Advocacy

The Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers affirms the rights of nontheists. And while religious freedom and nondiscrimination are written into US and military policy, related rights and services are often not afforded to atheists, humanists, and other nontheists. MAAF and related organizations like Secular Coalition for America , Freedom From Religion Foundation, Center For Inquiry, American Atheists, and American Humanist Association week equality by providing civilian community, media attention, legal support, and Congressional oversight.

Below are selections of solutions MAAF has provided to show the military what right looks like and to bring solutions to military and civilian leadership. Note that many of these are undisputed as fact. Military and chaplain demographics, public prayer, and chaplain services are on display for all to see. Yet many celebrate Christian nationalism and disparagement of atheists rather than protecting freedom for all.

  • Chaplain services: Chaplains should provide for Constitutional free exercise of religion including for nontheists.
    • Examples of Ongoing issues
    • Insufficient recognition and support for atheists and other nontheists who represent as much as all other non-Christian beliefs combined.
    • Military personnel represent the whole of the US population, but prevailing is biased toward traditional religious beliefs. This is expressed most clearly in chaplain services being overly biased toward Christianity and unsupportive of nontheists, as represented in a 2023 MAAF study of chaplain services.
    • Denials of care based on alleged but non-existent list of “approved religions” in the military.
  • Chaplain training: Chaplains should have training by nontheists for nontheists as part of the  general military religious training they already receive, especially as most traditional religious training includes misinformation or disparagement regarding nontheists.
    • Examples of ongoing issues
    • MAAF has requested training programs regarding nontheists that may be provided in chaplain training and never received documentation. MAAF representatives have visited the Chaplain Corps college specifically to see such training and was not shown any documentation. No chaplaincy representatives have reached out to MAAF or other nontheist leaders to develop and publish training for use in chaplain corps training.
  • Chaplain advocacy: Chaplains should provide for free exercise for all and protect all from religious discrimination.
    • Examples of ongoing issues
    • Shipboard prayer nightly on most US Navy vessels promotes Christianity, excludes atheists, and is unavoidable mandatory religion forced on all onboard.
    • Daily mealtime prayer at the US Naval Academy is frequently enforced and unavoidable religious indoctrination.
    • Ceremonial prayer at many mandatory military formations and activities continues throughout the military. Calling a prayer “nondenominational” is normally just a smokescreen for enforced Christianity, and, at the least, tells atheists we are second-class citizens. The Canadian Armed Forces, for example, has recognized the exclusive nature of mandatory public prayer and opted to end the practice.
  • Chaplain accessions: Chaplains should have training by nontheists for nontheists as part of the  general military religious training they already receive, especially as most traditional religious training includes misinformation or disparagement regarding nontheists.
    • Examples of ongoing issues
    • There are no dedicated humanist chaplains in the military, despite a fully qualified candidate having been presented to the DoD as early as 2012. There are no accessions programs, recruiting, or even a provisional humanist insignia awaiting that much-needed diversity.
  • Command accountability: Nonchaplain leaders, specifically unit and brigade commanders are ultimately responsible for the religious command climate. If chaplains take advantage of their positions to promote their religious beliefs or to restrict services from some service members on the basis of belief, the commanders are ultimately responsible. This applies also to the civilian chain in the Department of Defense, starting with the Undersecretary for Manpower.
    • Examples of ongoing issues
    • As listed above, problems are so widespread that command and DoD appointees must drive change. Problems are too widespread to expect spot-checking to work or to expect individual military personnel to advocate solely on their own for individual issues.
  • Stolen Valor: Too often, our military and veterans are used as a proxy for Christian Nationalism or at least as a state religion. This happens in military activities, military messaging, and quasi-military groups presented as “all vets” but really catering to Christians.
    • Examples of Ongoing Issues
    • Ceremonial prayer is presented at almost all military ceremonies, normally twice.privi at many mandatory military formations and activities.
    • Religious unit mottos and logos (eg, Crusaders or “Doing God’s Work”).
    • Bibles, even when not funded by the government, may be imprinted with official military logos, implying government endorsement of religion.
    • Congressionally-chartered organizations like the VFW and American Legion have official political platforms and private ceremonies promoting religion with, if anything, a transparent veneer of “God” over a pro-Christian agenda. The Boy Scouts, an organization that officially discriminates against atheists, is given special privilege and access to military facilities and land.
    • On public land, Christian shrines are relabeled as ‘war memorials’ effectively co-opting military service to promote Christianity above American diversity and liberty. Examples are in California, North Carolina, Montana, Utah, Maryland, Illinois, Rhode Island, and elsewhere – throughout the nation.

View prior archive version of this page from July 2012