Stripes letter re: Christianity forced on troops

[lebkuchen]

He saw the light

I’m saved! I want to give a big sincere thank you to the U.S. Army for showing me the light. I’ve done it! I’ve converted to Christianity.

If I choose to re-enlist, I will no longer have to squirm when forced to say the word “God” in my oath. No longer will I be a captive audience in formation when a chaplain comes to say a Christian prayer. I used to be so upset because I wasn’t allowed to leave. Now I can rejoice with all of the other Evangelicals.

No longer will my military career be threatened by not participating in ceremonies that celebrate God with Christian prayer. Actually, I was never given a choice whether to attend these ceremonies. I was ordered to go, but that doesn’t matter now that I’m Christian.

It’s a good thing the only chaplains I’ve ever seen are Christian. I might have converted to the wrong religion. I’ve heard of other chaplains, but I’ve never seen one. One of the mandatory ceremonies I had to attend was in a multifaith chapel. For some reason, the only religious symbols I saw were crosses. I’m confident my choice is the correct one.

So, if you’re a soldier in the minority who is not Christian, I encourage you to cross over. You’ll have an opportunity at every ceremony to celebrate my God. If you choose not to convert, that’s OK. I’ll watch you squirm when you’re forced to participate in my new faith’s prayer (invocation).

Thank you, U.S. Army, for shoving Christianity down my throat until I converted. I fought it at first, but not any more.

Sgt. C.H. Pollitt
Balad, Iraq

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=34168

[expatriot]

1. Now THIS is an act of bravery.

Sgt. C.H. Pollitt has more balls than I think I'd have. I just hope he doesn't start getting assigned to double shifts of convoy duty every day.

[Toots]

2. I am sorry but you volunteered for this military

Never have GIs had Constitutional Rights. GI means Government Issue. That means you are property and not a citizen. When you signed that enlistment form you gave up all Constitutional Rights for the duration of your enlistment...They can do just about any damn thing they wish and you can only write a letter about it...Don't get a sunburn though or you are eligible for courts marshall for destroying government property....

[TahitiNut]

6. "If the Army wanted you to have a conscience, they'd issue you one!"

Such 'logic' was ubiquitous in Viet Nam. I'm sure it's even more so today.

[teryang]

3. This crap has been going on for quite some time

I had the same experience in the late eighties/ early nineties. I don't where these officers that push this evangelical crap get off forcing it on their personnel.

[oneighty]

4. Interesting

Navy Boot Camp 1951 we 'boots' were required on several Sundays to attend Christian services in a really large building in which hundreds of us were treated to a sermon which we mostly could not hear. A useless experience.

Later in Japan we were sometimes grouped together to hear the Chaplin discuss VD and Queers. God? Whooo dat?

Times change.

180

[MrModerate]

5. Anybody here think that Sgt. Pollitt's Army career . . .

Just took a turn for the worse? That he/she is likely to get assigned some really dangerous (and probably pointless) duty until his/her ass is either blown to bits or run out of the Army?

I've been following this story from the Air Force Academy side of it for some time. Scares me spitless that the USAF is now overrun with these rapture-smacked fundies who will do who knows what when they're sitting in the seats of their hundred-million-dollar planes. Also, having known a pilot or two in my time, and realizing that pilots on the whole have a pretty low tolerance for bullshit, I can only weep to think of the real talent that's been chased away by these christofascist foamers.