Frequently Asked Questions

The following topics are often brought up to MAAF. Nothing is intended to be comprehensive or applicable in every situation. Nothing should be taken as legal advice.

There are a lot of problems in the world, and you are in a good position to make the world a better place. There are several things you should do, including but not limited to the following:



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:: Alert :: Chaplain policy is contained in the MAAF chaplain outreach program

Chaplains in government service should serve the needs of all service members. They should help service members to grow in their personal values and to connect with a supportive community of like-minded individuals. Chaplains should protect the beliefs of all service members and ensure that there is no actual or perceived discrimination within the command based on service members' beliefs. MAAF also intends for this policy to reconcile chaplains with nontheistic service members or commanders who may have a negative view of the chaplaincy.

In order to do this, chaplains must have sufficient training and experience to provide service to all military personnel. The ability to run worship services for one faith group is a skill chaplains must focus on one group, but their ability to counsel, provide for all beliefs, and to advise the command on religious accommodation and morale issues involves training far beyond what normally they bring from their seminary or religious training. This task starts by opening communication between chaplains, MAAF, and the many nontheist organizations that are ready to support service members.

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MAAF applauds the ongoing Presidential, Congressional, and DoD efforts to implement open service for all and we look forward to the first Military Coming Out Day. The Military's Coming Out Day is something we should all look forward to, but as implementation nears, there should be an understanding of the many legal challenges still available. MAAF recommends caution for active duty personnel in coming out. That cannot be undone, and discrimination will be hard to prove. Everyone, civilian, active duty, and veterans, should loudly and publicly applaud the repeal of DADT. Marching in parades in uniform (as authorized by your local command) and showing support in the workplace are helpful and do not necessarily constitute "coming out." As implementation begins officially, only active duty personnel who understand the risks and have a comfort level with their position should come out immediately. Coming out cannot be undone if the military does not follow thru or if sectarian political forces start to block enforcement.

Enter comments at the official DoD comment page: http://www.defense.gov/dadt Military login (CAC) required.

We join many other excellent organizations including the the Center For Inquiry, KnightsOut.org, and VoteVets.org who have also supported open service for all.

[MAAF and partner FAQ leading up to the repeal of DADT] Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) is an antiquated policy that must be replaced by open service for all service members regardless of sexual orientation. DADT has hurt the military by forcing honorable service members to either hide their personal life or be removed from service. After decades of hand-wringing about the impact open service may have on combat power, senior military leaders and respected veterans confirm that the military is ready to choose integrity over discrimination. Our military deserves to support integrity for all and a team that is built upon American values and combat power without sectarian division. We call upon military and civilian leaders to repeal DADT and support open service for all with regulation, military legislation, and vocal support at the line level.



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Military installations and units have domain firewalls just like private corporations. These firewalls sometimes block emails or websites of nontheist organizations including MAAF. This has occurred at several installations including those listed below. The challenge is that domain restrictions are set at different command levels and implemented, technically, in different ways. This leads to an extremely time-consuming set of phone calls to get someone to take responsibility for the changes, and then someone to actually make the changes.

It is important to identify the nature of the issue. Those seeing MAAF or any of the other nontheist orgs blocked should take the additional step of seeing if alternative organizations are also blocked. Check ocfusa.org, ccci.org, navigators.org, and billygraham.org. If they are blocked, send the following items to MAAF:

Currently under review: Yongsan AB, Korea, reported Oct 2011.
Resolved: West Point, NY; Ft Detrick, MD



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The Pledge of Allegiance and the National Motto (In God We Trust) are religious in nature and thus unconstitutional. They are also dismissive of the service of atheist patriots who established and have defended this nation. The insertion in the 1950s of religion into the motto and pledge represent a dark time in our nation when our secular founders were scorned in favor of the Red Scare of Fascist McCarthyism.

The motto "In God We Trust" is the US National Motto and found on US Currency. This is an unconstitutional preference of religion over non-religion. Before "In God We Trust" was the motto, our founding fathers chose "E Pluribus Unum": out of many one, a motto celebrating our cultural diversity and national unity. This is a motto the entire nation can support, and we advocate re-instituting it on our currency and as our official national motto.

In 1954, the Knights of Columbus, a religious organization, convinced the federal government to add the words "Under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. This represents an unconstitutional preference of religion over non-religion. We advocate removing these two divisive words from our Pledge.

As long as the words "Under God" remain in the Pledge, its recitation in schools causes secular students to feel excluded and presents the appearance that the government, through its school systems and teachers, promotes religion. As soon as the words "Under God" are removed from the Pledge, it reverts to its original status as a motivational and patriotic expression of the commitment of citizens to the US Government and its values, and citizens everywhere should recite it regularly, especially while benefiting from government-provided services.



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The US Congress issues Congressional Charters in accordance with US Code Title 36. These Congressional Charters constitute official government sponsorship, and authorize other government organizations to offer special privileges to these organizations and their members. Because of this, what might be considered a private organization acquires a federal status. The Congress has a responsibility to revoke charters of organizations that violate federal guidelines, including guidelines against religious discrimination, or when the operations of organizations would create an excessive entanglement of government with religion. At the same time, organizations must recognize the responsibility they take on with a Congressional Charter and either act in accordance with government regulations or rescind their Chartered status.

The Boy Scouts of America holds a Congressional Charter while discriminating against atheists. The BSA ejects openly atheist members and leaders, even those that have reached the highest ranks of the organization. All branches of the military issue an promotion (to E3 or E4) for Eagle Scouts, the highest Boy Scout rank. This constitutes discrimination in hiring by the military as well as government approval of the Boy Scouts' discriminatory policies. The values, community, and service so fundamental to the BSA would provide an even greater service to the nation if they would promote respect for all beliefs, including atheism. The BSA must either support atheist scouts as they do all other scouts or step down from their Chartered status. Failing this, Congress should revoke their Chartered status.

On 12 Jan 09, MAAF joined the American Humanist Association in asking President-elect Obama to reject the title of honorary president of the Boy Scouts - press release.

As of 15 Nov 04, the ACLU of Illinois secured a settlement with the pentagon. The pentagon agreed to stop its military bases from chartering Boy Scout units due to their god-belief requirements:http://www.aclu-il.org/news/press/000220.shtml Veterans group American Legion wants the pentagon and the president to stand up for religious discrimination against atheists and violate the constitution: http://www.legion.org/?section=pub_relations&subsection=pr_listreleases&content=pr_press_release&id=249

MAAF Member Brian Westley has been working with the ACLU to achieve this new change in policy. View Brian's information page at http://www.visi.com/~westley/bsa.html .

In 2005, the Veterans of Foreign Wars recently published a new, nonsectarian membership application that included none of the religious requirements of their previous application. Previously, the VFW required new members to attest to a belief in "Almighty God" on their membership applications. We applaud this action and consider their stated membership requirements to be comprehensive and fair: US citizenship, an honorable discharge, and an overseas campaign medal (or 30 days' service in Korea). We encourage all veterans to join the VFW, both to continue the long service of the VFW to soldiers and in recognition of the VFW's newfound respect for nonreligious soldiers. Also note that many local posts still use the old religious application. MAAF encourages members to notify the posts of
We consider it the responsibility of MAAF members to generate new, progressive change in the policies of the VFW and all veterans service organizations. We encourage the VFW to continue to represent all soldiers by avoiding religious issues and focusing on military policies. We encourage the VFW to publicly recognize their new membership policy by official resolution. Previous issues such as the firing of the VFW PAC, support of the Summum case, a Soledad, Mojave Desert, and Utah trooper government-sponsored Christian crosses show Christian bias rather than equal rights for all veterans. The VFW should rescind its support of the current "Under God" Pledge, a document that creates religious division in America, and lobby the supreme court for the original Pledge, the true statement of patriotism in America. We encourage the VFW to work with the Boy Scouts of America to adopt a similar, nonsectarian membership application that does not discriminate against nonreligious young men. Members should encourage the VFW to represent their nonreligious as well as religious membership by rescinding or changing sectarian policies.



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The Combined Federal Campaign is a list of charities disseminated by the US Government to all government employees, basically like the United Way. Federal employees can easily select from among these vetted and approved charities for their personal giving programs. MAAF is not currently listed, but MAAF does review programs to identify the charities with the best fit to MAAF goals of supporting nontheists in the military and promoting interfaith toleration.

MAAF recommends the following charities:

MAAF reviewed a list of over 2500 programs. There were a disturbing amount of primarily designed to convert others to Christianity. CFC is a government program that disseminates charities to well over 1 million potential subscribers. This type of program must maintain Church/State Separation. Currently, there are several charities that openly proselytize and must not be included in this government-sponsored charity promotion. See a full review and how various charities conform.



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Service members should at a minimum contact their local commanders and public affairs personnel for official advice. Service members should also look around and avoid imitating the types of public speaking activities they disagree with. Also consider the following types of speaking: Speaking in uniform is different than out of uniform. Speaking topics could include personal military experiences, comments on religious feelings, complaining about military decisions, etc. Speakers could be active duty, deployed, reservists, veterans, retired, etc. Military status, speaking topic, and dress code are all significant.

The Federal Government regulates the activities of service members in and out of uniform. The US Code, DOD Regulations, individual service regulations, and, where applicable, foreign national military regulations, hold the power of law. This policy is intended to promote legal activity.
MAAF members should at no time present the appearance that they are speaking as a representative of the military, the government, or MAAF without prior approval. Including one's rank, title, or making reference to one's service may do that, but in general those things are acceptable so long as they include the disclaimer that the comments are about personal experience and not official statements. Service members are generally restricted to speaking out of uniform, off post, and outside the duty day.
At a minimum, military personnel should seek counsel when participating in any activist event in uniform. Military personnel often attend religious events and engage in religious speech in uniform, thus giving the appearance of government promotion of religion. However, those violations do not justify similar activities on our part.



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Disclaimer on Legal Counsel
There is no substitute for professional legal advice. The mailing list or advice of other M*A*A*F members is not legally sufficient. If you feel that you are being illegally discriminated against, it is important that you understand your rights. You have a right to legal counsel. If you feel that you may be in a situation where you may get in trouble, it is imperative that you consult a lawyer. A free consultation with a military lawyer is your right as a service member. If you do not qualify for free military legal representation or feel uncomfortable with the military legal system you may contact us for help finding legal counsel.

Use your Chain of Command
Although you may choose a number of options, the "approved solution" is to use your chain of command. They are your leaders and may pleasantly surprise you if you communicate with them. In addition, prior history has shown that legal action (whether civilian or IG) will likely have no effect if the chain of command is not given an opportunity to resolve the issue. There may be cases whether the chain of command is the problem, but before civilian legal action is pursued, your chain of command must become involved. See below for several steps that can be taken prior to or in addition to your chain of command.

Communication is the Key
Most problematic situations can be resolved with communication. Many people may unintentionally make insensitive remarks or promote an activity you find offensive. Some military folks are not accustomed to thinking that there may be atheists, humanists, or other ideological minorities in their midst. It is critical to be rational, to try to find common ground, and not to make rash remarks. Communication with neutral third parties like friends and mentors (in person or through MAAF) may also help to clarify the situation. If communication is not possible with the person or persons with whom you are having a problem, other solutions exist.

Chaplains may help
Chaplains are charged with attending to religious affairs in the unit, including the command climate. Many discrimination situations are within the responsibility of your unit chaplain to address and resolve. If the chaplain is the problem or is overtly hostile, this may not be an option. However, take time to give your chaplain an opportunity to provide you the same support other service members receive. On a simpler level, chaplains are trained to provide personal, confidential counseling, and many can do this without resorting to an unwanted faith-based approach.

Equal Opportunity
As an atheist you are protected by Equal Opportunity regulations. Department of Defense directive on Military Equal Opportunity (MEO, 1350.2) states, "Persons shall be evaluated on individual merit, fitness, and capability, regardless of race, sex, color, national origin, or religion". The MEO regulation further defines religion as "A personal set or institutionalized system of attitudes, moral or ethical beliefs, and practices that are held with the strength of traditional religious views, characterized by ardor and faith, and generally evidenced through specific religious observances." This is entirely compatible with nontheistic ideologies. All Department of Defense organizations are required to have an equal opportunity representative. However, do not be surprised if your representative has never thought about the rights of atheists before. These individuals are required to treat you fairly and should help you find a solution or lodge a formal complaint. If your equal opportunity representative is unable or unwilling to help you, you should still be able to contact another representative from your unit's higher headquarters.

The Inspector General and Article 138
If you find that you cannot work your issue through communication or through equal opportunity channels or command channels, you are still entitled to a couple of methods of redress. The first course of action is to file a complaint through the Inspector General (IG). The IG has the responsibility of investigating complaints and enforcing regulations. The IG may or may not be a lawyer and your success may vary. Just like the equal opportunity channels, it is possible to keep submitting your complaint to higher levels up to the applicable department's headquarters. Finally, you can file an Article 138 complaint against your commander. Article 138 complaint procedures vary from service to service so it is important that you read the applicable regulations or seek legal counsel. Remember, all these processes can take a lot of time and can monopolize a lot of your commander's time. For these reasons, it is important that you try to resolve the issue through communication and at the lowest level possible. You have the right to stand up for what you believe in and we stand ready to support atheists and freethinkers experiencing discrimination.

Going Outside the Military
If you find that you cannot resolve your issues within the military, you still have several options. Organizations such as M*A*A*F and our affiliates are always ready to fight for your rights. In addition, you may find that working through the local media, writing editorials, and raising awareness about your plight may be effective. Service members still retain the right to publish newsletters, articles, and engage in public speaking. You may want to familiarize yourself with the applicable regulations. Another approach which can be effective is to contact your representatives in Congress. The best way is usually to present your case by writing a letter (or by showing up at their door). Most legislators can be reached by email, phone, or fax. Filing a congressional complaint is easy. Filing a "congressional" should be the last step as it can be very time consuming for your command and your legislator. I would like to reiterate the first point that your chain of command must be given an opportunity to address issues before you go outside the military for formal legal action or else it will be very easy for IG, legal, or congressional investigators to simply refer the issue back to your chain of command for action.



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As stated in the ID Tag FAQ (see below) and actions for members FAQ (see above), MAAF encourages members to choose "atheist" as their "religious preference." MAAF does so as the best option for a system that assumes supernatural religious views and creates difficults for those that are not of the majority faith group, those that prefer to stay anonymous, or those who are simply uninterested in specialized support. The current system also includes outdated and confusing language that should be changed. MAAF is reaching out to military leaders to propose the following changes to the current system:

The question "what is your religion" is posed to new recruits as a matter of course to be put on ID tags and official records. Reasons for this include assisting with chaplain corps planning and providing last rites based on information list on the ID tag, but nothing else other than habit. Because these are opt-in activities, individuals should not be asked. MAAF members frequently complain about actual and perceived negative consequences from this question. Eliminating the question during processing eliminates the problematic situations that arise. Individuals have the option at any time to add the information or change their information whenever their choose. That opt-in approach would better reflect the true desires of the individual and the true needs of the military to provide for free expression of religion.

The second two bullets ask that "No Religious Preference (NRP)" be eliminated and that a blank entry be the default. "NRP" is a well-recognized option in the military, but viewed out of context, this option is clearly nonsensical. Individuals, even atheists, care what kind of religion they are subjected to. A committed atheist has a preference about religion. Even a non-denominational Christian has a preference -- certainly not Hindu or Muslim. On a more practical note "No Religious Preference" is currently the largest single denomination in the military, at nearly 25%. This is a meaningless and confusing demographic. Taking away that option would allow the chaplains to have a better understanding of who needs support because it would only be those who opt in to a specific denomination. Leaving blank the entry for an individuals religious preference is more appropriate than entering a meaningless term.

The last two items involve the addition of two options to allow for better record-keeping. "Humanist" is a request MAAF puts forward on behalf of prospective lay leader and chaplain endorsers like the American Ethical Union and the Humanist Society. These organizations have adherents who, though atheist, perfer the term "humanist" as a more authentic representation of their religious preference. Finally, although outside the purview of MAAF specifically, modern trends in culture indicate the "Spiritual But Not Religious" is a widely-preferred and growing type of belief among the population. It would be appropriate for the Personnel office and chaplains to begin capturing this demographic. If the military adopts "SBNR" and no other recommendation, it would be a smoking gun that atheistic and naturalistic beliefs are unwelcome in the military.

MAAF has addressed these issues to various professional chaplains and military leadership agencies. Each military service would need to adopt these process and administrative updates in their respective personnel areas. Chaplains would need to update their aggregation of demographics. And probably most importantly, the Defense Manpower Data Agency, which aggregates personnel data across the services, would have to recognize the change and update their processes as well. This would all be for the benefit of individual troops primarily and also for the military's understanding of its diversity of religion and belief.



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Yes. Simply ask for it. Atheist options exist in the system if the clerk chooses to input it. Just go to your local personnal (or S-1) and ask for an update. If your request is refused, escalate the issue to the clerk's superiors, your superiors, or MAAF. (Also see "harassment" FAQ.) For example, Army Regulation 680-29 confirms that code 75 is for atheist. Also consider 00 - blank or 74 - Other. For ID tags in particular, there are a number of online locations to purchase military-spec ID tags, and you can put on them whatever you like or nothing at all, in the religion line at least.

Atheist is a convenient umbrella term, but just like Protestants, many atheists prefer a more specific, positive expression of their values. If, for example, you prefer to identify as Humanists as your alternative to religion, then put in a request. This is currently not an option, but MAAF members should request and insist on their right to self-identify as whatever they want. MAAF will help with EO or IG complaints to secure our rights to our own beliefs. As a note, many atheists like the term Pastafarian and other satire on religion. Unless you really believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster, above all others and really practices Pastafarian ways, then do not put in that request. MAAF will not help to have joke entries on your official records. Our beliefs are deeply-held and deserve as much institutional support as Christianity, Judaism, or other traditional faith perspectives. (See the other FAQ entry about having humanist on official records.)

If your preference (Humanist, Ethical Culture, Humanistic Judaism, etc) is not available, start with atheist so you can be counted separately from No-Preference, Jewish, Christian, or whatever your records may currently say. Then we can work to make your specific preference available. If there is room for over 80 Christian denominations, there can be room for a few atheistic preferences.

ID Tags aren't the only place to have your atheism represented. MAAF encourages all of its members to change your official records to atheist, to update your ID tags to say atheist, and to ensure your will reflects your desire for an atheist funeral and an atheist headstone. Those out of the military should also update their VA hospital records. Atheist is an option there as well. Humanist may not be, but you should ask for what you like. The Veterans Administration provides for "religious" emblems on military grave markers. Currently the American Atheists symbol and the "Happy Human" of humanism are on the list of approved VA grave emblems. You can also contact MAAF or another national organization to have a humanist celebrant provide comments at your ceremony (or a ceremony for a relative).

Here are some specifics from AA Military Director Justin Griffith. Update Navy Page 2 online (https://nsips.nmci.navy.mil/): Update Personal Information -> Religion, Race and Ethnic Code ZA for Atheist (submitted by silentsacrifice), Marine Corps (https://www.mol.usmc.mil/), Air Force Virtual MPF(https://www.my.af.mil/): Select VRed >update religious preference (submitted by Timothy). All branches can go to their personnel office to request the change.



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No. This is a common question with a simple answer. Simply ask the officer administering the oath to say "affirm" rather than "swear" and to omit the "So Help Me God" at the end. This secular option applies equally to all government oaths, including the oath of office for military officers and ROTC/Academy cadets and even the oath for jury duty. Anyone denied this right should contact MAAF for assistance. If the officer says the "so help me god" portion, simply do not repeat that portion. Drop your hand because the oath is over. You may obviously set up a new ceremony and initiate an Equal Opportunity complaint agains the officer for such discrimination, and MAAF can help.

It is illegal and unethical to force someone to swear to god if they don't want to. If necessary, point them at AR 601-280 "The Army Retention Program," Appendix D Paragraph 2k, which states specifically that the reenlisting soldier need not swear to god. Or to USC 512 Title 28 (Revision June 25, 1948 ch. 646, 62 Stat. 925) which clarifies that an oath of affirmation excludes the "so help me god" portion. Air Force should refer to AFI 36-2606 (Ch.3, 2. "Detailed Instructions for Completing the DD Forms 4/1 and 4/2", Table 3.9, Item Number 15 - Confirmation of (Re)enlistment Oath). Each service has similar alternatives.



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First, just to be clear, praying is impossible without belief. Also, one might consider praying without belief to be a kind of mockery. However, there are cases where senior personnel attempt to push their personal beliefs on subordinates. Remember that prayer rituals are not consistent between different religious traditions. These requests are likely to offend not only nonreligious persons, but believers with different religious backgrounds than the prospective leader of the prayer. Note that you have been forced into an uncomfortable position by having to choose between betraying your beliefs (by bowing your head) and identifying yourself as someone who is "different" (by not bowing). Consider addressing these events, either before or after the fact, to leaders, EO Representatives, and chaplains as indicated below.

The issue of "Ceremonial Deism" is very difficult for MAAF members. Military leaders are currently authorized to offer non-sectarian prayer in large ceremonies. MAAF does not condone this practice, but we do offer appropriate ways for MAAF members to respond.

* note that retirement ceremonies may have special requests from the individual being honored that may allow for additional leeway in some aspects of a ceremony.

* there should be no prayer at informal or daily events like staff meetings. Contact MAAF to report instances of frequent prayer at daily, official events.



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Maybe, but there are some definite prerequisites. Service members are sometimes referred to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). This can be problematic as the 12 steps revolve around the idea of a higher power. This higher power often refers to god, and reference to earlier foundational documents show a strong bias toward Christianity. We are encouraged that MAAF members and other atheists have been successful with AA. In addition, there are statements from AA officially recognizing the opportunity for a secular interpretation of the religious statements. We do want to make sure that those who need help have a comfortable and welcoming environment.

MAAF will not second-guess the directive to seek substance abuse counseling or support. We have had requests that are clearly veiled substitutes attempts to avoid treatment or deny that the person has a problem. We can help with counseling alternatives, but cannot help eliminate the counseling. With that in mind, please see below.

First, seek the option of a secular program. MAAF recommends to alternative programs:

If non-AA alternatives are not available or if a legal mandate has specified an AA-based program, we recommend giving the program a try. Go to the AA meeting or AA-based treatment program, be open about being atheist, and follow the secular intent of the program. The program has an undercurrent requiring surrender to a "higher power." For this portion, consider choosing one of several proxies for a higher power:

If you go to the meeting and participate and pick a higher power of your choosing and then if you are forced to choose a religious or Christian higher power, we can help. If an atheist-friendly group with sufficient services is unavailable within a reasonable distance and local AA programs have proven to be religious in nature, then we can help "fix" your group or seek alternate judgment against you (vis AA). At this point, you will have shown that you are committed to recovery, but that you need help to find a supportive program.



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The following references are recommended by the American Atheists Legal Staff. These references are not considered comprehensive, not controlled by MAAF, and not necessarily representative of MAAF policy.



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