Hello from the UK
Offline Hi my name is Calvin, thought I'd say hello (finally).
I have been a member for a couple of months now so thought I should actually write something.
My main reason for joining this site is up until now I have not found religious people too bad. Anyone who lives in the UK knows that not too many people take religion seriously. I joined the armed forces about 5 years ago and found things few things to be a bit distasteful.
e.g
Having the SQN being forced to pray to jesus in basic training to help us with our training.
Padre hour at least once a week not just in basic but trade training as well.
Having to attend religious ceremonies (not remembrance day) for Easter and Christmas etc just to keep the Station Commander happy with a full station church.
So thought I should join and see what can be done, because I know the personnel who are Muslims don't get all this pushed on them, but it feels anyone in the forces who is agnostic or atheist is seen as a christian by the higher ups.
Hope to talk with you all soon
Calvin.
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Hello Calvin,
I was in from '78-'82, Royal Artillery. I opted to clean the latrines rather than go to church, this made me exceedingly unpopular with the Officers Maj. and above.
If you absolutely HAVE to go, then mug 'em off by howling your way through any hymn and shouting 'hymen' a half second behind the rest of the congregation mumbled 'amen'.
Sqn.? Are you a Tankie or 22?
How can not believing in something that is backed up with no empirical evidence be less scientific than believing in something that not only has no empirical evidence but actually goes against the laws of the universe and in many cases actually contradicts itself? - Ricky Gervais
Hey
I'm afraid I'm in the RAF (crab), what do you think I am cannon fodder lol.
On 3 Sqn at the moment, with the mighty Eurofighter Typhoon.
Trust me no one can sing worse than me, probably why I'm kept at the back lol.
good to see there are some none civi's on here.
Welcome to the hizzle!
Welcome to the RRS Calvin. You say most people in the UK don't take religion all that seriously and polls reflect that. I'm wondering if the UK is not experiencing what we are here with the military, the infiltration by fundies. It has become a serious problem here with the Air Force and now the Army and Navy. Evangelicals are becoming in your face about religion in the military and are discriminating against non-christians in general and Atheists and agnostics in particular. Don't know much about what protections you have there. The military I guess is pretty much the same on chain of command, etc. The best place to start might be with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation here in the US.
http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/about.html
They deal with the military here and probably have contacts in the UK they could direct you to. Good luck and keep posting here.
"Erecting the 'wall of separation between church and state,' therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society." Thomas Jefferson
www.myspace.com/kenhill5150
Welcome Calvin!
Hiya!
Welcome to the forums, Calvin!
I was in the US Navy from '97 to '03. I got to help pull people out of the adriatic that were fleeing ethnic genocide in '99 during the Kosovo thing.
My ship was also first response to 911. I got to watch NYC smoke for 4 days. Then I spent the next 7 months off the coast of Pakistan. Usually standing on the bullnose with a flakjacket and a .50 cal. So I've seen some of what's so wonderful about religion.
"I am an atheist, thank God." -Oriana Fallaci
Hey Calvin, welcome to the RRS
Whereabouts in the UK are you based?
M
Welcome to the RRS
If you in London like me there is quite a big secular/humanist/science scene these days.
Quite shocked to hear of religious problems in the British military, just didnt think there were many religious nuts around
Welcome Calvin! Don't be afraid to jump right in and be heard...OH and have fun
Slowly building a blog at ~
http://obsidianwords.wordpress.com/
Signature ? How ?
Were you in the Falklands then?
"the personnel who are Muslims don't get all this pushed on them, but it feels anyone in the forces who is agnostic or atheist is seen as a christian by the higher ups."
Try telling them that you are a Muslim during xstian things to get out of it. Or you could try to confuse them with "I can't go to christian ceremonies because I am a muslim atheist." If there are any muslim ceremonies, then you can pull the christian atheist card.
Zen-atheist wielding Occam's katana.
Jesus said, "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division." - Luke 12:51
The Regt. I was in had medium guns so we didn't get to partake.
The only Artillery Regt. that I remember playing in that were 12 Air Defence and 29 Commando (which I got kicked out of for being myself).
How can not believing in something that is backed up with no empirical evidence be less scientific than believing in something that not only has no empirical evidence but actually goes against the laws of the universe and in many cases actually contradicts itself? - Ricky Gervais
HI
Thanks for the welcome.
I am currently based in Lincolnshire, it's nice but flat.
There aren't many religious people in the British armed forces. I only know of one christian on my Sqn and he is nicknamed "Padre". But there does seem to be a few people at the top of the ladder who definitely want people to see the armed forces as a strong christian force.
Welcome to the board.
I'm guessing a soldier who thinks this life is all he/she has is far more reluctant to go charging into danger than one who does not.
And perhaps not as easily convinced to kill another if god has not "commanded" or say "ordained" it.. A strong component when it comes to separating the "us" from the "them".
I can see how promoting religion would be especially useful to those who find it necessary to manipulate soldier's lives.
"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."
George Orwell