Being a believer in a god is not a prerequisite for being an American soldier or an American hero. No matter race, gender or religion or lack thereof can determine whether or not an individual is unfit or ineligible for service.
On Sept. 24, Donald Trump tweeted a photo of Pat Tillman and that has brought out a certain type of person who loves to talk about “God and country.”
Tillman was a player in the NFL but after Sept. 11, 2001, he turned down a contract offer of $3.6 million over three years from the Cardinals to enlist in the U.S. Army. He later died on April 22, 2004, from friendly fire in Afghanistan.
He was an American soldier and an American hero. He was also an atheist.
The fact that he was an atheist should not lean negatively on your view of him. It should also not lean negatively on your view of his fidelity towards our freedom, our country and towards his patriotism.
If his atheism does lean negatively on your view, you know not what a true patriot is.
Matthew D. Hansen
Taylorsville