I've met many veterans of several wars who said they couldn't have made it without the belief in a God?

Question

I've met a large amount of military veterans, from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, etc who've said they couldn't have made it through the wars without belief in God. They've told me that while in their foxholes or while in a prison cell they couldn't not believe in God. One of them told me that they had a friend who told him after an enemy military barrage "I've converted." And the veteran I spoke to asked the guy, "Oh yeah? What religion did you convert to?" He said "All of them." Of course it was a joke, but it shows that humans in their worst states and literally going through what is hell on Earth have to have a belief in something. To those of us here who are just for the most part everyday people who aren't hidden in a foxhole, or aren't dying from hunger, or aren't being shot at- religion is not a necessity. But it certainly seems to be for people going through awfully difficult times.

What do you guys think? Agree or disagree? Why or why not?

Answer 1

I don't agree that religion is only necessary if you are faced with death. Being faced with death tends to make you introspective. But everyone has a belief system of some-kind, even it it is to NOT believe in God.

Answer 2

Disagree. I have been at death's door and was scared but in my panic, at no point did I expect a god/dess of any kind to help out...I wanted the people who were trained in medical stuff to.

I had to take my son into the hospital once on an unrelated trip and since I didn't know what was wrong, I was scared out of my mind. That was even scarier than before but again, I looked to professional medial staff, REAL people to help, not wishes to the imaginary.

Luckily it wasn't that big a deal, thanks to medicine, NOT belief in the imaginary which would have killed my son.



During the Black Plague, people prayed and still 1/3-1/2 of the population died.



Even though the Black Plague viruses still exist today, they are not a threat.

Answer 3

Yes I agree. Victor Frankl who went through the holocaust also wrote "man's search for meaning" in which he said that only those survived who thought that there was a higher purpose to it all.



I also find its necessary for me to know that there is a higher purpose to my life.

Answer 4

I think it could go either way. I came to a deeper understanding of God after war.



@δοτζο I am sure that, that organization is made up of people who have the lamest jobs in the service.

Answer 5

Tell that to MAAF, the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers. They'd disagree with you, I'm sure.

Answer 6

agree