Hate to report the day after the 67th birthday of the US Air Force that air power has succumbed to the pressure of secular humanists. We originally reported on the “So help me God” assault to preclude members of the U.S. Air Force from being required to say the phrase during their enlistment oath. Just as a frame of reference, the head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation is Mikey Weinstein, an Air Force Academy graduate. Also, the Army, Navy and Marine Corps all give enlistees the option to say “so help me God.”
The Washington Times says “a legal review of rules that required the phrase occurred after the American Humanist Association threatened to sue on behalf of an atheist airman. The unnamed airman at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada was denied re-enlistment Aug. 25 after crossing the phrase out of the oath.
“We take any instance in which Airmen report concerns regarding religious freedom — atheism is not a religion — 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.”
Hmm, I thought the first amendment stated “Freedom of religion and the free exercise thereof” — so again, am I missing something? When did atheism become a religion? It seems this group has interpreted the First Amendment to say “freedom FROM religion” but then again where in stating “so help me God” is anyone being forced to support a religion?
Ya know what I find interesting? Why aren’t we hearing more about Washington Redskins QB Robert Griffin III being forced by the NFL to turn his t-shirt inside out? As Fox News reports, “a uniform inspector from the NFL reportedly told Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III that he could not wear his “Know Jesus, Know Peace” T-shirt during a Sunday post-game press conference. Michael Phillips, a reporter from The Richmond Times-Dispatch, posted on Twitter that an NFL uniform inspector made the quarterback, known as RG3, turn the shirt inside out before the press conference. The reason: it was not a Nike product, Phillips reported. CSN Washington reported that a Redskins spokesperson denied reports that RG3 was forced to flip the shirt by the NFL. The spokesperson said RG3 flipped the shirt on his own to avoid a possible fine. CSN cites NFL bylaws that state a player cannot wear clothing that sends a personal message on game days.” Unfortunately there was another player on the scene with a non-Nike t-shirt.
So, as we reported “so help me God” is part of U.S. statute but hey — what difference at this point does it make? I guess the NFL bylaws must be adhered to — or else — and in this case, no first amendment right of “Freedom of religion and the free exercise thereof”…or freedom of expression.
Maybe if ol’ Roger Goodell had more players wear a t-shirt like RG III there might be be less domestic abuse? Just sayin…
