Tuesday, September 23, 2014


Another stretched interpretation of the 1st amendment

Faster than a new recruit can shout “Sir, yes sir!” the US Air Force has reversed its policy requiring new recruits and those reenlisting to conclude a swearing-in oath with “So help me God.”

The trouble for the Air Force started when a Tech. Sgt. at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada with 10 years’ service wanted to reenlist. As an atheist, he didn’t see why he had to swear an oath to a deity he didn’t believe in. It seemed to violate the religious establishment clause of the US Constitution.

SOURCE

If the words are meaningless for an atheist, why be bothered by them?


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

"If the words are meaningless for an atheist, why be bothered by them?"
For the same reason I wouldn't publically make an oath in the name of a Muslim deity if asked to do so just because I thought the words of the oath to be meaningless to me.
There is no honor in fake oaths, either making them or asking others to make them, especially for soldiers.

stinky said...

Respectfully disagree, JJR: Non-believers should not be required to affirm to God. To what purpose? They can skip that part (and just skip a beat during anthems etc).

Anonymous said...

Agree completely Anon 2:04
While the words 'so help me god' may be meaningless to an atheist I would hope that his oath would be highly meaningful to a serviceman.

Anonymous said...

What a backward country. Australian service personnel have been able take an affirmation rather than an oath for over thirty years.