Jordan Elias has a short-but-excellent open letter to America about being an atheist in a foxhole:
You will not vote for me for public office, but you will let me fight your battles. You will not let me teach your children, but you will let me protect them. You will not listen when I speak, but expect me to hang on your every word. You will question my morality, call me a sinner or worse, but will not see moral hypocrisy or the sins of your people. You call me irresponsible, misguided, unaccountable, but you are wrong. I am accountable to the world I live in, and whether you see it or not … so are you.
…
… for now I remain a devoted husband and father, a loving son, brother, and friend, a lifelong student and teacher, and conflicted American Soldier. I will do my duty on your behalf, alongside my brothers and sisters at arms. Not because I expect anything from you in return. Only because I am accountable for my actions in this world.
I don’t know where the “teach your children” thing is coming from (I’m an atheist teacher myself), but I’m on board with the rest of it.
There’s discrimination against atheists in the military and it’s even worse for soldiers who are gay. I don’t understand why so many Christians are so intent to boot out openly gay soldiers yet they don’t call for kicking out openly atheist ones. (Where’s the equal opportunity bigotry?) Maybe someone can explain that to me.
(via Helium — thanks to @adventuresofJ for the link!)