"the foxholes" being those of WWII, which was going on when this phrase was popularized. Attributed sometimes to Douglas McArthur, but c.f. "There are no athiests in foxholes", which was said by William T. Cummings.

Interpretation of the phrase varies depending on the speaker, however it is generally used to point out people's inconstancy in their beliefs.

I don't see that praying, as an atheist, in a foxhole, has anything to do with the solidity or constancy of your beliefs. I would think that if I was in a foxhole under fire, I would do absolutely anything that might even conceivably improve my chance of getting my ass out alive. Even if you don't believe there is a God, hedging bets doesn't sound like a bad idea. If there is a God, and She won't listen due to your previous behavior, then either She's a petty God or She simply won't listen, that's all; but faced with death, the chance that maybe She would listen anyway is worth it.

Theists might use this phrase to suggest that atheists aren't sincere in their beliefs. When it's time to face the final curtain, vehement atheists will recant their beliefs and admit that a benevolent deity (or deities) exist...or so goes the line of reasoning. "There are no atheists in foxholes" is usually said with a humorous voice inflection.

Unfortunately for the newly-converted soldiers and the more seasoned theists trapped in such horrible situations, they soon find out that there are no gods in foxholes either.

"'There are no atheists in foxholes' isn't an argument against atheism; it's an argument against foxholes."

                                                                                                                          -- James Morrow

 

 

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I have quite rightly been admonished by karma debt for simply presenting  this quote verbatim, by itself, in my original write-up.  I have to confess, I did it deliberately to see if I could get away with it; when I first heard the quote it was completely without context, and I was quite taken by the unqualified wit of it.  Still, I duly present for your pleasure what little I have to say about the man and the sentiment...

 

This quote is originally found in James Morrow's 1994 novel Towing Jehovah - the first part of the Godhead trilogy.  The (quite intriguing) premise of the book is that the two mile long corpse of God is found floating in the Atlantic Ocean, proving simultaneously that God did exist, and that God is dead.  The plot centres around a Vatican-sponsored mission to tow the corpse to the Arctic, and the efforts of a group of atheists to stop them and destroy the corpse.  In the book, Morrow explores what it means to speak of morality in the absence of God.

In the book, the line in question is spoken by Cassie Fowler, the instigator of the atheist plot to cover up the discovery of God.  It was later recalled by Morrow in a 2001 interview where he was asked which of all the lines he has ever written he was most proud of and best encapsulated his world view.  Morrow himself is a humanist, and the bulk of his work is satire aimed at the furthest extremes of both organised religion and hard-line atheism.

Whilst I wouldn't presume to know the thought process that went into Morrow's writing of this line, it seems to centre on the idea that beliefs that are held under duress, or in situations of extreme pressure, are not the kinds of beliefs around which we should centre our worldview.  If someone who has been a lifelong atheist on the basis of reasoned consideration of the evidence available to them decides to start offering up prayers because they're under fire, the likelihood is not that they were misguided during their cool and calm considerations, but that, in a state of panic, they've simply thrown their common sense out the window.

As The Custodian points out, even the atheist might want to hedge their bets and start praying, just on the off chance that someone up there is listening.  But then, of course, there's the question of just which god exactly one should start praying to.  From what I hear, they tend to be a jealous bunch.