Posted on Sep 1, 2017
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?
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Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 17
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.
-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.
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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.
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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.
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1SG (Join to see)
That old saying is most certainly incorrect. Because there are Atheists in foxholes.
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No. It's not.
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