This one is so dense I can’t see how anyone can believe it.
A Republican congressman has introduced legislation that would force cadets at the Air Force’s Academy to say “so help me God” during their oaths every school year. He said the legislation is necessary because Americans don’t have “freedom from religion.”
Yes we do. Freedom of religion includes freedom from [requirements to adhere to] religion. Of course it does.
He said the bill would protect the freedom of Our Sojers.
“Our Constitution’s very First Amendment protects every individual’s freedom of religion. But our servicemen and women who protect our county with their lives are seeing that freedom under fire,” he said in a statement.
The U.S. Air Force Academy announced in 2013 that cadets would not be required to say “so help me God” while reciting the Honor Oath.
Cadets are not required to say it, so that’s freedom of (and from). They’re not required not to say it. Rep. Sam Johnson is talking as if not being required to is being required not to. He can’t really be that dense.
Johnson said the Air Force’s Academy only made the end of the oath optional “because of one radical atheist group’s demands!”
“Let me be clear: Americans have the freedom of religion – but not freedom from religion. That’s why I am introducing legislation that requires Congressional approval before any change would be made to military oaths,” he continued.
“The moral foundation of our country is in serious danger if we allow radical groups to dictate whether or not we can freely express our religious beliefs! It’s time to take a stand.”
Making a religious oath optional ≠ making a religious oath forbidden. Making it mandatory is what interferes with people’s freedom of religion. Some religious people think oaths are blasphemous, or a trivialization of god.
But I suppose I should be grateful he’s not running around hitting people in the face with bricks.
He is a Republican. He’s probably so dense he can form a Schwartzschild discontinuity (event horizon).
Courts in California took out the “god” part of the witnesses’ oath many years ago. So far, no smiting detected.
moarscienceplz @ # 2: … no smiting detected.
Well, except for a drought (that happens to reach to Oklahoma, so far – but they allowed a non-Christian winter solstice display in their capitol too, so you can’t claim they don’t deserve it)!
Louis Gohmert has a new challenger for the title of America’s Dumbest Congressman!
The Air Force Academy has been the target of HEAVY subversion/indoctrination efforts by very scary dominionist Xtian groups for many years. You might want to check what Mikey Weinstein has been saying about them.
Another assault on basic American values from degenerate reactionary tools.