that the first parachutist out of the plane at this festival for atheists and non-believers at Fort Bragg is herself an atheist—Sargent Rachel Medley.

SARGENT RACHEL MEDLEY: I am an atheist and I’m a good person—have, you know, a great life and have great friends, and my service to my country is based on my personal morals which are help other people, be kinds to others, treat others as you would like to be treated.

SEVERSON: She would like to be treated with more respect, as would many of the troops attending this first ever event expressly for soldiers who don’t believe in God. Sargent Justin Griffith was one of the organizers.

SARGENT JUSTIN GRIFFITH: This is us coming out of the closet, you know, shattering that stained glass ceiling. We want to remove the stigma about atheists and whatever they think the word “atheist” means.

SEVERSON: As unlikely as it may seem, one token of respect they would like is an atheist chaplain. That’s a tall order considering that conservative evangelical clergy dominate the ranks of the chaplaincy. Organizations like the National Association of Evangelicals, the NAE, dispute any need for an atheist chaplain. Galen Carey is an NAE vice president.

GALEN CAREY: Well, evangelicals very strongly supported the men and women in uniform, and they want to see that their spiritual needs are met. I don’t think you would find many who could understand, frankly, the point of a chaplain for atheists.

SEVERSON: There are over 3000 chaplains all together. Ninety percent are Christian, even though only about 7 out of 10 soldiers claim to be Christian. There are also a handful of Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu chaplains. Jason Torpy, an Iraq veteran, wants to know why the much larger group of atheists or humanists, estimated to be about 40,000 soldiers, don’t have their own chaplain.
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