# Onward Christian Soldiers: Fundies taking over the military **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 14, 2008, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onward-christian-soldiers-fundies-taking-over-the-military/437603 "2008-02-14T15:42:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onward-christian-soldiers-fundies-taking-over-the-military/437603/101 "2008-02-24T17:55:32Z")
[QUOTE=Zoe] The [Religious Tolerance](http://www.religioustolerance.org/relintolafa.htm) website has a good “detailed but concise” explanation of the charges and complaints at the Air Force Academy beginning in about 2004. There were at least fifty complaints which resulted in a rewritten policy for the entire Air Force. There was only one complaint at the Naval Academy and none at West Point. I am left to wonder why this happened at just the Air Force Academy. I’m young enought to still think of it as “the new academy.” This is certainly a different place from the one where friends of mine graduated in the mid 1960s. What is scarey to me is that the rewritten policy – which seems beautifully in line with our Constitution – was criticized by a well known leader of the religious right. That left me puzzled. _What the hell does he want?_ [/QUOTE] If you stand at the gates of the U.S. Air Force Academy and turn 180 degrees, about a half mile away across I25 you’ll see two large buildings - one is the New Life Church, a 10,000 member evangelical church formerly run by Ted Haggard. The other is Focus on the Family, a religious organization that runs a radio and publishing empire. The two of them combined tried to make the Air Force Academy their personal petri dish. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onward-christian-soldiers-fundies-taking-over-the-military/437603/102 "2008-02-24T22:42:48Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] That’s true to an extent - but if a servicemember expresses a desire on his own to convert, the chaplain should facilitate this to the maximum degree possible. I started to explore becoming a Catholic while I was still in the Navy, and chaplains of various stripes - Protestant and Catholic both - were very helpful in getting me any information I requested. Chaplains are there to provide for the religious needs of servicemembers, and if that need includes conversion in an individual case, they have to provide for that as well. I don’t know of too many people who would find a problem with this. [/QUOTE] And where does this contradict my post above? The Chaplains are not there to try to convert people from one faith (or lack thereof) to another (or some) faith. They are there to provide the services (sorry about the pun) you mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onward-christian-soldiers-fundies-taking-over-the-military/437603/103 "2008-02-25T02:29:32Z")
[QUOTE=Monty] And where does this contradict my post above? [/QUOTE] Not a contradiction at all, just a clarification. Certainly there are times where chaplains will be involved in converting people, and that is entirely proper if it is not initiated by the chaplain. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onward-christian-soldiers-fundies-taking-over-the-military/437603/104 "2008-02-25T13:53:48Z")
I felt that there was no clarification needed. After all, _try_ seems to me to indicate active pursuit. My point was that such pursuit is not permitted. Assisting those who approach the Chaplain asking to convert is, of course, not pursuing the potential convert. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onward-christian-soldiers-fundies-taking-over-the-military/437603/105 "2008-02-25T15:27:42Z")
I’m sorry if this felt like nitpicking - I was just trying to relate my own history in this. I don’t think we’re at all in disagreement about what chaplains ought to do, so I hope you’ll accept my apology on this. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onward-christian-soldiers-fundies-taking-over-the-military/437603/106 "2008-02-25T19:04:34Z")
No problem, **Mr. Moto**. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onward-christian-soldiers-fundies-taking-over-the-military/437603/107 "2008-02-26T03:08:05Z")
I’m currently on an active duty post and I’ll be here for a few weeks. So far I have not been forcibly baptised. I’ll keep you updated. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onward-christian-soldiers-fundies-taking-over-the-military/437603/108 "2008-02-26T04:15:25Z")
Hm. Which reminds me of the one completely secular baptism I have had. Any Naval gents here able to think of what I mean? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onward-christian-soldiers-fundies-taking-over-the-military/437603/109 "2008-02-26T04:20:42Z")
Shellback? ETA: I wouldn’t know that I’d classify that as _completely_ secular. After all, Neptune/Poseidon does preside, and he’s actually a deity… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onward-christian-soldiers-fundies-taking-over-the-military/437603/110 "2008-02-26T05:25:23Z")
Worst tasting olive I ever ate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onward-christian-soldiers-fundies-taking-over-the-military/437603.md?page=5)