Critical intercession for non-religious Canadian Veterans on the intersections of moral injury, religion, and...

With the growing acceptance of the concept of moral injury, there has been increasing interest in the role religion and spirituality play in the risk for, experience of symptoms of, and potential treatment for this form of posttraumatic-stress-related psychological distress. Although many studies indicate the potential for religion and spirituality to contribute to the understanding and treatment of moral injury, it is important to note that this predominantly U.S.-based research tends to naturalize American Christian conceptualizations of religion, frequently conflating religion and spirituality in the process. A key question is whether this culturally specific form of religiosity is applicable to Veterans and military service members who are non-American, non-Christian, polytheistic, or even secular or atheist. On the basis of observations made during long-term ethnographic research with Canadian Veterans, this article amplifies concerns voiced by Veterans that should be considered when applying an American Christian conceptualization of religion and spirituality to non-American, non-Christian individuals or contexts. This intercession draws attention to the possibility that applying ideas of religion and spirituality may not only have limited benefit in the Canadian context, but that it could also create barriers to care and even further harm to non-religious individuals experiencing moral injury.