Did you know that when someone applies to be a citizen of the United States, he or she must take an oath to bear arms in defense of the country?
Margaret Doughty, a longtime permanent resident of the U.S., recently risked her chance at U.S. citizenship by objecting to the oath. Ms. Doughty is an atheist who has a moral opposition to war. When she wrote on her application for naturalization that she did not want to take the oath, USCIS responded by asking her to prove it by submitting a note on church stationery stating that she was "a member in good standing" of a
nonviolent religious organization.
Ms. Doughty, as an atheist, did not want to join a church just to get citizenship. Instead, she explained her rationale this way:
“I am sure the law would never require a 64 year-old woman like myself
to bear arms, but if I am required to answer this question, I cannot
lie. I must be honest. The truth is that I would not be willing to bear
arms. Since my youth I have had a firm, fixed and sincere objection to
participation in war in any form or in the bearing of arms. I deeply and
sincerely believe that it is not moral or ethical to take another
person’s life, and my lifelong spiritual/religious beliefs impose on me a
duty of conscience not to contribute to warfare by taking up arms ...
my beliefs are as strong and deeply held as those who possess
traditional religious beliefs and who believe in God ... I want to make
clear, however, that I am willing to perform work of national importance
under civilian direction or to perform noncombatant service in the
Armed Forces of the United States if and when required by the law to do
so.”
After much media attention and letters from organizations such as the American Humanist Association and Freedom From Religion Foundation, USCIS backed down and allowed Ms. Doughty's objection to stand. Her naturalization ceremony is scheduled for later this week.
