10 TRIDENT, FEBRUARY <strong>23</strong>, <strong>2009</strong> There are no atheists in foxholes Padre’s Corner By Padre Mark Mawson It was either at the end of my tour in Afghanistan, or shortly after I returned (sadly, at 36 I already <strong>ca</strong>n’t remember exactly when. That certainly doesn’t bode well for my later years...) that I wrote an article for a church magazine. I said many things in the article, among them was that the soldiers had once again made popular that old war time slogan, “There are no atheists in foxholes.” I made that statement as a way of saying that many of the soldiers who had experienced life and death circumstances while on tour had a spiritual reawakening. They questioned what it all meant and some <strong>ca</strong>me to the conclusion that there must be a meaning behind it all; that there was some greater purpose and that there really was a higher power watching over them and their comrades. Did I actually go out and poll all the soldiers to see if all, or even most of them had had this experience No. To be completely honest, I never expected anyone to take exception to what I said. I was wrong. I received an e-mail when I returned to work, in which someone (very respectfully I should add) questioned whether or not my statement “There are no atheists in foxholes” was accurate. They asked why couldn’t someone serve their country with pride and courage, encounter life and death experiences and yet not believe in any kind of deity or higher power Wasn’t it possible for someone to find meaning and purpose in what they were doing in Afghanistan, to the point they would risk their lives, and yet still be an atheist As I said, the questions were phrased respectfully and there certainly seemed not to be any malice intended. I thought many times about responding, but never did. I would like to think that it was be<strong>ca</strong>use I was too busy. I would settle for the excuse that I accidently erased the person’s e-mail and address. My suspicions are, however, that I didn’t answer be<strong>ca</strong>use I didn’t have an answer. At least not an answer I wanted to give. This all <strong>ca</strong>me flooding back to me recently with the buzz over the atheist endorsed bus ads which basi<strong>ca</strong>lly said (in some places) there is no God, so why worry, and start enjoying yourself. All of this profoundly affected all who were there. Now, more than two years after I received the e-mail, I would like to respond. While this response does not in any meaningful way address his questions (I’m still mulling them over), it hopefully will clarify why I said what I did. Dear Cpl Bloggins (does the over usage of this name drive anyone else insane) Thank you for your <strong>ca</strong>refully thought out e-mail, and the respect you showed to me in your response. When I wrote the article I <strong>ca</strong>n honestly say that I never thought that someone would find it at best arrogant, and at worst, offensive. Please accept my apology for so flippantly generalizing that “there are no atheists in foxholes.” Clearly, if you were in Afghanistan (which I suspect you might have been), then my statement was incorrect on at least one count. My intention in writing to you is not to debate whether there is, or is not a God (although I should say that I would enjoy that discussion some day over a beer or two), but merely to tell you what my real intentions were when I used the phrase. The tour in Afghanistan was (and is) a very difficult and trying one for the soldiers with whom I lived, ate and in some ways, died. They did things they never thought they would do, and we saw things that perhaps human beings were not really meant to view. All of this profoundly affected all who were there. I don’t think it would be a stretch to say that it changed us all as well. When reflecting on my experiences and the conversations I had with soldiers in preparation for writing the article, I wanted to speak with, and of, hope. I wanted soldiers who were struggling with combat stress reactions and were having problems coming to terms with what they had seen and done, to feel some comfort. I wanted them to contemplate that there was a real possibility that there was a meaning behind it all; that there was a creator who would not leave them alone and loved them unconditionally, no matter what they had done or been involved in. As a person of faith, the best way I knew to do this was to talk about God, and thus with certainly a degree of religious arrogance, threw out “There are no atheists in foxholes” as a way of doing so. Perhaps if you are willing to respond to me, you would consider sharing how I might, from a humanist or atheist perspective, convey the same sentiments (unconditional love, presence, meaning) that I wanted to express in the article I wrote, to those who are non-believers. I certainly would appreciate it. Thank you again for your words. They have given me a great deal about which to think and pray. Hopefully one day our paths will cross (wouldn’t it be neat if that were in heaven). Until then, God bless. LEADERSHIP. DEDICATION. MOTIVATION. APPLY YOUR TALENTS TO A NEW KIND OF SERVICE. NOW HIRING: Sales Associates, Designers, Cashiers, Showroom Specialists, Overnight Freight, Customer Service, Inventory, Department Supervisors. Part-time positions available vary by store. 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