Atheist Police Officers ?

[IIDBCAN]

As an atheist Police Officer who feels very much alone sometimes I was wondering how many other officers are atheists also?

Recently I read a letter to the editor in a police publication saying how there would be no reason to obey the law if not for god. Needless to say I wrote a very strong letter back of my own. To date my reply has not been published.

[SaguaroJen]

A neighbor of mine is an atheist officer, I used to date an atheist officer, and my brother is an atheist highway patrol officer. Two of the three are officers AND gentlemen.

Too bad about your letter. Don't let it stop you from writing others.

[Alludium Fozdex]

Originally Posted by IIDBCAN

Recently I read a letter to the editor in a police publication saying how there would be no reason to obey the law if not for god. Needless to say I wrote a very strong letter back of my own. To date my reply has not been published.

One supposes that letter writer doesn't consider "avoiding getting a foot in the ass from law enforcement" to be a valid reason for obeying the law...

[Iacchus]

I don't remember if I read this in the Bible somewhere or, if it was something one of our founding fathers said ... "If man does not find God, he will be ruled by tyrants."

[Gawen]

I'm not sure where to put this because it does not go in this forum. IIDBCAN, what is it you wish to talk about? Atheist cops or morality?

[Atheos]

Moving from EoG to Secular Lifestyle

Originally Posted by IIDBCAN

As an atheist Police Officer who feels very much alone sometimes I was wondering how many other officers are atheists also?

Recently I read a letter to the editor in a police publication saying how there would be no reason to obey the law if not for god. Needless to say I wrote a very strong letter back of my own. To date my reply has not been published.

You may want to point these people to Kohlberg's stages of moral development:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlberg's_stages_of_moral_development

It sounds like the theist that wrote the letter you read recently is operating on the lowest stage. Not surprising.. many theists I know never get out of the first or second stages.

[Merzbow42]

I'd think atheist police officers would be valued since they have no illusions about going to a happy place post-death. Thus, more likely not to behave recklessly and get them and their partner shot up.

[zorq]

On the other hand, a theist might argue that Atheist officers have no fear of ending up in some fiery place after they die and so might be more willing to behave "immorally" while on duty.

[ashe]

Originally Posted by Iacchus

I don't remember if I read this in the Bible somewhere or, if it was something one of our founding fathers said ... "If man does not find God, he will be ruled by tyrants."

God is probably a fiction created by tyrants, the better to rule men viz Roman state religion, Hinduism, etc

[Steve Schlicht]

Originally Posted by IIDBCAN

As an atheist Police Officer who feels very much alone sometimes I was wondering how many other officers are atheists also?

Recently I read a letter to the editor in a police publication saying how there would be no reason to obey the law if not for god. Needless to say I wrote a very strong letter back of my own. To date my reply has not been published.

I'm an atheist and a police officer.

I've been fairly vocal in my refutation of theistic misperceptions and false accusations regarding atheism/atheists in general over the years. My experiences have been "overall" positive and non-hostile. I even discovered two other atheist officers I had been working with for years and never had the topic come up.

There are couple of retired cops here at IIDB and I've run into one or two at some other sites.

I recently met another Canadian cop over at RDF:

Bob Russell

My own views regarding your OP are expressed there, however, for those avoiding external links I'll repost it here:

Originally Posted by me

After 12 years in investigations specializing in violent crimes, to include infanticide, I have come to the conclusion that there is a tendency for many officers to anesthetize themselves mentally against the trauma, brutality and horror they so often witness.

There simply isn't much left to the imagination in our line of work and it certainly is possible that officers choose to delude themselves into believing in things without evidence in order to assign some "meaning" to murder as a part of some ultimately beneficial "plan".

It has been my experience that people need to find meaning in even the most ambiguous of events and are not beneath making it up if it comforts them.

Of course, it is in my job description to bring them the evidence that provides meaning and closure. However, even providing the most meticulously completed case file may not bring them the answers they want and so they turn elsewhere aka "the plan" for an easy out.

Further, given some judiciary failings on earth it can be comforting to ponder a supernatural posthumous justice system that keeps perpetual score and metes out punishment to those perceived to be monsters in this one life.

Added into the equation the abundant ego-pandering that many religious adherents indulge in by asserting that they are acting as the personally chosen agents of the "superhero-creator-of-all-things" and the low numbers of vocal atheist police officers becomes rather understandable.

It can also be argued rather successfully that it may not be helpful to victims of crime to refute their religious delusions under such circumstances regardless of the actual facts and circumstances in reality.

That particular issue would be a great topic for a new thread so that arguments pro and con can be addressed.

Feel free to PM and/or email me if you ever want to share insight/stories, IIDBCAN...it certainly isn't easy being a minority within a minority, I can tell you that.

Steve

[Steve Schlicht]

By the way, what publication was it?

[Steve Schlicht]

Here's another related thread:

Atheist police officers

Take care and keep in touch.

[Jack the Bodiless]

...there would be no reason to obey the law if not for god.

It seems especially ironic for a police officer to write this. What reason does a god provide for obeying the law? Only (imaginary) punishment if you disobey. All of the more altruistic reasons for obeying the law (respect for human rights etc) are essentially secular in nature: God merely adds a "policeman in the sky" to the mix.

So, if there's no reason to obey the law without God: this guy is arguing that ordinary human policemen either don't exist or are completely ineffectual.

Maybe he should resign.

[Steve Schlicht]

Originally Posted by Jack the Bodiless

So, if there's no reason to obey the law without God: this guy is arguing that ordinary human policemen either don't exist or are completely ineffectual.

Maybe he should resign.

It's really worse than that.

What the statement implies is that if God exists then He is the only judge, jury and executioner and anyone promoting/enforcing human law is, in effect, pro-actively interfering with God's will.

Also, since there is a purported "after-life" judicial system that metes out punishment/rewards then our human court system is an injustice by default as it applies punishments that supersede God's court.

Accepting the dogma that "God" is the only arbiter in the universe explicitly indicates that any judgment and punishment from any other being is heresy.

That most cultures continue to mete out judgments and punishments in this mortal world, in my view, really exposes the lack of confidence in posthumous and supernatural claims.

[Zebulon]

Originally Posted by Steve Schlicht

That most cultures continue to mete out judgments and punishments in this mortal world, in my view, really exposes the lack of confidence in posthumous and supernatural claims.

It is worse than that; some people really believe that they have divinely-delegated authority to exercise power. What better excuse to commit atrocities than, "I'm doing God's will".

[Confused]

Originally Posted by IIDBCAN

As an atheist Police Officer who feels very much alone sometimes I was wondering how many other officers are atheists also?

Recently I read a letter to the editor in a police publication saying how there would be no reason to obey the law if not for god. Needless to say I wrote a very strong letter back of my own. To date my reply has not been published.

i hope you're not surprised by this

[InFlames]

Just discovered this thread. I'm an atheist police officer (Nassau PD) from Long Island, NY. It's kind of easy where I am though as any serious mention of "God" or "Jesus" usually puts most people off.

[dragoon]

I simply can't understand how a guy can be a cop and and an atheist.

I mean, with all that you guys see, how else can you explain all the hundreds of people killed by demons and malevolent ghosts and such?
How else do the police explain all those people that are turned into pillars of salt or all the children torn apart by bears every year?
Why just the other day, I was downtown and two cops were confronting a raving, shouting, naked guy in a parking lot (true story (to this point)) who was obviously under demonic possession and if it wouldn't have been for the cops' training in exorcism, things might have gotten ugly.
Finally, let me ask you this, just how in the name of goodness would you be able to solve most murders or find any missing persons if it weren't for all the help you get from psychos -- I mean psychics in touch with supernatural powers?

Huh??

Well, tell me?!?




(Just for large fraction of the "sarcastically challanged" here at IIDB, I am being facetious.)

[InFlames]

Yea, it's pretty tough sometimes! My Dept. is actually trying a new program where a sworn psychic medium will be partnered with every cop on patrol. This will eliminate the need to ask any questions and streamline the whole process. "Sir, my psychic states that you were doing 63 in a 30mph zone."

[MrFungus420]

Originally Posted by InFlames

Yea, it's pretty tough sometimes! My Dept. is actually trying a new program where a sworn psychic medium will be partnered with every cop on patrol. This will eliminate the need to ask any questions and streamline the whole process. "Sir, my psychic states that you were doing 63 in a 30mph zone."

Get your department heads to watch "Psych". Maybe it will help them get a clue...

[dragoon]

Originally Posted by InFlames

Yea, it's pretty tough sometimes! My Dept. is actually trying a new program where a sworn psychic medium will be partnered with every cop on patrol. This will eliminate the need to ask any questions and streamline the whole process. "Sir, my psychic states that you were doing 63 in a 30mph zone."

The really depressing thing is that there are just too many people (like my nieces) who would all too readily believe this stuff.

Now, having said that, in a way, if the "believers" could be readily identified at the time of arrest, it would make it much easier to get them to admit their guilt. Now that I think about it, a 75 to 80% conviction rate based on this process wouldn't be a bad thing, not a bad thing at all.

Originally Posted by MrFungus420

Get your department heads to watch "Psych". Maybe it will help them get a clue...

Oh lord, does this mean there is yet another "Ghost Whisperer" spin-off? Back when I was a kid and our black and white "crystal detector" TV sets were the latest technology, shows like The Twilight Zone were understood by everybody as pure entertainment and exercises in creative writing. There was nothing I can remember (except overtly religious shows) that blended gross superstitions with secular daily life. Now it seems there is no base superstition that producers won't pander to in order to attract a viewership to their mind-numbing commercials.

[dirkduck]

Originally Posted by dragoon

Oh lord, does this mean there is yet another "Ghost Whisperer" spin-off? Back when I was a kid and our black and white "crystal detector" TV sets were the latest technology, shows like The Twilight Zone were understood by everybody as pure entertainment and exercises in creative writing. There was nothing I can remember (except overtly religious shows) that blended gross superstitions with secular daily life. Now it seems there is no base superstition that producers won't pander to in order to attract a viewership to their mind-numbing commercials.

I've never seen "Psych," but from what I remember vaguely from advertisements a long time ago was that the character that is "psychic" really isn't, but has to act like he is in order to get other people to believe him.
...Or I may be thinking of something else/making that up

[ashe]

lol, I almost replied to this thread to say exactly the same thing I said one year ago... fortunately I noticed my own post in time.

[J-D]

Originally Posted by Iacchus

I don't remember if I read this in the Bible somewhere or, if it was something one of our founding fathers said ... "If man does not find God, he will be ruled by tyrants."

You're absolutely right. You don't remember reading it in the Bible, because it isn't in the Bible. And you don't remember its being something one of your founding fathers said, because it isn't something one of your founding fathers said.

The saying you are thinking of is probably 'Those people who are not governed by God will be ruled by tyrants', which is attributed to William Penn. But he was wrong in this instance.