Marines Attend Spiritual Fitness Prayer Breakfast
US Marines and Sailors at Camp Kinser, Japan, gathered for a prayer breakfast held by the local Chaplains.
The breakfast was held to encourage attendees to pause for a few moments in their day and reflect on what is important to them, improving their spiritual fitness, [Chaplain (Cmdr) Randal B. Craft] said.
Chief Petty Officer Beverly Harris, a religious program specialist, emphasized the inclusive nature of the breakfast as well as the universal need for spiritual fitness:
“Spiritual fitness helps us stay connected and grounded,” she said. “It helps us to reflect on the major aspects of life and to focus on the various areas that are important to our well-being. Additionally, it helps us to remember those who have sacrificed their lives for our country…”
For some, spiritual fitness can be strived for by reflecting on their lives, Harris said.
“Focus on the vital principles that you hold that give meaning to your life,” Harris said. “(Focus on) your values, beliefs, dreams, goals, achievements and your personal and professional growth.”
Spiritual fitness is a key component to resilience — along with the emotional, physical, social, and family spheres — that enables people to ‘bounce back’ and press on. The US military recognizes it puts men and women in challenging situations, with the demands and stresses of war and combat. It has done an admirable job of trying to provide those men and women with the tools they need to not only survive, but thrive.
Spiritual fitness my eye. This is just another ploy to get religion installed in the armed forces as regulation.
I’ve seen physical training, flight training, weapons training, tactics, logistics, rescue, et al, but I never thought I would see “Spiritual Training!”
What a bunch of malarky. Spirituality can’t even be defined, nevermind taught or acquired.
This is a bunch of high ranking holy joes looking to spread religion with some hokey proselytizing program.
Let our young men and women in the military keep their own faith without trying to homogenize them into scripture spouting evangelists.
Anyone want to bet on the main religion thrust on these soldiers? Does it start with “C?”
Do you have any evidence to support this claim?
Regarding this statement, it almost seems as if you are implying that the value of religion in the military is independent of the truth of any religious claims. In other words, as long as members of the military have a tool to help them recover from the “demands and stresses” of combat (etc.) all is good. Sounds a bit like opium for the masses to me.
You must be especially impressed with those non-religious members who somehow deal with the stresses of military life without a belief in god.
Spiritual fitness is a haox. It’s the introduction to Porselytizing 101. To whom did these Marines pray at the prayer breakfast? You can bet no one heard anyone shout “Allah Akbar!”
@WWRID
The “claim” is made by the Department of Defense. You might peruse the Army’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness site.
“It almost seems as if you are” reading your own words into the text above.
@Richard
And you would therefore deny US servicemembers any support for what they believed to be their personal spiritual fitness, yes?
@JD
I certainly would not undertake it as a military requirement. And I don’t think most troops even think about spiritual fitness until it is thrust upon them during training and other venues. I think they believe its SOP and bow to the order.