View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Calhoun, Institutional Archive of the Naval Postgraduate School Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 2005-12 The potential for religious conflict in the United States Military Freeman, Jeffrey B. Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/1793 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS THE POTENTIAL FOR RELIGIOUS CONFLICT IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY by Jeffrey B. Freeman December 2005 Thesis Advisor: Anna Simons Second Reader: Glenn E. Robinson Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202- 4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED December 2005 Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE: The Potential for Religious Conflict in the 5. FUNDING NUMBERS United States Military 6. AUTHOR Jeffrey B. Freeman 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION Naval Postgraduate School REPORT NUMBER Monterey, CA 93943-5000 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING ADDRESS(ES) AGENCY REPORT NUMBER N/A 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. 12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited A 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) The 2004 presidential election seemed to signal growing religious fervor across the political spectrum. Members of the media and pollsters alike were left wondering what went on inside the voting booth. Religion has long played a role in American politics, dating back to the Constitution of the United States of America. When components of government, the military, religion, and society converge, discussion and debate invariably follows. The United States military is a religiously pluralistic institution, with members belonging to an estimated 700 religions. The chaplaincy champions religious accommodation and the military itself supports over 245 faith groups. The chaplaincy is at the core of this religious accommodation since chaplains maintain a dual allegiance, as members of the clergy and as members of the officer corps. As religious diversity grows, the likelihood of controversy increases when, for instance, Indian members of the Native American Church take peyote, Wiccans observe pagan rites on military bases, and Muslim chaplains serve Muslim soldiers who find themselves at war within an Islamic country. This thesis explores some of the challenges inherent in ministering to so many diverse religions, and takes a critical look at areas of potential friction that might cause the Department of Defense to want to take a more attentive look at what such diversity means for the future. 14. SUBJECT TERMS U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, First Amendment, freedom of religion, 15. NUMBER OF Founding Fathers, God, Jesus Christ, Christian, Christians, Christianity, religion, spirituality, PAGES religious accommodation, religious pluralism, U.S. military, Armed Forces Chaplains Board 109 (AFCB), chaplain, chaplaincy, Judaism, Jewish, Jews, Wicca, Wiccan, pagan, neo-pagan, 16. PRICE CODE Satan, Native American, Peyote, Islam, Muslim, homosexuality, media, Republican, Democrat, conservative, liberal 17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY 20. LIMITATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF THIS CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT REPORT PAGE ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UL NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ii Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THE POTENTIAL FOR RELIGIOUS CONFLICT IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY Jeffrey B. Freeman Lieutenant Colonel, United States Air Force B.S., Troy State University, 1988 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN DEFENSE ANALYSIS from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL December 2005 Author: Jeffrey B. Freeman Approved by: Anna Simons Thesis Advisor Glenn E. Robinson Second Reader Gordon H. McCormick Chairman, Department of Defense Analysis iii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv ABSTRACT The 2004 presidential election seemed to signal growing religious fervor across the political spectrum. Members of the media and pollsters alike were left wondering what went on inside the voting booth. Religion has long played a role in American politics, dating back to the Constitution of the United States of America. When components of government, the military, religion, and society converge, discussion and debate invariably follows. The United States military is a religiously pluralistic institution, with members belonging to an estimated 700 religions. The chaplaincy champions religious accommodation and the military itself supports over 245 faith groups. The chaplaincy is at the core of this religious accommodation since chaplains maintain a dual allegiance, as members of the clergy and as members of the officer corps. As religious diversity grows, the likelihood of controversy increases when, for instance, Indian members of the Native American Church take peyote, Wiccans observe pagan rites on military bases, and Muslim chaplains serve Muslim soldiers who find themselves at war within an Islamic country. This thesis explores some of the challenges inherent in ministering to so many diverse religions, and takes a critical look at areas of potential friction that might cause the Department of Defense to want to take a more attentive look at what such diversity means for the future. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vi TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................. 1 A. TODAY’S PULSE: POLITICS AND THE MEDIA................................. 1 B. METHODOLOGY................................................................................. 8 C. OBJECTIVES OF THE THESIS......................................................... 12 II. GOVERNMENT, MILITARY, AND RELIGION: THE GREAT EXPERIMENT............................................................................................... 17 A. PRELUDE TO AMERICA’S FOUNDING ........................................... 17 B. THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE................................ 20 C. GOVERNMENTAL AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS................. 23 1. Religious Plurality and Morality ........................................... 28 D. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, MILITARY DEPARTMENTS............ 29 1. Religious Accommodation.................................................... 31 2. Armed Forces Chaplain Board ............................................. 32 3. Ecclesiastical Endorsing Agent (EEA)................................. 33 4. Chaplaincy: Origins and Present-day .................................. 34 III. ENCOUNTERING RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS WITHIN THE MILITARY ....... 43 A. UNDERSTANDINGS RELIGION AND CONFLICTS IN THE MILITARY .......................................................................................... 44 1. Native American Church ....................................................... 47 a. Practices ...................................................................... 48 b. Moral and Ethical Challenges .................................... 49 2. Gardnerian Wicca & Wicca ................................................... 50 a. Practices ...................................................................... 53 b. Moral and Ethical Challenges .................................... 53 3. The Great Monotheistic Religions........................................ 55 4. Judaism .................................................................................. 56 a. Practices ...................................................................... 57 b. Moral and Ethical Challenges .................................... 58 5. Christianity............................................................................. 61 a. Practices ...................................................................... 61 b. Moral and Ethical Challenges .................................... 63 6. Islam ....................................................................................... 65 a. Practices ...................................................................... 65 b. Moral and Ethical Challenges .................................... 66 IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS............................................. 69 A. CONCLUSIONS................................................................................. 69 B. AREAS FOR POTENTIAL FUTURE RESEARCH............................