After the group American Humanist Association threatened to sue the Air Force on behalf of an atheist Airman, the Air Force immediately removed the requirement to say ‘So Help Me God’ from their enlistment oath.
The Airman was denied re-enlistment after crossing the phrase off the oath on Aug. 25th, prompting the suit.
“We take any instance in which Airmen report concerns regarding religious freedom seriously,” said Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, Air Force Times reported Wednesday. The change in policy goes into effect immediately.
“We are pleased that the U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed our client has a First Amendment right to omit the reference to a supreme being in his reenlistment oath,” Monica Miller, an attorney with the AHA’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center, said in a statement Wednesday, Air Force Times reported. “We hope the Air Force will respect the constitutional rights of Atheists in the future.”
The Army, Navy and Marine Corps all give enlistees the option to say “so help me God.”
Art why would the Supreme Court not support the constitution over s branch of the military not abiding to its oath of defending the constitution .
You actually cave for one son of a bitch complaining. What a bunch of woosies…
This is so sad. I just don’t know where these people’s heads are today. They know this is wrong and yet they are doing it. It just tells me that they either don’t care about their country, or they don’t care about God, or both, which is very sad and sickening.
Gutless pusses
Yep… They caved because they figured out that the constitution also covered people defending the constitution.
Wimpy Air Force “leadership”. Bootlicking, gutless wonders!
NOPE, WRONG’
You are all unaware zealots. I serve and I’m an Atheist, why is that an issue? Just because I don’t believe in god doesn’t mean I have no moral compass or that I don’t love my country. If it’s not a big deal to “just say it,” why is it such a big deal to not say it?
there are no atheists in a foxhole or if a planes gonna crash put “So Help Me God ” back in NOW!!!!
Levon the big deal is you don’t believe what they believe so they want to put a boot on your throat.