Atheists in Foxholes

pH

The US army is slowly getting around to accepting that they have serving atheists.

Comments like :
"Agnostics, atheists and bigots suddenly lose all that when their life is on the line."
Are now frowned on.

Would a soldier really die without faith? Bowling Green State University's Ken Pargament, a professor specializing in the psychology of religion and coping, says: "If someone is a committed atheist, they're likely to stay a committed atheist."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14322117/site/newsweek/

Also an atom is now an 'official symbol of belief' which may be used by atheists on a gravestone in military cemeteries.

stevejazzx

I always find it interesting that people become *religous* around or nearing death. It shows clearly one thing, religon works off fear.
You could apply the same tihng to regular life, although it just a little harder to see it.

Scofflaw

I've always objected to "no atheists in foxholes" - the First World War turned a large number atheist, because they couldn't believe that God could permit such slaughter.

cordially,
Scofflaw

pH

As for gravestone symbols ...

From the article an atom is now allowed in military graveyards, but in general, if any atheist or agnostic is planning on being buried - what symbol (if any) would they like on their gravestone?*

* - A very clever and funny quote goes without saying!

Zillah

pH wrote:

As for gravestone symbols ...

From the article an atom is now allowed in military graveyards, but in general, if any atheist or agnostic is planning on being buried - what symbol (if any) would they like on their gravestone?*

* - A very clever and funny quote goes without saying!

Smiley face. Seriously.

dr.bollocko

Who f***ks holes?

Dades

dr.bollocko wrote:

Who f***ks holes?

Thanks for your input.

dr.bollocko

Do atheists need to be buried? Surely we should just burn our dead carcasses?
*sorry. Its the whole cant not reply or post to the athiest forum thing again.*

robindch

> what symbol (if any) would they like on their gravestone?

Well, what about using Wikipedia's userboxen?

And as for a comment, well, I'm not sure if Spike Milligans "I told you I was sick" beats Clement Freud's "He was never unintentionally rude"

dr.bollocko

No seriously though. Whats the point in being buried? Surely cremation is a much better option? Less money, less space taken up, less rotting flesh, no worms up your nose, definitely not just asleep below the ground for two thousand years until Jesus returns... cremation has it all.

lostexpectation

I guess its like this symbol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Atheists although I don't think athiest should padlocked to science

An international symbol for Atheism has long been needed, and
when American Atheists was first formed, in 1963, a contemporary
scientific symbol was chosen, thus acknowledging that only through
the use of scientific analysis can humankind reach out for a better
life.

Recognizing the new atomic era, but emphasizing the truths of
older scientific findings, the atomic whirl was chosen. The atom
is still the basic distinguishing unit of all matter, the smallest
particle of an element that can exist and still retain the
properties of that element.

American Atheists chose the two-electron orbital symbol of
helium. Helium, a product of hydrogen fusion, is present in the
sun's atmosphere.

One of the symbolic whirls, however, is shown in the symbol
as open-ended, or broken, to show that although Atheists rely on
the scientific method for increase of knowledge, they know that all
of the answers are not ``in'' as yet. That open whirl forms an A
to represent Atheism, and the smaller letter in the center
represents the first letter of any country in which an affiliated
group is located. Ours signifies American Atheists.

It's an ongoing battle. Just last month Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said, "Agnostics, atheists and bigots suddenly lose all that when their life is on the line."

wtf **** you general sir


other suggestions http://images.google.com/images?q=atheist%20symbol&sa=N&tab=wi
I don't think a circle or a hole is positive symbol I like the big punkt

The pansy has long symbolized freethought

http://images.google.com/images?q=pansy+freethought&btnG=Search&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&safe=off
free thought pansy...


some good articles on it here http://www.positiveatheism.org/mail/eml8562.htm#IMAGE


they mention a well recognised agnostic symbol ut i can't find it

this is a good un 'the invisible pink unicorn' http://img.meetup.com/photos/event/d/0/7/f/event_53375.jpeg
lol

question mark cross for agnostic http://www.positiveatheism.org/mail/eml8307.htm


http://www.helsinki.fi/~ssyreeni/atheist/no-ghost-c-06

Oh i like some of explainations for the bang symbol
http://intepid.com/2005-05-25/00.39/
It also looks a bit like a flower, and apparently the pansy [a flower!] is considered a symbol of free thought. Marvel at how some of these pictures of pansies are vaguely asterisk shaped!

Húrin

How about atheists in our Army?

layke

I don't believe it is an issue.

pH

Well the gravestone is not necessarily the main thing here. I guess the question is, is there *any* symbol important enough to you that you would like incorporated in a memorial for you.

I struggle to find any attachment to any but at a push:

dr.bollocko

It looks like a cheap motorbike logo.

Sam Vimes

my gravestone will say simply "Bastard"