Maybe There’s a More Constitutional Way to Do This?
As much as I love Jesus Christ and Christianity, we live in a secular world with secular values. I have to begrudgingly admit that VJack from Atheist Revolution is right.
Apparently, the U.S. Army is promoting Christianity as the solution to soldiers who threaten suicide.
Before I say why I think VJack is right, I should remind my readers that studies have been conducted that show a causal connection between suicide and atheism. Further, suicide rates among the religious are lower, as are stress levels. Time Magazine recently published an article that links regular prayer with the ability to heal faster and better. No matter what the atheists say, religion is a good thing.
Unfortunately, living in the society that we do, it is illegal to promote one religion over another. Therefore, VJack is right in the sense that we shouldn’t promote Christianity alone to soldiers. What about the rights of the non-Christian chaplains who will be forced to present that material?
Here’s the giant “but.” BUT, what about promoting religion in general as an answer to suicide? That is not illegal, and it even has benefits (outlined above). It should satisfy everyone concerned–except the atheist, of course.
There is another reason why I would be against promoting only Christianity as the alternative for suicide. Christianity is not a coerced religion; it is a religion which one must freely choose to follow. If the military is forcing its soldiers to follow Christianity, then a major point of the Christian faith is lost. Suddenly someone is a Christian not by choice or by preference, but because the military says they are.
This problem is the same facing the Roman Empire under Constantine. Constantine forced people to adopt Christianity as the state religion, and all discipleship was lost. Discipleship is one of the keys to Christianity; a person must learn what it means to be a Christian as a disciple to someone who already knows. The link to the left on Discipleship 101 should help any readers with that point.
Bottom line: Christianity is a journey and it requires the Christian to be willing to undertake the journey. If Christianity is coerced by the Army, it isn’t Christianity anymore.
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Posted on May 13, 2009, in Apologetics and tagged atheism. Bookmark the permalink. 7 Comments.
Josiah Concept Ministries 
Only Christ can offer Himself to a man (or woman). No unbelieving “Chaplain” who him or herself is not InChristed, that is devoid of the Light within, can truly offer His Life to others.
They can offer “religion” which is a terrible, oppressive, external behavior modification technique but only Christ Himself can offer an internal change of nature, His within.
Blessings
“Here’s the giant “but.” BUT, what about promoting religion in general as an answer to suicide?”
Its a bad idea. Islam promotes suicide (mixed with bombing). And do you really want troops going up against Islamicts accepting their religion?
Calvinism promotes suicide too, though, so they better make sure to take a free-will approach. The last thing you want a solider to think is that God is evil and pre-scripts sins. He might just go on a killing rampage then and massacre civilians! But if, on the other hand the soldier is told that his actions matter, then he might quit the military or refuse to kill anymore like Christians did in the first three centuries when they converted! From a secular point of view, Deism is in the military’s best interest more than any other religion.
CALVINISM PROMOTES SUICIDE? What are you smoking?
Not in the sense of saying “hey, go commit suicide” but in the sense of making people feel like its all hopeless because they lost the cosmic lottery of the Calvinist tyrant demon god.
But if you don’t believe in the “Calvinist…god” you wouldn’t believe that you had “lost the cosmic lottery,” ergo no hopelessness. Even the strawman you have made of Calvinism resists your torch.
People can be convinced that the Calvinist god is the real god and yet not believe they won his lottery. I’ve met such people and I’m sure you have too, but you can’t admit it.
Hmm, just met me and you’re already calling me a liar. You’ll just have to take it at face value that I’ve never met one of those odd ducks.