USAFA Relationship with Atheists “Bears Fruit”
Despite Michael Weinstein’s continuous ridicule of the US Air Force Academy, Jason Torpy and his Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers paint quite a different picture — and Torpy looks like a calm foil to Weinstein’s blustering grandstanding:
Continuing what is now nearly a year of collaboration, the Air Force Academy has made significant changes to training as a result of reviews by the Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers…
This effort continues previous successes between MAAF and the Academy…Continuing a trend of over a year, MAAF collaborative efforts have led to tangible action – humanist alternatives for trainees, meaningful changes in policy, effective diversity training, and continuing collaboration with nontheist leaders.
Torpy’s characterization is in stark contrast to Weinstein’s unceasing criticisms and accusations of Constitutional violations, criminal acts, and general lawlessness at a government institution run amok. There is one important distinction, however. Torpy claims primarily to be after equality for humanists and atheists, with a large focus on the military chaplaincy. Weinstein, by contrast, continues to claim Christians are trying to take over USAFA (and the world). Side by side, Torpy highlights Weinstein for the fringe conspiracy theorist he is.
As for the substantive content of Torpy’s remarks, it is difficult to assess as he describes only the “changes” he suggested and does not provide the complete material or the necessary context. Much of it seems semantic and remains open to interpretation.
It is true Weinstein and Torpy have occasionally co-signed letters in their shared activism. (Chris Rodda enacted quick damage control the last time Torpy and Weinstein were out of step with each other.) It is also true Torpy hasn’t always been on the side of mutual respect and religious freedom in the military. Still, Torpy risks positioning himself as a legitimate voice with reference to religion and USAFA, as Weinstein fades into irrelevancy.
Once again, you know not what you type. You continually post things you’ve heard or read. Over and over again.
Stories don’t magically become true because Richard repeats them over and over again.
@Lt Frank
You seem to forget that I am part of a citizens and military network witha large number of contacts, all of whom share information. So I am not just one voice of reason crying in the Dominionist wilderness and guessing what’s going on. I am connected to many who witness Dominionist transgressions first hand but cannot speak for themselves. Yes many of our young men and women armed forces members live in fear. Not of the enemy, not of death or wounds but of the Dominion Christians who plague them with a constant bombardment of Christian proselytizing and threaten their careers and advancement. I received information from MRFF recently that the total number of client case complaints from armed forces members, inluding the service academies, reserves and national guard are approaching 26,000. There are over 345 Client cases at the AFA alone. Of that number approximately 96% identify themselves as “Christian ” who have been told they are not “Christian enough.” The other 4% are a smattering of atheist, non Christian religions and agnostics.
In order to fully understand the dimensions of the Dominionist threat you must, yourself, read the Dominionist manifesto as written by leaders of the movement. For a chilling glimpse into the stilted minds of Christian Dominionism just get Pat Robertson’s book, “The Secret Kingdom.” This is basically the second Bible to Dominionists. It is the blue print for the Christian take-over of America and abrogation of the US Constitution and replacement by Mosaic Law. It talks of world Christian conquest and conversion to Christianity. It is but one of many pieces written by Dominionists Leaders. Rousas John Rushdoony, Tony Perkins, James Dobson, John Hagee, Rod Parsley, Chip Berlet, Frederick Clarkson, Tim LaHaye, Beverly LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins and a host of others.
Whether you believe these things which I pass along or not is immaterial. They are a fact and with time will be disclosed to a more general audience.
I am hoping the days of Dominionsit Christianity are numbered and our young ,men and women in the armed forces and service academies can again function as free thinking members of a great society free to select and prasctice the religions of their choice.
Religion has been a cruel master for centuries and I don’t expect Dominionists to just throw in the towel. But slowly and surely the exposure to the light of day of their dark agenda will display to the country and the world their awful retrograde, archaic and arcane beliefs.
@Nathan
Nathan said: “Commingling religion and the military is unconstitutional.”
That’s too bad for all the people of faith in the military. What are they gonna do? I guess we’ll have to get rid of all the chapels on military bases. And all military members will have to be atheists.
——————————————————————————————————————-
By commingling I mean interlacing Christian doctrine with military custom and law. SCOTUS has held that military members may not, in the course of their duties, favor, advance, elevate, prefer, recommend or proselytize one religion over another or relgion over non-religion. Currently armed forces members of various faiths have chapels, Chaplains, periods of time and designated venues in which to hold worship services. Outside of that scope religion may not be proselytized.
_____________________________________________________________________
“Sectarian poroselytizing is prohibited.” Displaying a brochure for a tourist attraction isn’t proselytizing. Or would displaying a brochure for the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo mean that the military endorses that zoo above all others, and everyone should become a lifetime member?
—————————————————————————————————————-
The Zoo is not a religious venue. Unlike a particular religion, the military may actually endorse a Zoo. The military promoting venues in which singular faith activities are held violate constitutional provision.
______________________________________________________________________
The article you linked is from 2005. We have a new Supt, new Comm, and new Wing. Anything happen recently? Yeah, we’ve had problems in the past. But we’re working to eliminate those problems. And we’re making good progress.
—————————————————————————————————————–
As I have said, Christian Dominionism is an on-going problem and flare ups have been frequent. Cults continue to operate, the recent National Prayer Luncheon was basically a revival meeting, Christian Biblical scripture appears on dormitory walls and person to person cadet to cadet proselytizing continues unabated. I see a little effort and I want to encourage that. But I and other thinking Americans will not settle for modest advances for long.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Richard, my responses to some of your statements.
“The basic pathology in Dominionist Christianity is the willingness to resort to violent acts if preliminary attempts at diverting convertible prospects fails.” Can you point to one recent example of this at USAFA?
“Cadets may be adults but they are in a precarious position. First, their brains are in a military obedience and learning mode, vulnerable to suggestion and command coercion.” Thank you for the psych eval. Have you taken Philosophy 310? Maybe Law 220? Any engineering class? Cadets are taught to think for themselves. Learning does not mean obedience. Cadets get in trouble all the time.
“Secondly even a suggestion from a superior officer or upperclassman to attend Christian services or join some kind of religious sect can and will be taken as a directive. The fear of disobeying such suggestions and the reality of what has transpired with others who did not, often prompts young cadets to at least pretend they are going along with the program.” Never seen that happen. What has transpired with others?
“The recent posting of Christian Bible verses in Cadet Dormitories to the exclusion of other religious information is yet another demonstration of dominionist hegemony.” First of all, those weren’t posted recently. Secondly, the verse was a quote from Jesus about sacrifice and love – John 15:13. That particular Bible verse isn’t even religious, when it stands on its own. I wouldn’t call that hegemony, even if I was exaggerating.
“The military promoting venues in which singular faith activities are held violate constitutional provision.” OK, so we could put brochures for other faith venues that are also tourist attractions up too. Are there any? I don’t see how putting a brochure for the only religious tourist attraction in the Springs is endorsing that religion and excluding others. There are no other religious tourist attractions to exclude.
“Christian Dominionism is an on-going problem and flare ups have been frequent. Cults continue to operate, the recent National Prayer Luncheon was basically a revival meeting, Christian Biblical scripture appears on dormitory walls” If they’re so frequent, why haven’t we had one in seven years? I don’t know much about the national prayer luncheon; I wasn’t there. What cults are here? I already discussed the quote about sacrifice – the “Christian Biblical scripture” you mentioned. Cadets are allowed to proselytize to each other within certain constraints. And “proselytize” is really just a buzz word for sharing one’s faith.
Sorry, didn’t do very well with the formatting there.
Pingback: God and Country » Military Atheists Join, Contradict Fight Against Travis AFB Nativity
Pingback: God and Country » Atheist Gets Secretive Agency to Change Motto