Tag Archives: Public Expression

USAFA Pagan Cross Investigation Closed

The US Air Force Academy closed its investigation into the placement of the shape of a cross at a pagan site on the Academy grounds.  No new information was apparently determined, nor was any action taken.  To their credit, the Colorado Springs Gazette printed the most accurate description so far of the incident, saying

The cross – consisting of two railroad ties propped against a boulder…

Other organizations and individuals had inaccurately implied a ‘large cross’ was ‘made of railroad ties’ and ‘carried to the site’ to be ‘erected in the center’ of the pagan circle.  The Gazette left out only the facts the two boards were not connected and were already on the site before the incident occurred.

In noting the end of its investigation, the Air Force refused to characterize the incident as a hate crime:  Read more

President Obama Cites Fighter Pilot Easter

A few days ago, this site noted that a self-described religious freedom organization, Michael Weinstein’s MRFF, had criticized deployed servicemembers for publicly celebrating Easter in the combat theatre.

In an interesting convergence of topics, a message by President Obama recently cited just such a celebration of Easter–and not by just any servicemembers, but by a unit of deployed fighter pilots.  A fascinating photo (below) helps explain.

In his “holiday greetings” distributed on 3 April 2010, the President commented on “war time” observances of Easter, saying:  Read more

MRFF Opposes Troops’ Religious Freedom at Easter

Last September, Chris Rodda, a researcher for Michael Weinstein and his Military Religious Freedom Foundation, wrote an article enumerating her “Top Ten” list of Christian travesties in the US military, emphasizing acts which “convince the Muslims we’re on a crusade.”  A less combative version of this same list was re-published in the US Air Force’s Attitudes Aren’t Free just a few weeks ago.

At number 8, Rodda lists this rather interesting way in which the US military is showing the Muslim world America is on a crusade:  Read more

Muslim Soldier Complains of Mistreatment

The Washington Post has an interesting article on a Muslim American Soldier who is engaged in “battles on friendly ground.”  The article is essentially a superficial re-telling of US Army Spc Zachari Klawonn’s story, even to the point of being dismissive toward two other Muslim Soldiers (Capt. Rhana Kurdi and Sgt. Fahad Kamal) who gave statements supportive of the Army with regard to their faith.

According to the article, Klawonn has filed “complaint after complaint with his commanders.”  (It is unclear if this is inclusive of the “20 complaints” he has filed with the equal opportunity office.)  He believes he has mild depression and has seen a psychologist a half dozen times since joining the Army.  When he enlisted, he was “grilled” by those at his mosque who wanted to know how he could kill Muslims, which was “forbidden.”

Klawonn was allegedly told by superiors that he needed to be careful, because he fit the same profile as Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan–a Muslim soldier disgruntled with the Army, complete with a psychological history and close associates who seem to believe his military service is incompatible with Islam.  While Klawonn may have been understandably Read more

Sikh Officer Begins Service in US Army

Updated with NPR story.

Capt Tejdeep Singh Rattan recently completed US Army officer basic training.  He and Dr. Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi are Sikhs who have been granted waivers to Army uniform standards allowing them to keep their beard, hair, and turbans, as required by their religious faith.

Two of the more interesting parts of the story are Rattan’s perspective on others’ perceptions, as well as the steps his trainers took to prevent misconceptions about who Rattan was.  Rattan said:  Read more

Complaint Against Chaplain’s Website

The presence of a link on a Fire Department Chaplain’s web page caused a local citizen, Ken Fagan, to complain that a “taxpayer supported website should not have links to religious groups.”  The website is the page of Pastor Jack Martin, and is part of the Spring Hill Fire Department’s official site.

While Fagan is entitled to his opinion, it is unsupported by fact.  The complaint reportedly caused the temporary removal of the link.  It was said to be restored, though the site in its current form appears to be virtually devoid of external links.  The site also now has numerous statements about how it is intended to be for “all citizens” and not in support of any particular faith tradition.  Even the Chaplain’s biography, which naturally describes his theological background, is qualified with a statement saying it is not intended to promote a specific faith.

The concept of religious freedom, as protected by the US Constitution, was never intended to proscribe all persons in public service from ever mentioning religion or Read more

General, Astronaut Lauds Faith and Prayer

Retired Brig. Gen. Charles Duke Jr, an Apollo astronaut and the 10th man to walk on the moon, was invited to speak at the US Air Force Academy prayer luncheon on February 9th.  He spoke on “America’s Godly Heritage,” and noted that he and his wife redirected their energy “toward God.”  He is now president of the Duke Ministry for Christ.

In his remarks, General Duke also highlighted the nation’s religious heritage:

“From the beginning, we were a Godly nation. We were conceived as a religious nation with freedom of religion but not free from God,” he said.

He cited the Mayflower Compact written in the 1600s Read more

1 … 131 132 133 134 135 … 147