FOLLOWING a major setback earlier this year, a planned festival for non-believing service personnel at one of America’s biggest military bases has been given official clearance, and will take place next spring.
Organisers planned to stage the Rock Beyond Belief event this year at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, but cancelled after saying Bragg leadership was not providing the same support it gave to an evangelical Christian concert last fall.
Supporters hailed the Army’s decision.
Said Sgt Justin Griffith, main organiser of the event and the military director of American Atheists:
You know those goosebumps you get when your favorite song hits that sweet spot? I got those. I was overcome with joy and a sense of vindication.
The plan is to hold the event on March 31 at the main parade field at Fort Bragg, where the Christian-themed Rock the Fort concert had been held. Prominent atheist Richard Dawkins is scheduled to appear, along with musicians, speakers and other entertainment.
Griffith added:
This just might be the turning point in our struggle for acceptance … I get letters daily from service members asking for advice on how to ‘do something like what’s going on at Fort Bragg’.
The initial Rock Beyond Belief concert was scheduled to take place in April, but Griffith called it off after saying Bragg leadership wasn’t offering the same support it had given to the Christian event, which Bragg leaders denied. There were disagreements over the venue, the potential size of the crowd and promotional materials, but especially on the subject of funding.
Bragg, home to the US Army Airborne and Special Forces, is one of the military’s largest bases. It has about 58,000 uniformed military personnel and roughly 13,000 civilian workers. The surrounding community, like much of North Carolina, is home to countless churches, including some with dedicated military ministries and pastors who participated in the Rock the Fort event.
The Army’s decision to allow Rock Beyond Belief shouldn’t be seen as threatening to religious belief, said Mikey Weinstein, President of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which had promised to file a lawsuit if the concert wasn’t allowed to go ahead.
It’s not a victory for atheism or agnosticism over any type of religion, it’s a victory for the Constitution.
Rock Beyond Belief has a Facebook presence here.
Hat tip: Adam Tjaavk
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
August 11th, 2011 at 1:06 pm
That is great news. If the expression of free expression is not allowed, then what is the freedom that all these thousands of military are supposed to be defending. Until this welcome decison was announced it was looking as if billions of dollars were being expended to enable religious bigots to spew their bigotry.
August 11th, 2011 at 1:46 pm
This is a really good outcome.
And so’s this other snippet of news from the US military. (Well, Bill Donohue is irate about it. Which kind of tells you all you need to know!)
http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=2201
August 11th, 2011 at 2:34 pm
@AgentCormac Thank you for the link. I couldn’t help but send an email to the station commander thanking him for trying to keep religious nuts off his base and out of his classrooms.
August 11th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
AgentCormac/Newspaniard: Thanks for the link and the idea of writing to General Rice. I wrote as well. I sent the following:
Dear General Rice,
I write, from the UK, in support of your stopping this class. I know, from visits to the USA, that you are likely to meet antagonism from the more extreme adherents to the Christian faith. Indeed, you have already heard from one: Bill Donohue. Unfortunately, he has replaced abuse -”anti-religious zealot”- with reasoned discussion.
Well, like Mr. Donohue, I too have served in the military (Royal Artillery in my case) and I am dismayed at the way supposed Christian principles are perverted into supporting war. The world is changing and certainly so must the roles and philosophies of both the USA and the UK. Your decision is grounded in reality and if we do not adjust ourselves the world will very soon provide a reality check.
With all good wishes.
I suppose General Rice will hear plenty from enraged Christians so I think a bit of support, even from the UK, will not go amiss.
August 11th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
It seems to me that this is a very good strategy, because it forces the American government to recognize atheists as equals. The next step will be humanist chaplains.
August 11th, 2011 at 3:20 pm
I’m a former US marine, by the way.
August 11th, 2011 at 9:09 pm
Thanks for the link, AgentCormac.
Dear Mr Rice,
Having just read the letter that Mr Donohue has written to you, I sincerely hope that you immediately put it in its proper place and had it incinerated once the cleaners had been round.
I’m a former guest on a TA day out btw. ;-D
Hope the concerts a good one!
August 11th, 2011 at 10:11 pm
It still sounds far less interesting than Bloodstock or Hellfest.
August 12th, 2011 at 9:22 am
@stargraves: What about a Prayerfest? Would that interest you? I mention that because some C.of E. bishop (Sentenu maybe as he is a publicity hound and seems to have taken over from Rowan Williams as spokesperson for the C.of E.) was talking about a “Prayer Vigil” to deal with the rioters. This could be extended into a Prayerfest with prayers, hymns, laying off hands on the rioters if they can catch a few to make an example, bit of rock type music with dancing clergy to show they are “with it”.
August 12th, 2011 at 10:23 am
Hasn’t Rick Perry just had one of those, Broga?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worl.....-to-prayer
We’re all in trouble if this guy or Pailn get in next year.
August 12th, 2011 at 12:32 pm
AgentCormac: I noticed they didn’t go for the fasting bit. Selective as usual, these fundies. The nightmare ticket Perry and Palin. A couple of inadequates with their finger on the nuclear button. This won’t stop our politicians, currently sporting their sun tans and saying sod all in Parliament, from playing the poodle to the USA.
Perry and Palin both seem to show signs of clinical insanity – or is it no longer possible to distinguish between that and religious belief.?
August 12th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
I thought they were one and the same thing, Broga.
August 12th, 2011 at 9:33 pm
@Broga The prayerfest should be renamed Prickfest.
At least the gatherings I mentioned achieve something – mass drunkenness and life-affirming levels of moshpit oriented fun.
http://www.bloodstock.uk.com/ and http://www.hellfest.fr/artistes.php
August 13th, 2011 at 7:22 pm
“Air Force Attacked by Religious Foes”? WTF?
So the ‘foes’ doing the attacking are religious, are they? FFS, if their command of their native language is so bad, speaks volumes about their power of reasoning, dunnit?