Nontheist religions and beliefs Consideration of Others
Agenda Purpose Army Policy Terms Selected Beliefs Myths/Truths Handouts/Examples
Army Policy DOD Accommodation of Religious Practices “The Department of Defense places a high value on the rights of members of the Armed Forces to observe the tenets of their respective religions.” AR Army Command Policy “The EO program formulates, directs, and sustains a comprehensive effort to maximize human potential and to ensure fair treatment.”
Terms Theist: relating to a belief in a god or gods Nontheist: without belief in gods or the supernatural; secular Atheist: without or opposed to a belief in gods Agnostic: lit. without knowledge; colloq. uncertain of the existence of gods. Religion: consists of a world view and a way of life
Religion Belief system consisting of World View God exists or does not There are or are not supernatural forces in the world Man is naturally evil, good, or neither Life repeats itself, death is a final end, life after death is possible Way of Life pacifism vs militarism rituals for worship or benefits dress, eating, and social habits enlightenment/piety through scripture or through internal reason
Nontheist Religions and Religious Organizations Atheism: Atheist Alliance Secular Humanism: International Humanist and Ethical Union Positive Atheism Freethought: Church of Freethought Ethical Culture: American Ethical Union
Myths Nontheists hate religion Nontheists recognize, as anyone should, that hate, especially for a group, is prejudice, and the object of that prejudice is generally independent of the hate. Nontheists may disagree with religion, but that does not prevent study of religion or interaction with religious people. Atheists are amoral Atheism itself means disbelief in a god or gods, and has nothing specifically to do with morality. However, secular morality teaches that doing good is good in itself and independent of the desires of any Higher Power, natural or supernatural.
Myths (cont) Nontheists worship Darwin Nontheism does not translate to religious terms, it has no object of worship of worship, scripture, hierarchical clergy, or rituals to define itself. Reason and experience help provide understanding.
Secular Documents Secular Humanism: Humanist Manifesto Ethical Culture: Eight Commitments of Ethical Society Church of Freethought: “Our Church Services” IHEU Minimum Statement on Humanism
Conclusion Nontheistic and atheistic religions exist Many people, including soldiers are atheist It is important to respect atheistic belief systems as much as theistic belief systems