Proposed U.S. Passport Questionnaire Asks About Baptism, Circumcision

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United States Passport

The State Department has proposed a new questionnaire form for U.S. Citizens who cannot supply a valid birth certificate.

Any citizen who had a  “non-institutionalized birth or delayed birth filing” must provide specific details to questions that ask them the location of their mother’s residence one year before their birth, the day of their birth and one year after their birth, their mother’s place of employment and name and address of employer, the name of their mother’s doctor and the dates she received pre-natal care, and the witnesses present at the time of their birth.

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In addition, potential passport-holders must list all of their residences since birth, lifetime employment history (including names and numbers of supervisors) and details about baptism, circumcision, confirmation, or other religious ceremonies that marked their birth.

The Atlantic reports that the government estimated the entire form would take an average applicant only 45 minutes to complete.

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