By Stephen Mansfield, 2005, ISBN 1-58542-407-2
Stephen Mansfield provides us with an interesting insight into the way today's American soldier understands and uses faith. He relates numerous interviews with field soldiers, as well as chaplains, and he contrasts the faith of today's soldiers with those in American armies of the past. "We have the most religious Army since the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War"—General Barry McCaffrey (p. 33). Today's America, says Mansfield, is religiously in tension with itself, and that is affecting the solider in the field. That is, the public is inclined to be religious, readily identifying with the nation's Christian roots. But a largely liberal judiciary is steadily separating government from any mention of religion. The media reflects this liberal attitude, rarely if ever reporting the part that religion is playing on the battlefield, such as the fact that the marines who assaulted the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah held a prayer meeting to solicit God's blessing before launching their attack. Or that medics report having to push aside crowds from the wounded because so many men were trying to lay hands on the fallen to pray for their healing. Mansfield tells of a band of young soldiers all less than 25 years of age, gathering to pray before battle. They have talked about the fact that the people of God in the Old Testament lost battles when they sinned. So they quote Psalm 51:1-4, 10 together. This is a psalm or prayer of repentance. Mansfield says that one might not expect the "millennialists' army" to be religious. One quarter to one third of this generation comes from single parent homes. Nearly 50 percent were sexually active in their teen years. And, they reject traditional church doctrines and standards, finding that structured religion is not relevant to their lives—but they want God and they want His blessings on what they are doing. More than 80 percent describe their religious faith as very important and 75 percent say that they pray at least once a week. A new religion The American soldier is developing what some call "unchurched faith," that is, not the faith of a structured denomination. Perhaps the way one soldier described it to Mansfield says it best: "…one part Buddha, three parts Jesus, two parts fortune cookie, and three parts Oprah" (p. 37). The younger soldiers gather in small groups to pray, and to read and memorize portions of the Old Testament that tell of God defeating Israel's enemies. They are deeply passionate about their faith. They write portions of various biblical Psalms on the walls of their tents. A dog-tag-like shield imprinted with a paraphrase of Joshua 1:9 is highly popular. It reads: "I will be strong and courageous. I will not be terrified, or discouraged; for the Lord my God is with me wherever I go." Mansfield adds, "Wiccans [witches], Neo-Pagans, Druids, and 'servants of the Goddess' are now as vibrant if not as numerous as the Baptists in the field." There are Native American powwows and New Age convergences, as well as Hindu offerings. Buddhism leads among major religions in new followers. The army reflects what is happening back home. Young people reject lengthy analytical messages that bore them, but they love and are inspired by stories and images. Movies with a moral message like Braveheart and The Last Samurai are popular ways by which they define their faith. Mansfield illustrates the power of a story with this one: A U.S. soldier rounded the corner of a building to come face-to-face with an enemy who had a 9-mm. pistol pointed right at him. He heard the shot but thought the weapon misfired, because he felt nothing. The astonished shooter promptly surrendered. Only later did the soldier realize that he was covered in blood. He went to the hospital to get checked out. The pistol had indeed fired. The bullet struck a tooth, knocking it out and lodging perfectly in its socket. The story is told and retold throughout the field. Soldiers have the story written down on paper, which they fold and insert in their helmets when they go into battle. The Faith of the American Soldier not only gives the reader a deep insight into a factor about the war on terror that the media by and large isn't providing, but it also gives the reader an insight into the thinking of American young people. Religion and mainstream churches do not have the answers to the questions they ask. Yet they think they have found divine guidance and protection by fashioning their own faith. It is strangely reminiscent of the ancient Israelites of whom the modern soldiers read. In the multicultural society we read about in 2 Kings 17:24-41, suffering casualties, they sought to put together a self-made religion, mixing all sorts of ideologies, with the aim of "pleasing God" and garnering His protection. The true God did not respond to their efforts, lamenting that they missed the straightforward covenant He made with them long before, when He gave them His faith in a simple straightforward code, the Ten Commandments. God's true faith is inspiring and fulfilling. Read about it in our booklet, The Ten Commandments. This booklet will also show why Christians today who take literally Christ's teachings expounding this code—including the commandment not to kill—do not work in jobs that might require the taking of human life or enlist in the military service. WNP
