Tacky, yes - and also in violation of US policy for soldiers on duty.

That said, the predictable Islamic hollering that ensued makes your typical evangelist shenanigans look downright dignified.

Song starts at 1 min 37 seconds, best sound I could find on Youtube

Motley Crue - Helter Skelter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBMMCClIgTc

Any one who is an idol worshiper is an idiot, and my enemy to heal .....

It amazes me how people can say that the U.S promotes Christianity too much and yet people like this still get charged.

The situation in  Iraq wasn't what I was talking about.

And why do you have the Columbine shooters in your avatar?

And that's something you totally shouldn't see psychologist for.

ProzacDeathWish , definitely a fun comedian. I like radicals! Go PDW .... don't punish, heal the religious crazies.

I don't think freedom of speech requires tastefulnesss. Take it or leave it.

Back to the Marine, he's lucky he didn't get himself and the rest of his squad killed handing out those things.

Show the TRUTH. Sweeping the ugly under the rug is a mistake. EXPOSE it , every dead mutilated soul of war and hate ..... AND NEVER FORGET the horrid sights .....

And how many Christians use a crucifix in their avatar?

It occurs to me that if Christ was real and had died 2000 years later, Christians would be walking around with miniature electric chairs dangling from their necks.

I'm assuming you think they should all see a shrink too.

Funny how fast the nut house fills up when you quit giving religion a free pass.

 Wholesome !  

Yeah Prozac,  A picture of godly Divine Religious Wisdom ....        And how many Muslims have the Xains recently murdered ?  .....  etc, back and forth ..... Can we be on the same side, why not ?   Sheezzzzzzzz  , ONE ONE ONE .....

    Then smart god took the said god man Jesus to heaven  instead of having him hang out and say "see, you can't kill me" ,  ETC ETC  ......   What a dumb god people believe in  .....  NUTS they are  .... embarrassing they are .... What excuse would the religious offer the aliens  ???    God damn it ,  sheezzzzzz   people  ..... FUCK , SHIT , christ all mighty, you idiot idol worshipers ..... PLEASE THINK .....

My God! You changed it for a picture of Pol Pot's cat? How could you? Have you no heart, man? Where is your sense of decency?

There's a difference between what the Christians would call 'A sacrifice' and a bunch of High Schoolers being slaughtered.

But back on topic, would you guys still be outraged if he was passing out Atheist material?

But I thought religion was causing turmoil in the Mid-East. Then wouldn't it be your moral duty to try to get as many people in Iraq to turn away from religion?

As a combat medic, a soldier, my moral and ethical duty was to minimize the risks and dangers that I and my fellow soldiers had to face. Pissing off the otherwise neutral locals, or giving the enemy propaganda fodder runs contrary to this imperative.

There is such a thing as picking one's battles. When one is up to ones ass in aligators, the ideal of draining the swamp may take second place...

LC >;-}>

I don't believe "converting" Muslims to atheism is the issue.   I would prefer to look at the issue from within a strictly military context.  Choices that are made should reflect what is most effective at bringing the conflict to and end.

Even as an atheist, my objection to this soldier's actions are based upon what will likely stir the pot and cause hostilities to increase.  To me it's like someone waving a red flag at a bull; their's nothing inherently wrong with red flags but to do so in front of an angry bull could bring about some very undesirable consequences.

Cpt_pineapple wrote:

What's amazing is that you can't see that even the promotion of religion (as useful as it might be) has to take a back seat to the prime objective...

Control/Stability in the region = pumping of an increasingly scarce resource (oil) = Power and control over resource & a much larger area = Power, $$ and more control over the whole planet.

Proselytizing U.S. soldiers will help achieve this objective.  Proselytizing the muslim population will not..............at THIS time.

Baby steps my man !  With suicide bombings and insurgents blowing shit up, this ain't the time. 

Don't you worry none.  The "conquerors" are sure to replace the gods of the conquered w/ their OWN god(s) soon enough.

Control by fantasy can be as useful (or far more) than control by an RPG.

What, are you new ?

The issue is, does one inflame an already tense situation?

You cute little allusions to our supposed 'hypocracy' aside.

Would it be wonderful to 'miraculously' remove ALL religion from the middle eastern equation, and Iraq in particular?

Yes, then all they'd have to kill each other over is "your grand-dad shot my grand dad back in 58' ", that and issues of tribal lands and oh yes... the fact that WE as invaders have killed 10's of thousands of THEM...

LC >;-}>

Oh and pardon me, as it has recently come to my attention that I am unable to articulate a point and must allude to it. My deepest apologies

Can we please drop the whole damn avatar thing ? 

I removed the avatar even though I didn't have to, I tried to respond in a calm, measured fashion and yet I'm being patronized by you as if I were a naughty boy.

The picture has been down for hours and yet I'm still being lectured by my "critics".   

What the hell do you want from me ?

( ps, please feel free to have the last word.... I'm bailing out of this thread. )

No. As atheists, we understand that would be an impossible task. But it's actually far more efficient to let warring religions decimate each other. We get what we want without firing a shot.

Please show me your realistic outline for stamping out the zealous religious beliefs of over a billion people that includes getting them to cooperate w/ you.  Oh, and preventing all of them from declaring holy war against you.

Oh, and be sure to use stamping methods that cannot be "also" applied to the zealous religious beliefs that your own home country shamelessly proselytizes with. 

I repeat.  Are you new ?

I also found your folksy, down home, pearl of wisdom rather culture-phobic.  From hereafter, please use, "tent flap" and "camel" .....kthanks !!

So let as many people die as possible as opposed to at least putting in a legitimate effort to cease tensions?

The next thing you're going to say is that atheists are responsible for Middle East violence!

If you've been paying attention to the news for the last, oh, 40 years or so, you'll have noticed that there have been several legitimate efforts to cease tensions in the Middle East, including a couple by Norway, my country of origin and a largely atheist nation.

But apparently, the residents of the Middle East can't seem to get over their differences of opinion with regard to whose sky-daddy has a bigger penis.

I oversimplify, but that's essentially the gist of it. We can play the whole who's guilty by reason of inaction game all day, but at least our inaction is a result of a rational assessment of the situation. Unlike that Marine, who just thought his sky-daddy was better than theirs.