GODLESS WEDNESDAY: Air Force Agrees To Omit 'So Help Me God' From Enlistment Oath

Well, that was fast! In Last week's Godless Wednesday we discussed the plight of an unarmed airman who was bing threatened with the inability to re-enlist in November without violating his beliefs thanks to a newly enforced policy that all enlistees must not alter the enlistment oath, which incliudes the words "so help me God."

This week comes the glad tidings that the Air Force will indeed allow people to reenlist without forcing them to swear obeisance to a deity.

Following a review of the policy by the Department of Defense General Counsel, the Air Force will now permit airmen to omit the phrase, should they so choose. That change is effective immediately, according to an Air Force statement. 

“We take any instance in which Airmen report concerns regarding religious freedom seriously,” Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James said in the statement. “We are making the appropriate adjustments to ensure our Airmen’s rights are protected. 

“The Air Force will be updating the instructions for both enlisted and commissioned Airmen to reflect these changes in the coming weeks, but the policy change is effective now. Airmen who choose to omit the words ‘So help me God’ from enlistment and officer appointment oaths may do so.”

It's so rare that we have good news to report on Godless Wednesday! This news that the policy has changed to increase religious freedom and acknowledge that some people who serve in the military might be godless is Good News.

Hat/tip to Joe Jervis

GODLESS WEDNESDAY: Air Force Insists On "So Help Me God" Pledge For Enlistees

Just in time for Godless Wednesday comes the news that the U.S. Air Force is refusing to allow an airman to re-enlist if they do not agree to abide by a pledge which includes the words "So Help Me God."

The Air Times reports that the text of the oath (which is part of DD Form 4) reads:

 “I, [insert name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

The story goes on to say that the American Humanists Association (AHA) is threatening to sue the federal government if they do not allow the airman to re-enlist before his current enlistment period expires in November 2014 with a pledge that does not violate his religious freedom. Then this happened:

The AHA said the airman crossed out the last four words in that oath, and was told Aug. 25 that the Air Force would not accept it for that reason. The airman was told his only options were to sign the religious oath section of the contract without adjustment and recite an oath concluding with “so help me God,” or leave the Air Force, the AHA said. 

 The AHA said that is unconstitutional and unacceptable and that Article VI of the Constitution prohibits requiring religious tests to hold an office or public trust.  

 The Air Force used to allow airmen to omit the phrase “so help me God” if they so chose. But an Oct. 30, 2013, update to Air Force Instruction 36-2606, which spells out the active-duty oath of enlistment, dropped that option. Since that quiet update to the AFI, airmen have been required to swear an oath to a deity when they enlist or reenlist.  

 The Air Force said last week that the change was made to bring its oath in line with the statutory requirement under Title 10 USC 502. The Air Force said it cannot change its AFI to make “so help me God” optional unless Congress changes the statute mandating the oath.

The Air Force said they are going to try and get an interpretation from the Department of Defense General Counsel to find out what position they can take. It seems pretty clear that if Title 10 USC 502 requires the swearing of an oath to a deity that it is unconstitutional on its face. The problem is that the federal judiciary tends to defer to the military and executive branch on these kinds of questions.

It is always astonishing to me that people who believe in God say that they are the oppressed group when it is clear to any impartial observer that the decks are stacked against non-believers.

Hat/tip to Joe.My.God

QUEER QUOTE: Pentagon Announces Victory On Same-Sex Benefits Issue

Good news! It appears that the controversy is now over about whether certain states who have public policies (e.g. state constitutional amendments and/or homophobic politicians) that they claim mean that they are allowed to not recognize same-sex marriages for any purpose will be forced to process applications from same-sex couples who are requesting federal benefits from the National Guard.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel had previously made clear that the National Guard is ultimately under the control of the Pentagon and his interpretation of Department of Defense policy and declared that all military service members would be treated equally, regardless of the local beliefs about same-sex marriage.

The Pentagon released a statement from Hagel which is today's Queer Quote:

On Oct. 31, I called on the chief of the National Guard Bureau to work with several states to fully implement Department of Defense policy by providing DoD identification cards to all eligible military spouses, regardless of sexual orientation.  Following consultations between the National Guard Bureau and the adjutants general of the states, all eligible service members, dependents and retirees - including same-sex spouses - are now able to obtain ID cards in every state. All military spouses and families sacrifice on behalf of our country.  They deserve our respect and the benefits they are entitled to under the law.  All of DoD is committed to pursuing equal opportunities for all who serve this nation, and I will continue to work to ensure our men and women in uniform as well as their families have full and equal access to the benefits they deserve.

Politicians like Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin decided to stop processing all applications from married couples in order to not have to process applicants from married same-sex couples.

However, now it seems like all married couples are being provided equal access to federal DoD benefits.

Great news!

QUEER QUOTE: Oklahoma Gov Stops All Military Spouse Benefit Applications

Wow. Just wow. In order to not have the Oklahoma National Guard process applications for legally married same-sex couples who are legally entitled to military spousal benefits, Republican Governor Mary Fallin has ordered the National Guard to stop processing all spousal benefit applications. This is a bit like saying "Hmmm, we can't have separate but equal schools? Well, then, let's cancel public education!"

Gov. Fallin is quoted by the Tulsa World as saying:

Oklahoma law is clear. The state of Oklahoma does not recognize same-sex marriages, nor does it confer marriage benefits to same-sex couples.The decision reached today allows the National Guard to obey Oklahoma law without violating federal rules or policies. It protects the integrity of our state constitution and sends a message to the federal government that they cannot simply ignore our laws or the will of the people.

This is simply astonishing. Previously Fallin was one of eight governors identified by the Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel as being in violation of military policy. Curious how the other 30-something states that have constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage didn't interpret their laws in such a virulently homophobic way. I wonder why not? Tulsa World goes on to explain the context of Fallin's statement, which is today's Queer Quote.

Although Oklahoma owns most of the state's National Guard armories and training centers, the facilities were built almost entirely with federal funds. 

The federal government provides about 90 percent of the budget for the Oklahoma Military Department, which includes the National Guard. 

Toby Jenkins, executive director of Oklahomans for Equality, blasted Fallin, saying, "The governor is sending the message that Oklahoma desires to be an island of prejudice and continues to uphold laws crafted out of fear and drafted by bigots and hypocrites. 

"Once again she has insulted our citizen soldiers who daily stand in harm's way for the people of Oklahoma," Jenkins said. 

The current controversy began in early September, when the Defense Department said it would recognize same-sex marriages legally performed in states where such unions are recognized. This followed a U.S. Supreme Court decision that all legal marriages, regardless of the spouses' genders, must be honored by the federal government.

Some people really don't understand the concept of "equality for all"!