Jason Torpy is the president of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers.

The reality is that atheism, or more specifically nontheistic and naturalistic beliefs, have replaced religion (theistic and god-based beliefs) as the primary source of core values, ethics, community, family and refuge in times of stress. The most common religion in the United States is “whatever my parents were” and just “whatever.” Most people, even those who claim to be religious, often prefer to be atheistic in their behavior, eschewing scripture in favor of human-based, rational and scientific sources for their values and ethics.

Atheists are the second-largest demographic in the military. We should affirm their world view, alongside religious ones.

We should create a culture that affirms a secular world view, alongside religious world views. For example, the U.S. military suffers from daily suicides and a rising epidemic of post-traumatic stress. In response, the military has developed “spiritual fitness” solutions that emphasize gratitude to God, a supernatural connection with the living beings and a higher power, and reliance upon prayer and scripture. This approach leaves out a crucial element of fitness: approaches that apply to nontheists as well. Atheists, humanists and other nontheists struggling with the difficulties of military life feel ostracism rather than assistance when spiritual remedies are tailored to traditional religious belief.

The military relies upon chaplains to provide front-line counseling, coaching, religious accommodation and comfort to all personnel, religious or otherwise. These chaplains have no training or members that represent nontheistic beliefs. The chaplains have thus far chosen to reinforce rather than remedy this lack of diversity, even though atheists are the second-largest demographic in the military, after Christians.

We atheists are on the front lines of battle dealing with combat stress and separation from family, and we are at home recovering from physical, emotional, and moral injuries. As atheist heroes serve and recover, will their values and beliefs about the world, people, ethics, history and science be accommodated in their care? It doesn’t matter whether atheism is a religion, and atheism doesn’t have to replace religion. What matters is that we as a society of many beliefs can welcome and embrace atheists as a newly visible part of the diversity in America.