The precise origin of the phrase "There are no atheists in foxholes", coined some time during World War II, is uncertain. Various sources credit Lieutenant-Colonel William J. Clear^{[citation needed]}, or Lieutenant-Colonel William Casey[1], but the phrase is most often attributed to journalist Ernie Pyle[2][3][4]. The line is used in the film "Wake Island" which was released sometime in early 1942. ^_^ “Atheist” redirects here. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Lieutenant Colonel (Lieutenant-Colonel in English from the French grades spelling) is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine corps and air forces of the world, typically ranking above a Major and below a Colonel. ... Lieutenant Colonel (Lieutenant-Colonel in English from the French grades spelling) is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine corps and air forces of the world, typically ranking above a Major and below a Colonel. ... Ernie Pyle on board the U.S.S. Cabot. ...

The statement is used to imply that atheists really do believe in God deep down, and that in times of extreme stress or fear, that belief will surface, overwhelming the less substantial affectation of atheism. Many atheists find use of this saying offensive. It should be noted that the phrase could also hint at a Marxist idea that theism is a barbituary for pain and struggle, in which the foxhole would represent the pain and struggle of the lower class, who escape their struggle by looking towards a better afterlife, or resting in a perceived god who will take care of them. This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

Groups within the secular community have always risen up to debunk this claim, and one organization, the Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers exists to support atheists in foxholes. The group, headed by a combat veteran and West Point graduate, is composed of and run by atheists in the military. On Veteran's Day, 2005, MAAF and American Atheists hosted military atheists in a march on the Mall in Washington, D.C. Recent articles in Newsweek and The Colbert Report have highlighted the importance of recognizing the service and patriotism of atheistic citizens. The Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers an independent 501(c)3 project of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs. ... Alternate meanings: West Point (disambiguation). ... The Newsweek logo Newsweek is a weekly news magazine published in New York City and distributed throughout the United States and internationally. ... The Colbert Report (pronounced )[1] is an American satirical television program on Comedy Central that stars comedian Stephen Colbert, who previously became well known as a senior correspondent for The Daily Show. ...

Note: According to Hampton Sides (The Author of the Book Ghost Soldiers), "It was a chaplain on the battlefields of Bataan, Father Cummings, who had coined the famous phrase There are no atheists in foxholes. " (Ghost Soldiers, pg. 96)

Media usage

On the September 4, 2005, broadcast of the Good Morning America television show, in a segment about Hurricane Katrina, co-host Bill Weir stated that there are "no atheists in foxholes or hurricane zones." American Atheists demanded and received a retraction. [5] September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Good Morning America is a weekday morning news show that is broadcasted on the ABC television network. ... Lowest pressure 902 mbar (hPa; 26. ... Bill Weir is co-anchor of Good Morning America Weekend Edition on ABC. He became co-anchor when the show began on September 4, 2004. ... The American Atheist logo, based on the atomic model. ...

A November 14, 2005, article for CNS News offered further insight by interviewing a number of atheist veterans who had organized to march on Veterans Day: "...'What better day than Veterans Day to show that we served our country, too," said Rick Wingrove, the Virginia director of American Atheists, who also served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. November 14 is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 47 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Cybercast News Service (also CNSNews. ... President Eisenhower signs HR7786, officially changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

On the April 5, 2006, broadcast of the Today Show television show, in a segment about God, America & War, Katie Couric said, "Perhaps you have heard the expression, 'There are no Atheists in foxholes,' and the men who have occupied the oval office have also turned to a higher power." American Atheists has demanded a clarification and apology. [6] April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Today, commonly referred to as The Today Show to avoid ambiguity, is an American morning news and talk show airing weekday mornings on the NBC television network. ... Katherine Lib Couric (born January 7, 1957) is an American media personality who became well-known as co-host of NBCs Today, and now serves as the anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News. ...

From fiction writer James Morrow: " 'There are no atheists in foxholes' isn’t an argument against atheism, it’s an argument against foxholes." [7] James Morrow (born 1947) is an award-winning fiction author. ...

In October of 2006, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, at its annual convention in San Francisco, gave Philip Paulson its first "Atheist in a Foxhole" award. He attended although he was barely able to travel, as he was dying of cancer. Philip Paulson, a self-described atheist and a Vietnam Vet, filed suit against the city of San Diego to remove a cross from atop Mount Soledad in La Jolla, which was on property owned by the city. He won, but the case was appealed time and again, and Paulson prevailed every time. Mr. Paulson died on October 25, 2006. The case is now in the U.S. Supreme Court. The Freedom From Religion Foundation is an American Freethought organization based in Madison, Wisconsin. ...

The phrase is used in the film The Omen (2006). The character Keith Jennings (David Thewlis) says it when he is showing Robert Thorn his photographs which foreshadow some of the characters' deaths. The Omen (also known as The Omen: 666) is the 2006 remake of the 1976 horror film The Omen. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... David Thewlis in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. ...

The phrase is also used in the Oliver Stone film Any Given Sunday (1999), by the team chaplain of the fictional football team Miami Sharks. The line is believed to have been ad libbed by the actor in the part, Anglican Bishop Steven Raulerson. William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946), known simply as Oliver Stone, is a three-time Academy Award-winning American film director and screenwriter. ... Any Given Sunday is a 1999 film directed by Oliver Stone starring Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Jamie Foxx, James Woods, LL Cool J, Matthew Modine, John C. McGinley, Charlton Heston, Ann-Margret, Lauren Holly, Bill Bellamy, Lela Rochon, Aaron Eckhart, Elizabeth Berkley, and WWE wrestler Marty Wright (also... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

A March 12, 2007, article written by nationally syndicated columnist Suzanne Fields, prominently used the phrase to attempt to discredit various politicians and the Democratic Party (United States) by casting non-theism in a strongly negative light. March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (72nd in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... Suzanne Fields is an nationally syndicated Op-ed columnist that works for Creators Syndicate. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ...

See also

• Irreligion
• White Anglo-Saxon Protestant
• Faith and rationality
• Conscience

This section does not cite its references or sources. ... WASP is a term used in the United States derived from an acronym for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. ... Faith and rationality are two modes of belief which are seen to exist in varying degrees of conflict or compatibility. ... Conscience is a faculty or sense that leads to feelings of remorse when we do things that go against our moral values, or which informs our moral judgment before performing such an action. ...

External links

• Atheists in Foxholes Veteran's Day event, sponsored by American Atheists.
• Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers
• A Candle in the Dark
• "I was an Atheist in a Foxhole"
• The Freedom From Religion Foundation page on Atheists in Foxholes
• Article challenging Suzanne Fields' The Washington Times "atheist in foxholes" piece