This week, David Silverman -- president of American Atheists -- said that American military troops need atheist chaplains that they can turn to for counseling and moral support.
The U.S. military maintains Christian chaplains, but not atheist chaplains.
Somehow, it appears to be a paradox that atheists -- who do not believe in God -- are seeking to have atheist chaplains counsel them.
Are atheists afraid that a Christian chaplain might try to counsel them into converting to Christianity? Or, do they feel that a Christian chaplain's counseling would be too morally-driven, as opposed to atheistic ideas which tend to have very few moral standards?
The title "atheist chaplain" itself sounds out of place in the U.S. military, just as a church with an atheist title sounds unnatural. For example, can you picture a church by the name of First Congregational Atheist Church? Of course not!
The U.S. military has not had atheist chaplains in its ranks, since it was established over 200 years ago.
The fact is that military personnel need to have religious chaplains to instill in them national and spiritual awareness, in order to provide them with the support and confidence they may need to accomplish their mission.
Religious chaplains can also instill such awareness on troops who are atheists.
Indeed, there is no need for atheist chaplains in the U.S. military.
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"Are atheists afraid that a Christian chaplain might try to counsel them into converting to Christianity?"
ReplyDeleteThis is all too common.
"Or, do they feel that a Christian chaplain's counseling would be too morally-driven, as opposed to atheistic ideas which tend to have very few moral standards?"
Hey, slander Jews next; I really like how bigoted "Christians" denigrate non-Christians.
"Religious chaplains can also instill such awareness on troops who are atheists."
Not if they're bigots like yourself.