General Gould Addresses McClary USAFA Prayer Luncheon
According to an Air Force Academy press release, General Michael Gould, USAFA Superintendent, had this to say about the upcoming National Prayer Luncheon:
[Gould] took on what he called “the big elephant” surrounding the Air Force Academy in the media in recent weeks: the National Prayer Luncheon, scheduled to be held at the Falcon Club Feb. 10. The event will feature retired Marine Lt. Clebe McClary as keynote speaker in addition to readings from followers of Buddhist, Jewish, Protestant, Catholic and Islamic faiths.
“Let me just set something straight: this is totally voluntary,” General Gould said. “If you want to go, great. If you don’t want to go, great. If anybody — and I mean this — if anybody is feeling pressure from his or her supervisor or from anybody else to go to this, I want to know about it. (And) if those allegations are substantiated, we will deal with the individual severely. We have to set that straight: you’re welcome to go; you’re welcome not to go.”
While it may seem a statement of the obvious to most reasonable people, the comments re-emphasize to critics that the Academy is presenting an opportunity for those who desire it, not forcing anything on anyone. Allowing people the opportunity to participate in an event does not violate the Establishment Clause of the US Constitution.
Importantly, Gould specifically said those who experienced pressure to attend should speak up. This may be a reference to anonymous letters to the MRFF and anonymous complainants in Michael Weinstein’s newly filed lawsuit, who evidently have done nothing in official military channels to address their concerns.
And note that he said that on Jan. 27, before the MRFF lawsuit was filed.
@Phoenix Blue
Jan. 27 was after numerous organizations and individuals wrote letters demanding that McClary be disinvited, and after the letter from an officer on staff at the Academy who does not feel that this “voluntary” event is truly voluntary, written on behalf of himself and about a dozen other officers, was made public, so I don’t know why you think Gould making these comments before the actual lawsuit was filed is significant.
@Chris: …officer who does not “feel” that this voluntary event is truly voluntary? “FEEL”?
So because he/she “feels” it’s not voluntary, that means that it’s not voluntary? Courts deal with facts…not feelings without facts to back them up. MRFF = Military Respects FEELINGS Foundation?
Either it is voluntary or it isn’t. If the officer feels it isn’t, that officer has a responsibility to prove his/her point. Pretty sad that we are so concerned with how someone “feels” instead of what is fact.
Many people of various religious backgrounds “feel” certain things as well. Many times people in the military are ostracized and mocked because they don’t drink or don’t go to strip clubs. They are not in that “club” and are not invited to many events because of their respective faith. How many people of faith didn’t get that promotion, choice assignment, award, etc. because they weren’t “one of the guys”? Many are outsiders, but they don’t whine about it and file lawsuits using “John Doe”. They suck it up and press on.
Mark Twain’s War Prayer seems applicable here. Maybe this prayer should be read at the luncheon so that all assembled will dwell on the irony of ‘warriors’ praying to the ‘Prince of Peace’. Samuel Clemens certainly understood it:
“O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle — be Thou near them! With them — in spirit — we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it — for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.
http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/making/warprayer.html
Albert,
LtCol Hal Moore, as played by Mel Gibson in We Were Soldiers, has a more concise version.
Unfortunately it is precisely because of these feelings of these people and this issue they can just suck it up and press on. What drives these feelings you may ask? Well, if you’ve been around the Military you will soon understand that just because something wasn’t written down (like proof) doesn’t mean its not mandatory, expected, highly desired or required. Even Lt Frank above implies that this “coercion/ostracizing” is apparently normal and to suck it up. There is NO way to prove or substantiate to anyone that is feeling pressure from his or her supervisor or from anybody else to go to this prayer luncheon, unless they recorded a conversation maybe.
Lt Frank says: “Many people in the military are ostracized and mocked because they don’t drink or don’t go to strip clubs” so this is not being an “insider” by not participating in what some people believe are against there religious beliefs, or just plan nasty? You want us to believe this in “normal” and the troops should just “suck it up and move on” are you bonkers? So, being there really no why to prevent or show proof (even using the Chain-of-Command) of this ostracizing the only recourse is to like, umm, file a law suit to stop it maybe?
Hope Mr. Mullin and the anonymous complainers have learned Weinstein and company are enemies of free speech and freedom of religion. This lawsuit wasted taxpayer money as part of Weinstein’s continued campaign to harass the Chaplain Corps and — specifically — Christians. He does not target any other religious group but Christians.
Keep in mind Mr. Weinstein is the man who took offense when Brig Gen Weida took the time to write back to one of his (many) letters/calls of complaint and included the salutation “Shalom” in an attempt to be sensitive to Weinstein’s Jewish heritage.
http://www.gazette.com/articles/academy-7885-weida-cadets.html
Mr. Weinstein is not content to be an atheist, but he has a compelling and urgent need to be “at war” with any military leader who posseses religious faith in Jesus Christ. History will show the Military Religious Freedom Foundation is an enemy of the United States Constitution and does not have the public good in mind with its many frivolous complaints and lawsuits.
“Hope Mr. Mullin and the anonymous complainers have learned Weinstein and company are enemies of free speech and freedom of religion.”
Nonsense! This is a constitutional infringement. MRFF is fighting for enforcement of the constitution.
“Mr. Weinstein is not content to be an atheist, but he has a compelling and urgent need to be “at war” with any military leader who posseses religious faith in Jesus Christ.”
More nonsense! Only those who abuse their position to force people into their religion.
These people think that if someone stands up to prevent them from illegal proselytizing, that they are being oppressed and are loosing their religious freedom. If they can’t force everyone to believe what they believe, then their religious freedom is being infringed upon. Oh the irony!
Imagine what would happen if this were a Muslim prayer event.
To quote a recent movie, “What do you mean, ‘these people?'” Even some who might otherwise agree with Weinstein thought his latest lawsuit jumped the shark.
What kind of “prayer event” do you think this was? Did the Rabbinical prayer at the end make you think it was Jewish?
Actually, no “imagining” is necessary. How about this? Or this? Or this? Or this?
What “happened” in each of these instances? Nothing, except the protection of the free exercise of the US troops involved.
Shocked to hear the US military supports the religious beliefs of all of its troops? You’re not alone: Want to know why these things aren’t in the news? No one complains.
Unless, of course, Weinstein finds something “Christian” to go after.