As noted previously, a letter to the editor of the Stars and Stripes touched a nerve, with another contributor scolding a Chaplain about relying on the Bible.

The publication sparked a surprisingly blunt tit-for-tat, demonstrating that feelings about culture and religion present in American society are, indeed, also prevalent in the military.

A Captain stationed in Iraq decried the letter writer’s suggestion that modern Americans should rely on the Bible and its “Bronze Age morality.”  Another seemed to demonstrate a hypersensitivity to public expressions of (Christian) faith:

Who has ever had to ask a Christian about his opinion? No one. Ever. Christians wear their opinions on their sleeves: bumper stickers; fish magnets; 20-inch mag wheels with crosses (sweet!); cute little Bible quotes at the bottom of their e-mails; “amens” and “godblessyous” strewn haphazardly about; young Earth creationism taught in public schools.

While religion is certainly a legitimate topic, and members of the military do retain (to some degree) the freedom of speech, it’s debatable whether it is appropriate for members of the military (in the case of the Captain) to denigrate another military member’s religious beliefs.  Regardless of which side one is on, respect is still the operative word.

As these letter writers demonstrate, the military environment is not a haven of evangelical Christian supremacy.  Just as American society has the gamut of ideological and religious beliefs, so too does the military that reflects it.