Ms. Kathleen Johnson: Vice President and Military Director (Board Member)
kjohnson@atheists.org
Atheists have served in the military proudly and with distinction as long as there has been a military with current and past atheist military members and veterans refuting the lie that there "are no atheists in foxholes." One of my priorities as Military Director for American Atheists is to continue to speak out as an atheist and veteran to also help our military and veteran members gain access to resources specifically tailored to their needs when they need to network with other military atheists or they experience discrimination. To help further this goal, I liaison and work closely with other organizations that serve the military atheist population, such as the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers (MAAF), an organization that is affiliated with American Atheists and other national and international freethought groups.
There are two developing issues of interest to the military population (and that should be of concern to all Americans) that American Atheists is evaluating. These issues are as follows:
In May 2009, Al Jazeera broadcast edited footage of senior military chaplains in Afghanistan, who seemed to be encouraging a small group of military members and contractors to preach Christianity among the local population using bibles printed in the local languages. The military's apparent response to this issue was that no harm was done as the bibles were confiscated and not distributed to the local populace and that the video was "taken out of context" in an act of "irresponsible and inappropriate journalism". However, in response to this criticism, a video of allegedly unedited footage of the meeting was released in which it is clear at least one military chaplain is providing specific information on how to circumvent General Order 1, which prohibits proselytizing to local nationals.
While it is clear that Al Jazeera's intent in releasing this footage was to foster distrust and animosity towards American troops, it is also clear that significant violations on the part of certain military chaplains have occurred. Chaplains are also senior military officers who have a duty to abide by orders such as General Order 1 and it is reprehensible and alarming that an officer would so flagrantly disregard his duty.
The second issue concerns top-level security briefings given by former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to then-president George W. Bush. Many of the slides used in these briefings contain prominently displayed bible quotes combined with photographs of troops in combat. These documents give the clear impression that the highest levels of our administration believed the United States was engaging in a holy war against Muslims.
Both of these incidents, along with other issues investigated and documented by such organizations as the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, are a potential public relations disaster for the US government. This is part of a larger pattern in which evangelical Christian service members and leaders are routinely given free rein to spread their faith and compel others to participate in their religious practices. It has become common practice for officers, chaplains, and the most senior members of our government to use their rank and positions as a bully-pulpit to spread their faith on the grounds that any attempt to rein-in these activities "violates" their right to free exercise of religion, which includes the "right" to proselytize.
It is time for a full Congressional investigation into these and other related issues of misconduct. Senior officers cannot be allowed to violate (and urge others to violate) military orders that protect the rights of all service members and the civilian populations they encounter. Further, it is time for an objective analysis and investigation of the real reasons we went to war in Iraq. Was it really to rescue the Iraqi population from a brutal dictator or is this a case where countless service members and civilians have died or been maimed to further the cause of an anti-Muslim holy war?
We need answers. I strongly encourage you to write your representatives and demand answers now.
For further information on the above events:
The Wall Street Journal Article
