From MAAF (MilitaryAtheists.org)
The Center for Atheist Research is distributing a survey to all willing current and veteran foxhole atheists. The survey is intended to collect date for the creation of a secular ethics and mental health needs program (Atheist Chaplains) and test the validity of the feared “Spiritual Fitness” assessment; where if you (like I did) answer the questions truthfully, you could be subjected to written counseling and corrective training.
In October 2009, the Army began measuring the “spiritual fitness” of troops with the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) program’s Global Assessment Tool. This Tool is an online survey that asks a series of multiple-choice questions about a person’s well-being.
The Center for Atheist Research (atheistresearch.org) is conducting an online research study on the validity of this “spiritual fitness” Tool, and on the secular/spiritual well-being of U.S. Military Personnel and Veterans.
If you are a member or veteran of the U.S. Military, you are invited to participate in this survey study, which has been approved by the University of Tampa Institutional Review Board.
To participate in, or learn more about, this survey please visit: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/militaryspiritualfitness
If you would like to speak with the principal investigator, Dr. Ryan Cragun, about this survey, please contact him at [email protected]
Thank you again for your consideration.
Ryan T. Cragun, Ph.D.
Joseph H. Hammer, M.Ed.
Karen Hwang, Ed.D.
The Survey took me about 20 minutes to complete, and it will help make the case to trash the Spiritual Fitness test if we come to court armed with statically significant evidence which will show that the decent moral, atheists should not be subject to remedial training in which the Chaplin will wax on and on about how Jesus saved him and he can save them too, with more than a little implication of hellfire for the unbeliever.
16 comments
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snarkmatter
September 1, 2011 at 22:51 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I really don’t understand how this shit gets in. What does “spiritual fitness” even mean? And, how can someone be spiritually unfit (if that is the opposite of spiritual fitness) if they aren’t spiritual? The whole thing reeks of some sly way to keep out Muslims (read: would be inserted terrorist) and other non-xians.
Also, did the media even report about this program?
Aliasalpha
September 2, 2011 at 08:24 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Well presumably they’ve identified the measurable physical component of the spirit and can get a baseline rading on how fit it is and then work to improve it with diet & exercise
Assassin Actual
September 2, 2011 at 00:05 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It has been reported on in the Blog-o-sphere and Stars and Stripes. My take on the damned test was that it was meant to curb the rash of suicides that has plagued the military as of late and got kicked to some Chaplin in an office who did his best with good intentions but let personal bias crept in.
To many times Officers get positions for which they are educationally unqualified for. IMHO there is a huge problem in how you get your branch (IE what job area you are assigned to). The single biggest factor in getting your branch of choice is GPA; so you can major in Underwater Basket Weaving with a 4.0 and get selected for Military Intelligence over say myself who barely pulled a 2.9 in Geographic Information Systems (3 dimensional Calculus hurt my brain during my misspent freshmen year). The end result is I end up having to train Mr. Basket Weaving on his job while my nerdy ass runs around as a Scout.
Non-Biblical Paul
September 2, 2011 at 01:35 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Thanks for the heads up! Anything I can do to help.
Non-Biblical Paul
September 2, 2011 at 01:37 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Anything I can do to help…other than re-up, that is!
iceclimbr
September 2, 2011 at 01:58 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I’ll do the survey asap…thanks for posting.
passerby
September 2, 2011 at 02:19 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Thanks for posting the survey! Sgt. Griffith posted this on his blog a bit ago, and I’m glad that we’re finally getting a fair place at the table.
Personal question: Are you part of the Assassin Troop that was up near the Border Point back in 2010? I spent a week with those guys out at their COP, and it had some of the best story coverage of my deployment.
Katrina, radicales féministes athées
September 2, 2011 at 05:11 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Thanks for letting us know. I’ll go take a look at that survey right now.
bullofthewoods
September 2, 2011 at 06:26 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I took the survey. I hope it helps. U.S.N. vet from the seventies, back then religion just wasn’t an issue. I did get a funny look when I chose “none” for religious preference on my dog tags but really that was about it. The chapels on all the bases I was stationed on were almost always empty. I don’t think I ever met a navy chaplain on any submarine base ever.
Aliasalpha
September 2, 2011 at 08:26 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
If there are no atheists in foxholes, does that mean an atheist soldier can be excused from foxhole duty on religious grounds? Something along the lines of “I’m not getting in that hole, its full of god!”
Laen
September 2, 2011 at 19:22 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I remember taking these, I always failed the spiritual section as an atheist.
Patricia, OM
September 2, 2011 at 23:27 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I’ll try to get permission to post this at my VSO. It’s pretty much god soaked, but who knows, they might say OK.
John Cole
September 3, 2011 at 22:07 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Rather interesting thank you, It is my opinion your trusty visitors could very well want a great deal more writing such as this keep up the great hard work.
Assassin Actual
September 3, 2011 at 22:36 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I just wish I had more time to write! Expessially with the quality of writing that my fellow second FTB generation authors are bringing to the table. Sadly I am still waiting on another Soldier to get assigned to help me with my job. These past few months have been murder, example schedule included for /pity.
0400-0700 – Sleep
0700-0800 – Eat / Wash / Shave
0815-1700 – Work, no non secure electronics or non secure communication (i.e. no reading for Blog Fodder)
1700-1800 – Eat / Free Time
1800-2030 – Work
2030-2330 – Sleep / Free Time
2330-0400 – Work
Army Strong
Ladawn Provow
June 24, 2012 at 22:10 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
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dressesforbest
February 22, 2013 at 21:53 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
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