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. Read more

Support for “Free Day Away” Approved by IG

In an interesting turn of events, the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers (MAAF) undermined Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (AU) in its recent effort to complain about Fort Leonard Wood’s “Free Day Away” (discussed here).

In July, the AU requested an IG investigation…something the MAAF did two years ago.  The MAAF also complained again last January, and received a reply (which noted that the IG had already investigated their complaint) at nearly the same time the AU made their IG request.  From the DOD reply:

The [IG] found that the program does not violate Army policy in that participation is voluntary…The IG determined that…soldiers have opportunities to participate in non-religious morale, welfare, and recreation programs.  More specifically, during the Free Day Away program,…soldiers can remain in the barracks or go to an on-post facility, such as a Post Exchange Annex.

The Free Day Away event has also featured prominently in the MRFF lawsuit against the Department of Defense.

Challenge to VA Chaplains’ “Pastoral Care”

As noted here, the 7th Circuit ruled against the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which had challenged the “pastoral care” role of the VA Chaplaincy on Constitutional grounds (filed in 2006).  While the lower court ruled on the merits of the case (in favor of the VA), the circuit court vacated that decision and found that the FFRF did not have standing to sue.

In its ruling, the court also included a fairly detailed history of the military Chaplaincy.  Even the FRFF legally conceded that chaplains

obviously perform religious activities, which they can do to a limited extent to accommodate the constitutional Free Exercise rights of hospitalized patients.

The judges also noted Read more

Princeton’s 2009 University Rankings

The ChristianPost notes that the Princeton Review has come out with its list of “best colleges” (actually released on July 28).  As they note, one ranking was “most religious students.”  Brigham Young may immediately come to mind (indeed, its #1).

However, of the 368 colleges ranked by 120,000 college students, #14 on the list of “most religious students” was…the US Air Force Academy.

USAFA completed its sociopolitical trifecta by coming in at #17 for “most politically active” and #5 for “most conservative.”  (The Naval Academy ranked #12 for most conservative, while West Point was #5 for politically active.) 

The individual college pages can be seen here, though it may require a profile log-on to see school data.

Navy Chaplains Lack Standing to Sue

As noted at the Religion Clause, the 3rd Circuit Court ruled that a group of Navy Chaplains lacked standing to sue over the alleged preferential treatment of Catholic Chaplains in the Navy. The court did not rule on the merits of the case, and one judge dissented.

The decision is interesting in its relation to the ongoing lawsuit against the Defense Department brought by Jeremy Hall and the MRFF.  The government has alleged that Hall (and thus the MRFF) also lacks standing for similar reasons listed by the 3rd Circuit.

For example,

As the Supreme Court has often stated, mere personal offense to government action does not give rise to standing to sue. Read more

Christian Fighter Pilots: Why Bother?

Daily spiritual struggles, constant challenges to a Christian’s faith, the potential for persecution, lawsuits and attacks that restrict religious faith:  with so many negatives, why would any Christian even want to be in the military?

Many of the articles on this website deal with the pessimistic aspects of trying to be an authentic Christian in a sometimes immoral fighter pilot world.  This was a somewhat zealous attempt to “set straight” any “starry-eyed” would-be fighter pilots, though it may have neglected to consider those who honestly know very little (good or bad) about the fighter pilot world.  A dearth of positive articles may lead some to believe that there isn’t any good in being a fighter pilot, or that there’s no respectable reason for a Christian to be in the military at all.  That couldn’t be further from the truth.  There are awesome and positive things about being a fighter pilot, and the military even has aspects that make it desirable as a Christian career. Read more

Government Cannot “Pray in Jesus’ Name”

In a ruling that could also impact religious activities in the military, the 4th Circuit has ruled that the government can control the content of prayers offered during its legislative sessions.  Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor sat on the panel as a visiting judge and contributed to the ruling.

Justice O’Connor said that the prayer was “government speech,” not individual speech.  Reverend Hashmel Turner, also a local councilman, had sued when he was prevented from offering a sectarian prayer that would include the name of Jesus Christ.  The Reverend had been represented by the Rutherford Institute, which plans to appeal to the Supreme Court.

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