How hard is it to be an atheist soldier?

Even at a Memorial Day parade, they can’t get respect…

Thesaintsrevenge was among other Foxhole Atheists marching in the Annville Memorial Day Parade 2011 in Pennsylvania. The PA Nonbelievers were there. So was Jason Torpy of the Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers (MAAF).

And some of the spectators were not happy to see them…

It gets particularly nasty at the 8:23 mark.

There’s also a telling exchange at the 9:42 mark, too:

Thesaintsrevenge: Support your atheists in foxholes! Lady: Sorry, we believe. Thesaintsrevenge: That’s ok, but support the veteran atheists, too! Lady: No. Thesaintsrevenge: No? Really? They give their life and you won’t support them? C’mon… Where’s the love?

As you can see from the video, shouts of “Support your atheists in foxholes!” were met with a lot of epithets and overall nastiness. These people don’t represent all Christians, obviously, but the fact that anyone serving in the military would get that sort of reaction from people who otherwise appreciate the troops? It’s pretty disgusting.

We can have a discussion about whether the atheists should have brought their children on the route with them or whether you think they were egging on the spectators, but none of that is an excuse for the way they were treated.



