Chaplain (Col) Jacob Goldstein often attracts attention when he visits military units, as he is one of the few personnel sporting a full beard in his Army fatigues.  Goldstein is one of seven orthodox Jewish Chaplains serving in the US Army.

A recent article notes his presence at a local training event in California.  In the article, Goldstein takes an interesting view on spirituality in the armed forces:

“The military gives great deference to religion,” said Goldstein, “You ask any commander – any Soldier that is spiritual and has some religion makes for a good Soldier.  The fact the Soldier has some kind of comfort and has some faith – regardless of that faith – if you believe in something, that’s important.”

Such a statement — a spiritual soldier makes a good soldier — might ordinarily draw a stern and caustically worded rebuke from Michael Weinstein or his Military Religious Freedom Foundation, if it came from a Christian.  This is particularly relevant since two of his litigation vehicles have been atheists.  (Interestingly, Goldstein has previously defended the military against Weinstein’s accusations.)  Ironically, though, a member of the MRFF has recently been taken to task for degrading atheists.

Reza Aslan is reportedly a recognized religious scholar.  He is also a member of Weinstein’s MRFF advisory board (though that detail is curiously left off the bio page of Aslan’s personal website, and even his Wikipedia page).  Aslan has even appeared with Weinstein at an event at the US Air Force Academy on Islam (an event that generated one of the most read articles on this site).

Aslan was recently derided for writing a “horrible piece” (emphasis original) at the Washington Post

regurgitating every nasty atheist stereotype you can think of.

The criticism came from Hemant Mehta, a recognizable name in atheist, or “skeptic,” circles.

It turns out the article at the Washington Post wasn’t a standalone work but was actually adapted from the book Religion and the New Atheism, where Aslan is one contributor among many.  Mehta may have missed that part, but his criticism is sharp all the same:

This is an irresponsible piece written by a person who knows nothing about the subject he’s writing about.  Refute him, ignore him, but don’t take him seriously anymore.

Of course, that last sentence is just as valid to Weinstein’s MRFF, of which Aslan is a part, as it might be to Aslan himself.  Weinstein has already made his organization largely irrelevant with regard to religion in the military; if his advisory board member’s words are any indication, Mehta’s response seems to indicate he has succeeded in doing so with regard to atheism as well.