Atheist????

Question

Why do they say that there are no ATHEISTS in the fox hole?

Answer 1

Because when you about to be killed or blown up........everyone believes in god...everyone

Answer 2

The first use of the statement "There are no atheists in foxholes" has been traced to Lieutenant-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. ( link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/atheists_in_foxholes )

As an atheist, I feel utterly confused by this assertion. Why WOULDN'T an atheist fight for ideals and honor and the right to life and liberty and freedom? Those concepts don't come with a deity attached to them.

Honestly, after thinking about it, theists shoot themselves in the foot with that statement. They're saying that the only reason they're risking their necks is because they believe they have an afterlife safety net if it all goes bad.. they're basically admitting to being incapable of fighting on principal without fear and without a "heavenly back up plan" to put them at ease. What it basically demonstrates about the person who says it is that they wouldn't have the guts to lay their life on the line if they didn't have a supernatural blankie to cling to just as they (wrongly) assume is the case for atheists.

My husband was in the Air Force. He knew many agnostic, atheist and generally non-spiritual members. They were all prepared to put their lives on the line for their country WITHOUT the comfort of a supposed afterlife to keep them company.

Answer 3

if 'they' mean a fox-hole which soldiers are taking cover in from enemy fire, I guess 'they' are assuming that anyone would turn to religion when faced with the possibility of dieing.

I'm an atheist and I don't think I'd start praying if there was someone shooting at me but I guess until I've been in that situation I can't really say.

Answer 4

For religious people, it's a way of saying to non-believers:

"When you are in battle and facing death, you'll want a little "life thereafter" insurance by starting to believe in God"

Oddly enough, it's about as cynical an endorsement of religion as one could ever make. I often wonder if an atheist made it up.

Answer 5

The idea is when someone is facing death they will suddenly pray and "find god". This is blatently false. I read a study that the two groups of people that face death with the least amount of angst are devoutly religiously people and atheists.

Answer 6

"They" like to think that, when faced with death (as in a fox hole in war), man has to have some belief in God and the afterlife.

This is, of course, silliness.

Answer 7

At 40 years old, and an atheist for 25 of those years...I have NEVER heard of that saying.

Answer 8

This is crap!

I am in the Army and I know for a damn fact that there are people with common sense. I mean Atheists on the battle field!

Answer 9

Just crap rhetoric. Personally, If I was in a fox hole with some cowering Jesus freak, Id shoot him in the face and toss him to the enemy - then they'd see how freakin ruthless I was and they'd run like hell!

Answer 10

Because there is the mistaken belief that in times of trauma or great fear one, regardless of their religious belief or lack thereof, will always turn to god.

It's not true at all. It just goes to show that even believers admit you must be afraid of something to believe.

Answer 11

There are plenty. It's a lazy, ignorant claim. Servicemen and women have said that when someone is about to die, they're less likely to say "Oh God" than "Oh shït! Oh shït! Oh SHÏIIIIIT!!

So there are plenty of Christians in foxholes who end up worshipping shït.