The Army is accused of being too Christian-based. So says a Specialist in Kansas who’s suing the government gunslingers for allegedly blocking a promotion because of his atheist beliefs.
It appears to have all started when Specialist Jeremy Hall sued the Army for voilating his constitutional right to hold assembly and discuss his atheist beliefs with non-Christians and his fellow spiritually deadened individuals. That’s right, you see, this isn’t the two-time Iraqi veteran’s first brush in suing the Army. During this first lawsuit, an alleged email was sent base-wide stating Hall was not to be promoted due to his legal action against the unit. Hall’s Sergeant later pulled him aside and supposedly explained that he was not being promoted because he was unwilling to pray with his troops and it would affect unit morale and confidence in his leadership.
Hall replied that religion is not a requirement for leadership. Point to Hall. When confronted with the fact that Hall claimed his constitutional right to free religion was being threatened, the Sergeant than asked how a non-religion can be protected by laws and rules designed for religion. Point to the Sarge. Unfortunately, the Army thought of that and it’s actually in their Chaplain guidebook. Match point to the Specialist.
Hall and his attorney claim that the Army as a whole, particularly Fort Riley where Hall is stationed, encourages officers to impose and espouse Christian beliefs and followings and are subsequently hostile to non-Christian values. Of course, anytime any minority segment of the population is being targeted, it’s always one of three culrprits - White men, straight men, or Christians - doing the dirty work. They go so far as to prove their point by indicating that the base exchange (shopping mall) carries a book titled “A Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam” or has posters with quotes from conservative columnist Ann Coulter (The Devil).
Of course, they omit the part where the exchange carries every major liberal newspaper and periodical available or that the book selection is as diverse and wide-ranging as any Borders Express you’d find at a major metropolitan airport. That would be too fair and even-handed.
I am not atheist. I am in fact a combination of all three of those infamous “evil-doers” of modern time. I have had atheist friends (for us “Culprits”, it’s similar to saying we have gay friends or black friends. Hat Trick of Tolerance if you have all three) and it’s a mixed bag. In the past, I had an atheist roomate who I literally was close to killing. It wasn’t the fact that he was atheist that bothered me, but that he felt the need to mock and belittle my more evangelistic Christian friends for their beliefs. As if they were this unenlightened filth and he stood above them all, clarity of mind and purpose with the right to mock and correct. Like his own mini-Inquisition.
This is sadly my impression of SPC Jeremy Hall. You see, for as much punishment as my atheist roomate could deal out, the moment he was excluded or otherwise targeted, it instantly became another example of why Christianity was the way it was in his eyes and immediately justified his further mocking. Don’t worry, my atheist fellows, my Godson’s father is an atheist and one of the most tolerant and open-minded people I know. There’s still hope for you.
“Hat Trick of Tolerance + 1″ for me!
Tags: army, military, religion
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March 11th, 2008 at 11:30 am
myspace.com/freddywelborn
This is the website of the “officer” whose action started the original law-suit.
Would you prefer this guy for a room-mate?
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March 11th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Hrm. Good question, Sherry. I have an answer, too. :)
Mr. Welborn (Freddy) appears to be an evangelical, one of many Christian flavors. I am not evangelical in nature and as a matter of fact, this is probably the most public I’ve ever discussed my religion. Partly, I’m sure, out of social conditioning and partly because it is my lifestyle. My overall actions and behavior should be an example and I shouldn’t have to preach to you beyond that. Ideally, anyways. Heh. I’m very far from perfect but I try and that’s what matters.
I could stand to have both Mr. Welborn and Mr. Hall as room-mates. If Mr. Welborn could tolerate Mr. Hall’s lack of religion and doesn’t try to correct me on how I’m less than perfect in his ideal of what God wants and doesn’t try to force Mr. Hall to change his religion, then he can stay. Same for Mr. Hall if he can tolerate an evangelical who’s open about his faith without putting him down and trying to knock down another’s beliefs. It would be an insult to Mr. Welborn and an insult to myself.
Ah. What a hypocrite I am. I know. Why don’t I then disapprove of Mr. Welborn’s alleged behavior towards Mr. Hall and his own policy against him? Well, frankly, for me this issue was never about religion or lack thereof as it was about unit cohesion.
If Mr. Hall was unwilling to bow his head out of RESPECT to his brethren, then I don’t think he belongs in a unit that functions fully as one mind, one body. This isn’t to say Mr. Hall should bow down, accept, and worship with his Christian, Muslim, and Jewish buddies. No. Not at all.
He should merely attempt to blend in. I don’t give a flying hoot as to whether or not he’s singing the “Meow-Meow-Meow” song in his head while doing so. It’s akin to showing up to a funeral and laughing during the prayer service because you think it’s worthless. You just don’t do it. It’s disrespectful and sub-human.
In my opinion, the Army has every right to ask Mr. Hall to be part of the unit on the surface. You join the military to become a member of a force and a team, not to be SPC Jeremy Hall, renegade cohesion breaker.
I wouldn’t want to take orders from and have someone watching my back who doesn’t have the simple peace of mind to respect my or fellow soldier’s beliefs but instead chooses to make his differences openly known by ignoring, snubbing, or abandoning those rituals that unite the majority of your team.
Does that make the Army a Christian-ruled organization? No, not necessarily. It does make it pro-religion though and that’s how it should be. The vast majority of this country and it’s Armed Forces are religious in some fashion or another. I don’t care to look at the numbers but I wouldn’t be surprised if a majority of the population is Christian in this nation. Considering the majority of the enlisted members are Southern, Texan, or minority, it doesn’t surprise me if just by demographic the Armed Forces are therefore ruled by the Christian faith.
Until the demographics change, it’ll stay that way. I do concede Mr. Hall should have been allowed to hold his gathering of atheists, as is fair and right. But when in ceremony with other religious people … just show some damn respect. :)
Please, Sherry, I’m looking forward to continuing this conversation with you. Honestly. I shared my feelings. Please share yours. :)
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March 25th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Very interesting read! And I loved your reply to the reader. It allowed me to further understand your point, and understand your viewpoints from both sides. I have to agree with you. It’s only fair and right that Mr. Hall should be allowed to hold his gathering of atheists. But I believe there are too many people who want those rights and claim so out of fairness, but go on to disrespect those others who practice their own religious beliefs. To me, that negates their whole point, and that I do NOT respect.
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