Where Did God Go in Afghanistan?
11.07.2010 at 09:23pm
Michael Cummings, friend of SWJ and co-blogger of On Violence, recently published a noteworthy essay in the New York Times’s “At War” series entitled Where Did God Go in Afghanistan?
Ten thousand feet over Fort Benning, Ga., and I was praying for my life. Literally. I was about to jump out of a C-130 airplane to earn my Airborne “wings.” I desperately wanted my chute to open. Under my breath, I whispered Isaiah 40:31: “but those who hope in the LORD/will renew their strength./They will soar on wings like eagles.” At service the day before, the minister had handed out bookmarks inscribed with that passage.
In that plane, I imagined myself sprouting wings and floating safely to the ground.
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‘Noteworthy’ in that the author (maybe) finally realizes that SHOCK! there really are plenty of atheists in foxholes, and that -biblethumpers- regular church-goers like himself are a minority.
Not all of us in uniform believe in the same god as CPT Cummings; many of us do not believe in any gods. I’m not sure why this is news to him.
It reads like Michael embraces Christianity because he’s scared too death, not because he is pious. Not implying that is true, that is simply the tone of his article.
Although I shouldn’t be, I’m actually more shocked that there are officers who still believe they’re joinning a Christian militia when they join the U.S. military, and their feelings are actually hurt when all their Soldiers don’t move like cattle to see the Chaplain.
I jointed a fighting army that converted to a Christian Righ Army in the 90s, even with some senior officers punishing their junior officers who didn’t go to their church with faint praise on their OERs. Now that our Army is more diverse again (post 9-11), we fortunately don’t have the Christian Right strangle hold on us, but I suspect it will come back. Of course we have the other extreme, the Christian Right that likes to the funerals of our fallen comrades and heckle their families and claim their sons were killed because the military has allowed gays in it. Personally I don’t see much difference between the extremists of any major religion, very few of them are spiritual or role models, they’re simply conformists because they need an outside organization/person to make decisions on right and wrong for them. They need something to be part of.
I agree with Robbo, the fact that men don’t blindly follow your doctrine shouldn’t be a surprise to you in the American Army, it would actually be more shocking if they did. A lot of people are aethists, others agnostic, and many have a personal spiritual belief that has nothing to do with organized religion. This should sound like freedom of religion (or not be religious), something I hope the good CPT thinks he is protecting.
It’s not a bad question IMO, but it leads to another question. If God is not in Afghanistan, what is the US doing in Afghanistan?
Gentlemen, I assure you God is still in Afghanistan. He’s just not on your side.
Ahh well, you have god, we have science, reason and technology, and since those things are actually real, we’ll take our chances..
“Gentlemen, I assure you God is still in Afghanistan. He’s just not on your side.” by Mullah Omar
God doesn’t choose sides for he is the God of everyone. Men choose sides and they can choose to act like men and recognize that they can talk about their differences or they fight like fools.
God doesn’t choose sides? Have you not read the Koran????? I assure you Allah isn’t the god of everyone–he surely isn’t the god of your porn palaces.
I have read parts of Qur’an but I have two Muslim friends that told me Allah is everything and everywhere, I was taught the same thing in church. As for the porn palaces, I agree, places that teach violence against another human being for being different is the ultimate from of pornography, and all such places should be closed.
I haven’t been so frustrated since I pulled my own eye out! Praise Allah! Yes God is everywhere, but he is also nowhere. One day I will get out of this cave and then you will see who Allah supports!
Well thats great man, I was about to invite you over for some Bar-B-Que. Caves really suck don’t they? All dark and stuff. Here is some light for you follow until then. It’s by Melanie and it is called “Candles In The Rain” this is what is called the long version so be sure and listen to the whole thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4KHEsqAZVA
God is fake
Shoot, slapout, half my light is provided via the great people of the CIA and their darn pesky hellfires! By the way, if you had actually read the Koran, you’d know that music is forbidden.
I said I had read parts of the Qur’an,(mostly about not collecting interest) which if you are Mullah Omar you would know not to spell it Koran. Oh yea how this eye thingy workin out for ya?
Interesting article. I don’t frequent the SWJ often, but I don’t think I’ve seen many articles discussing the dangerous, almost cult-like influence of Evangelicals on the Officer Corps of the US Military around here. A few posters above me, the ones who aren’t trolling, touch on it, but it would be nice to see a few professional articles on the topic.
“God is fake” by ROBO
God isn’t fake….it is Religion that is fake.
Michio Kaku on God
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi6yPJvCFU0&feature=grec_index
God is the system of natue that we ALL operate in, which very often has nothing to do with Religion.