An interesting aside: Years ago, I was in Miami when the Cubans were flooding in and and there was some tension. I have kind of olive skin so when I was walking in downtown Miami a street preacher said to me "why don't you go back where you came from?" I laughed because, of course, that would be Indianapolis. I was born a Hoosier. And proud of it.
To me, the God and Country thing gets out of hand occasionally. They are not the same thing. Not even close. There are God loving folks all over the world and there are USA loving people right here who don't believe in God. That's one of the reasons I love my country so much.
James Coffin, the executive director of the Interfaith Council of Central Florida wrote a letter to the editor this weekend. His concern was for an atheist airman at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada who recently wasn't allowed to re-enlist because he refused to sign an oath containing the phrase "so help me God." He was encouraged to "just sign it" but, apparently he had too much integrity to do that.
I agree with James Coffin that having to sign this document is wrong and not what this country is about. And I agree with the guy who wrote a review of the new "Left Behind" movie who said those of us who don't quite get the Rapture thing should appreciate having a pilot who's an atheist.
***
