We know our non-religious troops are victims of Evangelical Christian proselytization and that people still say, “There are no atheists in foxholes.”
I hadn’t heard about this story, but it also deserves a hearing:
[Operation Foxhole Atheists] started after hearing about several atheist soldiers in Iraq that attempted to start a group at their Forward Operating Base (FOB). They were harassed by a major that threatened to go after them with the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice). The soldiers did not violate the UCMJ at all. In fact, the major, by misusing his rank to harass the soldiers and try to trump their attempt to exercise their right in the military to the freedom of religion, violated the UCMJ directly.
“Operation Foxhole Atheists” was started by Blair Scott (Alabama State Director for American Atheists) and the North Alabama Freethought Association.
OFA will send atheists in foxholes special care packages and supportive letters, but they can only do it with your help:
- Donate goods at any upcoming NAFA event or via postal mail.
- Donate money to help purchase goods and pay for shipping costs.
- Send letters and cards to OFA to be forwarded to foxhole atheists.
- Tell us about foxhole atheists so they can receive care packages from OFA.
Information on where to send any of those things can be found here.
Help them out if you can; it’s a wonderful cause for people who many people don’t even think exist.
(via Bjorn)
[tags]atheist, atheism, military, foxhole[/tags]