Dr Wingnut

Church-Tobacco connection

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Dr Wingnut
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It occurred to me that I have been hearing and seeing some things from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that seem unconnected, but may not be.

I see a lot of soldiers smoking cigarettes in pictures and on the news; I don’t know why that is, maybe because I haven’t had a cigarette in a while, but it seems that there is a higher percentage than in non-combat life.  Maybe there is just more stress, and they use nicotine to cope.

I also have read a lot of articles and heard news stories, and seen documentaries where they discuss the fact that there is a higher percentage of Christianity in the Military.

Could it be that there is a vast conspiracy of the Military Industrial Complex that involves the Tobacco companies and Churches?  What a perfect way to increase your customer base; just convince the Government to start a war to combat the pressure you’re receiving in civilian life.

I predict my friend Dwayne will think this is the first intelligent post I’ve written in some time.  Not.

Comments

2 responses to “Church-Tobacco connection”

  1. Dwayne Avatar
    Dwayne

    What a mind you have! Are you sure you aren’t drinking again? Smoking, stress, military – absolutely. Christianity, military – 1. realizing your mortality (it’s easy to do when you are being shot at.) 2. Most members of the military are not from the coasts (hence they are not the elitists that don’t need belief in God and don’t need to answer to a higher power.)

  2. deenie Avatar
    deenie

    My stepfather told me that when he was in the Navy (ca. 1966?) that the guys who smoked got a break from work, while those who didn’t, didn’t. They were also supplied (at least to some extent) smokes at no charge…great way for the Tobacco companies to promote their particular brand and get the soldier/ sailor/ marine/ airmen in the habit of buying that brand.

    I’m not sure about a plot from our friends in the Church, but who knows, though. Who knows?
    \
    I doubt that there’s a higher percentage of Christians in the military. I just think that since one has to fill in a little box on a form at the time one joins the service, that many people who don’t subscribe to a particular faith or attend church still mark themselves off as Christians…where they might say agnostic/ atheist if they were in a civilian role (i.e. not being shot at or unlikely to encounter IEDs) Just a thought.

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