Atheists Want Guard to Stop Bible Handouts. What is your opinion?

My only questions are 1)Who paid for them? and 2)Who is being paid to give them to "everybody"? If my tax dollars are buying them and paying soldiers/sailors/airmen/marines to try and give them to everyone, then I expect equal billing for all religious texts. If privately funded and distributed, go to town, but no thank you, I don't need one.

Yeah it was a tradition to get the MWR Package before deployment containing the Gideon's Bible but it does kinda fly in the face of Separation of Church and State when the Military does Represent the "State". I think they have a Point. Maybe a compromise have Several "Holy Books" available and let the service member choose or not.

First off they are offering bibles. if you don't want one or don't believe in god then kindly say no thank you. People now days really need to grow thicker skins and stop looking for a mountain when its a mole hill. IMHO ok maybe not so humble lol

who cares, keep handing them out.

Bibles and other religions materials should always be available to Soldiers who want it.

The length of this conversation is the explanation as to why handing out any religious texts is a sub optimal course of action.

No free bibles, no issue. If you believe then you probably have a few of your own, if you do not, you may also have one or two.

So why hand one out? What purpose does it serve? The only one I can think of is the hope that a person will read it and come to believe. If that is the case then it is attempting conversion.

Then I think of the funds put into it, the number of holy books left behind or found years later in bags and tossed.

I support the atheist on this issue on purely fiscal grounds.

Personally, I just don't understand their objection to it. Iive lived most my life agnostic and I have no problem with people who believe in God. It's a personal thing, and why someone would want to deny someone their own belief is beyond me. There is nothing forcing them to pray or believe in any other way then what their conscience dictates. For many in the military away from home for the very first time in their lives, they need the comfort it seems to provide. We are asking our soldiers to do things no one else would ever ask of them and I say if the bible helps them get through the rough times, then more power to them.

As an atheist AND a RP3 I would like to throw my two cents in here...

Many atheists feel pressured when a handout like this is offered. Sometimes it is met with hostility and sometimes its a simple "no thank you". BUT A lot of it has to do with the tact of the person giving out the Bible and a lot of it has to do with the past experiences of the atheist. Chances are this is going to be a negative experience BECAUSE of one of those two factors.

However, Proselytizing is never ok in the military. The Religious Ministries Teams are here to facilitate, not convert. Much of the time when there is a backlash against a particular Chaplain or a particular event it is because it crosses this line.

This is not a cut and dry situation and the topic here really isn't fair. Not every atheist wants to stop the military from making religious literature available to those who want it, not every atheist is an asshole, and not every atheist wants to end religion.

Best case scenario for something like this? Equal time and equal space for every faith group. If MEPS or the Chapel (or wherever) has bibles out and available then, AT THE VERY LEAST, they should also cover each of the other faith groups that are covered by the Chaplain Corps. Christian, Jewish, Islam, Hindu, and Buddhist... and if they are feeling particularly awesome that day then they can put out secular and other minority religious books.

Otherwise... if you can't facilitate equally then they should not provide anything to anybody. Just my two cents.

I agree just dont take the Bible. I may not like cigarette smoke but am I going to not go into stores that sell cigarettes?? Then there would be no where to shopp!!