Atheists in Foxholes and the New Administration November 4, 2008

Atheists in Foxholes and the New Administration

By Guest Contributor
November 4, 2008

If you’re in Washington, D.C., you may want to consider attending this press conference:

Representatives from the Secular Coalition for America and the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers will be hosting a press conference to describe “the conditions and present new policy recommendations for the next administration…”

The event takes place Monday, November 10th at 9:30 a.m. (EST) — or closer to 9:45 for those of you latecomers.

More information can be found here.

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  • noodleguy

    Not only are there not no atheists in foxholes, 21% of people in foxholes are atheist.

    So much for that theory.

  • It’s not harassment to be proselytized. The thing that makes our society so uptight is that there’s no room for honest discussion. How can it hurt to hear and share ideas?

  • Jason

    I’m pretty sure using their rank (especially the Captain in the reserves) on this isn’t good idea; it may be very much comparable to the generals who spoke at the Pentagon for the Christian group while in uniform.

    As crazy and nutty some of our religious counterparts can be, we all have to play by the same rules, and those rules include using rank in a medium like that. I’m away from my usual residence, otherwise I’d send an email to the Secular Coalition of America and explain to them that they should change it, probably at the very most to simply what branch they serve in.

    By including rank, they would be thereby giving the impression that they are representing the government’s position. While the government should be secular, that does not mean atheists get special treatment (obviously).

    Just an FYI.

  • Jason

    EDIT (edit thing must be broken, wut?)

    EDIT:
    Pete said: It’s not harassment to be proselytized. The thing that makes our society so uptight is that there’s no room for honest discussion. How can it hurt to hear and share ideas?

    In the military, if I go to a chaplain to help, I’d rather prefer that he actually help me than just tell me that Jesus can solve my problems, quote scripture, and send me on my way.

  • Cass

    At Pete – it IS harassment to be proselytized, especially if you are forced to listen by virtue of the other person having authority over you. Locations and times of service are not a secret. If I want to hear about the word of god I can go to a church. If I want to discuss religion I speak with friends (and yes, most of them are christian)

  • Vincent

    proselytizing is not the only treatment atheists are getting anyway. Look at Jeremy Hall’s lawsuit. He was not permitted to hold a meeting, and was not permitted to eat Thanksgiving dinner with his fellow soldiers because his CO did not like atheists.

    So, should I go to this? Is this one of those things where they want a show of support?

  • Found this while looking for something else, kinda the definition of the web these days.

    I spent 6 years in the Marine Corps. 4 of them I was an agnostic, the last two a Christian. I saw none of this. Also would like to point out that anyone in the military can bring charges against anyone else. Unlike the civilian sector COs that target people for things like atheism actually are punished. The Military is not the place where discrimination causes problems, at least that has been my experience.

    Pat O

  • Zoltan

    You know, I think the atheist soldiers have been looking at this all wrong. I think that they should agree, nay, insist that there are, in fact, no atheists in foxholes.

    “All right men, we need three more people for the front line – you three right there: go!”

    “Excuse me sir, I can’t go up to the front line. I’m an atheist, sir (swear to God!), and as you know, there are no atheists in foxholes. You’ll have to send someone who believes in a higher being up to do the fighting while I stay here safe in the bunker, sir.”

  • benjdm

    Also would like to point out that anyone in the military can bring charges against anyone else. Unlike the civilian sector COs that target people for things like atheism actually are punished.

    Not always. Atheist EO complaints can get disappeared or used as training examples of a non-valid complaint.

    http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/17380
    http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/25659

  • A great big “Hoo-ahh” to Atheists in Foxholes.
    I never had any discrimination problems when I was in the Army, but it would have been nice had there been a group like this.

    Keep it up.

  • Vombatus

    I did six years in the USN and during my fifth year I was chewed out and then marginalized by my devout Lutheran Division Officer for not attending Sunday services and then received an icy silence after explaining that I didn’t believe in god. Shortly thereafter I was passed over for a valuable electronics school and an E4 (I was an E5), with even less time remaining in service than I had, was sent instead. He was a Lutheran and attended services 2x a week with my Division Officer…hmm. I always wondered why I didn’t get that radar ops school.
    This was nearly two decades ago and I can only imagine that in today’s climate how much more severe the attitudes would be.