Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers

The Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers (MAAF) is an independent United States nonprofit organization serving atheists, freethinkers, humanists, agnostics, and other nontheists connected with the armed forces. Its work combines community-building, education, pastoral-style support, and advocacy concerning religious liberty and constitutional church-state separation in military settings. Although its principal constituency is within the United States military, the organization has also developed contacts and affiliated groups serving military personnel and families in other countries. MAAF began in February 1998 as an email discussion group created by Kathleen Johnson, then an active-duty Army Sergeant First Class working in the Criminal Investigative Division. The project initially connected service members who often lacked a visible community and who faced uncertainty about how to identify or express nonreligious convictions in an institution where religious language and chaplaincy were highly established. It later developed relationships with organizations including American Atheists and the Campus Freethought Alliance, now associated with the Center for Inquiry's campus activities. Early participants included members of ROTC programs and the military service academies. Jason Torpy assumed leadership in 2001 while he was still an active-duty officer. Under his direction, MAAF pursued formal nonprofit status, which it obtained in 2006 under section 501(c)(3) of the United States tax code. Torpy later left active duty and began working full-time for the organization at the end of 2010. The organization has been described as having several thousand members, although it does not publicly provide a definitive membership total. Its public-facing network has included more than 70 points of contact, local lay leaders, and groups in the United States and overseas. A related public list of military personnel willing to identify as atheists in the armed forces has included more than 200 people. MAAF's principal programs include a local network, chaplain outreach, care-package delivery, lay-leader support, and advocacy. The network gives service members a way to find peers and local contacts. Chaplain outreach seeks to educate military chaplains about the needs and constitutional rights of atheists and freethinkers; the organization has described this effort as reaching approximately 5,000 chaplains. Through advocacy, MAAF responds to alleged religious coercion, proselytizing, unequal access to military resources, and official practices that treat Christianity as the default or preferred worldview. It also supports the ability of service members to identify as atheist or agnostic rather than being assigned a generic nonreligious designation. The organization became especially visible through disputes over military religious accommodation, the status of humanist or atheist lay leaders, and the role of spirituality in military readiness programs. In 2011, MAAF and its Fort Bragg affiliate challenged aspects of the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, particularly its treatment of spiritual fitness and material that appeared to link military traditions with Christian concepts. The Army later removed at least one disputed section from its spiritual-fitness website, although the broader program remained in place. MAAF also supported efforts to obtain equivalent treatment for secular events at Fort Bragg and argued that humanist support personnel could provide counseling, ethical guidance, and other functions analogous to those supplied by religious chaplains. MAAF's advocacy has occasionally generated public controversy. In 2012, Jason Torpy objected to a group of large memorial crosses at Camp Pendleton, arguing that their placement on military property raised church-state concerns. The dispute placed MAAF in opposition to Marines and others who viewed the crosses as memorials rather than sectarian religious displays. The organization has also criticized federal support and military-base access for organizations that exclude nonbelievers, including the Boy Scouts of America. Its broader position is that military institutions should protect the rights of religious believers and nonbelievers alike without privileging a particular faith tradition.

MAAF was established in February 1998 when Kathleen Johnson, an active-duty Army Sergeant First Class assigned to the Criminal Investigative Division, created an email discussion group for atheists and freethinkers in the military. The group addressed the isolation experienced by nonreligious service members and provided a forum for discussing religious identification, accommodation, proselytizing, and constitutional rights. It soon expanded beyond an informal mailing list and developed links with American Atheists and the Campus Freethought Alliance. The early membership included service members, ROTC cadets, and students at the military academies. One early public activity involved letter-writing campaigns challenging the expression that there are no atheists in foxholes. The campaign was directed at public figures who used the phrase, and broadcaster Bob Schieffer subsequently apologized for using it. MAAF also assisted service members who wanted their dog tags to identify them as atheist or agnostic rather than using the standard “no religious preference” designation. Jason Torpy joined the organization while he was a cadet at West Point and became its leader in 2001 while still an active-duty officer. He guided the organization through its formalization as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2006. Torpy later became a former Army captain and began working full-time for MAAF at the end of 2010. During this period the group expanded its contacts across the United States and abroad. By the late 2000s, it was reported to have contacts in numerous countries, many states, military installations, and ships. Its board has been described as including current and retired military officers. MAAF's institutional model developed around three connected functions: advocacy, community, and education. Its network program established local points of contact and groups, while its chaplain outreach program sought to explain how chaplains and commanders could support nonreligious personnel without treating atheism as a defect or a religious threat. The organization also supplied care packages, supported lay leaders, and maintained channels for reporting and resolving alleged violations of religious liberty. Its logo uses Air Force blue, Army green, and Navy blue to represent the land, sea, and air services and the organization's military constituency. A major phase of MAAF's work concerned the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program. In 2011, MAAF and the MASH Fort Bragg affiliate criticized the program's spiritual-fitness component and an Army website that appeared to give Christian concepts a privileged role. Justin Griffith, an active-duty Army sergeant associated with the secular movement, challenged the consequences of his spiritual-fitness assessment through the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and threatened legal action. Although the overall program was not substantially changed, the Army removed material that connected the flag-folding ceremony with Christian religious teachings. MAAF subsequently indicated that it would continue examining newer concepts such as spiritual triage and moral injury. The organization also became involved in disputes about equal access to military facilities and programs. At Fort Bragg, an affiliated group sought support comparable to that provided to an evangelical Christian ministry for a concert and advocated for atheist lay leaders. MAAF argued that humanist support could perform many practical functions associated with chaplaincy, including counseling, ethical discussion, and assistance with ultimate questions, even if humanism was not treated as a religion by military authorities. In October 2012, Torpy presented these arguments at the Army's Diversity Leadership Conference at West Point and criticized the predominance of evangelical Christians in the chaplain corps relative to their share of the broader military population. MAAF has also addressed broader public-policy issues. It criticized the Boy Scouts of America's exclusion of nonbelievers and argued that organizations with such policies should not receive federal support or privileged access to military bases. In 2012, Torpy challenged the presence of three large wooden crosses at Camp Pendleton, California. Supporters described the crosses as memorials to fallen Marines, while MAAF viewed them as an unconstitutional religious display on military property. The dispute illustrated the tension between military memorial traditions and the organization's strict interpretation of church-state neutrality. The organization has reported that its membership numbers several thousand, but it does not publish a definitive current membership total. Its public “Atheists in Foxholes” list has included more than 200 people willing to identify openly. MAAF has also cited Department of Defense demographic data showing that atheists and agnostics outnumber some religious groups represented in the military while lacking equivalent representation in the chaplain corps. Its continuing mission is to make military institutions safer and more equitable for nontheistic personnel while defending religious freedom for all service members.

• 2012

  Advocacy for humanist military support reaches Army diversity conference

  [1]Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkersen.wikipedia.org

  Jason Torpy presents MAAF's case for atheist or humanist chaplaincy at the Army's Diversity Leadership Conference at West Point.

• 2011

  Challenge to Army spiritual-fitness practices

  [1]Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkersen.wikipedia.org

  MAAF and an affiliated Fort Bragg group challenge sectarian elements of the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program.

• 2006

  501(c)(3) status established

  [1]Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkersen.wikipedia.org

  MAAF formalizes its status as an independent United States charitable nonprofit.

• 2001

  Jason Torpy assumes leadership

  [1]Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkersen.wikipedia.org

  Jason Torpy takes over leadership while serving as an active-duty officer.

• 1998

  MAAF begins as an online discussion group

  [1]Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkersen.wikipedia.org

  Kathleen Johnson establishes an email discussion group for atheists and freethinkers in the military.

A secular military-support and advocacy organization focused on community, education, equal treatment, and constitutional religious freedom for atheists and other nontheists in the armed forces.

• Community network

  MAAF Network

  A distributed network of local points of contact, lay leaders, and affiliated groups connecting atheists, freethinkers, humanists, and other nontheists in military communities. The network has operated in the United States and internationally, including contacts associated with military personnel overseas.

• Education and training

  Chaplain Outreach

  An educational initiative intended to help military chaplains understand the needs, rights, and support requirements of atheists and freethinkers. MAAF has described the program as reaching thousands of military chaplains and as promoting noncoercive, constitutionally neutral care.

• Visibility and peer support

  Atheists in Foxholes

  A public-facing community initiative allowing military personnel and veterans to identify openly as atheists or nonbelievers. The list helps demonstrate the presence of nontheists in the armed forces and offers visibility to people who may otherwise feel isolated.

• Advocacy service

  Military religious-liberty advocacy

  MAAF assists service members dealing with alleged religious proselytizing, unequal treatment, problematic official materials, and other church-state concerns. Depending on the issue, it provides information, public advocacy, referrals, and support for efforts to obtain institutional remedies.

• 2011Rock Beyond Belief access campaign

  United States

  MAAF-affiliated activists sought equal command support for a secular concert at Fort Bragg after an evangelical Christian ministry received military assistance for a concert.

  Outcome. The dispute also broadened into a request for atheist lay leaders and equal access for secular personnel.

  Source
• There Are No Atheists in Foxholes letter campaign

  United States

  MAAF sent letters to public figures who used the phrase “there are no atheists in foxholes,” arguing that it erased the existence and service of nonbelievers in the armed forces.

  Outcome. Broadcaster Bob Schieffer publicly apologized after receiving one of the letters.

  Source
• Atheist and agnostic dog-tag identification

  United States

  MAAF supported service members seeking to identify as atheist or agnostic on military dog tags instead of relying on the generic “no religious preference” designation.

  Source
• Opposition to federal support for exclusionary organizations

  United States

  MAAF criticized the Boy Scouts of America's exclusion of nonbelievers and argued against federal funding and free military-base access for organizations that discriminate against atheists.

  Source

• 2012

  Challenge the Camp Pendleton memorial crossesOther

  Background

  Three large wooden crosses on a Camp Pendleton hilltop were viewed by some Marines as memorials and by MAAF as a religious display on government property.

  Action taken

  Jason Torpy sought removal of the crosses and threatened litigation based on church-state separation principles.

  Aftermath

  The controversy prompted a public dispute between MAAF and supporters who considered the crosses fitting memorials to fallen Marines.

  Source

• 2011

  Challenge the Army's spiritual-fitness frameworkStrategy

  Background

  MAAF argued that the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program and related website treated spirituality in a sectarian manner and could disadvantage nonreligious personnel.

  Action taken

  The organization supported complaints, public criticism, and potential legal action while monitoring the program and related spiritual-triage initiatives.

  Aftermath

  The Army removed material linking flag-folding traditions with Christian teachings, but the broader fitness program continued.

  Source

• 2011

  Pursue secular lay leadership and humanist chaplaincyStrategy

  Background

  MAAF maintained that atheists, agnostics, and humanists needed institutional support comparable to that available to religious service members.

  Action taken

  It advocated for atheist or humanist lay leaders and argued that humanist personnel could provide counseling, ethical guidance, and support concerning ultimate questions.

  Aftermath

  Senior chaplain officials disputed whether atheists constituted a religious group eligible for such roles, making the issue a continuing subject of advocacy.

  Source

1. 1Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkersen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers official websitemilitaryatheists.org