A US lawmaker in Virginia is calling on the US Air Force to reverse a decision to remove a Latin reference to God from a logo after an atheist group complained.

Republican Randy Forbessaid the US Air Force removed the logo from the Rapid Capabilities Office several weeks ago. The patch included a line written in Latin that read, "Doing God's Work with Other People's Money".

But after the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers complained, Forbes said the line was rewritten in Latin to read, "Doing Miracles with Other People's Money".

Forbes, along with a bipartisan group of 35 lawmakers, sent a letter to US Air Force secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz expressing concern over the decision to remove a non-religious reference to God.

"It is most egregious," Forbes told FOX News. "The air force is taking the tone that you can't even use the word 'God.'"

Forbes said his office contacted the air force, and officials there confirmed that the logo was changed after the atheist group complained.

A spokesman for the air force told FOX News that it received the letter and would investigate the claims.

Forbes said the removal of "God" is a "bridge too far in terms of the rights of men and women who serve in our services and their ability to express their faith," adding that "the significance of this is what the air force is saying with this move - that the word 'God', whether it has any reference to faith or not, can't be used in the air force."

He said the incident is one of several in recent months that caused him to wonder if the military is cleansing itself of religious references.

"It's a very dangerous course to take," he added.

Read more at FOX News Radio.