Expert: Bob - 6/10/2004

Question
I believe we are all born athiest. At birth we know nothing of God and would never know if not for the legions of brain washed people that force religion on us.
It is amazing to me the amount people, that seem reasonably inteligent, but spend an enormous amount of time and energy propagating a myth. I live in the deep South, where the barrage of "in your face" religious fanatic's is relentless.
This is especialy true in our military. Being a civilian Air Force employee I am required to attend mandatory formations that become an inpromptu prayer group. A chaplan or a "holy memeber" of the group will start the function with a Christian prayer and we are all asked to bow our heads and pray. I have always felt this to be an insult to my inteligence and the people that perpetrate this activity to be arrogant and thoughtless. I have recently adopted a policy of not attending these functions and staying away from work related events that sponsor religious mantra. I am now becoming aware that my position on this subject will possibly put me in the "black sheep" catagory among my peer's at work. Aparently I am in a small minority of people that are annoyed by religious babbling nonsense.
Since I am alone in my Atheism at the job, I thought I would ask you, do you think I am overreacting by my position on prayer at the work place?  

Answer
Hi Karl,
 No, I do not think that you are overreacting. Personally I would attend an event even though I knew that a prayer service would take place, I would just not bow my head.
 In regard to work I have been in an almost identical situation. I spent 5 years on a submarine while in the Navy with a very religious Chief of the Boat. We were required, by order, to read the "Plan of the Day" every day. On the bottom of this sheet the Chief of the boat would add his own column that the command permitted called "The Religious Note of the Day" for almost a year I tried to get them to remove this or at least remove the order to read it to no avail. As a matter of last recourse I began to take a black magic marker and blacken out every Religious note of the day, on every Plan of the Day throughout the boat every single day that I was on board. At first it was put out by my command that whomever was doing this had better stop because they were defacing government property. In response, I came forward and admitted that I was not only doing this but that I would continue. As you can imagine it created quit an uproar within the command but I stuck by my guns and told them that I would have them in court quicker then they could say A. S. L. U.  if they did anything to try to stop me. So for the next 4 years, until they mothballed my sub, every day they would print a new "Religious Plan of the Day" and every day I would go around, as soon as it came out, and blacken it out.
 I think in your case as it was in mine, even though you may be in the minority, and those around you may not completely agree with you, you will find that you have more allies then you think. Hang in there, stick by your guns, and don't worry about it.

                           Bob

P.S. I also live in the South in a very rural community so I know exactly how arrogant they can be. If you need anything else please let me know.