Are there no Atheists in the Foxholes?

 The average Jane is usually not in hand to hand combat with the enemy anymore, so there will probably not be any atheists in your fictitious foxhole. You are much more likely to communicate with an atheist in formation, at the barracks, on duty, performing PMCS on your vehicle, at training events or at your regular place of 9-5 duty. 

Two better questions when considering who you will be vulnerable with about your faith and beliefs with other battle buddies should be:

  1.        What is this soldier’s attitude towards Christianity? 
You will be spending a significant chunk of time with other soldiers so you need to make sure as much as it is in your power to keep good relationships with your baddle buddies, since you usually do not have a choice if you want to be around that other person or not.

  2.     Are they an actually an active atheist?

Firstly, 

you need to know the Soldier’s emotions about Christianity before you can begin to determine if their temperament towards your beliefs is something you want to give your time engaging or explaining. If the Soldier that inquires seems manipulative or aggressive or untrustworthy, use discernment and determine if actually going into religious beliefs and details is the best idea for a healthy long-term relationship with your battle buddy. Many Soldiers in the Army have experienced past hurts with Christians that have not been resolved and want to attack or take out their problems on you, since you affiliate with the overall arching Christian Community. You can be a source for hurt people to try and resolve past hurts.

Furthermore, you do not want to cause enmity with your battle buddies whom you work with constantly, so sometimes it is best for the unit and yourself if you avoid engaging with angry hurt people who have no intention of listening to you or caring about what you have to say. God does not call you to be a punching bag for someone else’s past bad hurts or poor experiences.

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Secondly,

Webster’s dictionary defines an atheist as: one who believes that God does not exist.

In my opinion, I don’t think most people do not think or believe that a God of some kind does not exist. Hence Webster’s dictionary definition of an agnostic: a person who does who does not have a definite belief about whether God exists or not.

I think most soldiers in your formation or unit could be more accurately defined as an agnostic. They’re not quite searching, but they are not quite ruling out the idea that a God could exist. I think most of them are waiting for someone to tell them or hoping they’ll figure it out on their own.

Most people are in search of a God. One who will be real and honest with them. God is not always this way. He works mysteriously and not based on our agenda for him. And we have to remember everyone is suffering. From the happiest E-9 to lowest and recently punished E-1. We are all looking for hope and sometimes you just have to let people get so far down low or high to realize they need God. God doesn’t need you to explain him to others. He’s got everything under control.

Besides most soldiers not having any preference or definitive answer on their religious beliefs, there are few and far between who practice ACTIVE Atheism. One reason is probably because it is hard to be active about something that does not exist. It would be like saying, “I’m going to actively worship my non-existent God.” Another reason is most soldiers have not researched Christianity and they just want to label themselves as an atheist so overbearing and overwhelming Christians will leave them alone.

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Like Christians, Atheists are looking for the same things, love, respect, support, and acceptance, etc. 

Hanging up the Uniform

Hanging up the UNIFORM

The NUMBER ONE QUESTION you’ll receive based on your decision (or lack there of) on exiting out of the Army will be:

"What do you plan on doing 

when you get out?"

The common answer will sound something like, 

“I plan on using my G.I. Bill” or

“I plan on living off my retirement paycheck and 

settling down in Florida.”

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One question you will not hear anyone ask you is:

"WHO ARE YOU now that you are 
NOT 
a Soldier anymore?"

The easy answer might be:

I’m a civilian. I’m a mother. I’m a daughter. 
BUT, these were more than likely roles you held before you joined. 

My question to you is, 

How are you going to replace the IDENTITY you had in the Army, since it nearly consumed your life, 24-7? 

Dr. Janet Crow, CFLE, at Baylor University, studies military families and the effects that war have on the family system. She noted in 2014, at the annual Texas Council on Family Relations in Fort Worth, that it takes approximately

TWO YEARS   for a service members, after transitioning out  of the military to regain their              

IDENTITY.

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The Army is letting 3,000 G.I.s 

go, narrowing the ranks to 

490,000 by the end of 2015

-USA Today by Gregg Zoroya, 25 Feb 14

Soldiers survive combat, then lose their jobs

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IDENTITY.

Colossians 3:10 - "You have put on the new self which is being renewed after the image of it's creator."

Christians may have an easier time figuring out their identity post-service than non-Christians based on the call that God places on the Christian’s life.

We are called to be like Christ. Show him to others by displaying him in our life. We are born as image bearers and this is where we find ultimate joy in Him.

However, when we join the Army we are being trained to have an identity and purpose as a Soldier. We learn the Soldier’s Creed, General Orders, The Army Core Values, etc. to operate in a way that the Army has deemed Soldiers are the most effective.

Overlap can occur between Christianity and the Army. For example, both are sacrificial, both can be worshipped, both have a community, both can consume, etc. This can cause identity problems for the thousands of Soldier's that will be existing the service in the next years and who have put their identity in the Army.

Since, we all fall short and are in the process of being renewed day by day we can find ourselves our identity in the Army instead of God’s.

 It's easy, because the Army is seen, gives your paycheck, has viewable accomplishments that give you praise from senior enlisted and officers, but if you put all your trust in the Army you will be let down.

But the Army identity will not give you the everlasting satisfaction that God gives when are in his Army. God's Soldier's don't lose their identity, because the uniform doesn't get taken off.