Atheists in Foxholes

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Tag(s): 2000 Election; 2006 Congressional Elections; 2008 Elections; Church-State Theocracy; Executive Power Expansion; Extremism Extremists; First Amendment Religion; First Amendment Speech; Lies Bush; Lies Neocon
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May 25, 2007 at 19:51:37

Atheists in Foxholes

by Jayne Lyn Stahl Page 1 of 1 page(s)

http://www.opednews.com

Congress handed the president a belated Christmas present yesterday with passage of a new Iraq funding bill sans deadlines, or exit strategy. The Senate vote was nearly 8 to 1, (80 for, 14 against), and the House 2 to 1. Some may see this as a referendum on a unitary executive, and say the president won. Others might suggest the vote illustrates an executive branch on steroids, but as Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin observes about Congress, "We do not have it within our power to make the will of America the law of the land."

Simply put, the vote conforms to the laws of gravity; Congress came up against an immoveable force---the president of the United States. This administration only proves, yet again, that despite our technological prowess, ideology can still triumph over reason and common sense. And, if nothing else, the past six years have shown us that ideology is a contact sport.

So, on the eve of a holiday that pays tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of those core values that distinguish us from theocracies and dictatorships, principles like religious tolerance, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state, why not look to those in the military who have served in Iraq, in active combat, and who openly differ with the ideological bent of their commanding officers. And, by extension, why not think, too, about religious coercion, in the U.S. armed forces, as an attempt to stifle political dissent.

While we may appear to have lost the battle to end the president's war in Congress yesterday, something very exciting is happening in the military that is so threatening to the Department of Defense that it has refused access to Web sites like You Tube and My Space, on department computers, to those in uniform. What, and who, is DOD trying to protect, and from what, and whom? If there is a crisis in belief, on all levels, and if groups are forming to ardently profess disbelief, is it any wonder?

It's no wonder, too, then that there are atheists in foxholes, and they're organizing, and speaking out, in greater numbers, about discrimination, and coercion, about infringement on their First Amendment rights, and maybe, just maybe, about an extremist vision that is a menace to the very principles they are fighting to defend.

Make no mistake, being an atheist, in the theatre of war, isn't just about the absence of belief in the Almighty, it's about the affirmation of choice, as well as acknowledgment that unbridled, and unchecked, zealotry poses a threat to society regardless of what the peculiar brand of ideology is. Some 20% of those now in the service profess to being atheists, agnostics, and freethinkers; that religious dissent is more prevalent in the military than in the civilian population leads one to wonder if disbelief isn't also a statement of profound, and unparalleled distrust in political leadership.

More active service members are coming together not merely to affirm their disbelief, but as resistance to extremist Christian proselytizing by their commanding officers, as well as in response to discrimination based on their refusal to participate in religious practice. While there have always been atheists and agnostics in the military, they are more vocal now, and we can expect their numbers to increase in direct proportion to the numbers of those dying, wounded, and a growing sense of helplessness, the kind of powerlessness Senator Durbin suggests .

But, if we really want to know what it means to be an atheist in the military today, why not ask one, the president of Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, Jason Torpy. MAAF is a group with members in 15 countries, 45 states, and over 100 military installations and ships.

Torpy, MAAF president since 2000, is a West Point graduate, trained intelligence officer, who enlisted in the Army back in 1994, and held the rank of Captain when he left the service in 2005. He calls for preserving the separation between church and state, and for protecting the First Amendment rights of atheists, agnostics, and freethinkers.

When asked how one preserves one's humanism in active combat situations, Mr. Torpy said "Combat lays bare any misconceptions one might have about any special place humanity might enjoy in the natural world." This former Army captain confirms the pressure placed on service members to participate in prayer at what they thought were secular meetings, and testimonials, on MAAF's Web site, attest to efforts, by extreme Christian fundamentalists, to convert, and ostracize those who refuse to be converted.

He contends that religious discrimination comes "in two basic forms—active and passive. Active discrimination might involve denying a promotion, forcing undeserved labor, or providing undesirable assignments. Passive discrimination is far more common because it is sometimes unintentional, it is nonetheless very divisive… Our greatest concern is when leaders use their military power to express their personal religion by instituting personal religious ceremonies, symbolism, or statements in official activities."

"Combat does not inspire religion, and it certainly does not inspire Christianity," says Torpy adding that atheists "maintain their convictions despite external pressures, including combat." While belief in a higher power doesn't factor into those convictions, service in the military requires adherence to the Constitution, not the Bible.

Those in the military today who stand up for their constitutional rights are honoring every man and woman who gave their life so that they may enjoy these protections. By challenging ideological coercion, they are showing Congress how to take power back from those who have abused it.

http://ladyjaynestahl.blogspot.com

Widely published, poet, playwright, essayist, and screenwriter; member of PEN American Center, and PEN USA.

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9 comments

Placeholder.
benjdmPlaceholder.

Thank you !

As a member of MAAF, I wanted to thank you for an excellent article ! It made my day to click on an 'atheists in foxholes' link that wasn't negative.

by benjdm (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1 comments) on Friday, May 25, 2007 at 9:37:27 PM

Been around the block a few times.
Blue PilgrimBeen around the block a few times.

Article:

At Truthout

Group Threatens to Sue Pentagon Over Military Role in Evangelical Festival
By Matt Renner
T r u t h o u t | Report

Friday 25 May 2007

A scheduled three-day celebration of the US Air Force's 60th anniversary, sponsored in part by evangelical Christian organizations, has prompted a military watchdog group to threaten legal action against the Department of Defense.

The controversial event, sponsored by Task Force Patriot USA, an evangelical organization, and LifeWay Christian Resources, the publishing house of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), was described by the official publication of the Robins Air Force Base as "an official US Air Force 60th Anniversary event." The paper stated that the religious groups and the United States Air Force "have joined together to create a three-day celebration ..."

Slated for the Memorial Day weekend, the "Salute To The Troops, Memorial Day Celebration" will take place at Stone Mountain, an Atlanta, Georgia theme park. The event is supposed to feature hourly flyovers by Air Force planes and parachute jumps by the US Army's Silver Wings Parachute Jump Team. Scheduled speakers include former SBC President Bobby Welch and US Air Force Major Brian "Jethro" Neal, a B-2 pilot, who will speak during a worship service that was to feature a flyover by a stealth bomber. SBC officials stated that special Bibles for military personnel would be disseminated at the gathering.

Plans for the event prompted a forceful response from watchdog groups. In a letter to Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne and Acting Secretary of the Army Peter Geren, the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU), said, "There are legitimate ways to celebrate the Air Force's 60th anniversary and to pay tribute to military personnel who bravely serve the nation, but this three-day religious extravaganza is certainly not one of them." Lynn called the event "a stunning display of the federal government using vast resources to trumpet a religious celebration."

Lynn added, "Military personnel and veterans come from many religious traditions and no religion at all. So it is wholly disingenuous for the organizers of this evangelical Christian gathering to promote it as a salute to all our troops. It is anything but."

In response to the event, Mikey Weinstein, an Air Force veteran and the founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, intends to file a lawsuit against the Department of Defense. He stated: "The participation of the United States Air force and United States Army in a blatantly fundamentalist, evangelizing Christian conversion spectacle represents a veritable unparalleled rape of the US Constitution, which all members of the American military swear an oath to protect, preserve, support and defend. This is an absolutely crystal-clear example of the most pernicious religious predation by the US military command structure, and simply writing letters and making phone calls of protest appear to be as useless as a baseball bat in a football game."

In preparation for the lawsuit, Weinstein told Truthout: "I'm advising the DOD to save all their emails and all of their correspondence relating to the planning of this event." He warned the DOD not to "try and pull a Karl Rove and get rid of any of these emails. If that happens, we will move forward with obstruction of justice charges."

Weinstein is intimately familiar with military law. Serving as White House counsel, he defended the Reagan administration during the Iran-Contra investigation. Since he launched his watchdog organization 18 months ago, Weinstein said he has been contacted by more than 4,000 active-duty and retired soldiers, many of whom served or serve in Iraq, who told Weinstein that they were pressured by their commanding officers to convert to Christianity.

"The rise of evangelical Christianity inside the military went on steroids after 9/11 under this administration and this White House," Weinstein said in an interview. "This administration has turned the entire Department of Defense into a faith-based initiative." He recently published a book on the issue: "With God on Our Side: One Man's War Against an Evangelical Coup in America's Military."

The Air Force and Army issued statements amending their previous endorsement and coordination, and scaling back their equipment demonstrations. The statement issued by the Air Force said that it is "not a sponsor" of the event and that the Air Force was "not aware until recently of the religious connotations surrounding Task Force Patriot's participation."

According to Task Force Patriot USA's web site, the organization exists "for the purpose of sharing the fullness of life in Jesus Christ with all US military, military veterans and families." The web site states that "Christ is our Commander-in-Chief."

According to the Washington Post, the Air Force will still participate in the event, but its flyovers "will not be timed to coincide with religious services." Also, according to Air Force representatives, active-duty Air Force officers will not be allowed to wear their uniforms while speaking during the prayer services. It is unclear whether Air Force recruiters will attend as previously scheduled.

The Army has canceled participation of the parachute team and said it is "unaware of any other Army involvement."

Explaining his intentions to file suit against the Pentagon, Weinstein said: "Letter writing and phone calls are just weed-whackers. The only way to rip the roots out of this unconstitutional collusion is to go into federal court and demand remedial action."

Matt Renner is a reporter for Truthout.

by Blue Pilgrim (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 998 comments) on Saturday, May 26, 2007 at 12:05:19 AM

Retired
DanRetired

Atheists in Foxholes

When I entered the Navy in 1958, we were required in boot camp to attend religous services weekly (at the time there were only services for Jews, Protestants, & Catholics). I would fall out with the Protestants when the Catholics went to services and the reverse when the former went (they were held in the same place at different times) because afer they lectured us about the Bill of Rights and how some of them had to be suspended for us while we served, I could not see how that should apply to worship, or its lack.

Around the same time, an Annapoli midshipman tried to get out of services because he was an atheist, and the Naval Academy did not provide for that, by claiming to be muslim. They reacted by requiring him to pray towards Mecca 5 times a day -- and the public thought that the solution was funny.

Perhaps they should deliver Mark Twain's "War Prayer" at the services.

by Dan (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 3 comments) on Saturday, May 26, 2007 at 9:45:59 AM

Retired
DanRetired

Atheists in Foxholes

I forgot to mention in my previous post, an update, fast forward from 1958 to 2006: My sister (who with her husband distains education and is "born again") keeps sending me e-mail screeds forwarded about how "America is a Christian nation". And our mother was Jewish (we have different fathers, but my father was also a Jew). I sent her a copy of the First Amendment and of George Washington's letter to the Jews of Newport RI, but she thinks that they are "pinko".

by Dan (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 3 comments) on Saturday, May 26, 2007 at 9:51:02 AM

NJ is a much better place than Tom Kean Jr. says it is!
LaurNJ is a much better place than Tom Kean Jr. says it is!

Atheists in Foxholes

This is a great article. It has been a concern that the military has been getting more mixed up in religious issues than before, and while it is right to be respectful of the religious beliefs of others, it is equally important that those of us who are not religious be shown the same respect.

The DoD has no business promoting policys that favor specific religions.

by Laur (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 22 comments) on Saturday, May 26, 2007 at 10:18:44 AM

Retired programmer. Full time leftist and revolutionary.
Max WardRetired programmer. Full time leftist and revolutionary.

Good article

Thanks Jayne. A well-crafted article. Good balance of information and interpretation.

You offered a few insights that I promise to steel (e.g. "ideology is a contact sport") -- the highest form of flattery available to me.

by Max Ward (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 43 comments) on Saturday, May 26, 2007 at 3:07:00 PM

Love is my religion; the world is my family.
carlLove is my religion; the world is my family.

Love is my only religion

Religion of this world is simply humans creating "God" in their own image.

by carl (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 124 comments) on Saturday, May 26, 2007 at 8:05:06 PM

Born in 1942 in NE Oklahoma, educated and raised in NE California, joined the Navy at 17 and was shipped to Yokosuka, Japan. There I was able to buy all the books that were banned in the USA. Married & divorced twice, AA degree in Lib. Arts. Now disabled w/ COPD, I live in the house that my mother left me and spend a lot of time on the computer and reading.
Chuck GarnerBorn in 1942 in NE Oklahoma, educated and raised in NE California, joined the Navy at 17 and was shipped to Yokosuka, Japan. There I was able to buy all the books that were banned in the USA. Married & divorced twice, AA degree in Lib. Arts. Now disabled w/ COPD, I live in the house that my mother left me and spend a lot of time on the computer and reading.

Compulsory attendance

When I went into the Navy in 1959 at age 17, they didn't have compulsory attendance to religious services but if you chose not to go, you had to clean the barracks while contemplating the error of your ways. Two years later, when reverting back to my birthname, I tried to have "Atheist" stamped on my dog tags but they showed me how it was done the Navy way by spelling it "Athiest". The military mind is like military justice or military intelligence: it's a contradiction in terms.

by Chuck Garner (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 118 comments) on Saturday, May 26, 2007 at 8:55:29 PM

Don'pigeon hole me or sterotype me
pratliff94Don'pigeon hole me or sterotype me

Excellent Article

Jayne,

Thank you for this article. As with all your articles, it is well thought-out and presented. I could not agree more with this article and most of the comments about this subject.

Many years ago in the Civil Rights movement I decided that anyone who paid one cent of tax to our government had the right of full protection and participation in every thing that received any support from those taxes. The surest way of being just or fair is to make sure the wall of separation between religion and state remains strong.

The overall principle is simple: anytime the government involves itself in a religion it ends up weakening and ruining both that religion and the government; anytime a religion involves itself in government it ends up ruining the government and the religion.

Thanks again for the article,

OBHG,

Phil

by pratliff94 (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 940 comments) on Sunday, May 27, 2007 at 3:36:39 PM

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