Tag Archives: chapel

Support Your Local…Military Chapel

Being a Christian in the military can bring some interesting challenges when making offerings and donations to the Lord’s work.  The Combined Federal Campaign, for example, has both its positives and negatives; in addition, there is simply the challenge of finding a consistent church to attend and support among a variety of moves and temporary assignments.

An additional consideration occurs when Christians in the military attend a military chapel.  While most Christian denominations support the concept of contributing financially to one’s home church, the financial situation of a military chapel is somewhat different.  Unlike a private church that depends on the funds of its members, a congregation will not be evicted from a military chapel for reasons of rent or mortgage, nor will the Chaplain be let go (or move on) because of issues with pay.

Some military Christians still support the chapel financially with Read more

Cross Found at USAFA Pagan Circle

This incident has been so mis-reported that it was initially just ignored; however, when General Gould published a statement agreeing that this incident has been “sensationalized,” he gave credence to the view that this situation is being grossly mischaracterized, and that people are inappropriately using it for their personal advancement.  An analysis thus follows…

Despite the positive hullabaloo over the US Air Force Academy pagan circle, Michael Weinstein’s Military Religious Freedom Foundation has now denounced the placement of a cross at the site, an act that occurred before the recent positive press reports.  Though the incident took place several weeks ago, the MRFF appeared to time the press release to counter the recent spate of “good news” about religious tolerance at USAFA.

For the record, it should go without saying that Read more

US Air Force Academy Adds Pagan Chapel

The US Air Force Academy cadet chapel is expanding to the outdoors.  Along with its Christian, Jewish, Islamic, and Buddhist chapel areas, the cadet chapel will now officially include a “pagan circle” located on a hill just above the chapel grounds.

The Academy pagan group is led by USAF TSgt Brandon Longcrier, an NCO who works in the astronautics lab within the academic faculty.  Longcrier was effusive in his praise of the Academy and the Chaplains in their support for his efforts, which included pagan rituals for Basic Cadet trainees over the summer.

“There really haven’t been any obstacles for the new circle,” he said. “The chaplain’s office has been 100-percent supportive.”

According to Longcrier, the pagans meet during each Monday night (chapel-sponsored SPIRE meets that night).

It would appear that those who claim the US military is officially “Christian” are losing any vestiges of evidence to support their claim.

“Conservative Christians Dominate the US Military”

Christopher Hitchens, author of God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything and co-author of Is Christianity Good for the World with Pastor Douglas Wilson, takes on religion in the US military in his latest article in Vanity Fair, for which is he a contributing writer.

The lead-in to the article demonstrates a set of false assumptions which are never substantiated within the article:

It’s no secret that conservative Christians dominate the US military, but when higher-ups start talking about conversion missions, it’s time to worry.

Hitchens never provides evidence that any ideological belief, never mind conservative Christianity, “dominates” the US military.  He also misrepresents Read more

Air Force Academy Religious Climate “Improving”

An Associated Press article repeated at the local Gazette and other sources says of the US Air Force Academy:

Religious tolerance has improved dramatically since allegations five years ago that evangelical Christians harassed cadets who didn’t share their faith.

The article even quotes critic Michael Weinstein, who sued the Air Force for incidents at the Academy, agreeing with the assessment:

This is the first time we feel positive about things there.

While the initial complaints were that the Air Force was foisting Christianity on its cadets, the Air Force investigation instead determined that the situation was far simpler: cadets of minority faiths did not feel appropriately accommodated as was permissible under military regulations.  Thus, the Air Force addressed Read more

US Military Chapel Celebrates 25 Years

It is true that military chapels are supposed to be, in some respects, “religiously neutral.”  The objective of the regulations governing chapels is that any faith group be able to use them for their spiritual needs.  As chapel space is often limited, many times a single building, or even a single room, must meet the needs of all faith groups.

The military academies have long been an exception.  The main floor of the US Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, which turned 50 just a few months ago, is overtly Christian, with a huge, sculpted metal cross hanging from the ceiling.  Rather than having “shared spaces,” the USAFA Chapel Read more

Buddhist Military Chapel “Represents Tolerance”

National Public Radio (NPR) recently reported that the Buddhist Chapel at the Air Force Academy, a room in the lower floors of the iconic Cadet Chapel, “represents tolerance” of beliefs at within the military institution.

The Buddhist hall within the Chapel has actually been in use for years (it was even renovated in 2007) so it is unclear why NPR is covering the story now.  However, they do provide several quotes that indicate the religious climate at the Air Force Academy has “improved” from Read more

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