By The Book

To convert them, by hook or by crook
you should always be seen where they look.
If you have the nerve
to sign up and serve
they'll make sure you see their "good" book.

The Pentagon has responded to a minor kerfuffle that has arisen recently. The have backed a National Guard recruitment center in St. Louis MO, which has been offering camouflage-covered Bibles to recruits as they prepare to serve our country. As long as every organization has the opportunity to offer their books, then I don't think there should be a problem. If they start excluding anyone, then lawsuits should be a-filed.

Anyone who has been in the military knows that this is not at all uncommon. I remember Bibles being handout out during in-processing at Ft. Jackson when I went there in '96. I was religious at the time, so it did not bother me at all. As I started sliding into un-belief, I started noticing more and more how insidious the Christian culture had infiltrated all ranks of whatever command I was in.

The worst part was when we were in the field. Out in the sun all day, training hard, playing soldier like a boss, eating MREs. Slogging back to base, dirty, dripping with sweat, hungry to the soul for hot food and a hot shower. Cleaning up a bit, we'd hit the mess tent. Regardless of how loud our stomachs protested, we could not sate ourselves.

Someone always had to open their big mouths to pray over our food. Not caring about what the belief of any other soldier might be, they would not serve any food until the magic words had been spoken.

It was not limited to meal time, either. If you wanted a promotion and your commander was religious, you best not miss his Prayer Breakfast every Sunday's drill. Religion is like a worm that has worked its way through the command structure, and woe betide you if you believe differently than some commands.