2009
Military Advance: Religious Tolerance On The Upswing At The Air Force Academy, says Americans United.
We all know what a stronghold of Evangelical Christianity Colorado Springs is – the Air Force Academy was little different. Colorado Springs is the home of a prominent Christian hate group: James Dobson’s Focus on the Family – which is right across the highway from the academy. Cadets were being forced to undergo indoctrination into extreme Right-wing Christianity – the kind of Christianity that shows little regard for the First Amendment rights of those who do not subscribe to it.
An air of evangelical Christianity permeated the facility. Cadets were encouraged to see films like “The Passion of the Christ.” During a training session for cadets, an Academy chaplain urged evangelicals to convert their classmates to their brand of Christianity. He told cadets that those not “born again will burn in the fires of hell.” Non-Christian cadets complained of harassment and intolerance.
A Yale Divinity School team said that year it had observed chaplains and other officials promoting their religion during basic training for cadets, a violation of school rules.
“Four days after the AU report was delivered, Defense Department officials announced the creation of a task force to examine the religious climate at the Academy.” Obviously, a great deal needed to change. After four years, has it?
Americans United reports that it has.
We’re pleased to say they’re much better.
As the Associated Press reported recently, the Academy’s superintendent, Lt. Gen. Michael Gould, spearheaded the launch of a campaign to promote religious tolerance and acceptance of people of many different faiths and none.
“There’s been a huge shift,” Major Joshua Narrowe, an Academy chaplain, said. “Previously, if somebody wanted to have special [religious] needs taken care of … that cadet had to petition. That was often denied. The default answer now is, ‘Yes, go ahead.’”
Perhaps the most pleasing news for Pagans will be this: “When a group of cadets who practice a nature-based religion sought a place to worship, they were granted permission to erect a stone circle. A new Interfaith Council meets once a month to discuss issues.”
I don’t think anyone would have imagined that four years ago.
Meanwhile, Focus on the Family does not seem to be advertising their defeat. A search of their site reveals no recent news about the Air Force Academy. I suppose a group as powerful and influential as that does not want to advertise setbacks – particularly at the hands of Pagans.
Two cheers to the Academy for cleaning up its act and starting to adhere to the Constitution that the officers are sworn to protect and defend. One cheer deducted for the fact that they did so only when forced to do so by threatened and actual litigation, and by bad publicity.
I do, however, have a bone to pick with the author of the AP article. A couple of bones, actually. What’s with the sneer quotes around the words Earth-centered in the third paragraph? And what about the word even in the same sentence? As if nonbelievers and the followers of earth-centered religions are so far out in left field that meeting their needs shows how mind-blowingly tolerant the Academy is being. Oh, well, baby steps. . . .
And as for Focus on the Family, I’d direct them to this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX3UqY8KZpU
Baby steps indeed. I think that’s all we can expect for now. Considering any non-Christian was an outcast there four years ago, the “even” isn’t too bad. But it’s a shame when personal feelings cloud the speech of a reporter. Honest, unbiased reporting, if it ever existed, is a thing of the past. That link was hilarious, Makarios, except that it’s 6 am and I was barely awake and my sound was turned up to max…LOL