American Atheists says service members swear an oath to the Constitution, not to Hegseth's religious views
American AtheistsStatement by President Nick Fish in the group's lawsuit announcement
Announcing its records lawsuit, American Atheists says service members swear an oath to defend the Constitution, not to promote Hegseth's religious views.
Responding to
Reducing the religious codes will make it impossible to accurately identify service members, assess their needs and ensure they receive equal access to support services.
“Our military members swear an oath to defend the Constitution, not to promote Pete Hegseth's religious views”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
Hegseth cuts military religious affiliation codes from over 200 to 31; American Atheists and Interfaith Alliance object
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the military's more than 200 faith codes were impractical and has cut them to 31. Interfaith Alliance and American Atheists say the change elevates one worldview and leaves out minority beliefs; American Atheists has sued for the records.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
American Atheists' announcement of its Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Department of Defense, with statements from President Nick Fish and Legal Director Geoffrey T. Blackwell.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
American Atheists announces a federal lawsuit to compel the Department of Defense to release records on its decision to eliminate 180 religious identification codes, including those for atheists, Humanists and Unitarian Universalists.
After the quotation
Fish says the very least the Trump administration could do for the people putting their lives on the line is to respect their religious freedom rights.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
American Atheists condemns the reduction of the religious codes, presenting it as a promotion of Hegseth's religious views.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Pete Hegseth
More from this case
Read the full caseInterfaith Alliance says Hegseth is elevating one narrow religious worldview
Interfaith Alliance
“Secretary Hegseth is not 'streamlining' anything. He is elevating one narrow religious worldview from the top of the chain of command”Read statement
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell says the shorter list makes no claim on the legitimacy of any faith
“This decrease in religious affiliation codes is not designed to make any claims on the legitimacy of any faith or religious belief, nor is it intended to provide a list of 'officially approved' religions”Read statement
Hegseth says the military's 200-plus faith codes were impractical and unusable
“The previous system had ballooned to well over 200 faith codes. ... It was impractical and unusable, and many codes were never used at all”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "American Atheists says service members swear an oath to the Constitution, not to Hegseth's religious views". First published: 2026-11-02. Last updated: 2026-11-02. https://disputeindex.com/events/7768-announcing-its-records-lawsuit-american-atheists-says-service