Religion

[Richard]

My ID tags had "TAC Air" embossed on them for the religious preference line for years until the Army told me I couldn't do that - I argued that TAC Air was always there for us when we needed them and I truly believed in them, but no dice - I then had "Christian" for a few years until I admitted to myself that that was a sham I wouldn't continue to help perpetuate - so then they said "No Preference" - still do.

Richard

[sinjefe]

Originally Posted by Richard

I then had "Christian" for a few years until I admitted to myself that that was a sham I wouldn't continue to help perpetuate
Richard

You speak with such certainty. So, 2 billion people (+/-) are wrong and you are right? I am sure you can appreciate how Freudian that sounds.

[alelks]

Originally Posted by sinjefe

You speak with such certainty. So, 2 billion people (+/-) are wrong and you are right? I am sure you can appreciate how Freudian that sounds.

I'm pretty sure what Richard is referring to is the fact that "Christian" doesn't explain/define his faith either thus the "Sham".

I could be wrong though as I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn last night.

[Dusty]

I like Freud Sham and eggs.

[Tress]

I used to kiss the Bridle Loop or Rip Cord (whichever was appropriate) of each and every parachute that successfully opened above me and briefly thanked no one in particular. Yet I relied solely on my training in the few times that they did not properly open and cursed a little afterwards. Just a tad enigmatic.

I was raised as a somewhat confused Catholic (mother) / Lutheran (father) but for a long time I my dog tags stated "Zen Buddhist" for religious preference, though that was more of a final act of defiance. If necessary I wanted the military to either get the Dahli Lama to me in my last moments or minimally make the chaplain think a little about what he was to say over me.

By the way, if your stated intent is to "train for SF and make it to an A-team and you think that "working 50 hours per week and doing PT 5 days per week is difficult, you are in for one hell of a surprise. and more

Tress

[Utah Bob]

Originally Posted by Richard

My ID tags had "TAC Air" embossed on them for the religious preference line for years until the Army told me I couldn't do that - I argued that TAC Air was always there for us when we needed them and I truly believed in them, but no dice - I then had "Christian" for a few years until I admitted to myself that that was a sham I wouldn't continue to help perpetuate - so then they said "No Preference" - still do.

Richard

I had Moslem put on mine just for the hell of it.
Didn't mean much 40 years ago. I figured it would have confused the hell out of any priest that tried to give me last rites though. Just hoped I was conscious enough to see his face.

[cetheridge]

Originally Posted by Blitzzz

You forgot what you asked for.
Originally Posted by JAH687 View Post
How has religion or spirituality effected your SF careers or your decision to join SF?

You asked about Religion and Spirituality. Faith is a different type of power all together, but the previous two require it.

I, like you JAH687, was a wrestler in high school (3 years). Went to college for a few years, but partied too much, dropped out and joined the Army. After a year in, I knew ("the force" calling?) that I had to go the path of SF. Spirituality or religion had nothing to do with my decision to join SF.

It was my faith in my physical and mental abilities that I would make it through SFTG (1968), to be one of the best, and I earned my Green Beret.

From the religious/spirituality aspect of your question, my upbringing had been geared toward Christianity, but college sort of skewed those beliefs. However, I still believed in a Supreme Being or God. Every time I was about to exit the aircraft, I would look up and say "please let this chute open correctly and give me a soft landing". Every jump the first request was granted, but the second one was not.

My dog tags originally had Christian, but the Army in its infinite wisdom decided that Christianity was not a bonafide religion and I had to have new tags that indicated Catholic, Jewish, or Protestant. Since I was neither of the first two and was not protesting anything, I had them stamped with "No Preference". This did not change my belief in God.

Life sometimes throws us curve balls or circumstances cause us to take side trails from the path we plan to travel toward our goal and we have to be flexible and adapt to the situation(s) while maintaining focus on that goal. While I did not make a career of SF, it was my SF experience that has taught me to think "outside the box", to have faith in my abilities and the abilities of my team members, and that mental attitude will help you overcome obstacles.

It is my belief in God and Jesus that has gotten me through the not so pleasant events in life. Whether or not one believes there is a God and an afterlife is a personal thing. I am a conservative. I believe that He is. Have I wasted my time thinking this way....I think not.

An atheist will say "there is no God and no afterlife". If this be true, then I am okay. Conversely, should there be an afterlife, then hopefully I am still okay, but the atheist is "going to be in deep doo doo". JMHO.

Not a day has gone by that I do not think about SF.

I, like Dusty, feel that "the reason I am still alive today is because his mission for me hasn't been completed".

[Dozer523]

Originally Posted by Abrazadereas

when i got older and i started looking at myself and other things harder, i decided that it was not true. i do not believe in the existence of any supernatural world, or spirits or gods or devils. i believe that death is the end of existence altogether; i'll eat crow if i get there and i'm incorrect..

Great YOU decide what is true; and that everything religion is founded upon is false. So You make you God?

Originally Posted by Abrazadereas

i do believe in right and wrong. not in a metaphysical sense, mind you. i just believe that there is always right thing to do and a wrong thing to do. and that you virtually always know what that is because if you know what you value in life, and you listen to your conscience, it is painfully obvious and you have to engage in self-deception to do other then what you ought to do. i don't pander to relativism because every action has consequences some of which are clearly preferable to others..

I can't even begin to decipher this. What do you think is the source of good? right and wrong? what motivates a conscience?

Originally Posted by Abrazadereas

do any of you QP's take exception to what i have said here? ..

I do. just because your blind and stumbling around in the dark doesn't meant I have to get behind and follow you off the cliff.

I think you should take some humanities classes.

I questioned some of this stuff when I was less-fog. But as time went by and stuff happened I found my God, his promise, the formal rituals a great comfort. I sometimes think we forget that Jesus doesn't just save; he comforts. At one point in my weekly ritual I hold hands with a total stranger and recite the Lord's Prayer. I often feel as if God is holding my hand then. After all He can be anywhere anytime. I like believing that.

[JAH687]

Originally Posted by Tress

By the way, if your stated intent is to "train for SF and make it to an A-team and you think that "working 50 hours per week and doing PT 5 days per week is difficult, you are in for one hell of a surprise. and more

I think you took it out of context a little. I said it was difficult (the difficulty is the customers more than the hours or work itself), but that I was by no means "pushed to the limit". And I'm sure I am in for a hell of a suprise when I reach the Q course, given that to date, I have served exactly 0 days in army. Please believe me that I am under no delusion that the SF motto has been recently changed to "To liberate the oppressed - but only from 9:30 - 6, 6 days a week"

[JAH687]

Originally Posted by JAH687

I think you took it out of context a little. I said it was difficult (the difficulty is the customers more than the hours or work itself), but that I was by no means "pushed to the limit". And I'm sure I am in for a hell of a suprise when I reach the Q course, given that to date, I have served exactly 0 days in army. Please believe me that I am under no delusion that the SF motto has been recently changed to "To liberate the oppressed - but only from 9:30 - 6, 6 days a week"

--But yet again, I am the culprit who is going on a tangent. Please ignore me and continue with the orginal purpose of the thread.

[ZonieDiver]

Originally Posted by JAH687

I posted something here, but later realized it was severely off topic and again filled the forum with unnecessarry background information about my life. This was something I tried hard to avoid a few posts back, and I realized my hypocrisy. Now this post stands as a permanent monument to my hypocrisy.

--But yet again, I am the culprit who is going on a tangent. Please ignore me and continue with the orginal purpose of the thread.

What's up with these?

Write, review, edit, review, re-edit, PAUSE, re-read, and finally re-write, edit, post, or delete. Don't clutter the board with a long-winded version of "Oops, I changed my mind."

[1stindoor]

What a fun and interesting read. My own views on religion and faith are already known on this board, but I'll add this little conversation to the mix between me and a former team sergeant many years ago.

The "gist" of what he said was that if you don't believe in something...you'll fall for anything. That your own faith or beliefs have to be well grounded or they'll sway to whatever direction the prevailing good idea fairie pushes them.

As for me, I chose to place my faith in Christ.

As I grew I've been a Catholic, a Presbyterian, a Baptist, and a Methodist. I don't put a lot of stock into what's on a door...but rather what's inside. Same with people, I don't put a lot of stock into what they say...but rather what they do.

[JAH687]

Originally Posted by ZonieDiver

What's up with these?

Write, review, edit, review, re-edit, PAUSE, re-read, and finally re-write, edit, post, or delete. Don't clutter the board with a long-winded version of "Oops, I changed my mind."

I was looking for a "delete" button but couldn't find one. I am new to this forum, and was simply trying NOT to be a nuisance, but it appears I failed in my endeavor.

[mark46th]

A friend of mine in SEA for religion had "F-4" on his dog tags. He was also partial to naval gunfire from the Missouri or New Jersey...

Originally Posted by JAH687

...but it appears I failed in my endeavor.

X 3.

Take a deep breath, relax, move on.

Exercise a little "faith", you'll be fine.