British army chiefs have sparked a new ‘woke’ row by giving the troops their first-ever ‘non-religious’ chaplain.
The top brass were accused of falling victim to political correctness by appointing ex-major Neil Weddell as their first humanist padre.
The move comes amid evidence that young recruits were increasingly turning their back on traditional faiths with over 40 per cent of UK ‘regular forces’ now saying they had ‘no religion’.
But last night, the new appointment sparked anger from former paratrooper Jim Wilson.
Mr Wilson, who served in Afghanistan, said: ‘There are no atheists on the battlefield – we need war-fighters not humanist padres.’
And former Tory Cabinet Minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said the new appointment ‘makes the Army look silly’.
He told the Mail on Sunday: ‘As the saying goes, there are no atheists in foxholes.
‘So what on earth is the Army doing by appointing its first humanist chaplain?
Army chiefs have been accused of falling victim to political correctness by appointing ex-major Neil Weddell as their first humanist padre
‘At a time of increasing international tension, when our Armed Forces must prepare for the possibility of conflict, we can ill-afford them falling prey to another outbreak of wokeness and political correctness.’
However, the Ministry of Defence defended the move, saying: ‘Pastoral care is delivered to the whole force, irrespective of religious or belief affiliation.’
MoD sources also pointed out that an independent review in 2021 had recommended the introduction of ‘non-religious pastoral support in the Armed Forces’.
Speaking to ‘Soldier’ magazine this month, Mr Weddell – who has also served in Afghanistan – said he was ‘honoured’ that his appointment was making history.
He added: This recognises that support for soldiers, officers and their families must reflect the full diversity of beliefs and world views in today’s forces.’
Humanists say that, unlike traditional religions, they base their understanding of the world on reason and science – not on supernatural or divine beliefs.
Declaration of any religious beliefs is not mandatory for the Armed Forces.
As of April this year, nearly 53 per cent of those who made a declaration said they were Christian, with 5.6 per cent declaring they held ‘other’ denominations including Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist.
