FRIENDLY ATHEIST – The Military Was Right to Take Down ‘No Atheists in Foxholes’ Column

Published On: July 29, 2013|Categories: News|4 Comments|

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While I have no issue with Reyes trying to find the origins of that phrase, the fact is: that statement is just untrue. And to perpetuate it by saying everyone has faith in something just reinforces a harmful myth. Of course there are atheists in foxholes, and when they’re under attack in a war, they don’t start looking to God for help. To argue otherwise, or to redefine “faith” to mean faith in yourself or fellow soldiers, is disingenuous.

I don’t think Reyes intentionally set out to denigrate atheists, but that’s what he ended up doing.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, on behalf of its members, felt the column made a pro-religion, anti-atheist argument, which military personnel shouldn’t be doing in their professional capacities, so they sent an email on Tuesday to Air Force Col. Brian Duffy, who quickly removed the column from the JBER website.

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4 Comments

  1. LaVerne July 29, 2013 at 3:10 pm

    Did they force anyone to read his article? How do you know what anyone does in a foxhole?

  2. Danny August 15, 2013 at 4:04 pm

    While I can follow the line of thinking there “which military personnel shouldn’t be doing in their professional capacities” I do wonder how you, at the mrff see the position and duties of chaplains filled? On a similar level, while protecting free speach, I can argue for writers to no longer use words. You know, some words can be seen as very offensive! Sorry, but acts like this, and all I’ve heard about you are acts targeting christians and christianity – prove me wrong, please – feed my suspicion that you have an agenda that has nothing to do with freedom of religion at all.

  3. Bill August 21, 2013 at 10:01 am

    The Air Force had a change of heart after further review, and has restored the chaplain’s article to its webpage.

  4. Flpatriot98 August 23, 2013 at 4:29 am

    I am glad that I served back in the 80s-90s because the face of the US military has changed so much I can’t recognize it. The freedom we fought to defend is now being denied to those who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice! I wonder how an atheist comforts a family that has just lost a love one in the field of battle? How does an atheist bring someone back from the brink of suicide? They have no words of faith to encourage or give hope!! What a sad time this is for this once great nation!!

    Psalm 14:1-7

    14 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
    2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
    3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
    4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord.
    5 There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.

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