Some non-religious members of the US military at Fort Bragg in North Carolina have formed a group called MASH (Military Atheists and Secular Humanists) and applied for official recognition so that they receive the same benefits as religious groups. There are 20 similar unofficial groups of non-theists in US military bases around the world, according to the president of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers.
This is not a trivial development. The US military has long had a ‘God and country’ mindset that is hostile to nonbelievers. These developments show that more and more atheists feel comfortable declaring their nonbelief. The numbers are potentially large. A Pentagon report “concluded that about 20 to 25 percent of military personnel have no religious preference. Up to 3.6 percent identify themselves as humanist — a catchall that can refer to a nonreligious ethical philosophy.” Religious non-preference, like saying one is ‘spiritual’, is often (though not always) a temporary refuge for those who seriously doubt the existence of god but are uncomfortable coming right out and saying so.
We are rapidly approaching a critical point when religious beliefs will collapse because their lack of any rational basis will become increasingly apparent as people in every walk of life begin to point it out.
So where in the bible of atheism is there a commandment to evangelize? Why are you not content to be happy in your own belief that atheism is truth?
@Anon
The evidence is pretty clear that religion makes the world a worse place. Because of that I feel a strong desire to speak out against it and the belief in a god.
I don’t care what you believe in. But when belief in an invisible guy in the sky affects social and political policy then it must be attacked.
But that’s just me. Dr. Singham probably has a better articulated reason 🙂
Anonymous,
Henry has pretty much summed it up.
I argue against belief in god for the same reasons that I argue against astrology or witchcraft, because there is no evidence for it and can lead people into dangerous and harmful actions.
I think the world would be a better place without religion and so work towards it the same way that I work towards other things that would also make the world a better place, such as adequate food and water and shelter and health care for everyone.
Your use of the phrase ‘bible of atheism’ is interesting because there is not a single book whose destruction would arouse atheists to murderous acts the way that religious holy books do. Witness the mayhem unleashed in Afghanistan for burning a Koran.
“Why are you not content to be happy in your own belief that atheism is truth?”
Most of us are. A silent majority.
Turn the question around and ask yourself what gives believers the right (or the US Military, the subject of this post) to intrude on our personal lives with your arbitrary belief system?
Why shouldn’t the military allow a group of people to get together to talk about a common interest? It’s strange to me that this is even an issue, honestly. It says something about how deep the Christian privilege runs.