Because the people saying it are judgmental religious douchbags

Having been in a "foxhole" and been shot at, people in general start yelling "Oh god, oh jesus" etc. Truth is, there are atheists in foxholes.

What do you mean by 'FoxHoles'?

It implies that an athiest in a foxhole (during combat) would pray to God because of the extreme fear of death. So generally, it means that athiests believe in God, or at least want to deep down. The problem with this, of course, is that the aforementioned atheist is in an understandably unbalanced state of mind, to say the least. When someone is put into an insane situation, he is very likely to make irrational decisions. Therefore, the statement forms its desired conclusion from a warped premise.

It's one of those knee-jerk things that people say without really thinking about it.. I used to hear it all over the place and I distinctly remember arguing about it with a youth group leader long before I was actually an atheist.. because it's based on a false and condescending assumption. It's pretty much based on defining an atheist as someone who *denies* God or Jesus. There are stories that use this "denial" language that get kind of hammered into you in some denominations. A very specific story told in the bible in this regard is that of Simon Peter "denying Christ" three times on the night of his trial (before the cock crows). Basically since Jesus was on trial it seemed dangerous to admit to being not only one of his followers but one of his right-hand dudes, Peter must have thought it would be prudent to deny having anything to do with the whole thing. So when someone asked him if he knew that guy Jesus, he would say, "nope, never heard of him" (or the equivalent). After the third time Peter remembers that Jesus predicted this event, realizes that he's betrayed him, and feels like a jerk. Which, y'know, he should, because Jesus was his friend and mentor. Anyway, I repeat this story because the language of denial in this case is not denying the *existence* of something, but denial in the sense of "I don't know this person, I will not admit to having anything to do with this". A rejection. If you conceive of everyone as either accepting or "denying" Christianity, then the "no atheists in foxholes" story makes sense. It's the idea that atheists are mad at God and deny him because they don't want to accept his help or don't want to worship him or whatever reason. Or, come to think of it, because they're seduced by the secular world and don't want to admit to a connection with Jesus, that could be a rationale also. And so when you put that person in immediate danger, with bombs dropping on their head, they will in the face of death relent, because they know deep down that God will save them, or at least let them into heaven at the last minute. At least I think that's what the reasoning is. What people who make this argument need to understand is that atheists, or most athiests I know of anyway, are not Denying God in the sense of rejecting him, they are denying the *existence* of a god, in the sense that they feel/know all of the stories in the bible are just stories that people made up for whatever sociopolitical reasons, in the sense that a big-father-in-the-sky is completely imaginary. An atheist finds that all religions are equally false, or are simply cultural touchtones that people use to get through life but don't have a basis in actual, shared reality. It's totally possible for an atheist to become a religious person during the course of their lives and I think there are some folks like that around here, but the idea that in the face of danger ALL of them will get religion is totally false. It's never been reported to happen, and there's no reason why it ever would. Even if I knew I was about to die in the next few minutes, I would not suddenly become convinced that a particular religion is true just because I don't want to die, or because I'm afraid. If I could see a rope hanging down to me that I could climb out of danger, I would take it and climb, but I'm not going to jump at thin air and hope for the best. If I did I would be just as likely to jump at "OMG Vishnu will lead me to nirvana!" as "OMG Jesus died for my sins!" since they are equally irrational. Also if fear was an effective way to convert someone then all the fundamentalists running around would have scared religion into me long ago. Hasn't happened. ;) (Sorry I'm so longwinded. I'll end it here)

One organization, the Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers exists to support atheists in foxholes. The group, headed by a combat veteran and West Point graduate, is composed of, and run by, atheists in the military. On Veteran's Day 2005, MAAF and American Atheists hosted military atheists in a march on the Mall in Washington, D.C. In October of 2006, the Freedom From Religion Foundation gave Philip Paulson its first "Atheist in a Foxhole" award at its annual convention in San Francisco.

Sure, there might be an official group of atheists in foxholes, but when they are about to have their head blown off by a mortar or grenade, they are praying to someone!

Yes, with their heads in the bottom, trying to make themselves as small as possible as they mutter, "Oh, God...... Oh, God......."

Sure, I don't believe a true atheist is going to change in the face of imminent death.

I imagine that's where a lot of atheists are made.

No very concerned people who say their prayers that they may be spared from impending doom. Well, there are atheists everywhere while we're at it from the White House down to the factory.

Foxes have their holes and birds have their nests.

Probably..never having been in one in a foxhole with one, I don't know for sure. But life is full of dangerous situations and a confirmed Atheist isn't going to change his/her beliefs that easily. But of course I don't know for sure! :)

If I was in a fox hole there would be one!

That's part of the Christian mythinformation campaign

One reason people convert from Atheism is mortality. They are afraid of death, they want to believe it's not the end. I'm an atheist, I think all the time. I think people have religion because it could be sort of lonely, thinking that no matter how much you care the universe isn't going to listen to you. No matter how much you cry no supernatural force is going to come save you, humans are all alone. And maybe they want to think there's some sort of plan, some reason they're getting shot at and blown up? Maybe I can't make a good argument, having never been in a real foxhole myself.

This is a hillariously stupid pro-theism statement, because it actually goes to show the atheist's point: If in fact there are no atheists in foxholes (which is obviously an unfounded statement) - it would show that rapid religious conversion takes place, not through objective consideration, but through extreme stress and fear. "I converted BECAUSE I thought I was going to die, not because I read the Bible and decided that this makes sense"

Because they believe that, deep down, everyone is a theist, and will pray when push comes to shove (their life is in danger). I like the reverse quote, although no one seems to know to whom it should be attributed. "You will never find a dead Christian in a foxhole who didn't pray." (I'd extrapolate that to Theist instead of Christian.)

Because when death seems inevitable, almost all people pray.

Because when an Atheists is stuck in a foxhole we start saying things like "Jesus Christ get me outta this mess." "Oh God, that was close, please get me the hell outta here." We start praying our asses off. We don't actually start talking to God, but we go through the motions.

Because if they were in that situation,they would be shown as actually believing in God.See Darwin was going to school to be a pastor,but his daughter died and he grew to hate God.He truly believed in God.This wasn't something he grew to realize through research.He hated God,cause he was appauled that God would do this to him,that God had no right.If you read Romans 1:19-23,Paul shows there is actually no such thing as an atheist.They want admit that there is a God,but they know deep down there is.19,Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them;for God hath shown it unto them.20,For the invisible things of Him from creation of the world are clearly seen,being understood by the things that are made,even his eternal power and Godhead,so that they are without excuse;