Atheists in foxholes
Encyclopedia
The statement "There are no atheists in foxholes" is an aphorism
used to argue that in times of extreme stress or fear
, such as when participating in warfare, all people will believe in or hope for a higher power.
William J. Clear , or Lieutenant Colonel William Casey, but the phrase is most often attributed to journalist Ernie Pyle
.
It has also been attributed to U.S. Military Chaplain William T. Cummings in a field sermon during the Battle of Bataan
in 1942.
is often adapted to other perilous situations such as "there are no atheists in Probate Court".
While the term is occasionally used to imply that all soldiers in combat are "converted" while under fire, it is most commonly only used to emphasise the belief of the sayer that many people tend to seek out a divine power when they are facing an extreme threat.
The quote is also referenced when discussing the opposite effect — that warfare will cause some soldiers to question their existing belief in a God due to the death and violence around them.
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."
This sentence is also quoted in the Gustav Hasford
's novel The Short-Timers
.
was reported to be an atheist by his former teammate Johnny Pesky
. Richard Tillman, in giving the eulogy for his brother, former NFL player and soldier Pat Tillman
, stated that Tillman "wasn't religious.". Tillman's atheism is also confirmed in a documentary about his life. In his 1988 book "Intellectuals," Paul Johnson states that writer and World War I veteran Ernest Hemingway
"not only did not believe in God but regarded organized religion as a menace to human happiness." Philip Paulson, plaintiff in several of the lawsuits in the Mount Soledad cross controversy
, was an atheist Vietnam combat veteran.
Joe Simpson
, author of the book Touching The Void
, explicitly addresses the issue in the film adaptation of his nearly fatal climb of the Siula Grande
mountain. Referring to the moment 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."
The Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers
, an atheist
organization, opposes the use of this phrase. They have adopted the catchphrase of "Atheists in Foxholes" to emphasize that the original statement is just an aphorism
and not a statistical fact. The religious convictions of current U.S. military personnel are similar to that of the general American population, though studies suggest members of the military are slightly less religious. This organization maintains a list of over 200 of its members who choose to publicly show their service and to show that there are atheists in foxholes, on ships, and in planes.
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."
, a Madison, Wisconsin, based organization, has erected a monument to "Atheists in Foxholes" because of its opposition to the statement of "no atheists in foxholes." The monument reads:
Aphorism
An aphorism is an original thought, spoken or written in a laconic and memorable form.The term was first used in the Aphorisms of Hippocrates...
used to argue that in times of extreme stress or fear
Fear
Fear is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger...
, such as when participating in warfare, all people will believe in or hope for a higher power.
Origin
The precise origin of the phrase is uncertain. Various sources credit Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
William J. Clear , or Lieutenant Colonel William Casey, but the phrase is most often attributed to journalist Ernie Pyle
Ernie Pyle
Ernest Taylor Pyle was an American journalist who wrote as a roving correspondent for the Scripps Howard newspaper chain from 1935 until his death in combat during World War II. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1944...
.
It has also been attributed to U.S. Military Chaplain William T. Cummings in a field sermon during the Battle of Bataan
Battle of Bataan
The Battle of Bataan represented the most intense phase of Imperial Japan's invasion of the Philippines during World War II. The capture of the Philippine Islands was crucial to Japan's effort to control the Southwest Pacific, seize the resource-rich Dutch East Indies, and protect its Southeast...
in 1942.
Usage
While primarily used to comment on the specific experiences faced by combat soldiers, the aphorismAphorism
An aphorism is an original thought, spoken or written in a laconic and memorable form.The term was first used in the Aphorisms of Hippocrates...
is often adapted to other perilous situations such as "there are no atheists in Probate Court".
While the term is occasionally used to imply that all soldiers in combat are "converted" while under fire, it is most commonly only used to emphasise the belief of the sayer that many people tend to seek out a divine power when they are facing an extreme threat.
The quote is also referenced when discussing the opposite effect — that warfare will cause some soldiers to question their existing belief in a God due to the death and violence around them.
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
Ben Bernanke
Ben Shalom Bernanke is an American economist, and the current Chairman of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States. During his tenure as Chairman, Bernanke has overseen the response of the Federal Reserve to late-2000s financial crisis....
and Paul Krugman
Paul Krugman
Paul Robin Krugman is an American economist, professor of Economics and International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, Centenary Professor at the London School of Economics, and an op-ed columnist for The New York Times...
popularized a version of the quote in reference to financial crises. They paraphrased Harvard professor Jeffrey Frankel
Jeffrey Frankel
Jeffrey Alexander "Jeff" Frankel is the James W. Harpel Professor of Capital Formation and Growth at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. A member of the Council of Economic Advisors under President Bill Clinton, Frankel is a noted international macroeconomist...
, 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."
This sentence is also quoted in the Gustav Hasford
Gustav Hasford
Gustav Hasford was an American writer. His semi-autobiographical novel The Short-Timers was the basis of the film Full Metal Jacket.-Biography:...
's novel The Short-Timers
The Short-Timers
The Short-Timers is a 1979 semi-autobiographical novel by American former Marine Gustav Hasford,about his experience in the Vietnam War. It was later adapted into the 1987 film Full Metal Jacket by Hasford, Michael Herr, and Stanley Kubrick....
.
Notable counterexamples
A number of prominent individuals have been both atheists and combat veterans. During the coverage of his death and subsequent cryonic suspension, Baseball Hall of Famer and combat fighter pilot Ted WilliamsTed Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
was reported to be an atheist by his former teammate Johnny Pesky
Johnny Pesky
John Michael Pesky , nicknamed "The Needle" and "Mr. Red Sox", was a Major League Baseball shortstop, third baseman, and manager. During a 10-year career, he played in 1942 and from 1946-1954 for three different teams. He missed all of the 1943, 1944, and 1945 seasons while serving in World War...
. Richard Tillman, in giving the eulogy for his brother, former NFL player and soldier Pat Tillman
Pat Tillman
Corporal Patrick Daniel "Pat" Tillman Jr. was an American football player who left his professional career and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. He joined the Army Rangers and served several tours in combat before he died in the...
, stated that Tillman "wasn't religious.". Tillman's atheism is also confirmed in a documentary about his life. In his 1988 book "Intellectuals," Paul Johnson states that writer and World War I veteran Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
"not only did not believe in God but regarded organized religion as a menace to human happiness." Philip Paulson, plaintiff in several of the lawsuits in the Mount Soledad cross controversy
Mount Soledad cross controversy
The Mount Soledad cross is a -tall cross that was erected in 1954 on top of Mount Soledad in La Jolla, California....
, was an atheist Vietnam combat veteran.
Joe Simpson
Joe Simpson (mountaineer)
Joe Simpson is an English mountaineer, author and motivational speaker. He is best known for his book Touching the Void and the 2003 film adaptation of his book.-Early life:...
, author of the book Touching The Void
Touching the Void
Touching the Void is a 1988 book by Joe Simpson, recounting his and Simon Yates's disastrous and nearly fatal climb of the 6,344-metre Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985....
, explicitly addresses the issue in the film adaptation of his nearly fatal climb of the Siula Grande
Siula Grande
Siula Grande is a mountain in the Cordillera Huayhuash, in the Peruvian Andes. It is 6344 m high and has a subpeak, Siula Chico, 6260 m high.-Touching the Void ascent:In 1985 Siula Grande was climbed by Joe Simpson and Simon Yates...
mountain. Referring to the moment 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
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
. I'd long since stopped believing in God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. 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."
The Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers
Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers
The Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers is an independent 501 project of the . It is organized as a community support network with the goal of connecting atheist, humanist, and freethinking personnel of the U.S...
, an atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
organization, opposes the use of this phrase. They have adopted the catchphrase of "Atheists in Foxholes" to emphasize that the original statement is just an aphorism
Aphorism
An aphorism is an original thought, spoken or written in a laconic and memorable form.The term was first used in the Aphorisms of Hippocrates...
and not a statistical fact. The religious convictions of current U.S. military personnel are similar to that of the general American population, though studies suggest members of the military are slightly less religious. This organization maintains a list of over 200 of its members who choose to publicly show their service and to show that there are atheists in foxholes, on ships, and in planes.
James Morrow
James Morrow
James Morrow is a fiction author. A self-described "scientific humanist", his work satirises organized religion and elements of humanism and atheism....
has been quoted as saying "'There are no atheists in foxholes' isn't an argument against atheism, it's an argument against foxholes."
Monument
The Freedom From Religion FoundationFreedom From Religion Foundation
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is an American freethought organization based in Madison, Wisconsin. Its purposes, as stated in its bylaws, are to promote the separation of church and state and to educate the public on matters relating to atheism, agnosticism and nontheism. The FFRF publishes...
, a Madison, Wisconsin, based organization, has erected a monument to "Atheists in Foxholes" because of its opposition to the statement of "no atheists in foxholes." The monument reads: