Air Force Sued Over Religion

[David]

AP


A New Mexico man sued the Air Force on Thursday, claiming Air Force Academy senior officers and cadets illegally imposed Christianity on others at the school.

The suit was filed in federal court by Mikey Weinstein, an academy graduate and outspoken critic of the school's handling of religion.

Over the past decade or more, the suit claims, academy leaders have fostered an environment of religious intolerance at the Colorado school, in violation of the First Amendment.

Weinstein claims that evangelical Christians at the school have coerced attendance at religious services and prayers at official events, among other things.

"It's a shocking disgrace that I had to file this thing," Weinstein told The Associated Press.

The Air Force declined immediate comment.

Cadets, watchdog groups and a former chaplain at the academy have alleged that religious intolerance is widespread at the school. On Aug. 29, the Air Force issued guidelines discouraging public prayer at official functions and urging commanders to be sensitive about personal expressions of religious faith.

There have been complaints at the academy that a Jewish cadet was told the Holocaust was revenge for the death of Jesus and that another Jew was called a Christ killer by a fellow cadet. A banner in the football team's locker room read: "I am a Christian first and last ... I am a member of Team Jesus Christ."

Also, there have been complaints that cadets were pressured to attend chapel, that academy staffers put New Testament verses in government e-mail, and that cadets used the e-mail system to encourage others to see the Mel Gibson movie "The Passion of the Christ."

Weinstein, who is Jewish and lives in Albuquerque, said the Air Force has violated cadets' right to worship as they choose.

"My problem is not with Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity or even evangelical Christianity," he said. "It's that whenever a religion ? in this case a group of people ? tries to engage the machinery of the state, it is constitutionally repugnant and violative."

The lawsuit, which names the Air Force and its acting secretary, Pete Geren, as defendants, asks the Air Force to prohibit its members ? including chaplains ? from evangelizing and proselytizing or in any related way attempting "to involuntarily convert, pressure, exhort or persuade a fellow member of the USAF to accept their own religious beliefs while on duty."

In June, an Air Force task force said it found no overt religious discrimination but observed a lack of sensitivity among some and confusion over what is permissible in sharing one's faith.

After a July visit to the academy, a team from the Yale Divinity School issued a report last month saying it found lingering problems among the academy's chaplains, whose activities may conflict with the goals of school leaders and the Air Force overall.

[Keith_Hixson]

Most believe that Mr. Weinstein has some sort of axe to grind.
I can't believe any Christian as saying that Holocast was revenge for killing Jesus. Also, e-mail sending is a personal and private privilege to prevent a cadet from sending an e-mail would seem to me to sensoring.
I think the guy has an axe to grind and is basically "a fruitcake." Now, I am not saying that some Evangelical Christians don't push their faith but this is a free country. Part of freedom of religion means that one can share their faith. I don't think this is going anywhere. Unless the Airforce wants to pay him off so they can get on with life. But, from all that I have read its just a greedy person trying to blackmail the government out of money.

Keith

[Jerry D]

You Know , when I was in the Barracks every Sunday morning the Base Chapel group would go thru the area asking folks if they wanted to go to church. It wasn't coercion just someone being friendly and asking if you wanted to attend chapel. they usually came knocking at my barracks room door just after I got off from Night shift at around 8-8:30 am and I would just say "No Thanks I just got off work and they would leave peacefully and that was it. I agree Mr.Weinstein has some sort of axe to grind and just wants his 15 minutes of Fame like the Atheist are getting in the 9th Circuit Court in California.