Since October of 2009, the Army has required soldiers to take an assessment questionnaire that includes a "spiritual fitness" element. Military officials argue that the evaluations offer them a tool to combat the rising stress and suicide levels among personnel. But some see the mandatory questions as an intrusive violation of church-state separation.
The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation learned in December that soldiers were being asked to respond to statements such as "I am a spiritual person" and "I believe there is a purpose for my life."
In a Dec. 29 letter to Secretary of the Army John McHugh, the [Freedom From Religion Foundation] asked for an immediate end to the spiritual evaluation components of the Global Assessment Tool and related programs.
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Lt. Col. David Patterson, a spokesman for the Army, said officials respect soldiers' individual choices about religion. "Although spiritual fitness is offered to all soldiers, it is not meant by any means to influence, dissuade nor entice soldiers to believe in a deity, endorse religion, or in any way state that a soldier is unfit to serve if they lack spiritual fitness," he said.
The Army's word choice here has some troubling implications. Showing awareness, concern and a little preventive care for soldier's mental and emotional health and well-being is an unquestionably good idea. For how long were those needs likely ignored for military personnel? So, I don't doubt the good intentions of Army officials here. But I would hope they defer to mental health professionals in constructing relevant assessment and treatment tools.
Is the encouragement of a specifically "spiritual" life really the best, or only, way to accomplish this laudable goal? Making use of the military's chaplain services to address spiritual and religious needs should, of course, be an entirely voluntary choice.
Secretary McHugh, by the way, was a controversial selection to head the Army, after a review of his record as a Congressman revealed a lack of support for the separation of church and state. The Baptist Joint Committee's Brent Walker posted a detailed critique in advance of his confirmation hearing.
