Lawmakers Claim Air Force Culture Becoming 'Hostile Towards Religion'

Fox News ^ | 6/23/12

[marshmallow]

Dozens of House lawmakers accused the U.S. Air Force this week of being "hostile towards religion," citing a string of recent incidents they claim show the military is taking separation of church and state too far.

"Censorship is not required for compliance with the Constitution," they wrote in a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

The letter from 66 Republican members of Congress referenced a series of cases where they claim the Air Force "succumbed" to demands from outside groups.

Among the incidents:

* A decision to remove a Latin reference to "God" from a logo/motto for the Rapid Capabilities Office

* A decision to stop requiring staff to check for Bibles in Air Force Inn rooms

* The removal of a document from a distance-learning course for Squadron Officer School that suggested chapel attendance is a sign of strong leadership

* The suspension of an ethics course because the material included Bible passages

"Mr. Secretary, the combination of events mentioned above raises concerns that the Air Force is developing a culture that is hostile towards religion," the lawmakers wrote. They urged Panetta to investigate all the incidents and issue "clear Department of Defense policy guidance."

The letter was drafted by Reps. Diane Black, R-Tenn.; Randy Forbes, R-Va.; and Todd Akin, R-Mo.

The incidents were not all as clear-cut as the lawmakers made them sound.

In the case of the Squadron Officer School course, the training document in question contained the following paragraph: "If you attend chapel regularly, both officers and Airmen are likely to follow this example. If you are morally lax in your personal life, a general moral indifference within the command can be expected."

[FR_addict]

How come it is always the Christian religion, they find offensive?

We have separate MREs (meals ready to eat) for those with religious food restrictions.

The military has to treat the Koran as a Holy Book, when many of us find the Koran's words abhorrent and completely against the teachings of Christ.

[Smokin' Joe]

Well, I reckon the brass would rather eject than come in on a wing and a prayer.

[A Navy Vet]

While I'm not a Christian nor subscribe to any religious beliefs, I have long recognized that Christian/Judea values are what this country was built upon. Once we give those values up, it's a slippery slope through political correctness to Islamic values, much like Europe has experienced.

PC and the insane need not to offend anyone for the slightest thing is destroying this once great shining city on the hill of the world and will be our downfall, or at least lead to a new clandestine revolution.

I guarantee the first time I am exposed to Sharia law, I WILL go out in a blaze of Christian glory. I promise that here and now.

[GreyFriar]

Gee, some lawmakers noticed, but will they do anything?

[Letmarch75]

Instead of a nation of culture (Air Force in this case) we are rushing to become a nation of Vulture(s)

More and more we are being cowed (about things of the Bible, the Church and Christ)

The more we are cowed, the more cowardly we become!

[Venturer]

How come it is always the Christian religion, they find offensive?

That’s an easy one to answer.

Because Christians don’t fight back. We don’t threaten them with beheading when they screw over us, We don’t threaten riots when they make porn picturs of Christ or The Blessed Mother.

We ARE the religion of Peace, so they take advantage of us.

They exempt Muslims from Obana care because their religion doesn’t like it, but they force it on Christians, because we won’t do anything about it.

[squarebarb]

there are many more incidents than these. There is also the demand that Wiccan religion be recognized in the Air Force, for one. I think there was an air Force chaplain who was accused of prosetylizing when he included a reference to Jesus in an e-mail, and others. It’s been going on for a long time.

[starlifter]

Glad you think Jews, Muslims, etc. need not apply.

[ansel12]

Satan and the left know who their true enemy is, that is why Christianity is always under attack, even the Dali Lama has a world religion that he finds troublesome, Christianity.

[vetvetdoug]

The USAF started going down this slippery slope as far back as 1975 when they forced many of us to go to class to learn “race relations”. Instead of “race relations” we got a bunch of left wing and racist gunk thrown at us by the minority teachers that were in charge. I almost puked and gagged when they were putting down the Sons of Confederate Veterans as a radical racist group and told me that the Black Panthers were a national group of do-gooders that were not radical. The ones in charge of this teaching are now in charge of the religious doctrines of the USAF.

[Salvation]

Pray for all chaplains!

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[zot]

Gee, some lawmakers noticed, but will they do anything?

Not likely.

[US Navy Vet]

What Air Force “Culture”?