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.”
^*facepalms so hard at the retarded comments above* DONT MOST OF YOU REALIZE THAT THE USAF HAS NOW BEGUN RESPECTING INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS i.e. THE CONSTITUTION? THE 1ST AMENDMENT GIVES US THE RIGHT TO BELIEVE IN WHOMEVER WE WANT TO BELIEVE IN. “GOD” SHOULD NEVER BE FORCE FED TO ANYONE. I’M AN ATHEIST WHO BELIEVES IN NO GOD BUT MYSELF. I THINK FOR MYSELF AND DO FOR MYSELF.
Now boot him out of the service. He obviously can’t be relied upon to be a team player. He’ll do what he’s told and look cool in a uniform until someone gives him an order he doesn’t like and he will be wanting a lawyer. Boot him out now, before anyone has to “count on him” for anything…
THAT, AND TAKE OUT “UNDER GOD” OUT OF THE PLEDGE. SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE!
Mistake!
Stop giving in to atheists people if they don’t like god then move to iraq
This OFFENDS me.
bull c**p ,,,I was in AIRFORCE ROTC,IN HIGH SCHOOL THIS OFFENDS AS AN AMERICAN ….
They wont fight ?
thats why i joined the NAVY
You will regret this move