Posted on 05/03/2013 9:02:34 AM PDT by Kaslin
An Air Force spokesperson said personnel are not allowed to proselytize but are free to express their personal religious beliefs so long as it “does not make others uncomfortable.” But a critic pointed out an Air Force officer was told to remove a Bible that was on his desk.
“When on duty or in an official capacity, Air Force members are free to express their personal religious beliefs as long as it does not make others uncomfortable,” Lt. Col. Laurel Tingley said in a statement to Fox News. “Proselytizing (inducing someone to convert to one’s faith) goes over that line.”
Tingley said Air Force leaders “must avoid the actual or apparent use of their position to promote their personal religious beliefs to their subordinates or to extend preferential treatment for any religion.”
That statement has caused alarm among a number of religious liberty groups – including the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty.
“What does ‘As long as it does not make others uncomfortable’ mean,” executive director Ron Crews asked Fox News.
He said last year an Air Force officer was told he could no longer keep a Bible on his desk because it “may” appear that he was condoning a particular religion.
“Air Force officers must be allowed to live out their faith in a way that is consistent with their faith,” Crews said. “If the Bible is important, then an Air Force officer should be able to have one on his desk.”
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) also took issue with the Air Force spokesperson’s use of the word ‘uncomfortable.’
“If that is the standard, then Christianity will be over because there will always be somebody who is uncomfortable no matter what someone’s belief is when it comes to Judeo-Christian beliefs,” he told Fox News. “It appears it is getting more and more difficult to be a Christian and serve in the military.”
Gohmert said it’s a different U.S. military under President Obama.
“Under President Obama’s military you are no longer allowed to share your faith,” he said – noting that the policy is putting Christians in a tough position. “Do you follow President Obama or do you follow God and the teachings of Jesus?”
“That’s pretty tough when your commander in chief puts you on the horn for that dilemma,” he added.
Fox News asked for a clarification on the Air Force policy after the Dept. of Defense backtracked on whether or not they allow religious proselytizing and whether military personnel could be at-risk for court-martialing if they share their faith.
On Monday, the Dept. of Defense released a statement noting that religious proselytization is not permitted within the department.
But earlier today, the Pentagon released a new statement noting “service members can share their faith (evangelize), but must not force unwanted, intrusive attempts to convert others of any faith or no faith to one’s beliefs (proselytization).”
While religious groups are pleased with the Dept. of Defense clarification – they are troubled by the Air Force position on religion.
Daniel Blomberg, with the Becket Fund, told Fox News he was glad to see the Dept. of Defense issue a clarification, but expressed alarm at the Air Force statement.
“The Air Force spokesman’s statement sounds like the government can ban servicemen and women from talking to one another about their faith,” he said. “And that couldn’t be more wrong. The Air Force must follow the Department of Defense’s example to immediately correct its statement to avoid chilling Airmen and women’s religious liberty.”
Blomberg said the Air Force policy is “unconstitutional and wrong.”
“Our brave fighting men and women should not be reduced to whispering fearfully about their faith by their own government,” he said.
Crews said mandating an Air Force officer not extend preferential treatment from one religion is absurd.
“If an Air Force officer is a Muslim, I would expect that officer to say prayers, attend services and not go to a Catholic mass,” he said. “That is extending preferential treatment, and rightly so.”
and all those GG civilians better not wear muzzie beards or clothes
and get those buddhas off the desks, too Coz every time I see a symbol of someone’s religion I feel so... proselytized
Waaa!
It’s not someone’s Bible, but your SIN that will make you uncomfortable.
Not God making you uncomfortable, but your own SIN.
God is doing all He can (and all Jesus has done) to remove the curse of your SIN from you.
And His offer is the ONLY way.
US Air Force leading the way to de-Christianize the US military. And the atheist leading the assualt is Mike Weinstein, a retired USAF LTC. 2 of his children went to the USAF Academy like their father, and also complained whenever Christianity was mentioned at the academy.
There must have been a humongous outcry to the DoD and branches of the military over this.
Send that FDR proclamation letter to every military person from general to buck private, and government official from senator to intern, and remind them of Who we should honor!
I watched the video.
Did they ever take the cross down?
Last scene is they are trying to sledge hammer the base of it after trying to sledge hammer the cross arms with no success.
That NEEDS to be sent to EVERY SINGLE SENATOR, CONGRESSMAN, MILITARY OFFICIAL and zero!
The policy as stated makes perfect sense. In fact, I think any Christian should avoid sharing his faith in ways that makes others uncomfortable in a setting where they can’t just walk away. For one thing, I think it is counter-productive, and is mainly intended to help the “Christian” feel good about himself, not to help the listener.
That said, I am sure this policy will be taken well past its specific wording and used to delegitimize any expression of (Christian) faith.
Meanwhile, open homosexuals will be encouraged to take open pride in their proclivities. And others will be disciplined for expressing anything other than celebration of diversity.
I’ve had an epiphany. It all makes sense now. Seeing as it was a pedophilic goat lover who created the cult of islam, having men bend over like that five times a day is not surprising.
Probably not. But he'd curse the living **** out of the goddam sonofabitch who tried to stop him.
I’d like to see some Pentagon bureaucrat try to stop Patton from reading his prayer.
The Air Force needs to start quoting the 1st Amendment which it swore to protect and defend, instead of parroting “laws” which anti-religious expression judges have legislated from the bench.
BTTT
Why would an atheist take offense at a priest reading last rites while he is dying? According to him, it’s just meaningless words.
Truthfully, I have to agree with the military in this one, because of what I have seen in the past.
It is unfair to focus on just Christian or other religious proselytizing as being forbidden on the job, because a LOT of other things are also forbidden.
For example, icons of things considered racist, like Confederate flags, even if they aren’t, are a big no-no. The same with over political endorsements or attacks. You DO NOT do that during duty hours. I noticed that the Masons are very careful about connecting up during duty hours as well.
I knew one junior officer who got a “gag” plastic Voodoo skull sent to him by a friend of his. Within an hour he was visited by his battalion commander who told him to pack it up and take it home, as it had created great upset among the soldiers of the unit.
Even way back when, calling someone a homosexual slur was expressly forbidden, not because it would offend homosexuals, but because somebody might take it seriously, and go off violently against the target of the slur, thinking he was actually a homosexual.
Likewise, nobody ever was to say anything bad about somebody else’s mother. There is one guy in 10,000 who will go into a blind, homicidal rage if you do that.
But back to Christianity. Not too long ago, one particular sect of Christianity had control over a large part of the Air Force Academy, and became very abusive towards not just those of other, or no religions, but even against Christians of other sects. A whole bunch of people got fired because of that. Big scandal.
I saw a senior chaplain fired because he could not distinguish between military policy and the beliefs of his sect, blending the two when giving a lecture before not just US officers, but foreign officers as well. That came close to turning into an international incident.
There is plenty real discrimination against Christians hither and yon, but nothing I’ve seen of late of what the military is doing is any different in a substantial way.
Yes, feel free to share your faith. DO NOT do so during duty hours. Isn’t that clear enough?
Does anyone doubt that this is coming down straight from the Oval Office?
This Administration is anti-Christian. The other Services aren't far behind.
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