No Atheists in Foxholes: Prayers and Reflections from the Front

I entered the Navy Chaplaincy in 1975, and served at OCS, with Marines in California, and on sea duty. When I went to Chaplain School, I was taught that as Chaplains we had one duty: To provide for our people. In some cases, such as general military counseling (I hate the Navy, I am having financial problems, etc), almost every Chaplain can do this; it is part of our seminary training, and living with our people in the same situations gives us that ability. But the real challenge was to provide for our people's religious needs. And here it got trickier. Obviously, there are many for whom we CAN provide directly for their needs. For others, our task was to connect the sailor or Marine with a Chaplain of his/her faith, or one close enough to help. Serving as a Chaplain in the military environment is difficult; not only pastorally, but in terms of one's own faith and dedication. It requires generosity of spirit and a willingness to welcome others with whom you disagree. As a Christian chaplain, when we deployed, I needed to make sure that my Jewish personnel had the items they needed, if possible, for Passover. As a Protestant Chaplain, I needed to make sure my Catholic personnel had what they needed, including finding a Lay Leader, and making sure he had the supplies he needed to lead them. This is what we were trained for in Chaplain School. In the last ten years, especially, too often this has changed. A new generation of military personnel and too many Chaplains, have latched on to the ideas that their "right" to proselytize all other personnel with their own brand of (usually "evangelical") Christianity takes precedence over everything else. As a result, the ability to pray inclusively, to support the rights of other faiths, and the rights of those of no faith, is being lost all too often. We have Christians, both Chaplains and lay people, often directly against military orders, trying to "witness" or "bring the Good news of Christ" to the Iraqis, for instance. At present the military is in turmoil over this issue. It is against this environment that Chaplain McLaughlin's book comes as a true glimmer of light. He goes to show that a Chaplain can keep his own integrity, not go against his own faith, and yet be open and welcoming to all those with whom he ministers. He can witness with integrity, and find ways of reaching out to young people, predominantly, who are dealing, perhaps for the first time, with ultimate questions, of life and death, of faith and hopelessness, of boredom and terror, of all the things that go into the lives of the military with whom he serves. This book should be required reading for all those who would enter the discussion concerning the roles of Chaplains and religion itself in the Armed Forces, beginning with the Secretary of Defense, and the leadership of the military, both civilian and uniformed personnel. The book is well written, and of excellent devotional material. It should be read slowl

Chaplains are pastors who risk their lives to give soldiers a spiritual shoulder to lean on in the crisis-filled area of the battle field. "No Atheists in Foxholes: Prayers and Reflections from the Front" is a collection of thoughts and reflections on the importance of religion in the Iraq conflict that rages on to this day. Telling stories of his times and offering poignant prayers, Chaplain McLaughlin tells a moving story of his times with his marines unit. "No Atheists in Foxholes" is a must for anyone who wishes to read about God in the Iraq conflict.

Reviewed by Gina Holland for RebeccasReads (6/08) When Patrick McLaughlin became the Chaplain for Camp David, he was excited and thrilled. He thought that would be the best thing that could ever happen in his life. When September 11th happened, he was watching his infant son sleep in his bed, and all he could think about was prayer and peace. Little did he know that he would soon be going to Iraq, where danger and death would be all around him. This book contains words, emails, letters and poems from his experiences in the military. I am sure that the Chaplain put this book together for us to be able to see and to read firsthand what goes on in that part of the world. As you read this you might cry, become angry, or even be amazed at some of the things that these soldiers go through. "No Atheists" was put together in a way that people can get an up close look at what goes on in the minds of these men and women who serve for us. We are also seeing it from the Chaplain's point-of-view as well. There is one particular story in this book that got to me. McLaughlin is there when a young Iraqi soldier, dying, is trying to be saved by the doctors there. All he can do is pray for this young man, and hope that he lives. But the young man dies anyway, despite all of the Chaplain's praying and the doctor's efforts. It's such a sad story. I know a lot of people would not feel bad for this soldier because he is working for the other side, but he is human after all. Another life lost because of this awful war. What human could not feel something for this young man? Even if he fights for the wrong side, I feel bad for him, and for every other young man that dies in war. The meaning of this memoir is very clear. It is wonderful, but sad. Read this and look into a world of chaos, destruction, and tragedy. It shows us that even men and women who do not believe in God, find themselves praying in time of need, when they think they are about to die, or when they might be praying for a friend or a fellow soldier. I loved all the poems and words of "No Atheists in Foxholes," and look forward to more books from McLaughlin.

Chaplain McLaughlin has shared his experience in Iraq with prayers and personal reflections that capture the human and spiritual aspects of combat. As a retired Army Chaplain, I am so grateful for this resource that other chaplains can use in their ministry to our nation's military personnel. This is an outstanding book that anyone who wants an insider's view of combat ought to read. Hooah!

Chaplain McLaughlin's book is an interesting and engaging collection of stories, reflections and prayers. It brings to light many interesting stories about the war in Iraq.... many are inspirational, many are sad, many are amazing .... it will cause you to examine your own life, and hopefully make you realize the price so many others pay for our freedoms.