Tell that to the boys in the military. I'm talking about perceptions, here, not objective reality. The religion may be technically incidental to the character of the enemy, but that's certainly not the common viewpoint.

Soldiers have a defined, black/white worldview. There isn't a lot of room for grey when bullets start flying. The other soldiers are NOT going to trust that an athiest has their backs. Christians don't trust atheists to be moral, righteous people in general, that's certainly going to be intensified in a military immersion context. It's an Us/Them worldview, and people holding themselves different makes them into a Them.

I'm not saying that's great, or right, just saying that I really doubt this issue is going to gain any traction for substantive change.

We need a military person on this thread to chime in and confirm/deny this, methinks.

So, just because you've never seen it, it can't happen.

I like your thinking.

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"Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states...Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds."



~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

That's not true at all, when the bullets are flying, I doubt that anyone thinks that they are safer with another Christian over an Atheist or anyone else. They are going to feel safest next to the guy that had the best shot in training, regardless of religion.

Yes, there is an "Us/Them" mentality, but the distinguishing features between Us and Them is not religion, but where home is. A US soldier will likely befriend another US soldier over a British soldier or an Iraqi policeman. It might even go down to the state, a soldier from New York might befriend another soldier from New York over one from California. That might effect who they become friends with, but it won't have an impact in the heat of the moment, and certianly religion won't either.

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Set your destination with your heart, get there with your mind.

"The wisest men follow their own direction." - Euripides

USNavy, I agree that it's really weird that he'd even want to "hold meetings". About what, exactly?

All in all, I am torn between thinking a) the guy is doing the right thing by calling attention to an issue of intolerance (that's the only way change happens), or b) the guy's doing himself and the "cause" more harm than good, here, because it's the wrong place/time for it.

You might be right. It'll be interesting to see what comes of it.

And, if I am in a foxhole with someone, with shells falling around me, and I see that jackass mumbling and babbling, I am slapping the piss out of him. "Less praying, more SHOOTING!"

I prefer a deviation from the line in the movie, A league of their own.

God knows you got a rifle to shot.

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Set your destination with your heart, get there with your mind.

"The wisest men follow their own direction." - Euripides

If a tree falls in new york and you are in Denver. does it make a sound?

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I if I recall it correctly while in the Nam as a grunt all that mattered in the bush was the guy in front and behind me. They might not be my best friends in the line that day but they counted as much as my best friends at that moment. I trusted them and they trusted me. Now if either was a new guy I was a lot more careful and watched out harder for them.
Religion, race or anything else didn't matter when the fight (usually a ambush) started. Back at base camp we did our thing with our friends but in Indian country all that mattered was to take care of each other and do our jobs. I don't think things have changed that much. But that was 41 years ago.

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Yea can't keep the words of your great leader.

Prophet Muhammad - “Do you love your creator? Love your fellow-beings first.”

So, mlurp, there will likely be no consequences from his platoon/unit, from this issue, whatsoever?

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The poor object to being governed badly, while the rich object to being governed at all. -- G. K. Chesterton

Really? Can you explain what that might be? I'm interested

That's when all the hard training comes in. It becomes an automatic response and has nothing to do with religion.

Who told you that? Or is this your own view? Such a statement displays a lack of understanding of the ethos of brotherhood in a military context, especially in a combat situation. In a military unit all are brothers. Brotherhood binds. Brotherhood is strength in numbers. Brotherhood is power.
Brotherhood thinks together, acts as a unit. Brotherhood does for your brother what you would do for yourself. Brotherhood is putting other lives before your own.

If a military unit does not have this ethos and mindset, it will be be a crap unit.

I would suggest that the christians who think this way are nothing more than bigots.

BTW, I am a Royal Marine Commando of almost two decades service. I don't give a monkey's about what religion my brothers in arms are, or whether they have any religion at all. I have served with all sorts: Christians, Jews, atheists, buddhists and moslems. When the chips are down, it matters not what their beliefs are, because only one thing counts. Your friggin brothers!

The only THEM is the ENEMY!!

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Brotherhood does for your brother what you would do for yourself