When I was in and out of foxholes, I was apatheistic. Nowadays, I look back and were I in the same sitch, would still not lean in the theistic direction. In fact, in my experience, even the most dedicated theists DID call upon their gods whilst under fire. But it was often pretty blasphemous and had less to do with prayer than with good, stress-relieving, sound cursing.
I know a Dept of the Army civilian, a logistics specialist, who was sent to Iraq early in the game, and was mortared. He received the nation's highest honors for civilian service, as well as a fair amount of notoriety in his local and in Defense Dept press. He was a strong atheist before the event, remained so during, and is still. He was also a seminary graduate and former protestant minister ... great guy, and knows more about the Bible and Christianity than ANY.ONE. I know.
I can walk out of my office, through the camp, and point out, geez, maybe 1 in 5, who are either unbelievers or are profoundly agnostic or are simply not mainstream -- several Wiccans, a few Asatru(? - Norse revivalists), Zen, and some that pretty much defy description. I know one whitebread young troop who SWEARS he's a follower of Shinto.
Most of the troops are pretty apathetic when it comes to religion. Even if the chaplain comes around and they go through the motions, they still cuss, grabass, talk about who screwed whom, what they're going to to to their bitches (or man-hos) when they get home, etc.
No atheists in foxholes? It's a Christian myth, and one that is transparent and insubstantial as wet tissue. Even the strongest Christians I knew back when, would forget praying when the lead was flying and put their faith in the gods of BCT, M-16A1, M-249, M-203 and the uber-god of Air Force close air support. God loves the A-10 pilots ... and so did we. They're almost as omnimax as a brace of Apaches on the prowl.
Ain't NOTHING like the sound of those chain guns and Hellfires when the sh|t gets thick.
I know a Dept of the Army civilian, a logistics specialist, who was sent to Iraq early in the game, and was mortared. He received the nation's highest honors for civilian service, as well as a fair amount of notoriety in his local and in Defense Dept press. He was a strong atheist before the event, remained so during, and is still. He was also a seminary graduate and former protestant minister ... great guy, and knows more about the Bible and Christianity than ANY.ONE. I know.
I can walk out of my office, through the camp, and point out, geez, maybe 1 in 5, who are either unbelievers or are profoundly agnostic or are simply not mainstream -- several Wiccans, a few Asatru(? - Norse revivalists), Zen, and some that pretty much defy description. I know one whitebread young troop who SWEARS he's a follower of Shinto.
Most of the troops are pretty apathetic when it comes to religion. Even if the chaplain comes around and they go through the motions, they still cuss, grabass, talk about who screwed whom, what they're going to to to their bitches (or man-hos) when they get home, etc.
No atheists in foxholes? It's a Christian myth, and one that is transparent and insubstantial as wet tissue. Even the strongest Christians I knew back when, would forget praying when the lead was flying and put their faith in the gods of BCT, M-16A1, M-249, M-203 and the uber-god of Air Force close air support. God loves the A-10 pilots ... and so did we. They're almost as omnimax as a brace of Apaches on the prowl.
Ain't NOTHING like the sound of those chain guns and Hellfires when the sh|t gets thick.
