Military Atheists To Ask For Chaplain

The Military Association of Atheists and Free Thinkers are preparing a request to have their president appointed as an atheist chaplain to the military.

Wait... huh? They want an atheist chaplain? Some are calling the request an oxymoron. I wonder if they researched the word "chaplain" before considering the request.

Merriam-Webster defines chaplain, religion and atheism in the following manners:

Chaplain: a priest or other Christian religious leader who performs religious services for a military group (such as the army) or for a prison, hospital, etc.

Religion: the belief in a god or in a group of gods. : an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods.

Atheism: a disbelief in the existence of deity or God. b : the doctrine that there is no deity or God.

MAAFT is saying military chaplains do not provide enough outreach for those who do not believe in God. That makes no sense. Why would MAAFT want outreach from chaplains if they don't believe in God and the military is slowly but surely outlawing proselytizing? The lack of outreach by chaplains to atheists seems to be what MAAFT would want rather than the other way around. Have they talked to Mikey Weinstein about this??

The Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, in a 2009 study, found that 25 percent of military members participating in the study said they had no religious preference, while 3.6 percent identified as humanist, and just 1 percent identified as pagan. 

Last year MAAFT gave their support to another group that was requesting a "humanist" chaplain. Humanists are not necessarily atheists but they are more closely aligned with secularists and non-theists. So again, where would the need arise for a chaplain? Is the group using the word "chaplain" simply to mean "appointed leader"? Because if that's the case they are distorting the meaning of the word for their own purposes.

Based on the findings by the DEOMI, the MAAFT said last year "Such broad-based and growing support of professionals and experts should make it easy for the Department of Defense and the Navy to open their doors to diversity of belief that includes humanists and other non-theists."

Atheism is not a religion. If anything it is the opposite of religion as they do not believe in God or a higher power. By definition they have no need, authority or right to a chaplain.

If the military does this it will be the absolute worst and most absurd example of political correctness to date... foolishness at its absolute worst. But who will be surprised if it happens?