Chief Chaplain on Religion in the AF

Maj Gen Cecil Richardson, Air Force Chief of Chaplains (previously noted here), was interviewed by the Air Force Times.  Notable quotes on religion in the Air Force:

[I]f you’re just introducing yourself to someone and you say I’m married, I have three kids, I’m from Ohio, I’m a Roman Catholic and my faith is an important part of my life, no problem…If you…say, “If you want to be a good airman, a good officer and a good student … you have to be Roman Catholic or Baptist,” then you’ve gone over the line.

It’s true the other way around. I’ve met guys who say, “I’ve got a commander who’s very anti-religious. He’s let it be known that you don’t go bringing the Bible into the work area or bowing in the corner before a meal or you don’t talk about Jesus.” … That’s over the line.

Q. If one airman wants to talk to another airman about Jesus, when do they have to back off?

A. The same place they back off if it’s someone pressuring you about playing golf. We have rules that are very clear, very good, about harassment and undue pressure and undue influence. If a guy says, “Come play golf with me.” Nah, nah, don’t want to do it. Then he comes back, “Come play golf with me.” I told you, I don’t want to do that. If he comes back again, you say, “Man, you’re harassing me. Back off!” Then, if he doesn’t back off, you go to your supervisors. We’ve got rules about that. We don’t do that stuff. Religion is no different.

2 comments

  • Carmine Wiggins

    Once you say you are affiliated with any religious organization and/or your faith is important to you, then you have just set the stage about how people will deal with you. As a “non-believer” knowing a person is roman catholic and has faith has just told me his/her gods, preachers and idols are more important to them then anything else [first], then we [everyone else] matter second.

    Military and Religious are very much contradictions in terms and utterly ridiculous. Can you imagine Sgt Jones telling Maj WIllborne “Sir, you’re harassing me. Back off!” because he didn’t want to hear anything the Major had to say about what’s happening in his church? The Military is a hierarchal organization and Sgt Jones has no choice but to listen. If Sgt Jones complains, then who will they believe…a Major or a Sgt? AND never trust social actions, they do not have the required training to handle stuff like this, especially if they are religious too!

    No matter how much you want to spin this, religions, gods, preachers, faith and any other “higher power” stuff are just unacceptable in our Military. The only (and best) practice is to go off base, home or the church to believe in the supernatural…then leave it there!

  • The military is very sensitive to any claims of any kind of harassment. The assertion that a subordinate could not seek recourse over legitimate harassment by a superior has been popularized by Weinstein but is not supported by the facts.

    The idea that faith is “unacceptable” in the military (or, by extension, the government) is inconsistent with the Constitution.