Are the Armed Forces a Religion?

Theporter · **Posted:** Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:05 am

http://hpanwo.blogspot.com/2008/07/our-brave-boys.html

New site article.

Hagbard Celine · **Posted:** Thu Sep 25, 2008 2:00 pm

This new study suports the statistics in the American and Canadian Almanac I refer to in the HPANWO article:

http://msn.careerbuilder.com/custom/msn/careeradvice/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1634&SiteId=cbmsnhp41634&sc_extcmp=JS_1634_home1&GT1=23000&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=654d9194405a46a58a19f78c83c59033-275647399-J2-5

Hagbard Celine · **Posted:** Thu Jul 14, 2011 7:34 am

Non-Military Memorials
It seems I was partly mistaken :oops:

; there are a few of these. Not enough though! It still doesn't match the excessive levels or high public profile that military memorials enjoy:

Fishing Trawler memorial

Memorial for those killed in the BP Gulf disaster. Still I can't find a general one for people killed in the oil industry. :cry:

The Cinderford Miners Memorial

The St Annes Lifeboatmen Memorial. A familiar one to me!

Its that JD again! · **Joined:** Mon Jul 12, 2010 10:30 am **Posts:** 2568

So you want one or more memorial/s for people who die in every occupation available. That's not going to happen is it? Another thing is who is it that sets these up? The miners have a few round here so do the steal workers and Ive seen one for the firemen that's because they set them up. There's one for the servicemen who died in the wars and that's set up by you guessed it ex servicemen. I haven't seen one for chips shop workers but whose fault is that?

People die doing all sorts of jobs and that's very sad. But i think you are missing a big point here. When you go to work there are very strict rules and regs which are set in place to try as best can be keep you safe. When you go to work each day you don't have a group of people trying to kill you like they sometime do in the forces. Fishing, now that's dangerous and people die but they are accidents that people did not see coming. Going out each day knowing people are trying to kill you in many different ways is far different than that.

But anyway back to my original point and that is some occupations have memorials which are set up by people in those occupations or those that have done them. If the porters don't have a memorial then who's to blame? If you want a memorial for porters stop winging about it and do something like all the others did to get theirs.

cheeb · **Joined:** Sun Nov 22, 2009 2:24 am **Posts:** 779

[quote="Hagbard Celine"]Non-Military Memorials

The Cinderford Miners Memorial

That One Is In My Town...

There Is Another One Just Down The Road Where I Grew Up...

It's More To Do With The Death Of The Dairy Industry Though...

Funny Thing Is There Used To Be 2 Benches There...

And When I Used To Catch The Bus To School,

There Used To Always Be About 12 Old Boys Sitting On These Benches,

All Wearing Suits With Medals On Them.

And Smoking PipesAnd Roll-Ups,

(Funny That, I Really Remember The Smell Of The Tabacco Smoke...)

Gradually, Over A Period Of About 6 Years, The Numbers Dwindled...

Till There Was Just One Left...

Dan, Dan The Lavatory Man, Was What We Used To Call Him...

For Some Reason He Was There Every Morning,

Dressed Up In A Milatary Type Uniform,

Directing The Traffic (Quite Unessisarily)

Around The Bend In The Road...!!!

cheeb · **Joined:** Sun Nov 22, 2009 2:24 am **Posts:** 779

This Is Right Opposite Those Benches...

And That Is Where He Used To Direct The Traffic From,

Right By That Lampost...

Of Course There Wasn't A Mini-Roundabout There Then,

And The Pub Was Still Open...!!!

Hagbard Celine · **Posted:** Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:07 pm

Its that JD again! wrote:

So you want one or more memorial/s for people who die in every occupation available. That's not going to happen is it? Another thing is who is it that sets these up?... I haven't seen one for chips shop workers but whose fault is that?

....If the porters don't have a memorial then who's to blame? If you want a memorial for porters stop winging about it and do something like all the others did to get theirs.

Good point, Droike.

Maybe this could be one of the campaigns that the HPWA could first get involved in.

Thanks for the idea.

Quote:

When you go to work each day you don't have a group of people trying to kill you like they sometime do in the forces. Fishing, now that's dangerous and people die but they are accidents that people did not see coming. Going out each day knowing people are trying to kill you in many different ways is far different than that.

It's different in the sense that it involves the animosity of other humans, which is not the case with fishermen, miners etc. However this is the case with Porters too. The casualties among those who fight in the Great Portering War are caused in the same way as those in the Forces. It's a bit slower than a bullet or a bomb, and you get much less public appreciation for suffering it, :wink:

but it's still purposeful human action.

Having said that, come to think of it, :idea:

miners and oil rig workers have been killed by huiman animosity too, greedy companies who deliberately send men to their deaths because they break rules and cut corners in health-and-safety. Also if I doubt if any trawler crews who see a 100 foot wave hurtling towards their little boat pause and think to themselves in their last moments on Earth: "Oh well, it could be worse. At least it's not a roadside bomb in Afghanistan!"

Hagbard Celine · **Posted:** Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:13 pm

cheeb wrote:

And That Is Where He Used To Direct The Traffic From,

Right By That Lampost...

Aw bless him!

I hope they put up a memorial to this volunteer trafic-director.

Quote:

Of Course There Wasn't A Mini-Roundabout There Then,
And The Pub Was Still Open...!!!

Story of our times! :wink:

Beetzart · **Joined:** Sat Jul 17, 2010 8:54 am **Posts:** 3013

Hagbard Celine wrote:

However this is the case with Porters too. The casualties among those who fight in the Great Portering War are caused in the same way as those in the Forces. It's a bit slower than a bullet or a bomb, and you get much less public appreciation for suffering it, :wink:

but it's still human action.

What would happen if changed jobs to say a gardener, would you be wanting memorials for them too? Plus you would have to change you forum etc name. What is it about portering that gives you the horn?

Can I say I have nothing against the armed forces, I used to work in several barracks and they where always dignified and polite. Isn't it good to know that we have people willing to sacrifice their lives for the country?

Hagbard Celine · **Posted:** Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:26 pm

Beetzart wrote:

What would happen if changed jobs to say a gardener, would you be wanting memorials for them too? Plus you would have to change you forum etc name. What is it about portering that gives you the horn?

Why would I need to change my Forum name?

Etrangermercenary doesn't on the DIF does he? :wink:

What gives me the horn about Portering... apart from attractive nurses :lol:

...

Well, probably much the same thing as Etrangermercenary gets from being in the French Foreign Legion and working as a mercenary.

If I became a gardener I'd obviously be ex-Hospital Portering Service and my heart would still lie there, but I do think gardeners derserve some appreciation for what they do. Getting a dogshit shower from a lawn-mower can't be very nice!

Quote:

Can I say I have nothing against the armed forces, I used to work in several barracks and they where always dignified and polite. Isn't it good to know that we have people willing to sacrifice their lives for the country?

I've got nothing against the Armed Forces either. I was in the Royal Navy myself for a short time when I was 18.

I respect and admire anybody who does a difficult and dangerous job. I admire soliders as much as I do miners, trawlermen and roughnecks. :wink:

Hospital Porters are different obivously. :wink:

I admire them more than...

more than... more than you would God if you believed he existed! :lol:

Hagbard Celine · **Posted:** Fri Sep 16, 2011 9:14 am

Let's see what kind of remembrance and memorial this poor guy gets:

http://hpanwoforum.freeforums.org/hpanwo-voice-f11.html

Beetzart · **Joined:** Sat Jul 17, 2010 8:54 am **Posts:** 3013

If you only ever watch one more video watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS1dO0JC ... re=related

War is truly horrific, especially WW1 and those poor, poor men led by pompous pricks are some of the bravest men ever to have ever lived. Remember there was a lot of propaganda at the time and many men willingly went to fight, of course many more were conscripted, but they didn't really know what they were getting into. If they changed their minds they were shot at dawn.

It winds me up when people like you try to belittle them because of your conspiritorial slant to everything, then cover your arse by saying you having nothing against people doing a dangerous job. Do you wear a poppy and think about these men on the 11th?

Hagbard Celine · **Posted:** Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:33 am

Beetzart wrote:

It winds me up when people like you try to belittle them

Belittle them?

I'm not belittling them at all; all I'm saying is that I'm not belittling non-Military people in front of them. :wink:

Ah, of course! :idea:

This is exactly what I said in my HPWA article:

Quote:

for The Military Religion suggesting that one is not beneath them is tantermount to putting them down! (Source: http://hpanwo-hpwa.blogspot.com/2011/09/why-do-we-need-hpwa.html)

So you are a believer in The Military Religion. You, who prides yourself on being non-religious! :lol:

Beetzart · **Joined:** Sat Jul 17, 2010 8:54 am **Posts:** 3013

Do you not realise what those men went through in WW1? They are better men then me, that is for sure. There is nothing religious about it at all; what is wrong with having respect for soldiers.

Do you wear a poppy?

Hagbard Celine · **Posted:** Sat Sep 24, 2011 12:18 am

Beetzart wrote:

Do you not realise what those men went through in WW1? They are better men then me, that is for sure.

Why?

No I don't realize what those men went through in WWI in the trenches; I've never done it and hope I never will.

However, do any of those men know what we in the 21st Century Hospital Portering Service go through? Remember that despite it's diffculties and dangers military service comes with extraordinary rewards. :shock:

Also bear in mind that many of those men in WWI faced death in the trenches rather than social death back at home, being labeled "conshies" and being given white feathers. Well, social death is an occupational hazard in the HPS! :evil:

Quote:

what is wrong with having respect for soldiers.

Nothing.

Er, where did I say there was anything wrong with having respect for soldiers? The only "disrespectful" thing I've said about soldiers is that I don't think we should elevate them to the status of Gods,

Quote:

Do you wear a poppy?

No. It's a symbol of the Military Religion. How many soliders wear a St Theo's Rose in June the 1st? :wink:

Bee, you've asked me a question twice and I've answered it; now could you return the favour by answering the one I've asked you twice on the "How Humanist are You?" thread. Thanks :wink:

Are the Armed Forces a Religion?

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