Spiritual Fitness, FUD?

[GlockBlocker]

I'm trying to figure out if this is FUD or not as I haven't been able to find anything official on the topic, and I'm not going to cite or take the word of biased sources.

I've read in the last few weeks that the Army now conducts a manditory spiritual fitness survey. The survey is called the "Spiritual Fitness Tracker" and has been issued at least to soldiers at Ft. Bragg.

It's reported that those serving who are not Christian, more specifically, those who are atheistic in their beliefs (or lack of), could be deemed "spiritually unfit" to serve.

Is this true or FUD?

[Rhythm of Life]

Nothing official but what I found:



What one commentor had to say:

Greetings from Finland, I have been reading your case with great interest. US army clearly differs from armies of North European countries. We had a army priest and he spoke to us maybe once while we served and it was mostly an introduction to him and to his work.

I find it very interesting that all of those SFT -questions can be answered 5 point yes as a rational and reasonable person who embrace scientific understanding of the universe.

1. I am a spiritual person because universe is an interesting and a mysterious place and we dont understand it yet.

2. My life has a lasting meaning, your life has a lasting meaning, our lives have lasting meanings… they all contribute something, good or bad in the great puzzle of life in planet earth.

3. Im not a hermit, my life is connected to other people: family, friends, teammates, army, country, other countries…

4. My job has a lasting meaning… see above number 2.

5. This one is hard… I dont know if my life has a purpose. It might or it might not as grand cosmic scale but from my point of view I have certain needs and interests in life so yes – my life has a meaning at least for me, or “feed, survive, reproduce”.

[GlockBlocker]

Thanks for the info.

I wonder what questions weigh heavier in defining someone as spiritually unfit.

[BigFatGuy]

I have heard similar things.

I'm not surprised to hear news that the military doesn't like atheists, because atheists question, debate, think, reason, and do not typically accept unquestionable authority.

The only time I've heard the military officially state that soldiers are supposed to question authority is when one of them is on trial for carrying out an illegal order.

[doc1buc]

I have heard similar things.

I'm not surprised to hear news that the military doesn't like atheists, because atheists question, debate, think, reason, and do not typically accept unquestionable authority.

The only time I've heard the military officially state that soldiers are supposed to question authority is when one of them is on trial for carrying out an illegal order.

LOL, please site your source or are you just spreading some Athiest Love?

[Fjold]

I see that the quoted paper comes from "The Military Association of Athiest and Freethinkers"

Is there an actual US Army document of this type? There are enough Army/Reserve/Guard types on here who should be able to give us the real information.

[Rhythm of Life]

I see that the quoted paper comes from "The Military Association of Athiest and Freethinkers"

Is there an actual US Army document of this type? There are enough Army/Reserve/Guard types on here who should be able to give us the real information.

Yeah I just did a quick google search and found this:

http://rockbeyondbelief.com/2010/12/22/mandatory-army-survey-says-atheists-are-unfit-to-be-soldiers/

http://rockbeyondbelief.com/2010/12/24/soldier-fitness-tracker-spiritual-questions-now-available/

I don't know the reputation, I was just passing on what I discovered.

[kermit315]

Isnt that dandy. If true, we can bend over backwards to give gays rights that dont exist, but freedom of religion can/will be a deciding factor in your ability to serve.

[BigFatGuy]

LOL, please site your source or are you just spreading some Athiest Love?

If I had a reputable source, I'd have given it. "I have heard the same thing" kind of implies it's an unsubstantiated rumor, doesn't it?

[Manic Moran]

I did answer those questions when I redeployed. I'm an aetheist, but I wasn't called out for any remedial training.

That said, I may have interpreted the questions a bit loosely, with the frame of mind of an aetheist. i.e., I took 'spiritual' to mean 'well centred and comfortable with myself' instead of meaning 'believe in God/Allah/Jahweh/Flying Spaghetti Monster'

NTM

[thebloodsonthewall]

I had to take that a while back. I remember taking it but I don't remember it being a big deal. I'm pretty sure we had to take it before we deployed. There are tons of stupid surveys that we had to take.

[Larker]

The Army's been really big on trying to force people to go see Behavioral Health now. When I came back from my deployment the reintegration personnel "strongly suggested" that I go, and I really didn't have much of a choice. I found out this was pretty common amongst my peers.

This is supposed to be another tool to get soldiers into the clinic if they've been avoiding it I guess.

The sad thing is, if you're trying to avoid "trouble", it's pretty obvious what the Army wants the answers to be, and it isn't hard to fake spiritual fitness.

[Anchors]

I did answer those questions when I redeployed. I'm an aetheist, but I wasn't called out for any remedial training.

That said, I may have interpreted the questions a bit loosely, with the frame of mind of an aetheist. i.e., I took 'spiritual' to mean 'well centred and comfortable with myself' instead of meaning 'believe in God/Allah/Jahweh/Flying Spaghetti Monster'

NTM

Makes sense to me.
I read that 21% of the United States military consider themselves atheists when that DADT thread was all heated haha.
I doubt the military is trying to "weed out" non-religious folks.

I am an atheist.

[ZombieTactics]

... atheists question, debate, think, reason, and do not typically accept unquestionable authority. ...

Wow they are all so awesome, huh?

REALITY CHECK: Just as many atheists are simply reflexively and unthinkingly resistant to ANY authority save whatever their spur-of-the moment impulses would have of them. And many theists are questioners, debaters, thinkers and reasoners ... among them the greatest minds history has known

Let's not paint with broad brushes. People are people.

[9-12]

Accountability. If you don't recognise a higher power or authority over your life outside of yourself, the military may see this as contrary to their "ideal". If you're not accountable to anyone other than yourself on the highest spiritual level, can they really count on you to follow an order from a superior rank? I see it as being about recognition of authority (some would call wisdom), not about mindless submission. The only way the military can be successful is by recognition of authority as 100% absolute. Rank is law. Not age, not race, not who your mommy or daddy are or how much money your family has- or doesn't have. Do you accept authority in your life? Will you obey a battle field order that might well get you killed? They need to know.
That's how I see it...not about religion.

There's also an old saying:
There are no athiests in foxholes...