azazel

I wasn't in the army. But until last year, army training was compulsory from 9th grade 'til college. Almost everyone in my battalion from corps commander down was a frickin' fundie. Those that weren't, simply weren't good xians, "loyal" nonetheless. The marching songs were mostly bible passages 'cause our commandant was a christian living teacher.

babelfish

My husband is active duty Navy. Right now we're living on an Air Force base in Japan.

I have a theory that one of the reasons there are so many churches available to military personnel is that it's an easy and comforting place to make new friends when you get moved around every few years.

My husband and I are both un-believers.

Obey_Matthew_6_6

I spent 21 years in the USAF, starting in intel, moving to comms, then arms control. During that time, I met more atheists than fundies in my units, and the fundies were mostly avoided by others. (Of course I saw a number of them "backslide".) The atheists were much better people (not to mention more intelligent).

During my initial technical training, a classmate (fundie) and I were both having a particularly difficult time a few weeks before a major exam. I spent 3-4 hours a night in study hall - he didn't. I passed the exam - he didn't.

His excuse? "It must have been Gawd's will".

I'm constantly amazed just how thick-headed some fundies can be.

My dog tags, of course, said "NO REL PREF". That was the most secular allowed when I enlisted. Really bugged me, but didn't matter a whole lot - after basic training they got thrown in a drawer or box and that was the end of it.

Queen of Swords

Great username.

Fiach

I served 4 years in the First Batallion, Princess Louise's Argyll and Southern Highlanders (Royal Army) putting in some time in the Falkland's War. Since some of that time I was in a fox hole. I can assure you there have been "Atheist's in Foxholes." We had our own military tartan and "A" company piper band.

Fiach

cliff999

I was in the Army for seven years and didn't run into any problems. Then again, I'm a bit of a sociopath so people didn't know me very well. There was an incident in basic training where they forced everyone to go to a church. I was only 23 at the time, so I went along. It didn't happen after that though (being forced to go to church or being 23). I also requested that they dispense with any deity references when I re-enlisted, which they did without comment.

Fiach

In my tour of duty in the Royal Army, we had pretty rigourous training in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders batallions. So when it came to "strongly recommended" attendance at Church of Scotland services, we went. It was a time to catch some shut-eye. We got good at not sliding off of the wooden seats. A few of the chaps smuggled porno pictures in, placing them in the books of prayer. Unfortunately, one day the chaplain found them in a prayer book and we got a hell-fire and brimstone sermon to the whole First batallion.

But there was no real antagonism to atheists and agnotics of whom there were many in the Royal Army, especially the Scottish regiments. It was alright to express our disbelief in any circumstance but we were expected to sing "God Save the Queen" and attend church services if not on pass (yet nobody was ever punished for skipping it, so I soon excused myself.)

Fiach

Melkor

I just got back from vacationing in Scotland last week, and I was kind of surprised (though I probably shouldn't have been, in retrospect) at how religious everybody seemed to be there... though nobody gave us any crap for not being in church on a Sunday when we were out galavanting around.

I'm an American (from Minnesota) and I served in the US Navy as a Nuke. While I was in the Navy, I didn't see much in the way of overtly religious people... probably had something to do with my occupation though.

Fiach

In Scotland there are places where it is hard to find a Christian but in other places there are clusters as in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Aberdeen, Inverness, most of Caithness and Sutherland, and much of the Highlands are remarkable indifferent to religion or theism. Overall polls have shown 50% +/- 3% being actual non-believers. All you need to do is drive through Inverness and look at all of the 300 year old church buildings turned into museums, libraries, business offices, banks, Highland Council Offices, a Tourist Board Office, and apartments.

Fiach

Melkor

Actually, even in Edinburgh and Callander I noticed a number of churches that apparently weren't being used as churches anymore. I did wonder about that, but now I think I see why...

BTW, while I was there I was staying in the Glasgow area, near Clydebank. I must have just been encountering nothing but religious types around there....