People I serve with try to tell me that the Army aligns itself with Christianity. Do you think that the Army is a religious-based entity?

SPC(P) Mike Conley Jr. — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 11:58:22 -0400

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 1 at 2017 12:08 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 12:08:42 -0400

Yes it does.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Sep 1 at 2017 12:20 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 12:20:02 -0400

Of course not. That's silly. The Army provides for the religious needs of its members just as it provides for every other need such as food, shelter, clothing, healthcare and rehabilitation, entertainment, postal services, etc., etc.m etc. I have met chaplains of every faith and each is trained to minister to service members of other faiths in emergencies (which are routine on the battlefield). However, it may be argued that the US military is somewhat different than most others in that it recognizes that all service members are citizens of a society in which individual freedom and responsibility are highly valued. This is a Judeo-Christian concept, unlike others in which people do not have free will and have been taught from birth to obey authority (clerics) inasmuch as they are led by animal instincts and cannot be trusted with such freedom, cannot be held responsible for behaviors induced by outside influences.

Response by SSG Robert Perrotto made Sep 1 at 2017 12:34 PM

SSG Robert Perrotto — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 12:34:18 -0400

no - it is not religious based - but the US is a majority christian country, makes sense that the services have a majority christian based population.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 1 at 2017 12:46 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 12:46:10 -0400

I don't think it does. Are there some Christian "things" in it? Sure. But we live in a mostly Christian society. While that may be changing these days, when the Army was founded it was much more Christian. When the majority of your pool of recruits (Americans for the most part) share a trait/ideology/etc. it will work its way into everything else in the society. Schools, business, government, whatever. But I've never seen anything in the military that said "Do this in this way because the Bible says to".

Response by SGT David T. made Sep 1 at 2017 12:49 PM

SGT David T. — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 12:49:34 -0400

Based, I would say no. Is there a heavy Christian presence? Yes. It was heavy enough for me to be ambiguous about my thoughts on religion when I was in. I personally would prefer that invocations be left out of official functions, but as the old saying goes, don't rock the boat when your standing in it. However, that is another conversation lol

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Sep 1 at 2017 12:55 PM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 12:55:23 -0400

No it is not.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Sep 1 at 2017 1:14 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 13:14:28 -0400

I Hope to God Not. That would definitely be a "Conflict of Interest" and in Clear Violation of the 1st Amendment. Having Said that I have No Problem with Soldiers Practicing Christian Values of Love, Tolerance and Forgiveness, Excellent Values. Additionally I have No Tolerance for Proselytizing to the Troops.

Response by Cpl John Barker made Sep 1 at 2017 1:22 PM

Cpl John Barker — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 13:22:22 -0400

No shit, Sherlock

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 1 at 2017 1:23 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 13:23:04 -0400

As for a DoD service aligning itself with a specific religion..... DoD and the Army support all religious activities period. We built a Wiccan star-wheel type object at Taji and we built a separate tent area for US. Muslim Soldiers at Q-West. (note: American Muslim Soldiers were not allowed in the Iraqi mosque on our base). I have not seen provisions made for Mormons or Scientologist but maybe someone else has experience with that. // For part 2 of your question; the Army and DoD has a Chaplain Corps that supports numerous faiths. We had the only Buddhist in the Army at Balad and he was a guy from Mississippi in the 155th ABCT, that supported the entire Theater. And we built him a tent area as well so he could administer to those of his faith.

Response by SGM Erik Marquez made Sep 1 at 2017 1:26 PM

SGM Erik Marquez — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 13:26:21 -0400

Ahh, NO

Response by SGT Christopher Lachcik made Sep 1 at 2017 1:28 PM

SGT Christopher Lachcik — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 13:28:05 -0400

No. It's not.

Response by PFC Eric Parrish made Sep 1 at 2017 2:16 PM

PFC Eric Parrish — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 14:16:54 -0400

Maybe not, but the country our military defends is based on Judeo-Christian beliefs. So it is impossible to not align with some tenants of Christian principles and still complete the mission of protecting our country.

Response by Sgt Wayne Wood made Sep 1 at 2017 2:36 PM

Sgt Wayne Wood — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 14:36:45 -0400

No... but there's the old saying "there are no atheists in a foxhole"

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 1 at 2017 2:54 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 14:54:32 -0400

Yes and No. Is the Army predominately Christian, and does Christianity heavily influence its culture? Yes. At the same time, it is not officially Christian and most of the time it does a decent job accommodating the religious needs of soldiers who practice different religions or none.

Response by SGT Tony Clifford made Sep 1 at 2017 4:53 PM

SGT Tony Clifford — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 16:53:45 -0400

No it not a religious entity. The United States does not fight wars for religion. In many ways the concept of warfare is antithetical to Christianity. Do Christians wage war? Yes, but the act is against the teachings of Christ. Many people would disagree, but they are probably looking solely at the old testament and forgetting that the new testament tells Christians to love their enemies. That being said, it's impossible for a civilization to exist if it lacks a means of defense. So war is a necessary evil.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Sep 1 at 2017 5:22 PM

Cpl Justin Goolsby — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 17:22:32 -0400

No... I have yet to see a crucifix anywhere except the base chapel. Despite the vast majority of the country being Christian, we are able to separate our business lives from our faith.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 1 at 2017 6:51 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 18:51:23 -0400

I would say that this is basically a two faceted response:

-The Army in and of itself, as well as the service members in its ranks, serve to uphold the Constitution of the United States. In the 1st Amendment it states; "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." Essentially, stating that the government (and its extensions e.g. the Army) will neither promote or prohibit exercising any type of religion, as it would impede on the freedom of speech. Basically, we as soldiers are free to practice whatever religion we choose, though we cannot force others to follow or prohibit them from practicing another. In my opinion that is exactly what makes this country so great. That we have these freedoms afforded to us, and is exactly why I decided to raise my hand and defend them in the first place.

-That being said, the Army is the largest branch of the armed forces, and with the large population of Christians (overwhelmingly so) there is no doubt that there are definitely going to be Christian undertones during formal and informal events, in regards to prayer, informal discussion, etc. Though, I do feel that the Army does a very good job at catering to its soldiers who practice varied religions, just as well as serving its large population of Christian soldiers. All service members are entitled to services of their choice, counseling from Chaplains who are skilled with knowledge in their faith and more.

Response by Cpl Lawrence Lavictoire made Sep 1 at 2017 6:55 PM

Cpl Lawrence Lavictoire — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 18:55:59 -0400

Simple answer, no.