Army Spc. Jeremy Hall sued the government, alleging he has been harassed in the military because he doesn’t believe in God. He is known among fellow soldiers as “the atheist guy,” and he has been called a devil worshipper and gay — both of which are untrue, Hall said.Though Hall doesn’t believe in God, he said he drove colleagues to church while serving in Iraq and paused when they would pray before meals. “Personally, I don’t want [religion] or need it. But I’m not going to get down on anybody else for it,” he said.Hall said his atheism became known after a firefight in Iraq in 2007. His commander asked whether he believed in God. “I said, ‘No, but I believe in Plexiglas,’” Hall recalled. Later, a superior threatened to file charges when he tried to organize a meeting of atheists, he said. Officials wouldn’t comment on the suit, but said discrimination wasn’t tolerated.
This is an update on the Atheist activist (and member of MAAF) who was harassed in Iraq for holding an Atheist meeting. OK the truth is I have a lot to say here, but it’s late and I’ve already taken an Ambien. Bloggers please jump in and do this one for me. Mention the reason we’re fighting, the definition of religious freedom, why it’s good, and why intolerance seems to come from the same two groups of people. I’ll be back tomorrow night.Click here for an uppate
Christ in the U.S. military…Revolting, it will probably be taken down from Youtube soon. Hard to stomach…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq5_vG3cYGM
OT:
Sunday morning the CBS “Sunday Morning” news ‘magazine’ featured a piece on xianity being pushed in the military. Jeremy Hall was interviewed.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/27/sunday/main4048492.shtml
I saw this story the other day and it made me sick. That’s just not what is taught at all in Christianity or the Bible. War brings out the worst in people (see Abu Graib)
That is *precisely* what is taught in the Bible. Recall one of the children of Israel being stoned to death for gathering sticks on the Sabbath? I’d say this is light compared to that level of intolerance.
UFO
And religion brings out the war in people.
Get off your High horse U-ofl-card, that is exactly what christianity and the bible teaches and you know it. Christianity brings out the worst in people (See current affairs and world history). It is disgusting how you christians keep twisting reality and deceiving people.
Atheist soldier speaks out about lawsuit
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=19973
OT
Those xian parents in WI who let their daughter die from untreated Type 1 diabetes have been charged with second degree manslaughter. Apparently prayer doesn’t work but medical science does. Let’s hope that they are made an example of and receive the maximum punishment. Life in prison without parole wouldn’t be excessive for these monsters.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=744614
This is supposed to be our elite military who fear no enemy and yet they fear an invisible man in the sky?
I believe in plexiglass too and proper armor for that matter.
And yes it was rather appalling to hear that story about those xtians who let their daughter die. I wonder what excuse they’ll use in court. Hopefully the jury is educated on matters of science v. fantasy.
Alex
The parents of that child thought that the child would rise from the dead after a day or so. The death penalty would not be excessive for them. After all, they would just rise form the dead.
Digital
Brilliant!
Ben Stein will, no doubt, come to the aid of these murdering “parents” just as he has come to the aid of the mass-rapist FLDS church.
Since the Bible can be interpreted any number of ways, it really depends on who’s doing the teaching/interpreting.
Want a vile form of Christianity? Talk to the flame-throwing evangelists. Want a peace-loving form of Christianity? Talk to the ex-hippies. Want a lip-servicing form of Christianity? Talk to the politicians. Want an atheistic form of Christianity? Talk to Thomas Jefferson (well, read his book).
What,
Thank you.
digital-eyes is back!
I hope the parents get convicted and receive the maximum sentence. I read this story earlier, but alex’s link had a lot more detail. It also points out that this may be a precedent setting case because of the religious allowances that people have till now gotten away with.
Life sentences or the death penalty are not on the table. Maximum is 25 years. I bet they won’t even get that. A conviction would be a foot in the right direction, however. And since the father says he wouldn’t hesitate to use the same means on another sick child, their other children should be removed from their care permanently.
karen says:
Absolutely!
The parents should also be sterilized.
Check out this website for more on the problem of children dying because their parents prayed them to death.
http://www.childrenshealthcare.org/
Unfortunately there is a loophole law that they can use.
I hope that this causes the law to be abolished and the get sent to prison to reflect on what they did not do.
The Bible requires believers to spread the word to unbelievers. The Great Commission is one of the more common motifs of the NT. Any Christian who fails to do so is disobeying orders from God.
It must come down to priorities. Does a believer obey human rules and laws, or God’s?
I suspect Maj. Freddy J. Welborn felt threatened in his own convictions and that’s why he couldn’t tolerate knowing that others were secure in their doubts.
So, if Christians never execute disobedient children by stonings anymore, why is the requirement still in the Bible?
Christian Science specifically refers to the Church of Christ, Scientist, and I would have to think that this is what the Wisconsin law is intended to mean – certainly not Scientology. Christian Science “practitioners” pray and study with their clients to supposedly achieve healing, and even the federal government considers the services of a Christian Science practioner to be a legitimate “medical” expense as far as income tax deductions go.
Interestingly, if a Christian Scientist does decide to seek real medical help, the practitioners and fellow church members won’t have anything to do with them anymore. Real nice people. Not.
The parents in this particular case are not Christian Scientists, BTW.
bot
I was glad to see Jeremy Hall’s story break into the mainstream media. When, ostensibly, we are supposed to be fighting religiously intolerant terrorists, this story becomes very revealing of the real mindset at work here. Are we sending soldiers to fight and die for “freedom”, or as part of a religious war.
At the very least we need a very clear statement from the powers-that-be that atheists have as much right to serve in the military as anyone, and have as much right to express their beliefs (or lack thereof).
And, if the charges hold, Maj. Welborn must be held accountable.
To stay OT
This issue unfortunately seems to be complicated….
and the reason for the complication seems to be how religion sux….
I agree that people should be protected under the first amendment to practice thier fairy tales in the privacy of thier own tax free clubs….however…thier daughter has rights to….the right to live on this planet….and the right to live on this planet is certainly verifiable….
my vote is that individual rights supersede the right to practice silly superstitious rituals…
I taught the Bible for many years to church groups. Preaching included, over 2,000 times.
The essence of the Bible could be reduced to one class period. Viz – The Old Testament purports to be the family history of one Abraham and his wife Sarah. It tracks the family history from tribal beginnings to national status over a period 1,500 years. 2000-1500 BCE the era of patriarchs. 1500-1000 BCD the era of judges and prophets. 1000-500 BCE the kingdom era. 500-0 BCE The intertestament and Hasmonean era. 0-100 AD the worlds most successful religious cult arises; it’s urban legends are believed and effect world history for the next 2,000 years.
End of class.
Comment from: DD Dropout
Simple answer…really. Even a fraud can answer that question…and still have 59 minutes left to finish his class…
DD,
I would also like to know why xians in America lose their minds when it comes to homosexuality, which is never mentioned by jesus, yet they seem to tolerate divorce which jesus spoke strongly against.
Alex
I think Seinfeld did a stand-up routine about men and their low-sales resistance. Some guys, Phreek for example, are fearful that they could actually be talked into switching teams.
Phreedm,
Why do you dodge questions?
If they’re so simple, answer them.
Because he is beneath a fraud.
Seeker
It sounds like a variation on the “I see you failed to connect the dots” answer given to DeepDiver on the “Is this a white mans country?” question.
Those Q.E.D. parties must be pretty lonely.
What,
Beneath? There’s no need to sugar-coat it, any objective third party would come to that conclusion within a few threads of reading his posts.
That was before the teachings of Jesus
I’m not trying to be on a high-horse, soap box, or any other self-righteous speaking apparatus. But THIS is what we’re taught…again, nothing like what persecution the atheist in this story suffered…
This is the one that we were sent to follow. You don’t think the actions of the Christian soldiers in this story were contradictory to teaching like this?
Obviously religion has been at the heart of many wars. So has money, power, land, oil, anger, greed, lust and fear, among many other factors. I’m just saying that it’s ridiculous to pin war strictly on religion, which is very commonly done on this blog.
UFO
The invasion of Iraq would never have happened without the backing of the religious right – a bunch of ignorant racist war mongers that would do anything for the opportunity to get a couple of conservative appointments to the supreme court. Man were you scammed.
As you christians KNOW already you can pick a piece out of your bib-el to support anything you want; war, torture, child abuse, love, hate and, everything in between. Christianity has proven to be worthless at advancing the civility of humans, look at the shrub and his regime; all are less than civilized humans and yet all were and/or are still supported by christians. In fact, a sizable portion of christians still want the same for the future, see the christian support for McShrub. And the call for acknowledging at least support of christianity from the remainder of the candidates.
If you christians want respect, do something respectful. Get your mythology out of government. The great and vast majority of christians are disgusting.
Real Christians do not kill. They should not be in the army at all.