How many atheists in foxholes do we have here?

[LarianLeQuella]

CH-46E helicopter crew chief. No combat time....but many many many close calls...more than I care to think about on-board that damn contraption.

Thos e contraptions don't fly. They are just so ugly the earth repells them. And they aren't really an aircraft. just 10,000 parts flying in really close formation!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[383LQ4SS]

Thos e contraptions don't fly. They are just so ugly the earth repells them. And they aren't really an aircraft. just 10,000 parts flying in really close formation!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

no argument here..lol

 

[George 152]

Au contraire. You could dig one.

Wait long enough and the iron worms will do it for you

 

[Orphia Nay]

Thanks again to all who've been in the armed forces.

14 years USN. Sea deployments in support of operations Allied Force, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Allied Force. Humanitarian aid missions in Haiti (Earthquake), Turkey (Earthquake) and New Orleans (Hurricane.) Going "Boots on ground" to Afghanistan soon.

Had my dog tags remade so they say "Atheist" instead of "NORELPREF."

6 years in the Marines on CH-46E helicopter crew chief. No combat time....but many many many close calls...more than I care to think about on-board that damn contraption. Last 4 years of my service I made them make me a dog tag that said atheist. I still have them. Most tags say "no religious preference". That wasnt good enough for me because it seemed like a non answer.

JoeBentley, my sincere best wishes for your future tour of duty.

 

[Akhenaten]

Seconded. Keep your head down, Joe.

 

[triadboy]

We carried 'Special Weapons' (nuclear depth bombs) on a couple of the ships I served on. They wouldn't let us dock in Australia once because we couldn't confirm or deny theat we had nuclear warheads aboard.

Boomers could barely go anywhere because everyone was freaked out by nukes. My boat went to Holy Loch, Scotland regularly. Fond memories.

 

[Mister Agenda]

My grandfather was an atheist on the Kokoda Track. He said he started the Track agnostic but when you see enough of your friends die badly in front of you you get to be pretty sure that there is no benevolent deity looking out for people. Either that, he said, or god was Japanese.

I think actually being in combat is right up there with reading your sacred scriptures cover-to-cover to turn someone atheist.

I suspect two World Wars centered on Europe in the last century have something to do with their higher rate of atheism.

 

[Pope130]

I suspect two World Wars centered on Europe in the last century have something to do with their higher rate of atheism.

I agree with this observation. Experience of conflict appears to frequently result in major reevaluations of beliefs. This can be seen frequently in increase in open atheism, or, more commonly, decline in church attendance. It's also seen in changes in belief, as, for example, the great rise in spiritualism after World War One and the many fads for outre philosophy, wooish beliefs and the latest self help book after World War Two.

Stress does not always result in change for the better, but it almost always results in some change.

Robert

 

[Skeptic at birth]

I was Explosive Ordnance Disposal in the Air Force for 6 years. I went to Iraq and was repeatedly faced with death. It never prompted me to pray.

 

[Orphia Nay]

I was Explosive Ordnance Disposal in the Air Force for 6 years. I went to Iraq and was repeatedly faced with death. It never prompted me to pray.

 

[LizardmanSpike]

I am not in a foxhole personally, but the I can think of at least one atheist who was. You may remember him from a cover up story from a few years ago. Pat Tillman

Also a good clip from Bill Maher interviewing his brother.

I can't post links yet so search youtube for "Richard Tillman at Pat's funeral on Real Time With Bill Maher "

 

[Dragonrock]

Inspection includes checking dog tags to make sure everyone has the right religion? Count me out.

Not the "right religion". But something so that the army knows what to do with your corpse. I figure that "Atheist" or "agnostic" wouldn't have gotten another word, it was that they said something completely silly that got him in trouble.