Christians need to back off of atheists on a number of different areas, one of them being foxholes. The military needs to be a melting pot of different ideas if it is going to adapt and survive, and that includes religion as well. Atheists should not be looked down on because they approach things from a different direction than their Christian brethren, and that should not be happening.
Atheists approach death different from their religious brethren. While most of their religious brethren believe in some form of life after death, be it Heaven, reincarnation, or some mixture of the two, or even something different, an atheist tends to approach death nihilistically or head on. Some live their life as if any day could be their last, with the ideal that no one will forget them when they are gone. Others dread each day because it could be their last, but still wanting to ensure that their lives meant something. This means that while some charge straight in, others tend to be more cautious. Both approaches tend to be good for the military.
A gung-ho attitude properly leavened with caution is not necessarily a bad attitude. A soldier, especially the lower ranks, needs to be able to head into danger; sometimes the battle takes then into danger. You need to be able to charge when needed, and someone who is not worried about a higher power but instead his own morality is sometimes able to go where no one else can. Atheists tend to be passionate about what they do, and sometimes that passion is needed on the battlefield.
Even in the higher echelons that passion can be well-used, as it provides the necessary passion to focus on the job and to persevere no matter what. A leader should be passionate about what they do, as well as have clear-cut morals; an atheist who is willing to risk his life is scarier because he knows he only has one life to give, and he's going to make it count.
Of course, the more nihilistic need to be weeded out before they hit a leadership role just as the more fervorous religious do. They may be willing to sacrifice too much in order to get the job done, or even send good soldiers to die when there is no reason. However, just like all other types there are those that need to be weeded out as the majority serve and serve well.We need to value them just as much as their religious brethren in arms.
Atheists approach death different from their religious brethren. While most of their religious brethren believe in some form of life after death, be it Heaven, reincarnation, or some mixture of the two, or even something different, an atheist tends to approach death nihilistically or head on. Some live their life as if any day could be their last, with the ideal that no one will forget them when they are gone. Others dread each day because it could be their last, but still wanting to ensure that their lives meant something. This means that while some charge straight in, others tend to be more cautious. Both approaches tend to be good for the military.
A gung-ho attitude properly leavened with caution is not necessarily a bad attitude. A soldier, especially the lower ranks, needs to be able to head into danger; sometimes the battle takes then into danger. You need to be able to charge when needed, and someone who is not worried about a higher power but instead his own morality is sometimes able to go where no one else can. Atheists tend to be passionate about what they do, and sometimes that passion is needed on the battlefield.
Even in the higher echelons that passion can be well-used, as it provides the necessary passion to focus on the job and to persevere no matter what. A leader should be passionate about what they do, as well as have clear-cut morals; an atheist who is willing to risk his life is scarier because he knows he only has one life to give, and he's going to make it count.
Of course, the more nihilistic need to be weeded out before they hit a leadership role just as the more fervorous religious do. They may be willing to sacrifice too much in order to get the job done, or even send good soldiers to die when there is no reason. However, just like all other types there are those that need to be weeded out as the majority serve and serve well.We need to value them just as much as their religious brethren in arms.
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