Atheists in foxholes
|
|
Missing image
Foxholememorial_clr.jpg
Foxholememorial_clr.jpg
Atheists In Foxholes Monument, Lake Hypatia Alabama, USA
The first use of the statement "There are no atheists in foxholes" has been traced to Lieutanant-Colonel William J. Clear in a story of Bataan's final weeks, delivered during the "Army Hour" program over the NBC Red (Radio) Network in 1942.
This phrase is most often used to imply one of two things:
- Its original usage seems to have been that people at risk of dying are inclined to believe in a god and pray to this god in the hopes that such a being exists and might save them from their plight (see Pascal's Wager).
- More recently it has been used as an accusation that atheists are unpatriotic or disloyal or do not join or support the military.
Both usages of the phrase are likely to offend atheists, and especially atheists in the military: Atheistic combat veterans disagree with the former claim concerning the loss of atheism under the stress of battle, while the latter implication is disputed by statistical evidence that shows an equal proportion of atheists in the military and the civilian populations.
External links
- Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers (http://www.maaf.info)
- A Candle in the Dark (http://www.candle_in_the_dark.blogspot.com)