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.”
Have you ever seen so many things being changed in our country after hundreds of years because one person decides that they don’t like how it’s done or they don’t believe in God?. I don’t like the IRS or the president or Congress. Are you going to change these things for my benefit??
If you feel you can’t live in a country that began by founding father’s with basic faith and belief in God which many do share that faith (and I believe this is the majority of American citizens and myself included) then don’t live here. If you are an atheist, then why do you fear mentioning God???
Without GOD there is no Protection….
They’ll put it back after the 2016 elections…
Just because they left it out dose not mean an individual has to.
so help me god
Pansies….that’s what America has become. Everybody is offended at everything. People have to change protocol because of whiners. FOR GOD & COUNTRY.
They fear God because they know deep down that GOD IS REAL and that one day they will have to admit that he is real when Jesus opens the book of life and their name is not written therein and Jesus tells them I KNEW YOU NOT.
now i dont understand why take the privilege away from others because of this atheist all he had to do was skip the part why penalize others
that is wrong should not cave in to any organization ever