Good Soldiers Go to Church on Sunday, Even if They Don't Believe in God.

It always amazed me as to how many people would become religious because they were in Iraq. A bunch of Soldiers in my unit would say, “Oh, its Sunday I’m going to church.” They’d ask me to go but I always refused. And then I’d ask them if they went to church back in states. They usually responded with a “no”. So why start now? Are you scared because you think your life is in jeopardy? Maybe if you pray to God a couple more times on Sunday, the insurgents running around in the desert with a dress and flip flops on won’t kill you? Maybe you figure it’ll be another poor soul who gets killed instead of you? Or maybe you just need comfort? Either way, it’s all bullshit excuses. When SGT A tricked me into going to church one day (she was suppose to be praise dancing, but she really wasn’t) the preacher told us to hold the hands of the people next to us. SPC G was on my one side and another male Soldier on my other side. The preacher asked us to pray for the people standing next to us. I was like, “Oh fuck.” But I prayed really hard for those two. I asked God nicely, “If you do exist, well one, I’m fucked…but please let these two Soldiers make it home safely and in one piece. Because they don’t deserve to die in some foreign land fighting some bullshit war….thank you for your time.” SPC G asked me if I prayed and I told her I did but only because it was for her….and she told me, “I prayed for you Katie because you need Jesus in your life.” I punched her in the arm.

Besides the Army thinking you have nuts made of steel, they also think you ‘re a Christian. No matter what you’re doing, you can be in formation, eating dinner, at work…they’ll have you pray. It’s like once you join they brand you with a cross. My unit would spend holiday’s together…Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter…and we’d pray like five times. I never put my head down, I always looked straight ahead. Sometimes people would say, “Hey, we’re praying you know.” This might come as a surprise to some, but not everyone believes in Jesus….and get this, there are other religions out there too. One Soldier in my unit was Muslim and he didn’t want to participate in some holiday dinner. The commander told him that if he didn’t show up, he’d get an Article 15. Well he didn’t show up, he had a few choice words with the commander and never received an Article 15. If I get deployed again I’m going to put some crazy religion on my dog tags, so they have to fly in a monk from Japan or something to give me my proper burial.