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.”
Disgraceful
Put it back!!!!!
I would like to know who the JACKASS was that came up with this UN AMERICAN thought ?? who ever it was should be charged as a TRATOR. this is AMERICA the U. S. AIRFORCE is AMERICAN, not a muslim or an ATHEIST airforce, GOD HELP US ALL IF IT WAS. PUT SO HELP ME GOD back in the OATH. we need it more now than we have ever need it.
Good-bye America……..hello Muslim Brootherhood America!
Those that won’t take the pledge should be thrown out.
The thing is, there are atheists. There are folks of other religions. To the Atheist, it sounds like “so help me, Mickey Mouse,” and to the Buddhist, it sounds like “so help me, Allah”. The oath is made a joke to them in that moment, when it would be very serious otherwise.
Unless you want to amend in an established federal religion, it’s pretty dumb to have anything religious in government. For reasons like above.
Some people choose HELL!
One airman caused a change in a procedure hundreds of years old? stupid
@james per your logic that ‘tradition should not change’ , the US would still be British.. because it was British to begin with. Not ‘Murikan.
@Richard threatening an atheist or an individual of a different faith with hell, is empty. It’s like threatening an adult that they’ll get coal in their Christmas stocking. It is empty, and ends up sounding silly. Imagine a follower of Zeus threatening you with the risk of being zapped with a lightning bolt. It is silly.