In the United States, the military is held in very high regard. As we have discussed recently on this blog, Americans have a very complex relationship with war and violence. Yet our military is made of recruits from all walks of American life, and this can cause friction when minorities wish to have their voices heard within this community. We saw this most recently with the debate over the "don't ask, don't tell", and now we are seeing this friction in the field of religious freedom.
The Army has started issuing annual "spiritual fitness" exams. All troops not deployed in a war zone are required to complete the questionnaire that ask if they would agree with such statements as "I often find comfort in religion or spiritual beliefs", "I believe there is a purpose in my life", and asking how often they attend religious services.
It is true that the military is facing serious problems with PTSD and suicide. Facing these problems is not only the right thing to do, it is vital to the national security of the United States. However, here the Armed Services have addressed the problem clumsily, and in a way that exposes their conservative (gop) bias. Close observers will remember the incident at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs in which cadets who did not believe in evangelical christianity faced discrimination. This newest incident is more proof of the links between evangelicalism, militarism, and colonialism in this country. Unbeknown to even most Americans, this love of god before country has America sliding headfirst into wars in Asia for almost a century, and bankrupting itself in the process.
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