SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - The enemy within: evangelical fundamentalism in US armed forces

Skybird · 11-22-07, 04:12 AM

Not dangerous, said Rocking robbins - but that is missing the point. The study for example asks the question in how far extreme religious views work like a filter through which reality must pass before a man'S reason makes any plans and and ways to adress it. It points at the risk that dangers do not get perceived just in time, or are exaggerated, because of the religous fundamentalism of the decision-makers. A German text I also read on the issue points at some statistical data, showing that since the Vietnam war the numerical relation between democrats and republicans in the military has very fundamentally changed, almost reversed accoridng to the USAWC study now, and that the link between being Republican camps and fundamentalist evangelical policies and opinions is extremely strong - its not really matching reality to say that Republicans "always" had been totally dominating in the military - this total dominance has devceloped over the past 3 or 4 decades only. also it was pointed out that the group pressure on people to join the fundamental christian orientation in units and branches of the army forces is extremely strong and reaches as far as open mobbing of people, denying them any career chances if they resist, and isolating them if they do withhold themselves from joining the belief of their units, or do not attend the service of their evangelical unit caplan. And finally, it was pointed out that in the past years under Bush, radical evangelical camps were able to push their people in up to 50% of those positions representing higher command ranks and planning and decision making positions.

Not dangerous?

So, there is a very great danger indeed, by evangelical dogma dominating percpetion of reality and decision making on questions of war and peace, and how to wage wars and with what objectives, and growing religious intolerance in the army. By influencing both the composition of the army, and the way in which threats to the US from the outside get evaluated, the thread this developement poses isheavily influencing US policy. This is not the army from the time of vietnam, and it is not the army fighting in WWII.

And I would rate the Iraq '03 and also the person of Bush himself war as one symptom of this dangerous developement. Look were both have led America.

11-22-07, 04:12 AM	#5
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,741 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Not dangerous, said Rocking robbins - but that is missing the point. The study for example asks the question in how far extreme religious views work like a filter through which reality must pass before a man'S reason makes any plans and and ways to adress it. It points at the risk that dangers do not get perceived just in time, or are exaggerated, because of the religous fundamentalism of the decision-makers. A German text I also read on the issue points at some statistical data, showing that since the Vietnam war the numerical relation between democrats and republicans in the military has very fundamentally changed, almost reversed accoridng to the USAWC study now, and that the link between being Republican camps and fundamentalist evangelical policies and opinions is extremely strong - its not really matching reality to say that Republicans "always" had been totally dominating in the military - this total dominance has devceloped over the past 3 or 4 decades only. also it was pointed out that the group pressure on people to join the fundamental christian orientation in units and branches of the army forces is extremely strong and reaches as far as open mobbing of people, denying them any career chances if they resist, and isolating them if they do withhold themselves from joining the belief of their units, or do not attend the service of their evangelical unit caplan. And finally, it was pointed out that in the past years under Bush, radical evangelical camps were able to push their people in up to 50% of those positions representing higher command ranks and planning and decision making positions. Not dangerous? So, there is a very great danger indeed, by evangelical dogma dominating percpetion of reality and decision making on questions of war and peace, and how to wage wars and with what objectives, and growing religious intolerance in the army. By influencing both the composition of the army, and the way in which threats to the US from the outside get evaluated, the thread this developement poses isheavily influencing US policy. This is not the army from the time of vietnam, and it is not the army fighting in WWII. And I would rate the Iraq '03 and also the person of Bush himself war as one symptom of this dangerous developement. Look were both have led America. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.