The Chaplain's Role

Of course, the real tragedy is that some people who claim they have the right to rule all American servicemembers based on their so-called 'privileged' notions of 'absolute truth' quite literally don't know their fundament from the elbows they try to apply so judiciously to get between our troops and the spirituality they thought the America they were protecting freed them to honor. :)

"Pagan Place,
"You can't help drawing a line. To deny chaplains the right to draw lines is itself a line drawn in the sand."

It's not in the sand, and it's not drawn by chaplains. It's drawn by our Constitution. If you can't serve in that capacity, do not. Others can.

" To say there is no truth is to be self referentially inconsistent: truly there is no truth! "

Claiming there is no one authoritative verbal truth that a human can 'command,' even indirectly through a much-translated, interpreted, and divined-over book, is not the same as claiming there is no truth at all.

It's perfectly consistent with how the process of finding *any* truth *actually works,* to suspect that 'Truth' does not lie where the oddballs who demand they have a privileged viewpoint and a privileged argument from authority claim it *must,* but rather to find *truth* where one can live and be consistent with *many different* honest observations, as opposed to those who demand the 'One Truth' must be imposed by dubious and clearly-not-incorruptible 'authorities.'

Your problem, not the rest of the world's, and not the U.S. Government's.

"Absolutely there are no absolutes! This is where ecumenism is fundamentally dishonest."

No.... This is where you call other people dishonest for not accepting your premises.

" The law of non-contradiction is rather hard to avoid: the ecumenist's best arguments serve only to establish what he wishes to deny."

That you are unsuited to serve a religiously-diverse nation?

You're the one unable to live with the fact that reasonable and honest people may see things in different ways, and therefore propose that your artificial claims to 'One Truth' must hold equal or greater weight than the realities of the world we live together in.

Or the fact that military chaplaincy is not based on whether or not anyone thinks a given absolutist dogma is true, only that our constitution guarantees reasonable accomodation in military service for the free exercise of religion.

If you can't live with that, drive on. It's not your personal recruiting ground. The chaplaincy is to serve American humans, not any establishment of religion.

"And anyway, if everyone is right, why bother arguing with "fundamentalists". If ecumenism really does embrace everyone, why doesn't it embrace fundamentalists?"

Cause you're speaking out your 'fundament?'

Cause you do not play well with others? Cause you can't believe other people are equal humans with as much right to be served by chaplains as you who insist that it's 'logically-impossible' to coexist?

"Do you get that?"

Oh, I get it.
What *you* don't get is that America doesn't *have to address your flawed logic* to have free exercise of any and all faiths, and non-establishment of your religion over others.

These things are guaranteed to all Americans by our social contract to each other as Americans, We the People, by the Constitution and Bill Of Rights.

"Warmly,"

Yeah, much that comes out the 'fundament' is 'warm,' if you know what I mean.

I agree. As I understand it the in 1974 the Council of American Witches came up with the 13 Principles of Wicca which was later incorporated into the Military Chaplins handbook. Why has this been expanded upon by now?

The men and women who go to serve in the American military are as diverse as the civilian population in their ethnic backgrounds and their religious beliefs. Our government leaders send them to fight and die, they say, to protect our constitutional freedoms. Meanwhile the freedoms of our troops, particularly their rights to freedom of religion, are often being trampled on.

Look how hard and long we had to fight to have the Wiccan symbol added to the list of symbols that could be placed on soldiers headstones.

Religious diversity must be respected especially in the military. Spiritual belief is so important especially in the dire and terrifying circumstances of war. It is sometimes the only thing that brings comfort or gives strength and purpose. Having to hide their practice or being forced to observe or listen to the lectures of a religion that is not one that speaks to their hearts and spirits counters that comfort and strength. I'm sure it makes a soldier ask just what and who am I really fighting for?

Pagan Place,
You can't help drawing a line. To deny chaplains the right to draw lines is itself a line drawn in the sand. To say there is no truth is to be self referentially inconsistent: truly there is no truth! Absolutely there are no absolutes! This is where ecumenism is fundamentally dishonest. The law of non-contradiction is rather hard to avoid: the ecumenist's best arguments serve only to establish what he wishes to deny.

And anyway, if everyone is right, why bother arguing with "fundamentalists". If ecumenism really does embrace everyone, why doesn't it embrace fundamentalists?

Do you get that?
Warmly,

Pagans aren't really all that concerned about Christianity claiming 'exclusive truth.'

Chaplains and the government are to serve people of *all* faiths and none or none-in particular, equally. Even Christians you might find too 'soft.'

You don't *get* to 'draw the line,' here, get it?

Truth is by nature exclusive. Even those who pretend all is true exclude those who don't share their ecumenism. The only question is: where do we draw the line? Christ claimed to be a unique man with a unique message of salvation. Changing this may be warm and more than a little bit fuzzy, but what we are left with at the end, call it what we will, will not be Christianity.

And hi, Terra...

Terrible to hear about those incidents and treatment of one of our own. The problem of PTSD in general is a national disgrace as regards the treatment of soldiers in general: this administration has been claiming excellent soldiers who suffer from it had 'pre-existing personality disorders' and kicking them out without their pensions or any care whatsoever, never mind accepting that the problem exists and doing anything productive about it.

The problem of suffering continual harrassment from one's own side as well as the constant threat of IEDs and the results thereof, isn't something our troops should have to be dealing with.

Certain right-wing Christians would like to use this whole circumstance to channel what Christian soldiers suffer, toward their own Dominionist objectives: post-traumatic stress often leads to looking for *some* 'threat' one can resolve, and that could certainly lead to violence against fellow servicemembers who aren't of the 'correct' sort of faith.

It's something that needs to be looked at. I often wish I was fit to go help. Maybe on this end, though.

Well, yeah, Gary. (Thought you were the other Gary,(D) there, a moment. :) )

Certainly, the chaplains of the majority religion ought to be taking the role of supporting diversity and better respect and behavior, rather than *teaching* soldiers they're in a 'spiritual war' against non-Christians.

In my experience, it was never an Air Force chaplain that tried to convert me or change me from my pagan ways/path... it was always other service members who felt the need to convert others. I completely understand that we Wiccans, Druids and Pagans are a minority in the armed services, so I don't expect a Wiccan priest/priestess at every duty station that has a few people at it... However, as long as the military provides ANY chaplains for servicemembers, they need to assist and cater to ALL faiths. My personal opinion is that military chaplains are absolutely essential, in peacetime, wartime, at home or abroad... There is NO where else in the military where someone has complete right to confidentiality. But if you cannot provide a priest/priestess of my faith, then you must provide me one which will listen/help/counsel me without regard or discrimination based on my choice of religion!

Starhawk,

Another beautiful, honest, true essay. Thanks.

This Christian finds absolutely abhorrent the riligious bigotry shown by our armed forces. It is a direct violation of the first amendment, and therefore a direct violation of the oath that every soldier takes to uphold and defend the Constitution.

I am very angry about this. No faith, or lack of faith, should be persecuted. Ever.

Arminius

Starhawk,

In 2007 a military chaplain, a Christian, decided to transfer religions..to be a Wiccan chaplain. He applied and in spite of a perfect record was removed from the chaplian corp.

This is the next fight...our people are fighting, dieing and being discriminated against in the military.

A person in my group, in the Air Force, was an acting Priestess to a group in Iraq. They had things thrown at them, their meeting tent taken from them, their CO not sympethetic;their lives made harder, while dodgeing IUD's and death.

My person came home, but she changed,war and helplessness will do that...a Wiccan chaplain might have helped her with her internal struggles and fears. While she helped her group in dealing with the loss and injuries of comrades...who helped her?

We must force equality for all people whether it is equality for all faiths or the end of DADT...

terra