There are no atheists in foxholes
The statement "There are no atheists in foxholes" is a proverb used to argue that in times of extreme stress or fear, such as in war, all people will believe in, or hope for, a higher power.[1]
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Origin [edit]
The origin of the quotation is uncertain. U. S. Military Chaplain William T. Cummings may have said it in a field sermon during the Battle of Bataan in 1942. Other sources credit Lieutenant Colonel Warren J. Clear, who was also at Bataan, or Lieutenant Colonel William Casey. But the phrase is most often attributed to war correspondent Ernie Pyle.[2][3][4] It was also quoted by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in remarks broadcast from the White House as part of a February 7, 1954 American Legion Program.
Usage [edit]
While primarily used to comment on the experiences of combat soldiers, the aphorism has been adapted to other perilous situations, as in "There are no atheists in Probate Court".[5] Although the adage occasionally means that all soldiers in combat are "converted" under fire, it is most often used to express the belief of the speaker that all people seek a divine power when they are facing an extreme threat.[1][6] The quote is also referenced when discussing the opposite effect — that warfare causes some soldiers to question their existing belief in God due to the death and violence around them.[7][8][9]
The quote has also been used in non-military contexts. In September 2008, in the depths of the financial crisis of 2007–2010, both Ben Bernanke and Paul Krugman popularized a version of the quote in reference to financial crises. They paraphrased Harvard professor Jeffrey Frankel, who originally wrote in the Cato Journal a year earlier, "They say 'there are no atheists in foxholes.' Perhaps, then, there are also no libertarians in crises."[10] The sentence is also quoted in the Gustav Hasford's novel The Short-Timers.
Notable counterexamples [edit]
During the news coverage of his death and subsequent cryonic suspension, Hall of Fame baseball player and fighter pilot Ted Williams was said to be an atheist, by his former teammate Johnny Pesky.[11][12] Richard Tillman, in giving the eulogy for his brother, former NFL player and soldier Pat Tillman, stated: "he's not religious."[13] Tillman's atheism is confirmed in a documentary about his life.[14][15] Philip Paulson, plaintiff in several of the lawsuits in the Mount Soledad cross controversy, was an atheist Vietnam combat veteran.[16]
Joe Simpson, author of Touching the Void, addresses the issue in the film adaptation of his nearly fatal climb up the Siula Grande mountain. Referring to the moment when he lay at the bottom of a deep crevasse, dehydrated, alone, and with a broken leg, he states: '"I was totally convinced I was on my own, that no one was coming to get me. I was brought up as a devout Catholic. I'd long since stopped believing in God. I always wondered if things really hit the fan, whether I would, under pressure, turn round and say a few Hail Marys and say 'Get me out of here'. It never once occurred to me. It meant that I really don't believe and I really do think that when you die, you die, that's it, there's no afterlife." [17]
Several atheist organizations object to the phrase. The Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers has adopted the catch-phrase "Atheists in Foxholes" to emphasize that the original statement is just an aphorism and not a fact. The over 200 members of this organization publicly display their military service in order to show that there are atheists in foxholes, and on ships, and in planes.[18] The religious convictions of current U.S. military personnel are similar to those of the general American population, though studies suggest that members of the military are slightly less religious.[19] James Morrow has been quoted as saying "'There are no atheists in foxholes' isn't an argument against atheism, it's an argument against foxholes."[20] Due to its opposition to the phrase, the Freedom From Religion Foundation has erected a monument to "Atheists in Foxholes".[21]
References [edit]
- ^ a b Thomas J. Reese, S.J. (May 31, 2007). "No Atheists in Fox Holes". Washington Post Company.
- ^ "Oops! He Did It Again! Brokaw Repeats Canard, "There Are No Atheists In Foxholes" During NBC Evening News". Flashline (American Atheists). 2003-03-12. Retrieved 2008-11-27.
- ^ Johnson, Chip. "GI turns to Islam to find God." San Francisco Chronicle. Monday, March 6, 2006. Accessed Nov-22-2009.
- ^ Books & Culture Weblog: Content & Context - Books & Culture, Christianity Today
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Report on Chaplains." Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers. Accessed Nov-22-2009.
- ^ Resnicoff, Arnold E. (June 28, 2004). "On becoming our own worst enemy". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
- ^ Allen, Joshua. There Are No Atheists in Foxholes. Rhode Island Monthly. April 2007 issue.
- ^ "Religion: Atheists & Foxholes". Time Magazine. Monday, Jun. 18, 1945.
- ^ Frankel, Jeffrey (Spring/Summer 2007). "Responding to Crises". Cato Journal (Cato Institute) 27 (2). Retrieved 2009-12-17.
- ^ Sports Illustrated: Williams' body moved to cryonic warehouse in Arizona
- ^ South Coast Today: No ones talks about Ted Williams' atheism
- ^ ESPN.com: An American Tragedy, Part 3 - Death of an American Ideal
- ^ The Tillman Story
- ^ "Intellectuals" by Paul Johnson, p. 144]
- ^ LA Times: Philip Paulson Obituary, Oct. 28, 2006
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nTOqtRZtAQ
- ^ MAAF Atheists in Foxholes List
- ^ 21% of U.S. Military atheist or non-religious, Source: "America's Military Population." by David R. Segal and Mady Wech Segal. Population Reference Bureau, 2004. page 25.
- ^ Justice, Faith L. (3 December 2001). "Interview: James Morrow". Strange Horizons. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
- ^ Atheists in Foxholes Monument
