Senate Says No To Atheist Chaplains!
It may come as no real surprising event that the bill too provide
Atheist Chaplains to military personnel who classify themselves as
nones, but there were some shocks along the road. Amazing that this even
has to be voted on in the Senate, as it is, the surprise here could not
be the fact that it was a majority no vote. Every Republican voted no,
which should not be shocking. The most unearthing things come further in
why it didn't pass.
It was not just the arrogance of the Republicans which made this much needed bill to fail.It was also on the part of Democrats which had 44 votes of no. Now we tend to think of Democrats as liberal and open minded, but inevitably, some of them can bring their imaginary friends and religious bigotry to the Senate with them. That is exactly what happened. While that extra 44 votes may not have made it a majority vote, it would have meant a lot to those atheists in uniforms who are currently serving our country, and giving their lives for what they believe in and also what they don't. Yet they were dismissed by the legislatures.
It is vital for them to have someone to counsel them. After all the religious in the military can't see things from the perspective of an atheist, and atheists don't see things from the perspective of a religious person. So why send them to someone who will just tell them to have faith in something they don't even believe in. The grief and need for understanding is different when you don't believe there is an afterlife or a magic place where you will see your friends or loved ones again. So it is important to be understood as you see things.
In the reverse someone seeking comfort of thinking they will see their loved ones again would want to see someone who could give them their own perspective of comfort and this is openly afforded them, but atheist who want a reality based counseling are denied it. This denies them the feeling that they really belong in the military or that the government and nation they serve to protect really care about them or their needs.
There are atheists in foxholes and they come out, sometimes in need of care and understanding and they don't want to be told that someone is watching over them, guiding them, and helping them when they clearly don't believe. That is not comforting to them, and it heals nothing. We live in reality of what is, and while atheists can take it better, our soldiers are not people of steel, and they do need understanding.
The atheist chaplain would not just serve for counseling, but setting the standard of equality for all those who believe and who don't. One would expect that a chaplain of every denomination could not possibly be part of the military, but for religions or atheists there should be a few choices. If someone was doubting their faith, they might want to go to a religious chaplain and an atheist one for comfort and answers.
Once again though the government has said that atheists are not part of this country. Even though we are natural born citizens, even though we vote, pay taxes, live and function as part of our society and military. We are once again told that we don't rate, and that our needs have no value. While it is surprising that it got that many yes votes, there was no shock in it being voted down. Simply Americans believe the religious right of the country when they tell them we are not Americans, and this sickens me greatly.
If for only once the bigotry in our nation was not so great as to deny comfort to our fellow humans. If only once they could leave their petty religious dogmas at home and function for the good of the nation and not their dogmatic thinking. Perhaps we could give comfort to those who have a great need for it. Those who are serving on the front lines in battles and seeing death. They should not be denied the right to their own form of comfort and understanding. Not on the part of men who can't even know what it is like to give your life for your country while your country rejects and denies you.Democracy is supposed to represent everyone, not just those with the money and power to control.
It was not just the arrogance of the Republicans which made this much needed bill to fail.It was also on the part of Democrats which had 44 votes of no. Now we tend to think of Democrats as liberal and open minded, but inevitably, some of them can bring their imaginary friends and religious bigotry to the Senate with them. That is exactly what happened. While that extra 44 votes may not have made it a majority vote, it would have meant a lot to those atheists in uniforms who are currently serving our country, and giving their lives for what they believe in and also what they don't. Yet they were dismissed by the legislatures.
It is vital for them to have someone to counsel them. After all the religious in the military can't see things from the perspective of an atheist, and atheists don't see things from the perspective of a religious person. So why send them to someone who will just tell them to have faith in something they don't even believe in. The grief and need for understanding is different when you don't believe there is an afterlife or a magic place where you will see your friends or loved ones again. So it is important to be understood as you see things.
In the reverse someone seeking comfort of thinking they will see their loved ones again would want to see someone who could give them their own perspective of comfort and this is openly afforded them, but atheist who want a reality based counseling are denied it. This denies them the feeling that they really belong in the military or that the government and nation they serve to protect really care about them or their needs.
There are atheists in foxholes and they come out, sometimes in need of care and understanding and they don't want to be told that someone is watching over them, guiding them, and helping them when they clearly don't believe. That is not comforting to them, and it heals nothing. We live in reality of what is, and while atheists can take it better, our soldiers are not people of steel, and they do need understanding.
The atheist chaplain would not just serve for counseling, but setting the standard of equality for all those who believe and who don't. One would expect that a chaplain of every denomination could not possibly be part of the military, but for religions or atheists there should be a few choices. If someone was doubting their faith, they might want to go to a religious chaplain and an atheist one for comfort and answers.
Once again though the government has said that atheists are not part of this country. Even though we are natural born citizens, even though we vote, pay taxes, live and function as part of our society and military. We are once again told that we don't rate, and that our needs have no value. While it is surprising that it got that many yes votes, there was no shock in it being voted down. Simply Americans believe the religious right of the country when they tell them we are not Americans, and this sickens me greatly.
If for only once the bigotry in our nation was not so great as to deny comfort to our fellow humans. If only once they could leave their petty religious dogmas at home and function for the good of the nation and not their dogmatic thinking. Perhaps we could give comfort to those who have a great need for it. Those who are serving on the front lines in battles and seeing death. They should not be denied the right to their own form of comfort and understanding. Not on the part of men who can't even know what it is like to give your life for your country while your country rejects and denies you.Democracy is supposed to represent everyone, not just those with the money and power to control.
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