You know, I'm something of a pope myself

Excuse me. I’m an antipope if anything. I say we bring back the warring popes period

I saw a Navy chaplain when I was going through some tough times in the Marines. I told him right off the bat that I was an atheist and he didn't push any religious shit on me. He just talked to me and worked with my command to get me seen by a trained therapist. Other Marines I knew had similar experiences. Chaplains are officers outside the normal command structure and are trained to provide services to everyone regardless of their faith or lack there of. Also a lot of military members are at least nominally religious so it makes sense to have someone to coordinate religious activity, especially overseas where there aren't local religious institutions.

I think there's a requirement to render counseling services to all denominations, including atheists/agnostics, because the chaplain corps is pretty much the closest the Navy gets to mental health care while deployed. Not the greatest system, in all honesty.

Part of the roles of a Navy Chaplain are to provide religious services. This is inherently a religious role, it should not be expected that an atheist or “non-theist” will perform these roles correctly.

Oh look a religious test for a government position... What the fuck.

Wow. I was thinking of Buddhist and Taoist chaplains, Or UU. personal gods may or not be held, but they don't usually push them on people, although the former two can and do have abuse allegations brought, some substantiated. Idk about UU.

I'm autistic. One commonality among many autists is aggravation at witnessing unfairness. Furthermore, I can't stand it when things don't finalize (e.g. a puzzle with no discernable solution or a film with an unresolved plot line in a TV series.)

Having to bear witness to this darkest of timelines and being forced to endlessly await its culminating event, the downfall of capitalism and Western civilization (which is absolutely what deserves to happen), is driving me up the fucking wall.

i mean, i see nothing wrong with the “non-denominational chaplain” position itself or targeted recruitment advertising for it, aside from the underlying implication that access to mental health services for members of the armed forces is essential an afterthought.

but all that is a completely different situation than using a baptismal portrait as recruitment creative. how is that “all or nothing”?

You aren’t wrong but that is sad.

Also this is leaving me curious of us weird religions could be chaplains. Like, could we wind up with a unit of marines bitching that their chaplain is a neodruid?

Why doesn't the US Navy just deploy mental health professionals?

Religious doctrine is a shitty substitute for actual assessment.

It's pronounced seamen

I'm sure the Chaplain and the Rear Admiral engage well.

“God wants you to split atoms so we can move airplanes across the ocean” - frustrated navy chaplains wondering why they took this job

Huh. I really feel like wearing red all of a sudden

Chaplains aren't really religious - yes they have that association but aren't "preachy" if that makes sense. They are there to guide and support.

To be honest actual Chaplains (and christians) could take a lesson from armed forces Chaplains.

People have been dying for religion since recorded history. You think the military wouldn't exploit that?

Only American souls are real.

There are humanist chaplains that work for the military too.