Posted on 11/14/2008 2:37:10 PM PST by PeteePie
Coalition complains of religious discrimination in the services By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes Mideast edition, Wednesday, November 12, 2008
WASHINGTON A coalition of atheists and agnostics wants the new White House to protect young military members from what they see as rampant religious discrimination in the services.
The Secular Coalition for America held a news conference Monday urging new rules against proselytizing and more training for chaplains on how to handle nonreligious troops.
"When they say there are no atheists in foxholes its slanderous," said Wayne Adkins, a former Army first lieutenant who served in Iraq in 2004 and 2005. "To deny their existence is to deny that they serve."
(Excerpt) Read more at stripes.com ...
Here is a serious question...serious. Is there a singlr atheist out there who isn't also stupid?
I’m waiting for the day that our country finally stands up to all this crap and shuts these people down. If they don’t like this country and the way we do things, put them on a plane and send them to the Middle East.
Chaplin = Chaplain - sorry
We already did -- to fight for our country.
Then leave them there and let the rest of our people come home.
Have these whiners start digging latrines. Sounds like they have too much free time on their hands.
Apparently to be an “atheist or agnostic” is to suffer fits of the vapors when religion comes into the room.
“A coalition of atheists and agnostics wants the new White House”
It’s not a NEW White House. It’s the same old White House that was built when this Country and our Constitution stood with and believed in God. Get over it!
I have no problem with an atheist.....until they start trying to tear down others beliefs.
What an absolute A$$. This is a generalized “saying”, not military policy — or even official “opinion” of the Pentagon.
Unless they are forced to pray or stand there while a Chaplin is preaching TO THEM, or trying to convert them, then this is a ridiculously stupid issue.
Do they find it objectionable to be in ear shot when a chaplin is praying over one of their fallen “comrades”?
“There are no atheists in foxholes”.
Nice that you would abandon our soldiers just because of their religious preferences.
What other groups of American citizens would you like to see ‘shut down’? Those people you are suggesting don’t like this country are serving in her military. Funny thing for them to be doing, eh?
I remember basic on Sundays. You could either go to religious services or scrub latrines yet again. Not exactly forced, but I wasn't the only atheist in the chapel there to finally get a short break.
I don't agree with them wanting to change ceremonies (when in Rome...), but the persecution is real. I never had a chaplain try to convert me though, and I've known -- and respected -- a lot of them. May just be a few bad apples.
Well then why is it that you want to send them to the Middle East?
Flame away! We're surrending this country to this pissant groups as it is. There is no such thing as an American anymore. Look at the last so-called "election." This country is over because we've decided that we should adjust our way of life to every little pissant who comes down the road pissing and moaning about something. I don't even recognize this as the country I grew up in. That's why we are broke and moving towards Communism.
I dont understand why Atheists always get their panties in a wad about God. If they REALLY dont belive in God then just treat the subject like Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny...why does the very mention of God have to set these people off?
I don’t care where they go. If they want to be shit disturbers.....leave. Look.......we now have a President-elect that won’t even prove he is qualified. We have gays breaking into our churches, muslims are working toward sharia law for this country, terrorist cells are number in the hundreds, gangs run rampid in our cities. What else do you want to list? This country is at a breaking point and it’s going to blow one of these days.
Sounds like they need their own chaplain; does that sound worse than a community organizer for anarchists?
Atheists appear to be a very whiny bunch. I’ll have to pray for them...
From my evangelical Christian standpoint, that's not even funny, no way. I don't care whether they believe or not when they're in the foxhole, as long as they're shooting. We can discuss theology when the fights over. This isn't Islam. We don't build the Kingdom of God by killing unbelievers no matter how obnoxious they are.
My Dad was a lifer (Air Force), and an atheist, altho I doubt he preached that to anyone. He never mentioned any sort of persecution.
So, atheists have a 'religious preference' in your uninformed opinion?
I'm sorry for your experiences. Though I'm not a vet, I worked with military unit's on military bases (not basic training!!) most of my adult life. MOST were enlisted, not officers.
I knew several atheists/agnostics at many bases — I don't have a “religious preference”, but I believe in God) — and I saw nor heard of any problems from them -- FWIW...
There should be NO (nadda, ZIP) persecution whatsoever, but what I saw as a red hearing was the emphasis by the head of this outfit on the saying “there are no atheists in foxholes” as though this was Pentagon policy -- or even opinion -- AND it meant that atheist/agnostics don't "exist"
This is -- or became before I was born (I'm 61) -- a “general/civilian” saying that means scared people will likely pray and is a general metaphor (accurate or not) for all situations for people in danger of dying...thanks for the reply!!!
You and me both.
What’s slanderous is the incessant babble that this isn’t a Christian nation, and more people need to confront these loons that keep trying to destroy this country with their separation of church and state lunacy while screaming “theocracy” all the time.
The weather is nice in Cuba!
They're afraid they might be wrong....
So you are advocating shooting people who do not share your particular religious belief?
Please explain where you are any different from the beheaders, who advocate the very same thing.
The dirty little secret is there isn't any. The military has been politically correct just like everything else for decades now.
And now it'll only get much worse, soon enough open gayness will replace "don't ask don't tell" and decent normal Americans will be forced into the closets for their religious beliefs because of hate crimes against gays etc. etc. etc.
The further this nation moves away from conservatism and Christianity the sooner it implodes.
And all this is plainly biblical.
Jan. 20th 2009. A(nother) day which will live in infamy.
Of course it's metaphor, but liberals are endlessly seeking ways to cling to their victimhood in this country, it's just what they do.
Why do they always want to try their little social experiments with the military??
Probably because they don’t respect the mission of the military, so they get a twofer.
I play UT2004 as “Friendly_Fire”. When I kill people in the game it shows to them “You were killed by Friendly_Fire”, and when I go on a killing spree, it shows “Friendly_Fire is on a killing spree”. Occasionally I can get to the point in the game where it says I am unstoppable. Very fun to blow off some steam.
No. I would not actually shoot them... I was being a smart-a$$...
However, I sure would like to do just that at times for the damage atheists, and those of similar persuasion, do to our culture.
BTW, when push comes to shove, an atheist soldier is not going to be too concerned with the well-being of his fellow soldiers, or the treatment of POWs, or civilians, or much of anything else. Such considerations depend entirely on an absolute moral reference. Atheists, by definition, have no foundation on which to set moral absolutes... everything is relative to the individual’s subjective point of view; i.e.: situational ethics. That is the mindset that dominates most of our culture these days.
One more thing - I’m suspicious of whiners. I know several agnostics and atheist in my unit and to my knowledge they have never been harassed. When a soldier complains of being mistreated, he may be right, but it seems like most of the time they just don’t want to take responsibility for being crappy soldiers.
You realize, don't you, that you have just libeled a good many fine soldiers, both past and present.
Adherence to your particular religion is not a prerequisite to being a good soldier.
And the more of your posts I read here, the fewer soldiers I suspect agree 100% with your beliefs. You appear to be quite a ways out on the fringe.
Bingo!!
No he’s not on the fringe. He’s stating a logical fact.
Whether you agree with their beliefs or not, people who believe there is a reward for their actions in life after they die are far more inclined to sacrifice their own life for that reward... be it diving on a grenade to save their friends, or flying a jetliner into a skyscraper.
A person who makes such sacrifice without believing there is a reward, however, could arguably be held to greater honor for selflessness.
But it is not libel of such soldiers, neither past nor present, to state such obvious fact.
As a former soldier, the evos like canine dude are given to hysterical hyperbole as part of their MO. Hardly scientific they are.
Some right here at FR seem to think forcing religion on military personnel is not only a good idea, but their duty!
To be fair, some don't.
I'll go a tad further and say that defines WHO they are. Without “victimhood” (their’s or feelings of guilt about others), there would be NO SUCH THING as liberals...period.
...endowed by their creator with unalienable rights...
This is the what protects atheists and believers from the power of the State, once we get rid of this, as many would like, we’re doomed to the whims of “man” and the “state”.
I couldn't believe that post you linked. When they come to my door, they get 30 seconds to get back to their car and leave.
I don't understand how people who want no infringement on THEIR religion think it's OK to infringe on other's “brand” of faith (or lack of).
Sheesh!! Gladly, by my estimation, this is an extreme minority view here and in the US.
The conversation with Cvengr continued to post 200 of that thread. I never did seem to get him/her/it to understand my point.
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