Dog Tags

[Fishbone Jones]

Use  "NRE" - No Religion Entered. It means whatever you want and nothing, one way or the other.

 

[hiv]

I'm a Taoist so I put OD.

 

[Inch]

I just ordered a new set of tags today and I put NRE which means No Religion Expressed, or so I understood. Either way, recceguy is right, NRE doesn't mean you don't believe in God, it's just kinda vague which God you believe in if you believe in one at all.

Cheers

 

[arctictern]

I would put Atheist down, thats what I believe in and I don't care what anyone else says, not believing in God doesn't make me a bad person.

*edit* To answer the question given by the original poster: I don't think my captors would care to much what religion I am, if I am fighting against them would it matter?

 

[meni0n]

I doubt the extremists would know how to read the id tags properly so you don't have to worry about it.

 

[dutchie]

Edited

Having said that, if someone wants to kill me strictly based on my religion, then so be it.

FYI/Unsolicited advicelease do not let this thread degrade into a religious discussion, not that I helped that with my post. The original question is a good one, and one that should be thought through before you indicate your choice on the form.

 

[Sig_Des]

No disrespect to anyone else's own beliefs, but I belive my religion forbids me to deny my God. That is, I cannot put NRE, as that amounts to denying I am a Christian

Using NRE on your tags doesn't deny God. I myself believe in God, and in the Bible, but have no association with an organized religion. I chose to have NRE put on my tags.

NRE just means that on your tags it doesn't acknowledge an association to a known religious group. It doesn't deny it. Now if you want to have that as a means so they can identify what kind of ceremony or prayer to say if, knock on wood it doesn't happen, you should die in the field, then put your religious association.

As far as treatment of POW's due to the religion based on the tags, well, to tell you the truth, I don't think the 3 letters on that piece of metal will make a difference. If you're taken by a group that differentiates based on that, the likelyhood is that they'd treat anyone the same. Badly

 

[dutchie]

"Using NRE on your tags doesn't deny God."
I have my opinion/beleifs, you yours. This belief is true of me and me alone. I am not comfortable putting NRE on MY tags, but wouldn't assume another is 'denying God' by putting it on theirs....perhaps I was a little unclear. As well, I consider my beliefs to be fairly private, and as such I am regretting my first post a little....but I digress.

I don't think the 3 letters on that piece of metal will make a difference.

neither do I, sadly.

 

[Tpr.Orange]

Here's something to provoke thought:

Given the state of the world today, and the atrocities committed against POW/Hostages by extremist groups, what religion would you want your ID Discs to indicate if something *really* bad happened and you're now a "guest" of such a group?

If you're Jewish, would you put that down, seeing as how it would most certainly give you uncomfortable treatment?

What about Catholic, which may be construed as launching a modern "Crusade" against Islam?

If you're an "Other", or the abbreviation isn't well known, would you take the risk that your captors will research the abbreviation?

If you're an Atheist, would you admit to your captors you don't believe in any God?

Would you get a commercial set for use in 'special' times, where the religion is fully spelt out, providing a little bit of insurance against semi-illiterate captors who may contrue unknown initials as being Jewish?

Just curious if anyone's given any thought to this matter...

Seeing as though i am jewish, heres the thing. If im serving my country in the armed forces,  the only reason I have that on my tags is so i can be identified and properly buried in accordance with my religious beliefs. Even though i dont fully believe in the religion i have been raised by my parents to believe, in it and for their sake i put it on my tags. If i was ever a POW, and for the soul reason i was to be tortured or killed because i was jewish, so be it. Ill stand up for my beliefs and for my country and its just the way the world works for me. If i had it any other way i wouldn't be defending my right to thought freedom belief or expression

 

[dutchie]

I believe in separating one's religion from soldiering. For instance, I don't where a cross while in uniform, as I feel that religious identification does not belong on a uniform. My religion has ZERO bearing on the performance of my duties. To take it one step further, say you were in Iraq, on patrol, wearing a noticable Jewish star around your neck. This, IMHO, would seriously hinder your ability to interact with the locals in a meaningful way.

But religion being the tinder box of discussion as it is, I respect other's opinion regarding this. Some feel the need to display their religious markings, whether it be a cross, pagan star, or WWJD? bracelet. I don't happen to share this need.

 

[scm77]

It's a sign of the times when we are discussing what religion to put on tags so our captors may be less likely to kill us based on religion.   Whatever happened to the geneva convention?   I guess that's just the enemy we're up against. :cam:

Also, why do you need a religion on your id tags?

 

[Tpr.Orange]

so they can respect your religious burial rights

 

[Sig_Des]

scm77, first off, religion is put on identity disc as is it is prescribed in CFAO 26-4,

http://www.forces.gc.ca/admfincs/subjects/cfao/026-04_e.asp

in Accordance with the requirements to wear them by the Geneva Convention.

In Addition, having the religion on them aids in the CO's responsibility in "arranging for a chaplain of the appropriate religious denomination to ascertain the wishes of the NOK concerning religious services", as dexcribed in Annex F of CFAO 24-5, FUNERALS, BURIALS AND GRAVES REGISTRATION.

http://www.forces.gc.ca/admfincs/subjects/cfao/024-05_e.asp

 

[1feral1]

As much as I only go to church for weddings and funerals, I have the religion in which I was baptised on my tags. Always have and always will. Not that I agree with the politics surrounding my baptised faith, but thats just how it is.

In this new war against terrorism, our enemy simply wants you dead becauses of where you are from, and that is the west. Even muslims who support the west are also on the receiving end of the firing line.

Recently an Australian citizen of Iraqi origin who returned to Iraq as a muslim cleric was infact taken hostage, and a ransom of $A40,000 was paid. he was beaten and then released. All because he produced an Australian passport when captured.

Being a Canadian isnt going to protect you in that neck of the woods, nor is wearing a blue beret. We are all targets there.

Cheers,

Wes

 

[winchable]

"MUS"

I'm not sure what'd happen to me?!

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

On a side note....what do they do for those of Pagan or Wiccan faiths? What is etched into their ID discs?

 

[winchable]

http://www.forces.gc.ca/admfincs/subjects/cfao/026-04_e.asp

3.    The religious denomination of the member will be abbreviated as
follows:

Anglican ........................... ACC
Atheist, Agnostic, or no religion .. NRE
Baptist ............................ BAPT
Christian Science .................. CS
Greek Catholic ..................... GC
Greek Orthodox ..................... GO
Jewish ............................. JEW
Latter-Day Saints .................. LDS
Lutheran ........................... LUTH
Muslim ............................. MUS
New Apostolic Church ............... NAC
Other Protestant Denomination ...... OPD
Pentecostal ........................ PENT
Presbyterian ....................... PRES
Roman Catholic ..................... RC
Salvation Army ..................... SA
Unitarian Universalist ............. UNI
United Church ...................... UCC

4.    A member claiming a religious affiliation other than those shown above
will be classified Other Denomination (OD).

I guess they'd be OD

 

[Sig_Des]

On a side note....what do they do for those of Pagan or Wiccan faiths? What is etched into their ID discs?

Hadn't thought of that before. Might be interesting to find out how many members of the forces fall under OD, and what groups would be included in that. The CFAO pretty much covers every organized religious group

 

[winchable]

Well if you say OD, you can pretty much cover everything.

It'd be interesting if they actually had to come up with abbreviations for every religion.
Snake Handlers
Seventh Day Adventists
Zoroastanism
Bahai

Man..it could go on.

 

[Sheerin]

I didn't realise that the Salvation Army counted as a religious group, I thought of them as a volunteer orgaization that happened to have religious affilations.

out of curoisty, what do Canadian ID tags look like?  I've only seen American ones through pop culture.