Whereas the Society for Humanistic Judaism affirms religious freedom, including both the right to belief and nonbelief, as guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution;
Whereas the Society for Humanistic Judaism supports the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, which ordains Humanistic rabbis and leaders qualified for and interested in chaplaincy-related work;
Whereas the Society currently endorses chaplains in the university setting and supports the expansion of the Humanistic chaplaincy;
Whereas the Society was founded by Rabbi Sherwin Wine, himself a military chaplain and Korean war veteran familiar with chaplaincy operations;
Whereas the Society stands in solidarity with the ideological tenets and values of the larger humanist community;
Whereas the Society sees a need within the US military for humanist support for service men and women, especially those who are not currently being served because they do not have a God belief;
Whereas the Society sees a need for a professional, diverse, and egalitarian chaplaincy to serve all in institutional settings for the benefit of military personnel, prisoners, employees, students, patients, and others;
Whereas the Society stands in support of those humanists who may wish to serve the nation as chaplains in the military or other institutional service; and,
Whereas the Society seeks equal opportunity for all persons without discrimination on the basis of religious belief;
Therefore, be it resolved that the Society for Humanistic Judaism supports the inclusion of humanist services and humanist chaplains in all institutional chaplaincy settings;
Be it further resolved that the Society encourages the US military and other institutional employers to not only accept humanist chaplains but to ensure a healthy representation of humanist chaplains as part of a diverse and effective institutional chaplaincy program and to ensure that chaplains of all beliefs provide informed and equal support to those professing humanist beliefs.
— July 2013
