Jason Torpy is president of the

Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers The Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers (MAAF) is a community for atheists and freethinkers in the military, both within the United States and from around the world. The MAAF can assist U.S. military members to respond to illegal ...

(MAAF), an advocacy group focused on non-religious service members and veterans. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and a

Humanist Celebrant A humanist celebrant or humanist officiant is a person who performs humanist celebrancy services, such as non-religious weddings, funerals, child namings, coming of age ceremonies and other rituals. Some humanist celebrants are accredited by huma ...

who works to increase the visibility of "

atheists in foxholes "There are no atheists in foxholes" is an aphorism used to suggest that times of extreme Psychological stress, stress or fear can prompt belief in a Deity, higher power. In the context of actual warfare, such a sudden change in belief has been cal ...

Background

Torpy enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1994 and left the service in 2005 at the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. He earned his commission through the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

at West Point in 2000, and he served with the Army's 1st Armored Division in Germany, Kuwait, and Iraq. Critics consider Torpy and his advocacy group to be outsiders, frequently describing Torpy as a "perpetually offended" atheist, and framing his advocacy for under-represented non-religious groups as an attack on the free exercise of religion. Torpy cites his experiences in the Army and at West Point, when superiors "responded with indifference or hostility" to individuals or groups who did not profess religious beliefs. Torpy argues that while the numbers of Christian evangelical service members and of non-religious members are about the same (roughly 20% of the military population) there is a clear preference for funding and providing services for the former while attempts to provide the same services for the latter are refused.

Activities

Through his own organization and partnered with others, Torpy has seen some progress toward his stated goals of gaining acceptance and support for non-religious service members and veterans. The Army invited him to address its 12th-annual Diversity Leadership Conference at West Point in 2012, and the U.S. Army approved a major's request to list humanism as his religious preference for the first time in April 2014. Meanwhile, the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

denied the application of humanist chaplain candidate Jason Heap, who was sponsored by the Humanist Society and by MAAF.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Torpy, Jason 20th-century births Year of birth uncertain Living people United States Army soldiers United States Military Academy alumni United States Army officers American atheism activists Secular humanists