Several atheist, agnostic, and secular humanist organizations are
pushing to establish their own U.S. military “chaplaincy” for soldiers.
The head of the United States Military Archdiocese thinks the effort may
be more about opposing religion than meeting non-believers' needs.
“The idea of a 'chaplaincy' for atheists seems contradictory,” U.S.
Military Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio told CNA.
Under present
conditions, he said, “it would seem that they could meet and sponsor
activities just as many other groups do on installations. Or is the
issue here the desire to set up a structure in direct opposition to the
chaplaincy?”
Former Army captain Jason Torpy, president of the Military
Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, told the New York Times that
“humanism fills the same role for atheists that Christianity does for
Christians and Judaism does for Jews.”
Torpy is seeking to meet with the
chief of chaplains for each branch of the armed forces, to discuss the
atheist chaplaincy proposal.
Another group, Military Atheists and Secular Humanists, wants the
army to appoint atheist leaders to hold meetings in the facilities used
by religious groups.
One officer, who objected to the Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association's September 2010 “Rock the Fort” event at Fort
Bragg in North Carolina, is trying to organize his own “Rock Beyond
Belief” event headlined by Richard Dawkins.
Leaders of the push for an atheist chaplaincy say that non-believers
sometimes feel marginalized by the presence of religion in the armed
forces.
Archbishop Broglio, however, believes that the supposed taboo
against atheism in the military may be more imagined than real.
“In my three years as the Archbishop for the Military Services I have
failed to perceive any stigma attached to non-believers,” he stated.
“I remember well on a visit to an installation just before the
celebration of Mass, a soldier approached me and said that he was not a
believer and would not be staying for the service, but wanted to thank
me for coming to visit,” the archbishop recalled.
He said the man “could
have simply left as did many others,” who were either leaving to attend
a different religious service or take advantage of free time.
But the soldier felt no discomfort in voluntarily expressing his
atheism to the archbishop.
“The fact that he spoke to me and expressed
his position certainly indicates that there was no fear in doing so.”
“Given the prohibition of proselytism in the military, it would seem
unnecessary to establish a structure to promote non-belief,” he said.
“If non-belief is the 'glue' that binds the proposed group together, it
would seem that some other area of military life would be a better host
than the chaplaincy.”
Archbishop Broglio suggested that some of the more vocal atheists may
be pushing for their own chaplaincy because they oppose the role of
traditional religious chaplains.
He acknowledged their right to meet,
but questioned “whether the chapel center is the best place or if
something more neutral might be found.”
If atheists in the military ultimately do receive the same
acknowledgment, resources, and privileges given to believers, the
archbishop wonders what exactly they would do with them – given that
atheism, in its most general form, has no settled doctrines to promote,
or particular practices to encourage.
“Would they meet to discuss their non-belief?” he wondered.
“Would
their activities all be oriented to sustaining or promoting the denial
of the existence of God? Would there be space for varying degrees of
non-belief?”