Tag Archives: david niose

Atheists Attack Military Bibles, DoD Defends

The American Humanist Association claims it wants to support religious freedom when it demands an atheist chaplain. Simultaneously, it is threatening “legal action” because camouflage Bibles are available at a military inprocessing station for the Missouri National Guard.

The…recruitment center for the National Guard as well as other military offices…exhibited and offered camouflage-covered Bibles free of charge to recruits enlisting in the National Guard…The letter was sent on behalf of an anonymous recruit who felt that the government was impermissibly endorsing the Bibles and coercing recruits to take them…

The letter demands that the government immediately cease its practice of offering Bibles to National Guard recruits and remove any biblical literature from its possession.

The person who complained was a member of Read more

Military Atheist Chaplain Amendment Fails

Most popular press covered the religious freedom portions of the controversies surrounding the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act.  Another interesting conversation, though, occurred with an official attempt by Congress to mandate atheist chaplains.

Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) offered the amendment to the [NDAA]. The amendment would have allowed humanists and other nonbelievers join the Chaplain Corps.

(The topic of atheist chaplains has come up many times before.)  Polis said atheists were “denied” a “right” because they could not “confide in an adviser who is not a mental health professional.”  The amendment was defeated, according to some reports, because it was “absurd.”  (This was actually the second Read more

Jason Torpy Praises, Criticizes Military’s Support for Atheists

Despite Chris Rodda’s claim that highlighting the US military’s support for all of its troops — including atheists — is somehow bad, Jason Torpy of the one-man Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers recently praised Fort Bragg for doing just that:

Ft Bragg chaplains showed openness to nontheists in allowing the [Niose] event at Watters Family Life Center on Ft Bragg. This is a positive step forward, showing openness from the chaplaincy and community-building by the local humanist community.

While it undermines the MRFF narrative that the US military is a coercive Christian complex, it remains true that the military supports all of its servicemembers, without regard to religious belief, to the extent the mission and resources allow.

Unfortunately, Torpy went beyond that topic and attempted Read more

American Humanist Association President to Speak at Fort Bragg

The article below is a guest submission from NoKoolAidZone:

Central North Carolina Atheists and Humanists, a Fayetteville, North Carolina based secular organization that is a chapter of the American Humanist Association, have laid the groundwork for a speaking engagement on Fort Bragg.  David Niose, the president of American Humanist Association will be speaking in support of his current book, Non-Believer Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans.  Mr. Niose will be speaking at the Watters Family Life Center on September 22nd, at 12 PM, or to the military members who will show up 1200 hours.  This speaking engagement, while organized by CNCAH was given life with the approval of the Fort Bragg Chaplaincy since the Watters center is Read more