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Military atheists want new rules on prayer
Stars and Stripes ^ | Wednesday, November 12, 2008 | By Leo Shane III

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’ it’s 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 ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alreadyposted; antigod; atheism; atheist; evil; god; idiotalert; moralabsolutes; prayer; stuckonstupid; voluntaryprayer
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To: dmz
But he's right. We should put "atheists" in their own companies and do the same with "homosexuals." You asked what groups he'd like to see shut down. WELL WHAT THE HELL ARE THE ATHEISTS AND THE HOMOSEXUALS DOING? They are depriving American soldiers of their right to worship. It sounds like these little pissant groups are the morons who are shutting people down to me.

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.

21 posted on 11/14/2008 3:11:01 PM PST by FlingWingFlyer (I voted for McCain/Palin so I can look my grandchildren in the eyes when I tell them I'm sorry.)
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To: PeteePie

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?


22 posted on 11/14/2008 3:13:48 PM PST by FeliciaCat (I like my money where I can see it...hanging in my closet.)
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To: trumandogz

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.


23 posted on 11/14/2008 3:14:04 PM PST by RC2
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To: PeteePie
more training for chaplains on how to handle nonreligious troops.

Sounds like they need their own chaplain; does that sound worse than a community organizer for anarchists?

24 posted on 11/14/2008 3:20:27 PM PST by Bernard (If you always tell the truth, you never have to remember exactly what you said.)
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To: PeteePie

Atheists appear to be a very whiny bunch. I’ll have to pray for them...


25 posted on 11/14/2008 3:23:11 PM PST by brytlea (You can fool enough of the people enough of the time.)
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To: LibLieSlayer
The only way to solve this problem is with “friendly fire”.

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.

26 posted on 11/14/2008 3:26:32 PM PST by tbpiper (Now irate and tireless, but mostly irate.)
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To: antiRepublicrat

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.


27 posted on 11/14/2008 3:26:32 PM PST by brytlea (You can fool enough of the people enough of the time.)
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To: antiRepublicrat
Nice that you would abandon our soldiers just because of their religious preferences.

So, atheists have a 'religious preference' in your uninformed opinion?

28 posted on 11/14/2008 3:32:16 PM PST by realdifferent1 ("If you saw Atlas,...what would you tell him to do?"... "To shrug.")
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To: antiRepublicrat
I don't agree with them wanting to change ceremonies (when in Rome...), but the persecution is real.

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!!!

29 posted on 11/14/2008 3:36:31 PM PST by Jackson Brown
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To: RC2

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!


30 posted on 11/14/2008 3:42:38 PM PST by tpanther (All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Edmund Burke)
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To: FeliciaCat
why does the very mention of God have to set these people off?

They're afraid they might be wrong....

31 posted on 11/14/2008 3:51:45 PM PST by usmcobra (Go ask Obama for your change, and don't bug me!)
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To: TCH
“I’m waiting for the day that our country finally stands up to all this crap and SHOOTS these people down. ...”

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.

32 posted on 11/14/2008 3:54:52 PM PST by Coyoteman (Religious belief does not constitute scientific evidence, nor does it convey scientific knowledge.)
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To: brytlea
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.

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.

33 posted on 11/14/2008 4:01:54 PM PST by tpanther (All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Edmund Burke)
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To: Jackson Brown
...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...

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.

34 posted on 11/14/2008 4:22:28 PM PST by tpanther (All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Edmund Burke)
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To: PeteePie

Why do they always want to try their little social experiments with the military??


35 posted on 11/14/2008 4:26:20 PM PST by submarinerswife ("If I win I can't 't be stopped! If I lose I shall be dead." - George S. Patton)
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To: submarinerswife

Probably because they don’t respect the mission of the military, so they get a twofer.


36 posted on 11/14/2008 4:27:26 PM PST by brytlea (You can fool enough of the people enough of the time.)
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To: LibLieSlayer

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.


37 posted on 11/14/2008 5:11:38 PM PST by LuxMaker (The Constitution is a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary, Thomas J 1819)
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To: PeteePie
When they say ‘there are no atheists in foxholes’ it’s slanderous," said Wayne Adkins, a former Army first lieutenant

Former 1LT? Was he injured and medically discharged or something like that? I don't know ANY former 1LTs. Some former captains, and lots of former majors and LTCs. This is like a 'former private.'
38 posted on 11/14/2008 5:14:00 PM PST by SeminoleSoldier
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To: Coyoteman

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.


39 posted on 11/14/2008 5:15:03 PM PST by TCH (Another redneck clinging to guns and religion)
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To: PeteePie

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.


40 posted on 11/14/2008 5:35:17 PM PST by SeminoleSoldier
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