Christians In Foxholes

I wrote a Facebook post about the Christian Embassy, and their influence on the US Military. I received a fairly strong response from a devout Christian who made the case that the horrrow or war, made the use of religion and spirituality inevitable - the old "there are no atheists in foxholes" argument. This is my reply.



I cannot speak about what it is like to be in a foxhole. If you served, and were in one, please accept my thanks for fighting for my right to rant and jabber on as I please. I apologize if I have said anything that offends you, or that you feel shows disrespect for the military in any way. My ancestors have fought in every war since the Revolution, I can never repay the debt I owe them and their fellows.

I have never been to war, but I can speak about what it is like to face death (from cancer and other illnesses). I made it through those times not because of my faith in Christ, Buddha, or any other spiritual teacher. I made it through by the simple love and kindness of my friends and family (some of whom are either strong agnostics or "weak" atheists). I could not tell any difference in the love shown to me based on what the giver believed. If anything, those with slightly less religious fervor were more understanding of me and my needs and less likely to annoy me with questions about my "prayer life".

Maybe it is like that in a foxhole. I don't know. Maybe it is the love we share with each other that gives life its meaning, regardless of what we believe about where that love or life comes from. My Vietnam Vet buddies tell me that when "the shit hit the fan" their real purpose in life, the thing that gave life meaning, was to make sure their buddies got home to their families. If they had to die for that, it was reason enough.

You mention chaplains. We are not talking about chaplains here. Chaplains listen, the Christian Embassy members proselytize and try to "convert" others through coercion. Ultimately, their view is the United States is on a "mission from God".

The thing that most disturbs me, is that the Christian Embassy seems to believe the only "true" Americans are Christians. They believe this so strongly that they seem willing to government force to make sure others believe as they do. I agree with your statement that our founding Fathers, (especially Jefferson) would be horrified at what we have done with the Republic he and others founded. They never envisioned the government's mission to include converting the nation, much less the world, to Christianity. If they had they would have put this in the Constitution. After all, that document was written by some of the most brilliant minds of any age. They would have been eloquent and clear about their intent.

In a Republic, unlike a Democracy, the individual is safe in believing what he wants to believe (or do not believe), even if, and perhaps especially if, it is different from what the majority believe. The Christian Embassy is doing everything it can to make sure this is no longer the case. They seemingly classify all non-Christian views as as un-American. The founding fathers purposely left the word God out of the Constitution precisely to avoid this situation. As I said, if they had meant us to be a Christian Nation they would have included scripture in the Constitution, or even titled the document - The Constitution of the Christian States of America.

Evidently, the Christian Embassy wants to return to the good old days when the Bible and the government were fully integrated (i.e. remember King George?). The Christian Embassy argues that because most Americans at least claim to be Christian (76%), the government should be aligned with the Christian faith. They say majority rules. Our Republic was founded with safeguards to make sure a majority does not become a mob. In a Republic, the lone individual be they Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or yes, even agnostic or atheist, is free to believe as he wishes - there is no law or test of citizenship based on religious views. In a Republic, the individual is the master of his own thoughts (or "soul" if you prefer).

The Christian Embassy does not believe this should be true. Otherwise, why would its members have persecuted Jewish members of the Air Force Academy? This is particularly ironic since many of the headstones at Arlington bear the Star of David.

The Christian Embassy, and religious right, seem determined to ensure their dominance is maintained even if they must "fight" to do so with coercion and force. I think this is very sad. Their position not only violates the Constitution but also cheapens their faith. How weak must their faith be to think that its best weapon is political and military force?

I have many Christian friends and I grew up in a Christian household. Although I do not believe in any divine or supernatural beings, and I find much of the Bible totally abhorrent as a guide for life, there are some passages of great beauty. Teachings that, like those of Socrates and others, offer sound guidance for life. One of my favorites is, "Do to others as you would have them do to you." Maybe all of us can unite on that idea. After all, I doubt the Christian Embassy or religious right would want to be persecuted if they were in the minority. Why do they wish to persecute or castigate those who actually are in the minority?

Come to think of it, perhaps it is fear of persecution that drives them. How ironic if this is the case - to live in fear even though they are the dominant majority. Doesn't say much for the comfort they get from their faith. The Christians I know who are comfortable with their faith tend to be generous and caring. They would never wish to tie their faith to government, much less the military. They know that doing so would destroy their religion and turn it into nothing more than a tool of the state.