This atheist finds he needs a foxhole

St. Petersburg Times ^ | May 4, 2008 | Robyn E. Blumner

[rosenfan]

Maybe the reason the misperception persists that there are no atheists in foxholes is that nonbelievers must either shut up about their views or be hounded out of the military.

Just ask Army Spc. Jeremy Hall, who is making a splash in the news because of the way his atheism was attacked by superiors and fellow soldiers while he was risking his life in service to his country.

Hall, 23, served two combat tours in Iraq, winning the Combat Action Badge. But he's now stationed at Fort Riley, Kan., having been returned stateside early because the Army couldn't ensure his safety.

There is something deeply amiss when we send soldiers on a mission to engender peaceful coexistence between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, yet our military doesn't seem able to offer religious tolerance to its own.

Hall recounts the events that led to his marginalization in a federal lawsuit he filed in March in Kansas. Hall is joined by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a group devoted to assisting members of the military who object to the pervasive and coercive Christian proselytizing in our armed forces.

Hall's atheism became an issue soon after it became known. On Thanksgiving 2006 while stationed outside Tikrit, Hall politely declined to join in a Christian prayer before the holiday meal. The result was a dressing down by a staff sergeant who told him that as an atheist he needed to sit somewhere else.

In another episode, after his gun turret took a bullet that almost found an opening, the first thing a superior wanted to know was whether Hall believed in Jesus now, not whether he was okay.

Then, in July, while still in Iraq, Hall organized a meeting of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers. According to Hall, after things began, Maj. Freddy Welborn disrupted the meeting with threats saying he might bring charges against Hall for conduct detrimental to good order and discipline, and that Hall was disgracing the Constitution. (Err, I think the major has that backward.) Welborn has denied the allegations, but the New York Times reports that another soldier at the meeting said that Hall's account was accurate.

Hall claims that he was denied a promotion in part because he wouldn't be able to "pray with his troops." And of course he was returned from overseas due to physical threats from fellow soldiers and superiors. Things became so bad that he was assigned a full-time bodyguard.

This is nothing new to Mikey Weinstein, founder of MRFF and a former Air Force judge advocate general who also served in the Reagan administration. Weinstein says that he has collected nearly 8,000 complaints, mostly from Christian members of the military tired of being force-fed a narrow brand of evangelical fundamentalism.

Weinstein, who co-wrote the book With God on Our Side: One Man's War Against an Evangelical Coup in America's Military, has documented how the ranks of our military have been infiltrated by members of the Officers' Christian Fellowship and other similar organizations. On its Web site, the OCF makes no secret of its mission which is to "raise up a godly military" by enlisting "ambassadors for Christ in uniform."

Weinstein says recruitment is easy in a strict command-subordinate military where the implied message is, if you don't pray the right way, your career might stall.

Beyond the mincemeat being made of church-state separation and religious liberty, it seems particularly combustible for our armed forces to be combining "end-times" Christian theology with military might. That's no way to placate Muslim populations around the world.

But there's no will for change. The military's virulent religious intolerance could be eradicated tomorrow with swift sanctions against transgressors. Instead, it's winked at and those caught proselytizing suffer no consequence. It appears that brave men like Hall, who simply wish to follow the dictates of their own conscience, will be needing bodyguards for a long time to come.

[LottieDah]

My future son-in-law, a Marine, is an athiest who served in Fallujah. He lost five buddies there. He is also from the God-less state of California. Other than the lack of religion thing, he is a really great guy.

[GunRunner]

Hall's atheism became an issue soon after it became known. On Thanksgiving 2006 while stationed outside Tikrit, Hall politely declined to join in a Christian prayer before the holiday meal. The result was a dressing down by a staff sergeant who told him that as an atheist he needed to sit somewhere else.

In another episode, after his gun turret took a bullet that almost found an opening, the first thing a superior wanted to know was whether Hall believed in Jesus now, not whether he was okay.

This is un-American and stupid.

The staff sergeant and the superior should be reprimanded. There is no religious test for military service.

[L98Fiero]

“This is un-American and stupid.”

Kind of like taking this article at face-value.

[wideawake]

What this story basically tells us is that Jeremy Hall has a lot of stories, and that one of his friends says that at least one of his stories are true.

My favorite line is this:

But he's now stationed at Fort Riley, Kan., having been returned stateside early because the Army couldn't ensure his safety.

I'd love to see the author substantiate that claim.

[wideawake]

This is un-American and stupid. The staff sergeant and the superior should be reprimanded.

Because it would be American and intelligent to just go ahead and reprimand someone who has been accused of misbehavior - without any proof other than the say-so of a disgruntled subordinate and that subordinate's friend?

[Dead Dog]

This doesn't pass the sniff test. More like proselytizing by the atheist media with an eager young dupe to carry their water. But that is just my initial perception.

[tumblindice]

http://classicliberal.tripod.com/madison/memorial.html

[DeLaine]

I was never in the military, but I was a Navy wife for many years and I’ve never seen anyone treated this way. Ok, that isn’t proof it didn’t happen, but I’ve known all faiths, no faith, all sorts.
There’s never been any pressure that I saw, not at all. The Army even allows/supports Wiccans, and yet this guy is treated this way? I doubt it, no, I don’t just doubt it, I flat don’t believe it.

[frankenMonkey]

This doesn't pass the sniff test.

You're right, Dead Dog.
There's all types in the Army, and other than a general topic of conversation, in general no one cares about your religion, or lack thereof.

[ontap]

I was in the Marine corps 1967-69. Some of the guys were self professed atheists don’t remember anyone having a problem with it. During boot camp they went to church with us because it was peaceful, cool and quiet. Only thing I recall was one of them said the subject on that particular day was interesting.All of them were respectful of our beliefs as far as I know as were we of theirs. I think there is more to this story than we are getting here.

[CatherinePPP]

I don’t know if this story is true or not but if it is, that sergeant is in the wrong. First, an atheist who is willing to risk his life to defend his country is still a patriot and deserves respect. Second if you meet an atheist with a good heart then this is exactly the WRONG way to bring him to Christ anyhow.

[contemplator]

The author seems to delight in attributing the actions of a few people to the entire Army and to portray those events as a pattern of overall discrimination.

The SPC made the claim that he was denied promotion 'because he wouldn't be able to pray with his troops". This may be a slight misrepresentation of how the promotion process work for an E4 hoping to make E5. This process is a point based system. In addition to a commanders evaluation, the soldiers physical fitness, education, Awards, etc.., the soldier appears in front of a board where his bearing knowledge of military subjects and appearance is judged an the solider is awarded points. The two areas in the process which are subjective are the commmanders evaluation and the boards evaluations. Both of these areas are clearly documented. If the soldier does not meet the minimum requirements the reason for this is also documented.

This is not to say that the commander and the review board members aren't skewing their evaluations and making up other reasons, it just means that they have to look harder for legitimate reasons to deny him a promotion. I once served with a soldier who was registered as a conscientious objector making them undeployable in most cases. You might think that this was a lethal situation in terms of the soldier getting promoted. Apparently it wasn't, the soldier made Master Sergeant (E-8) prior to retirement.

All I'm saying is that the author of the article may be painting the scenario with a much broader brush than is appropriate. Having been an officer in the Army, I know from personal experience that while there may be a few intolerant folks out there, this is not the case overall.

[stuartcr]

I thought it was only Christians that caught flack for their beliefs??!!!

[Future Snake Eater]

There's all types in the Army, and other than a general topic of conversation, in general no one cares about your religion, or lack thereof.

Agreed. If you want to be an atheist, knock yourself out. No one really cares. This kid's making up stories.

[shortstop]

"This doesn't pass the sniff test."

This is written by Robin Blumner, St. Pete Times resident atheist and Communist. Every week she has a far left, anti-Bush screed. She is unreadable.

[L98Fiero]

My obsevations are anecdotal as well but this is the exact opposite of what I experienced. What I experienced was pretty much my first foray into PC hell. Lesbian AOIC who ran things for the nutless OIC. Sexual harrassment charges at he drop of a hat by civilian female employees. Tailhook, etc. I have never seen or talked to a service-member who thought the military was too religious and I was an athiest when in service.

[stuartcr]

How, by having the guy get killed?

[ASOC]

Yaunnnnnnn

Good morning USA!

THis stuff has been going on forever - I was stationed at Nellis in ‘72 (NO, dadgumit, 1972) - we had a SSgt in the motor pool who kept a bible on his desk. You knew that when you went to draw a vehicle, you were going to get a 20 min sermon. I was paid by the year so I didn’t care, one of my buds was in a hurry and told him to take his thumping elsewhere.

They invited each other out to the bck of the motorpool.

Mr bible thumper didn’t come back - and was later discharged.

I suspect Mr. “I dont believe in God” was just a little tooo in poeple faces - not a smart thing in a war zone - too many folks with loaded weapons don’t ya know.

I just finished a contract gig at the local base, if there is some sort of christian mifia, I sure didn’t see it.

Maybe someone is looking to hit it big in the Lawsuit Lottery?

[MrB]

That’s what I was thinking.

I simply do not believe this article.

Especially since the ACLJ is having to fight tooth and nail to make the military allow chaplains to pray “in Jesus’ name”.