Comments

  1. says

    As someone from the UK, perhaps I am completely missing some subtly of American culture or law, but surely the notion of “government-paid missionary” comes close to being a violation of the American Constitution? When does the co-option of (a portion of) an organ of the state to favouring one religious belief over another cross over into the situation where the state favours one religion over another?

  2. shockna says

    Worst part, I think, was when the Ranger School Chaplain openly admitted that he targeted soldiers when they were starved and sleep deprived; essentially an open admission that proselytizing is much more difficult when people have a sense of objectivity.

    Disgusting.

  3. apucalypso says

    I found the strategy of the Ranger School chaplain despicable. I get the basic idea behind having chaplains or soldiers of other faiths in the military to provide counseling or whatever people of faith get out of that to people committed to those faiths. But trying to push your own beliefs on people who are going through physically and mentally very challenging situations is just wrong and certainly (at least I’d hope) not the purpose of having chaplains in the military.

  4. MichaelE says

    I see some have already mentioned the ranger chaplain. That, right there, is a really sinister tactic. He looked like a decent enough man, he sounded, from his inflection and calm, like a good man, but I have to say, he scared me.

    I wonder, is it akin to some sort of bullying or psychological terror to proseletyze to people who are mentally weary and exhausted from days or starvation and sleep deprivation? I know they’re volunteers, but still…

  5. rthearle says

    Yeah, go after those who are tired, distracted and stressed; because those who are awake, alert and relaxed will spot the stupidities.

    Roy

  6. says

    I wonder why, instead, they aren’t trying to convert people right after training in epistemology, science training.

    Well, no doubt one’s best thinking really occurs with exhaustion and sleep deprivation.

    Glen Davidson

  7. unclefrogy says

    with the increased politicization of religion and especially the more fundamentalist varieties when does loyalty to the constitution which all soldiers swear allegiance to conflict with the loyalty to the political policies of the “religion faith”? Is that OK?

    Isn’t the “conversion” of soldiers in those extreme conditions that are described in effect the result of “brain washing techniques”
    how can the government in the role of the military given what is now known about “brain washing” a low this to continue without any mitigation or training in how to understand, cope and resist these effects?

    uncle frogy

  8. asyouwere says

    I graduated Ranger School in the early 70’s and to my recall, no chaplain ever visited any of the training phases. Our class motto though was “For God, Queen and Ranger Thirteen!” which was in deference to half a dozen Canadian Army chaps going through the course with us. No mention of a deity beyond that.

  9. quoderatdemonstrandum says

    Ranger School Chaplain at 2:57

    paraphrase: “My goal is to meet them when they are at their coldest, hungriest, with no sleep, because that is when they are at their most receptive. . .”

    Are those not the same conditions our military create when torturing interrogating people?

  10. says

    Are those not the same conditions our military create when torturing interrogating people?

    Yes, and it’s also the same conditions cults go for when bringing new converts into the fold. Isolate them, break down individualistic tendencies, make them dependent.
    Must be nice when the government does your work for you, at taxpayers’ expense.

  11. sherylyoung says

    It’s important to watch the whole thing. It’s makes your “witness” stronger, strengthens your will and raises your adrenaline.

    In the early 70’s I found myself in a encounter with the “Children of God” — they used the same tactics. A cult is a cult is a cult.

    Mikey is one of the most important Americans in this century so far.

  12. says

    This is a friggin’ zombie nightmare that keeps on happening. You know those kind of bad dreams, yeah? The dream that scares you awake and then when you finally do get back to sleep, you’re right back in it again.

    This is probably the worst abuse of the First Amendment freedom FROM religion and it doesn’t seem like anyone is doing much about it. That’s horrifying in itself.

  13. AlanMac says

    (sorry, cat ran across my keyboard)
    They’re attempting to use the old “Good cop/bad cop” ruse, but they have it backwards. In the scenario that the Ranger Chaplin describes, because the Chaplin can only offer kind words, but do nothing to prevent the recruits suffering (as it is part of the training), the majority of recruits will start to resent him. That’s part of the method used by the British to turn almost all of the Nazi spies in WW2. The subject always turns on his ‘advocate’ when he realizes that the advocate has no authority to alleviate the prisoner/recruit’s suffering or stress and gives in to the ‘bad’ inquisitor/Drill instructor.

  14. renaissance13 says

    Truly one of the most despicable videos I have ever seen. I am an Australian and have served in my nations military and can thankfully say we do not have those kind of proselytizing parasites preying on recruits. In my personal experience there was general respect for each others differences. None of this bullshit about creating an army of god. What a horrific situation. Is this what the US mititary will become??? A christian Taliban?

  15. chigau (違う) says

    The still shot of the video looks exactly like those pictures from China during the times of The Little Red Book.

  16. petejohn says

    “…win and train the military for Jesus Christ

    I quit there… Couldn’t go any further.

    Last time I check the point of the military was to defend the US from foreign and domestic enemies in times of great national emergency and crisis. But evidently I was mistaken.

    But the strategy is a little brilliant from the mind-controllers missionaries’ perspective… Take a bunch of kids in an environment where they aren’t really allowed to question or criticize anything they’re told, and are rather likely to be in dangerous and scary situations in the near future, and then blast Jeebus at ’em until they’re puking up Bible voices and singing hymns. I’d tip my cap if I wasn’t gagging into it.

  17. Randomfactor says

    Which army would Jesus join?

    Why, an anti-Roman insurgency. Why do you THINK the Romans executed him and the other two insurgents on either side of him?

  18. says

    Wow. I’m not really so surprised that they use cult indoctrination techniques, but I am surprised they admit it so openly.

  19. stanton says

    “Hunting people for Jesus”
    Why do they not see irony? Why?

    Because they don’t give a literal damn about irony. All they care about is amassing power and prestige through poaching souls for Jesus.

  20. txpiper says

    “All they care about is amassing power and prestige through poaching souls for Jesus.”

    Amassing power and prestige? Are you kidding Stanton? You’re easily winning on every front with nothing more than covetousness. You should be thrilled.

  21. left0ver1under says

    jimnorman:

    4:34 — “We will touch about 200,000 of them this next year with our staff.”
    Truly ambitious.

    Truly malicious is more like it.

    And just what do they mean by “touch”? People should not be subjected to molestation by religion.

  22. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Amassing power and prestige? Are you kidding Stanton? You’re easily winning on every front with nothing more than covetousness.

    Apparently txpiper world is one where the inhabitants smoke whacky-backy and ignore reality. Seen your imaginary deity lately???? There’s a reason it doesn’t exist….

  23. says

    This made me throw up a little in my mouth. But know what made me vomit all over my kitchen floor?

    *** Ever wondered how Christian parasites see desperate starving children? ***

    “In India alone, there are 50 million children who work from age 4 on. They labor from morning until night for pennies, often making only 10–15 cents per day.”

    “At the same time, they present us with a tremendous opportunity to bring hope into their worlds through the love of Christ. They are a part of the 4/14 Window, the 1.2 billion children on this planet between the ages of 4 and 14.”

    That’s right — they’re not starving human beings — they’re living meat to be cyber-converted to little missionary robots.

    The rest is on the blog: http://goo.gl/mD5hk

  24. asyouwere says

    I’ve given this apparently evolving phenomena in the military some more thought – in retrospect of my experience in the US Army. As I mentioned in my earlier comment, throughout my Ranger training, I never even saw a chaplain (although I’m sure such people were available on request). Some of the cadre and lane instructors however did refer some of the trainees to counselling, but only sarcastically, “Your feet hurt? Sounds like a personal problem. Better see the chaplain after class.”

    Further recollection caused me to realize I had only in passing seen one chaplain in my entire six years of service, including three years at Ft.Bragg (site of the recent “Rock the..)in the 82nd Airborne.

    For me, there was obviously very little activism for religious or “spiritual” health during the later Vietnam and early post Nam times. It appeared that individuals had to seek out their own religious consolation. Not the opposite.

    Now I’m wondering what changed since that time. Could it be that the escalation of Xtian evangelism in America in the late 80’s and 90’s gave the military a heads up on ways to expand and increase the fervor of their flocks? Or could it be that some clever pentagon strategists, keen to the holy bond of Islam as a valuable adhesive in coaxing their soldiers into battle and greater glory, have decreed that we should follow something of a similar construct in our ranks as well?

    Just thinkin…

  25. potsandowls says

    So, the Campus Crusade for Christ has a military branch. Colour me unsurprised. Preying on the vulnerable is their forte.