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I'd really like to go at a much faster pace with this project than I am, but I'm just doing the best I can working around my health constraints and, really, I'm actually neglecting some other things to be able to even do this much, because my health limits how much I can do. So I'm doing this instead of some other things I could be doing and I'm not going as fast at this as I'd like to be either. Right now my migraine is the main thing that is slowing me down from the posts, but sometimes its something else.
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But back to the text...We're on chapter 6, "The CONUS Army Chaplain." If you're like me and aren't up on your U.S. military acronyms, CONUS means Continental United States (i.e., CONtinental U.S.). I had to look it up too. I probably knew it when I was researching these because I'd read so much about all these things, but if I did know I forgot and it's not the kind of thing I ever have the need to know.
"94. Character Guidance
The CONUS Army Chaplain will vigorously support all phases of the character guidance program, but will exercise particular concern for the chaplains' participation in the program." (p. 35)
I wonder if the chaplain balanced it out with an equally vigorous endorsement and propogation of the fruit of the spirit. Meekness should go over real well, but it seems to me that that would be giving equal attention to his denominational responsibilities.
Why should the chaplain limit himself to forming soldiers into the image of the Army, why not try to form them into the image of God? The thing is that the soldiers then might think that the qualities the army is trying to form in them are biblical and they may or may not be but they for sure are not intended for the use of God. The army is not God. The chaplain gives it sort of a churchy sanction, maybe, so it looks sort of like it's serving Got (serving God and country). But America is NOT a Christian country and the army is not Christian either (by association) and I already said that the army is not God (in the same way that I am not an egg).
The Vienna mission, however, somehow got misguided and thought that this character guidance buisiness was trick and something they could espouse it for themselves for security purposes (why not?). Well, they didn't have classes, they had individual socialization in Vienna, because individuals trickled in. I've dealt with that before under socialization.
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Chapter 8, "The Chaplain in the Combat Zone"
Section 1, "General"
"108. Chaplain Support
a. General
(1) The chaplain is a noncombatant. He should not bear arms; he will not be required to bear arms. He is protected by the provisions of the Geneva Convention in this role. This nation has, nevertheless, expected that chaplains accompany their troops into combat, providing those spiritual and moral ministrations so basic to the 'American Way of Life.'" (p. 40)
Well, that's got to be pretty tough going to the front lines with the soldiers to minister to them and be there for them. I guess I'm rather put off though by the phrase "spiritual and moral ministrations so basic to the 'American Way of Life'." What is that supposed to mean? The first part of the text really touched me, but that phrase is so... I don't know...idyllic... like there's some kind of perfect expression of Americana existing somewhere, maybe in a museum or a time capsule, or maybe it's one of Platonic idealistic conceptions of America.
To me it's just poor wording, but I'm sure the soldiers need the ministry at that point.
The other thing that I migh point out though is that this is obviously hyper patriotic. I mean, that's supposed to be the type of thing these soldiers are putting their lives on the line for, right? So to re-emphasize it here does have a certain logic. However, it does make the chaplain the U.S. spokesperson, so I trust he has come to feel comfortable with that.
In fact, the last part of the quote "so basic to...," does it describe both the spritual and the moral ministrations? It looks to me as though it does because it's just one "ministrations," although of two types. So this sort of secularizes even the spiritual aspects of the chaplains work by making it patriotic. Christianity is not patriotic and does not belong to one country and America is not Christian. (Of course, that's ignoring the fact that there can be Jewish chaplains, although I'm not sure when other religions joined their ranks.)
Besides, I think that even when this was written or in the 1980s, when I'm most interested in these things, a lot of Americans weren't Christians. In fact, when I was on deputation, I sent a prayer letter to a great aunt, knowing she was an agnostic and wrote a note that it was just for her information to keep her informed about what I was doing and whoa! did I get an earful in response. She took it that I wanted money from her and I didn't want her to take it that way, but she did anyway. It did have information about what I was doing and all so I just wanted her to use that information about what I was doing. That was in about 1986. She most definitely would like to have known more about what those "spiritual ministrations" were that were so basic to the "American Way of Life" and she was educated and pretty intelligent so I don't think you'd easily get things by her.
Okay, let's move on. That was Aunt Ruth.
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"(2) Code of Conduct. The objectives of the Code of Conduct are to develop and maintain in the fighting man the moral and spiritual traits that will cause him to fight the enemy and, if necessary , to give his life for his God and his country. Even if a prisoner-of-war, he must resist with every weapon at his disposal: physical, mental, psychological, emotional; and he must never lose faith in God and the United States of America. The religious and moral program of the chaplain provides a foundation on which the Code of Conduct can be implemented. A clear abiding faith in God and strong spiritual and moral convictions provide the soldier with a purpose in life and the motivation to faithfully serve his home, his God, and his country whether in combat or in captivity. The chaplain supplements and reinforces command instruction of troops in the Code by his spiritual and moral leadership and his personal presence during combat and combat training." (p. 41)
Reading this is difficult for me. I have to pause and take an interlude and this is going to be difficult with my migraine even though it's not at full force right now. The thing is that since I did this original research I studied for a year in doctoral studies in Adult Education, but I didn't understand what adult education was like here, or globally, actually. Now I have a much better understanding. I dropped out of the program because I didn't think it would lead me to a place I'd feel comfortable, although my prospects by most standards were pretty good.
The things was that because of my life - what happened in Vienna and later in Russia - I basically distrust "the establishment. So I'm a poster child for the hippies term "disestablishmentarianism." So when I found out that adult education in the USA is all about institutions and I realized that while there are exciting things happening outside institutions, 1) mostly it's grassroots (not by people with letters behing their names) and 2) the chances of working outside an "institution" with a Ph.D (or Ed.D, I forget now) were slim). So I dropped out. What I mean by "institution" are: corporations, universities, military, literacy or ESL programs that teach people to comform rather than empower (e.g. Freire or even Grundtvig).
Now that you now that about me can you take a stab as to what I might feel about this text? No, maybe not. I'm too complex a person. Did you notice that I put military in my list of institutions? The military is one of the largest employers of adult educators in the USA. This is one reason I would not work for them.
Okay, take this sentence: "A clear abiding faith in God and strong spiritual and moral convictions provide the soldier with a purpose in life and the motivation to faithfully serve his home, his God, and his country whether in combat or in captivity."
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that such faith, etc. should result in this kind of service, so the chaplain uses it for the Army's ends, which is what he's agreed to in accepting the position. Instead, however, the Bible says that spiritual and moral conviction should lead to these kinds of things:
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Eph. 6:10-18)
And the last sentence where " The chaplain supplements and reinforces command instruction..."... the chaplain is just a stooge of the government! That really does look to me like making a mockery of religion. Basically, he can say what he wants on Sunday, but all these other times like this he has to represent the Army and make sure to support their Codes of Conduct and character training.
Now I know that the chaplain's themselves struggle with these two identities, but in the Vienna mission they also came to play because they affected security. Maybe some people experienced it more than others, but it was there. Only it was more secretive because they didn't want people back home to know at all about it.
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"d. Staff Functions...
(1) Character guidance instruction. Combat conditions generally preclude a formal program of character guidance instruction, but the need is even more evident... the chaplain can advise his commander and assist the staff by planning and leading group discussions in the positive aspects of moral courage, the spirit of sacrifice, sense of duty and integrity. During his daily contacts, counseling, and visits to small groups, the chaplain will, by his own pastoral example and spiritual ministry, buttress the noble qualities of the character which success in combat demands." (p. 42; unitalicized words italicized in original)
Again, this just shows how the chaplain is just a sort of lackey for the military, rather than doing the bidding of God. It looks to me like the army got a good deal, though.
So if the Human Resource director at the Vienna mission did things like this and he brought this with him to the mission, it would be be a cinch for him to compromise between church and security things, don't you think? Why is it so surprising? It was the Cold War remember? Don't you think the Cold War would be reason enough to utilize some of these skills in the Vienna mission? Why not? And what a valuable resource to have right there at your finger tips, 2 US military reserve chaplains, versed in all of these kinds of things!!
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I need to go now, and we'll move on to a new section next time.
