...an increasingly vocal group of activists and soldiers—atheist soldiers—disagrees. "It's a denial of our contributions," says Master Sgt. Kathleen Johnson, who founded the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers and who will be deployed to Iraq this fall. "A lot of people manage to serve without having to call on a higher power."I found this part of the story strangely moving:
...an atheist symbol, which resembles an atom, is among the dozens of "approved emblems of belief" that can appear on the headstones of fallen soldiers in military cemeteries.With no belief in paradise,
They risk their lives with open eyes,
And do not waver.
Who is braver?
3 comments:
"With no belief in paradise,
They risk their lives with open eyes,
And do not waver."
Exactly! And that's why I have argued that a principled atheist is more moral than even the most virtuous religious man. The former is moral without expectation of reward; because it makes rational sense to live a moral life. The central motivation for an atheist to be moral lies in his own mind. The latter is moral in anticipation of reward in the after-life. His motivation for being moral lies outside of him... in some mystical super-natural being.
I think you're right. It's broader than bravery. It's about morality as not needing the carrot/stick of an afterlife!
Brilliant! The only religion is to be a good person who doesn't do or think of harm to others - within human limits. Utopian though it may sound, I do believe it.
Post a Comment