Our "Christian" Military

This is a very disturbing story, posted by Ed Brayton on his blog, Dispatches from the Culture Wars. There have been many, many reports over the last few years of fundamentalist Christians spreading intolerance and hatred among the military, forcing Christian prayer on non-Christians and harassing those of other faiths or beliefs. It seems to have been most prevalent in the Air Force but is obviously in the Army as well. This report is from an Army Officer and West Point graduate.

During my second year at the West Point, my Squad Leader for summer training expressed disapproval on numerous occasions with my being Jewish, and, during one mission, he grabbed my MRE (a military meal) as we sat down for lunch and handed me another. He ordered me to eat the pork chop and I reminded him that I refrain from pork for religious reasons. He told me that I could eat the pork or eat nothing. One of his peers, a female Jewish cadet, urged me to obey him and not to make him angry; I declined. The next day, my cadet Platoon Leader presented me with a written counseling statement detailing my signs of "anorexia" and a "troubling" refusal to eat which was detrimental to my health and indicative of "incapacity for leadership."

There's lots more where that came from and it's all disgusting.

This type of pervasive religiousity, especially fundamentalist Christianity which has shown itself to be intolerant and ready to wage religious war, is not only un-American, but it hurts our military and their ability to defend us. And when we're in two wars where our opponents are Muslim, putting forth a fundamentalist Christian face in the Army is downright frakking stupid.

I have a good friend who is a Chaplain in the Army. I hope he hasn't been involved in this kind of crap. It's just evil.