www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News British Navy approves first ever Satanist

Of all of the armed services, in most countries, it is safe to say that the Naval forces have usually been considered to be the most "religious." I believe that it has to do with this sense of imminent peril, the realization that one may be rendered helpless and completely at God's mercy at any time "the old girl" springs a leak.

I have three friends in Opus Dei, all three of their fathers were Naval Officers. Submarines and other such risky endeavors. Interesting.

As another good example, Hitler never trusted his Navy, accused it of being "full of Catholics" (how nice), and generally excluded it from strategic planning activities.

The Admiral in charge of Hitler's intelligence services eventually turned on Hitler and secretly provided assistance to the Allies that the beast might be ultimately defeated. He later paid for his moral compass with his life, but did much to hasten the Third Reich's demise.

Well, Alex, you make a reasonable assumption but, I really can not swim or float....despite having a SEAL as a teacher, but that's a long story. Nonetheless, I passed the swim and float tests through a creative innovation!

In Christ,
Andrew

Dear Andrew,

Historically, the Brits never trusted their naval people, period.

And the sailors were formerly not required to take the oath of allegiance to the Crown.

Sailors were often forcibly taken onto ships for service, sometimes they got them drunk and then picked them up and brought them to the ship.

As a result, they were considered the "dregs" of the military service, not to be trusted, without formal military training etc.

The Kozaks were never ones for abstaining from alcoholic beverages.

But during their military campaigns and especially on the Black Sea, if a Kozak was found with a bottle of alcohol, the punishment was immediate drowning . . .

Alex

Dear Alex,

You bring up the darker era of Her Majesty's Naval Service, when impressment was the rule of the day. Many impressed seamen were really just slaves by another name. These poor fellows, often foreigners, really had it bad and I wouldn't necessarily see them as particularly religious (except to the degree that they prayed for an opportunity to jump ship at the earliest possible moment).

But the professional able-bodied seamen, mates, petty officers, and officers tended to have that religious streak. We find it also in the fishermen and whale hunters.

Among the more well-known in this religious tradition were William Bligh and Ernest Shackleton, deeply religious and self-sacrificing to a fault for the sake of their men. They both successfully executed, against all reasonable odds, lengthy voyages in small boats that have never been repeated by anyone else and which really can't be explained without turning to the Providence of God working on their behalf.

May God also protect the men of the HMS Cumberland!

Dear Andrew,

I don't dispute that!

You put me in a boat and I take my prayer rope out right away!

I understand Christopher Columbus and his ilk had images of Our Lady on board and prayed incessantly, especially Our Lady of Mercy and Our Lady of Mt Carmel - both of which granted the Scapular.

The Irish Celtic saints in their "birinns" travelled long distances . . .

St Nicholas is a patron of those travelling by water, as is ST Clement of Rome and some others.

Some of your theological views have always made a very DEEP impression on me, as well . . .



Alex

Yes, this sadly has been the growing trend in the US Armed Forces, one of the reasons I have removed myself from the Chaplaincy.

I refused to celebrate Eucharist at an Altar profaned and defiled by Satanists. (Can you even imagine?)
And the protestant clergy in charge for the most part support it. After all we are a diverse nation aren't we? Give me a break with such crap!
Stephanos I

You are quite correct to hold those views. Diversity can be a good thing in some situations, such as providing equality to all races. However, in religion, diversity has often become a false god.

Dear Stephanos,

I have heard a very well known, staunchly devout and conservative Evangelical minister say a few years ago, that he supported the rights of the Wiccas to worship in the armed forces. He did so, because he believes, and rightfully so, that once the right of one faith is removed, it eventually will lead to the removal of all faiths.

Of course I hadn't heard that 'satanism', (never capitalize that name), is now allowed. But then again, what can we do? They must be allowed, otherwise the day will come, when our own rights might be taken away.

Zenovia

I'm afraid that in our rush to be non-judgmental, we have lost the discernment to make necessary distinctions. Discrimination has become a bad word, but not so long ago, it had a better meaning. I am hoping that in our quest to be fair and equal, we do not become so fuzzy-minded that we can no longer tell the difference between right and wrong. If that happens, Satan will really have triumphed.