In retrospect instead of writing “taken over” in the title I would have written that the”…military is being increasingly influenced and in some areas dominated by Evangelical Christians..”.
Some of these Evangelicals believe in a fascist like supremacist vision.
Many Evangelicals openly subscribe to a Dominion theology which are a group of Christian political ideologies that seek to institute a nation governed by Christians based on their understandings of biblical law.
Evangelicals are also known for commonly being very focused on eschatology to the point of being apocalyptic. Some of them even believe in taking actions to help accelerate the advent of the apocalypse.
There is immense pressure in particular at all the military academies to practice and profess adherence to Evangelical beliefs as well as in parts of the Air Force.
Non-Evangelical military cadets are being pervasively discriminated against, even Christian cadets from other denominations are facing discrimination.
More than 60% of military chaplains are evangelicals at least, with some estimates as high as 80%. In many instances Evangelical chaplains have used their majority influence in the military chaplaincy to sideline chaplains from other faiths and to promote policies that favor them in terms of access to military personnel, the types of programs being run, and the hiring process for new chaplains.
Another characteristic or even tenet of most Evangelicalism is proselytizing. Most evangelicals believe that it is their duty to convert others to their faith and many have decided that they will proselytize their fellow military personnel as much as possible even if that means using method that clearly violate the military code of conduct and infringe on other soldiers’ constitutional rights.
Evangelical Officers have taken the cue from their Evangelical chaplains and are proselytizing their subordinates in violation of the military’s code of conduct.
This is a serious issue that has been increasingly getting worse for at least two decades but the Trump era has accelerated it to an alarming degree.
Statistics showed in 2005 that at least 40% of active duty personnel were evangelicals and due to the military’s lack of adequate categories for reporting the actual percentage was probably higher. The percentage is also higher among officers than it is among the enlisted.
Trump is a controversial President who acts far outside of the norm in many areas. He has overtly threatened violence against his political rivals on several occasions and has now been impeached.
Many evangelicals inside and outside of the military support him not only as the President and the Commander in Chief but also as a leader sent by God. If Trump is removed from office or loses the next election and goads his supporters towards violence either implicitly or explicitly his Evangelical supporters in the military could represent a significant threat to democracy should they refuse to peacefully accept the results.
More attention needs to be paid to this issue and more reporting needs to be done on it. The next President who isn’t Trump will need to take decisive and widespread action in order to turn back the tide on this.
**The Evangelical Christian Takeover of the Military**
https://www.alternet.org/2007/11/the_evangelical_christian_takeover_of_the_military/amp/
**Too much religion at military academies? West Point cadet revives charge.**
**Evangelicals Are a Growing Force in the Military Chaplain Corps**
**Evangelical Chaplains Test Bounds of Faith in Military**
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4772331
**TRUMP EFFECT INSPIRES RADICAL CHRISTIANS IN MILITARY**
https://www.newsweek.com/christian-fundamentalists-us-armed-forces-national-security-threat-613428
**Inside the Military’s Campaign to Make Its Soldiers Christian** [First of a three part series]
https://www.mic.com/articles/61629/inside-the-military-s-campaign-to-make-its-soldiers-christian
**EVANGELICAL U.S. AIR FORCE GENERAL HAS SECRETLY BEEN RUNNING A CHRISTIAN ONLINE MINISTRY IN POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF RULES: EXCLUSIVE**
**U.S. Air Force: Swear to God—or Get Out**
https://www.thedailybeast.com/us-air-force-swear-to-godor-get-out
**Soldier Sues Army, Saying His Atheism Led to Threats**
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/26/us/26atheist.html
**Chaplains Wanted For Atheists In Foxholes**
https://www.npr.org/2011/12/04/143057431/chaplains-wanted-for-atheists-in-foxholes
**The Christian [Evangelical] Takeover of the U.S. Military**
https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2018/3/29/christian-takeover-us-military
**Onward Christian soldiers: Fundamentalist faith is proclaimed, and contested, in America’s forces**
https://www.economist.com/erasmus/2019/05/25/onward-christian-soldiers
**Why the US Military Wants Fewer Generic Christians** [Why the military’s categories for self reporting religious affiliation have left evangelicals underreported]
**The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) condemned the blessing of an “official Bible” for the swearing-in of commanders of the newly created Space Force.**
Help get this issue on the radar of your representatives in Congress and your state governor by emailing them and calling them.
https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
A good organization to get info and support from is the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF):
https://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/
Not being a member of a major Christian denomination can apparently be a lonely experience in the military.
The Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers is a community for atheists, humanists, and other nontheists in the military.
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 