Chaplain Outreach

MAAF position on chaplains

Chaplains in government service should serve the needs of all service members. They should provide counseling to improve the morale of soldiers and help service members with their personal problems. Chaplains should protect the beliefs of all service members and ensure that there is no actual or perceived discrimination within the command based on service members' beliefs. MAAF also intends for this policy to reconcile chaplains with nontheistic service members or commanders who are intolerant of the faith-based chaplaincy.

In order to do this, chaplains must have sufficient training and experience to provide service to all service members. The ability to run worship services for one faith group is a skill chaplains must focus on one group, but their ability to counsel, foster worship services, and advise the command involves training far beyond what they bring to their military chaplain training from seminary school. This task starts by opening communication between chaplains, MAAF, and the many nontheist organizations that are ready to support service members.

MAAF supports the acceptance of secular chaplains into military service (in addition to faith chaplains). They would be able to run counseling sessions and morale-building events for all service members without the perception of exclusion of persons not belonging to a specific faith group. This chaplain could just as easily assist in the organization of religious events, just as a Christian chaplain assists the activities of Jewish soldiers, a secular chaplain assist the activities of any soldier.

Whether chaplains become secular or remain solely faith-based, chaplains must become more versatile and tolerant, and the military must ensure its chaplains serve all service members. To support a purely theistic chaplaincy is to support an unconstitutional government priesthood.

Minimum Statement of Support

The following statement is the core of the MAAF Chaplain Outreach Program and is intended to be a minimum affirmation of commitment to equal treatment of all service members as well as respect for religious diversity within the military. Chaplains are invited to sign this statement as a way of overcoming misconceptions about religious discrimination within the Chaplains Corps. This perception of discrimination relates both to chaplains against nontheist service members as well as extreme chaplains against liberal chaplains. Signing onto the statement can help to overcome both perceptions. Service members can invite Chaplains to sign this statement as a sign of respect to those of all beliefs. MAAF also offers to assist chaplains in reconciling with nontheistic service members or commanders who may be intolerant of chaplains due to religion.

"Nontheistic service members, including atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers, and those holding other nontheistic designations, serve honorably within our nation's military. I pledge to support nontheistic service members as strongly as I support theistic service members. I further pledge not to use my position to influence individuals or the chain of command to adopt the principles or practices of my own personal religion. I concur that these statements are minimum standards of conduct to which all service members, especially chaplains and commanders, should adhere."

Supporting organizations, ecclesiastical endorsing agencies, and individual military chaplains are invited to publicly show support by contacting MAAF. Below are the current signatories:

American Atheists, American Ethical Union, American Humanist Association, Atheist Alliance International, Center for Atheism, Council for Secular Humanism, Institute for Humanist Studies, Internet Infidels, Secular Coalition for America, Secular Student Alliance, Society for Humanistic Judaism

Atheists United, Atlanta Freethought Society, Boston Atheists, Freethinkers of Central Arkansas, Heartland Humanists, New Orleans Secular Humanist Association, Orlando Atheists & Freethinkers Meetup, Space Coast Freethought Association, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of New Bern, Washington Area Secular Humanists

Chaplain Report

There is a common statement, "There are no atheists in foxholes." This statement is not only untrue, it is discriminatory towards atheist service members. Chaplains of all services have perpetuated this prejudice by making statements to the effect that there can be no atheists in wartime. View a list of chaplains. Chaplains who state that there are no atheists in foxholes are committing an injustice no less than if they had said no Muslim is an American. MAAF is asking that senior chaplains publish an official condemnation of this practice. You may contact chaplains at the locations below. Also consider alternate secular counseling. If you are having issues with your chaplain, contact MAAF or refer to our FAQ regarding harassment.

Official Chaplain Headquarters

Secular counseling

Although the military provides chaplains on a religious basis, there are secular counseling services available. Aside from mental health professionals, there are a number of services MAAF recommends for the needs of nontheist service members.

Air Force Guidelines

Of the many regulations related to chaplains and other activities that MAAF has compiled, the Air Force guidelines are a good example. The Air Force has released Revised Interim Guidelines concerning religion in the Air Force. The Air Force must recognize that chaplains have a responsibility to all service members, that all service members have a right to exclude themselves from sectarian activities, that the Chaplains Corps must be held accountable for establishment violations, and that 'inclusive prayer' isn't. Also read the original guidelines.
-- The guidelines often recognize the equivalence of belief and absence of belief. This is an important step.
-- A troubling change from the previous set of guidelines is the omission of a requirement for chaplains to service all personnel, including those with an absence of belief.
-- The guidelines provide no statement that Air Force personnel are excused from activities that go against their beliefs. The guidelines state an overt protection of chaplains against activities that go against their beliefs. Establishment guidelines exist to protect all citizens and service members.
-- 'Inclusive prayer' isn't and should be excluded from nearly all events. The guidelines leave an unacceptably large opportunity for abuse, stating 'inclusive prayer may be appropriate'.
-- The guidance claims that military chaplains are responsible for advising the command and are trained to avoid abuses. The guidance also claims that chaplain programs are the responsibility of commanders. The personal bias of chaplains and commanders have created problems in the past. This gap in training and responsibility must be attacked and closed in order for advancement to occur.