<p>Let me remind everyone of the sentence right before the part '69 highlighted, that there are no requirements for midshipmen to attend religious services.</p>
<p>I think the point of “spriritual fitness” in the USNA catalog is to make sure midshipmen are firmly grounded in their beliefs. From the looks of it, many people here are pretty firmly grounded about their stance of religion in comparision to other people our age. I still maintain that the people I meet who do not believe in God as he is described in the Bible are more spiritually fit than those who do believe. Nowhere in that blurb does it state anything about the origins of morality. You can’t do it in a paragraph, that’s why we take a three credit class in it.</p>
<p>It is important that people here know that I indeed have a belief in a supernatural force that served as a catalyst for creating the earth. I don’t think people realized this when reading my posts. I have gained “spiritual fitness” by becoming more sure about my beliefs than I ever have before by what I have learned in classes at USNA. Before, I was a Christian, but USNA has done its job by making me a more compassionate, understanding combat leader who is firmly grounded in my beliefs and who is able to comprehend the beliefs of all different backgrounds and faiths.</p>
<p>So you can ask the question: Has USNA failed in “retaining” and strengthening my beliefs as a Christian, or have they succeeded in making me more sure about my beliefs? Has USNA failed in making me a more understanding and more sensitive future officer when it comes to the beliefs of others? I assure you that I am more aware about the diverstiy of religious beliefs than ever before and that it is important to respect the beliefs of all to promote good order and discipline, and camaraderie.</p>