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Military atheists want new rules on prayer
Stars and Stripes ^ | 12 Nov 08 | Leo Shane III

Posted on 11/11/2008 9:15:45 PM PST by GATOR NAVY

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To: Tzimisce

“Atheism is NOT a religion, so it can’t be discriminated against.”

It is a creed and should not be discriminated against.

In the same way we tolerate other religions and Gods we don’t believe in.

They don’t believe in any. What’s the difference to Christians between Mohammed and “nothing”?


21 posted on 11/11/2008 10:11:52 PM PST by Boucheau
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To: Doofer

I never saw any evidence of this...


22 posted on 11/11/2008 10:14:01 PM PST by Doofer
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To: GATOR NAVY
The coalition also wants President-elect Obama to develop a new directive for all chaplains and commanders that eliminates public prayers from any mandatory-attendance events for troops and ensures the Defense Department will not endorse any single religion, or even the idea of religion over nonreligion.

Thus making the antithesits' atheism the defacto state religion. No public reference to god, you will just have to bow to your atheist betters.

23 posted on 11/11/2008 10:18:40 PM PST by weegee (Global Warming Change? Fight Global Socialist CHANGE.)
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To: GATOR NAVY

Like a quote I’ve read on here from various FReepers that have served, there aren’t any atheists when the bullets are flying right over your head and you’re scrunched up behind cover trying to avoid getting hit.


24 posted on 11/11/2008 10:30:36 PM PST by wastedyears (Every FReeper is on Obama's Black List. He will try to have us all "taken care of." Mark my words)
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To: Cindy

Well, if your fellow Christian countrymen like to say an evening prayer over the intercom, why do you care? why do you have to oppose them or make it so they cannot do that? How is that respectful of allowing them to practice their beliefs?


25 posted on 11/11/2008 10:37:49 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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To: Secret Agent Man

Hmmm...you might have misunderstood me.

This is our heritage.
This is our country.
This is our military.

Christians praying over the intercom doesn’t bother me at all.

You might check my posting history.

Have a good evening.


26 posted on 11/11/2008 10:42:14 PM PST by Cindy
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To: GATOR NAVY

Secular troops cannot win wars against religious enemies.


27 posted on 11/11/2008 10:42:53 PM PST by onedoug
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To: weegee
Thus making the antithesits' atheism the defacto state religion. No public reference to god, you will just have to bow to your atheist betters.

Red Herring...


There's a difference between (1) not mentioning any beliefs, and (2) preaching, "there is a God" OR "there is no God."

28 posted on 11/11/2008 10:50:13 PM PST by Gondring (Paul Revere would have been flamed as a naysayer troll and told to go back to Boston.)
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To: Cindy

I was replying to the snippet you copied. I saw your response, I totally agree with you. I was answering the snippet as you did.


29 posted on 11/11/2008 10:53:21 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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To: CE2949BB; All

Related:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20922106/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23490989/


30 posted on 11/11/2008 10:57:24 PM PST by Gondring (Paul Revere would have been flamed as a naysayer troll and told to go back to Boston.)
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To: Secret Agent Man

Ok.
Thanks Secret Agent Man.


31 posted on 11/11/2008 11:04:26 PM PST by Cindy
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To: Cindy

Yeah, sorry about that - stream of consciousness reading thing going on there.


32 posted on 11/11/2008 11:08:57 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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To: Secret Agent Man

Not a problem.


33 posted on 11/11/2008 11:12:03 PM PST by Cindy
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To: CE2949BB
I'm sure - given the number of complaints - that there are a handful of cases where the atheist was unfairly treated, but I'm willing to bet the majority of the cases involved a whiny atheist that started something he couldn't handle.

I appreciate your perspective on this issue. Let me ask you - do you see any parallel between those atheists who push these types of issues, and those gays who push the marriage issue? For example, many gays could care less about marriage - but it seems that many push it just to force public affirmation of their "choice". Does stridency track with personal insecurity?
34 posted on 11/11/2008 11:14:15 PM PST by beezdotcom
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To: Tzimisce
I would disagree. I believe Atheism is the religion of humanism.
35 posted on 11/11/2008 11:50:18 PM PST by taxcontrol
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To: GATOR NAVY
The coalition also wants President-elect Obama to develop a new directive for all chaplains and commanders that eliminates public prayers from any mandatory-attendance events for troops and ensures the Defense Department will not endorse any single religion, or even the idea of religion over nonreligion.

First, thank you for your input GATOR NAVY.

Although this is arguably like comparing apples and oranges the idea of the elimination of prayers and non-endorsement of religion in military circles does not complement, in my opinion, the spirit of the Fairness Doctrine that the Obama Administration also wants to promote. Given that the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ is typically at the heart of such controvercies, such anti-religous expression policies send the disturbing signal that people are "free" to discuss both sides of any issue except Christianity.

36 posted on 11/12/2008 12:14:36 AM PST by Amendment10
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To: xzins

I think half the problem is the reliance of commanders upon chaplains - who are unavoidably a chimera of church wed to state - as though they are social workers.


37 posted on 11/12/2008 3:30:36 AM PST by jude24
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To: GATOR NAVY
I spent 21 years in the military and never witnessed any (zero) incidents of "religious discrimination" against atheists and agnostics.

I did, however, witness intimidation of Christians by the bureaucracy - especially in the latter years of my service. Increasingly, Christianity was singled out for more regulation, pressure, e-mail directives, and ridicule.

Some of this came about during the Clinton years, but it also began to accelerate during the tenure of GW Bush after Mickey Weinstein sued the Air Force.

38 posted on 11/12/2008 3:39:55 AM PST by SkyPilot
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To: Doofer

In the late 90s, I began to witness this expressed towards Christians as opposed to atheists.


39 posted on 11/12/2008 3:40:07 AM PST by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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To: GATOR NAVY

After 22 years in the Army - I can say that I never saw this as an issue. I was a practicing Christian and probably only came across 2 or 3 soldiers who denied God or did not have a profession. I did also check the no religious preference on the form and still have the dog tags with that on them. My issue was that I knew what I believed and so did not care who was talking/preaching. One of the two guys who professed no belief hung around us for the company - I would guess it was pretty lonely in his own little world by himself.

“Those who beat their swords into plows - plow for those who didn’t.”
- Anonymous


40 posted on 11/12/2008 4:34:42 AM PST by Patrsup
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