{"id":13452,"date":"2023-08-02T15:17:01","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T05:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rationalemagazine.com\/?p=13452"},"modified":"2023-08-02T15:17:01","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T05:17:01","slug":"why-the-armys-choice-to-serve-god-comes-at-a-cost-to-the-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rationalemagazine.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/02\/why-the-armys-choice-to-serve-god-comes-at-a-cost-to-the-nation\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Army\u2019s choice to serve God comes at a cost to the nation"},"content":{"rendered":"

On 8 July 2023, the Australian Army, specifically the 1<\/span>st<\/span> Armoured Regiment, had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to march through the streets of a major capital city, display its military hardware and inspire the next generation of potential recruits.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Army had a chance to display that it was not a conservative and traditional Army but was instead a progressive, multicultural, diverse and technologically advanced organisation. It had a chance to market itself to a broad demographic that it was representative of the nation\u2019s population. In doing so, it could have hoped to secure the next tranche of recruits that would be responsible for the defence of the nation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, it squandered an opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n

By parading through the streets of Adelaide, led by several white Christian male chaplains, and by conducting a Christian church service to proclaim the move of a regiment\u2019s guidons \u2013 or \u2018sacred flags\u2019, <\/span>as described by one news agency<\/span><\/a> \u2013 from one city to another, the Army ignored several realities of Australia in 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n

It ignored the fact that a majority of the regiment\u2019s members are not Christian. It ignored the fact that there are likely non-Christians currently serving in the regiment. And it ignored the fact that the regiment will be less Christian next year and in the years that follow.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ceremonies around the colours, standards, guidons and banners<\/span><\/a> in the Australian Army are deeply rooted in tradition, many of which reflect British Christian rituals from centuries ago. However, times change, the population changes and the Army has changed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In <\/span>The Forge<\/span><\/i> last week<\/span><\/a>, I wrote about the latest data on the decline of religious affiliation in the Australian Defence Force. As at 1 January 2023, almost 64 per cent of full-time members did not have a religious affiliation, continuing a trend observed for two decades.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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Australian Army's show of force in Adelaide stuns, disturbs https:\/\/t.co\/D2reU71Ttj<\/a><\/p>\n

— Daily Mail Australia (@DailyMailAU) July 10, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n