As a former military member, chaplains do have more privilege than counselors. There's 100% confidentiality with chaplaincy, but not with counselors/psychologists. There's the benefits officers get from the additional duty of chaplaincy for promotion purposes. There's a separate budget and increased authority over giving people time off. There's some authority outside the chain of command as a Chaplin. All that being said I'm completely without an idea of what an atheist service would look like.
As for forming the group, just like this forum (and has already been said), sociable behaviors could be one reason. Being a minority for a time causes people to clique together for social support. Just as this is a place for atheists to come and not get attacked for expressing their beliefs, the "club" could be similar in purpose. There is also a lot of forced religious practice in the field as the possibility of death is more immanent. This could be a shield for those who don't want to be around those things.
As for forming the group, just like this forum (and has already been said), sociable behaviors could be one reason. Being a minority for a time causes people to clique together for social support. Just as this is a place for atheists to come and not get attacked for expressing their beliefs, the "club" could be similar in purpose. There is also a lot of forced religious practice in the field as the possibility of death is more immanent. This could be a shield for those who don't want to be around those things.
"There ought to be a term that would designate those who actually follow the teachings of Jesus, since the word 'Christian' has been largely divorced from those teachings, and so polluted by fundamentalists that it has come to connote their polar opposite: intolerance, vindictive hatred, and bigotry." -- Philip Stater, Huffington Post
always working on cleaning my windows- me regarding Johari
always working on cleaning my windows- me regarding Johari
