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.”
why should atheist’s have more rights than Christians? I would think that MORE people would WANT to vow “So Help Me God” than not make that Vow-including muslims. Why would any military changes their Regs, to suit 1 small group of people?
Air Force You were wooses on this. Don’t mean to be ugly-but if the shoe fits, Cinderella, put it on.
military trying top be politicaly corect this is plain wrong
keep up this wimp attitude AFRAID TO DEFEND, POLITICALLY CORRECT C**P…..WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR BACKBONE…..my theory if you are such a weak ass that you are offended by everything…..STAY OFF MY PLAY GROUND…….
If they can’t say “so help me GOD” what can they be trusted with?
Then enlistees should refuse to say the oath. Why defend atheists?
Wrong!
Then don’t join the air force.
I wonder why the word God bothers them so much and the few that it bothers causes the majority to have to give in. The day ill come when you will need to call upon God. He is very much alive and if you don’t believe then it would just be a word
JUST WRONG!!!