A Republican congressman and chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserves told Fox News on Tuesday that atheists were trying to subvert military chaplains.

Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) said he objected to the push for atheist chaplains in the U.S. Armed Forces.

“This is pushing an agenda that is really trying, although not overtly, but I think subversively, is trying to undermine the chaplains role in the military,” he explained.

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Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) and Rep. Robert Andrews (D-NJ) offered amendments to an annual defense spending bill that would have allowed humanists and other nonbelievers to join the Chaplain Corps. The two Democrats argued it was wrong that atheists were forced to seek advice from psychiatrists or psychologists, while believers could seek out a chaplain who represented their faith.

The amendments were rejected in the Republican-led House.

“In the military, seeing a medical professional or counselor sometimes has some stigma attached to it,” Polis explained to Fox News.

Jason Torpy of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers also told Fox News that chaplains didn’t reach out to nonbelievers or offer them the same level of support.

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