[Vision2020] Of, By & For SOME of the pe

[lfalen]

Tom is essentially  right here. The Army prints a person's religion on their dog tags, however to my knowledge they do not print Atheist. Instead "No Preference" is printed.
Roger

-----Original message-----
From: Tom Hansen thansen at moscow.com
Date: Fri, 07 Mar 2008 06:49:21 -0800
To: Chasuk chasuk at gmail.com,  donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com, vision2020 at moscow.com,  donald edwards donaledwards at hotmail.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Of, By & For SOME of the pe

> The Army supports virtually all faiths.
> 
> I sugeest yo uboth read up on it before yo umake any further claims.
> 
> http://www.usachcs.army.mil/
> 
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > On Thu, Mar 6, 2008 at 10:55 PM, Donovan Arnold
> > <donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > 
> > > My sympathy is with the victim, which is the US taxpayer having to 
> deal with
> > > frivolous lawsuits for things that ultimately serve no purpose.
> > 
> > > The reason that other soldiers are allowed to meet with religious 
> leaders
> > > isn't for a hobby. It is because at any moment they could be meeting 
> their
> > > Maker. So they see a religious leader to prepare for that event, last 
> rites
> > > and preparing for the end of this life.
> > 
> > Soldiers (military personnel in general) aren't "allowed" to meet with
> > religious leaders -- it's a right they exercise just like you do, no
> > strings attached.    There is no permission involved, which is what
> > you seem to be be implying.  If this isn't your implication, then nip
> > my missaprehension in the bud.
> > 
> > > It is not to have a community meeting, play golf, bingo, eat donuts and
> > > discuss the stupidity of those that think there is a super being 
> floating on
> > > a cloud.
> > 
> > Some military attend worship services officiated by chaplains, some
> > attend "normal" services.  There isn't any rule.  Chaplains work
> > stateside and abroad, during war and during peace.  They do indeed get
> > involved in social activities with their congregation, including golf,
> > bingo, eating donuts, spaghetti feeds, and bible studies, where
> > atheism, agnosticism, pantheism, Buddhism, and all variety of belief
> > are discussed, much like in "normal" religious communities.
> > 
> > Most the time, military aren't actually in any more jeopardy of
> > meeting their maker than an average civilian.  But the chaplains don't
> > close up shop.  The still spread the gospel -- usually in a fairly
> > low-key, ecumical way -- and hosting bingo parties, donut and coffee
> > klatches, spaghetti feeds, and bible studies.
> > 
> >  Atheists don't need to make amends with God, because they don't
> > > believe in one.
> > 
> > Correct.  But their freedom to commingle still shouldn't be curtailed,
> > which is what the lawsuit was ultimately about.  Stop atheists from
> > commingling, and next they will stop Mormons, Seven Day Adventists,
> > Jehovah's Witnesses, and members of any minority belief system that
> > the status quo regard with suspicion or distaste.
> > 
> > As a non-theist, I know how comforting it can be to associate with
> > others of my kind, especially when struggling in a high stress
> > environment.  When I was sitting in Taif, Saudi Arabia, far from my
> > wife and children, uncertain when, or if, I would return, fellowship
> > would have been nice.
> > 
> > Did you know that there were many converts to Islam during Desert
> > Storm and Desert Shield?  A few of the converts were white, but most
> > were black.  Standing in line at the chow hall, waiting for my portion
> > of forbidden pork, suddenly the black airman who had eaten pork  on
> > Monday wasn't eating it on Tuesday.  Surreptitious prayer mats
> > appeared.  This was pre-9/11, but Islam was even then perceived with
> > alarm by many of the Christian community on Taif.  Still, atheists
> > were a lower species.
> > 
> > Some people are non-theists for the wrong reasons.  Some become
> > non-theists out of anger, out of petulance, or out of the desire to
> > shock.  Quite  a few, however, become non-theists after a long
> > struggle, and end up as non-theists as prisoners of their own
> > conscience.  These people don't adopt non-theism casually, any more
> > than most people would take on leprosy casually.
> > 
> > So the fellowship of one's peers is arguably doubly important to a
> > non-believer.  We are in a hostile environment regardless of our
> > physical location.   There is hyperbole involved here, but not much.
> > 
> > Three cheers to Spc. Jeremy Hall for standing up for me, and others
> > like me.  I count him as a "true" American, who understands what he
> > has sworn to protect from firsthand experience.
> > 
> > Chas
> > 
> > =======================================================
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> >           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
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> > 
> 
> 
> "People who ridicule others while hiding behind anonymous monikers in chat-
> room forums are neither brave nor clever." 
> 
> - Latah County Sheriff Wayne Rausch (August 21,
> 2007)
> 
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