Responding to the leaked news that the Navy is considering a “humanist” chaplain, Republican Senator Roger Wicker wrote a column published at FoxNews that said an atheist should not be put in the “undeniably religious position” of a military chaplain:

I oppose the appointment of a “secular-humanist” chaplain, and I have formally requested that the secretary of the Navy and the chief of naval operations reject this application. I am not alone in my request. Twenty-two of my colleagues in the Senate have joined me in this effort.

Senator Wicker notes with some irony that it is “well within [the Navy’s] authority” to create all kinds of programs to serve atheists without having to put non-religious people in religious positions.

Humanists and atheists have been arguing for years among themselves about the ways to integrate — or infiltrate — the chaplaincy, or even if it makes sense to do so. Atheists can’t even agree among themselves on what their ‘core beliefs’ are — or even if they have them.  Some atheists balk at the idea of an atheist “belief”, while other atheists try to frame atheism as a “religious tradition” that isn’t religious.

These atheists want to be different without being different. They can’t have it both ways. If they want the protections and “privilege” of religion, they need to get religion.

Some atheists have joked that atheism is a religion like bald is a hair color.  Demanding an atheist “chaplain” is akin to demanding a barber for that bald hair color.

Put another way, demanding an atheist chaplain for equality is like a man demanding a pap smear in the name of equal treatment.

It’s just nonsense.

Also at the Family Research Council.

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