Tag Archives: religious freedom

A Private Act Sends a Public Message

Some have recently expressed heartburn over Baptist, Catholic, and other Christian US military chaplains being told not take part in any event or ceremony where a possible acceptance of homosexuality might be construed.  In that light, Rev (Dr) Al Mohler had an interesting commentary on the recent decision by former President George H.W. Bush and his wife to attend such a ceremony — and the very public impact of that simple “private” event:

According to The Washington Post, the elder Bushes attended the wedding of Bonnie Clement and Helen Thorgalsen, held at Kennebunkport, Maine…The 41st President of the United States was present, along with the former First Lady…

No one should be surprised by the Read more

Liberal Website Calls Pastor to Lackland Airmen “Anti-Gay”

Pastor Steven Branson of Village Parkway Baptist Church in San Antonio emerged as the leading voice and defender of US Air Force Airmen near Lackland AFB (Joint Base San Antonio).  He held a meeting at his church for Airmen to discuss issues of “religious hostility” — and 80 Airmen attended the “standing room only” meeting.

The left-leaning website Media Matters’ berated Branson, calling him “extreme” and repeatedly describing him as “anti-gay.”  Media Matters’ Carlos Maza wrote that Branson  Read more

Shaw AFB Statement on Nativity

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATIVITY SCENE AT SHAW AFB

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. – Last week a group of volunteers set up a nativity scene near Memorial Lake. All faith-based and secular groups were offered an opportunity to put up holiday displays; however, only one group elected to do so resulting in the nativity scene being the sole display.

Based on only one faith group being represented, 20th Fighter Wing officials determined the appropriate course of action was to celebrate the holiday season consistently and elected to remove the nativity scene from Memorial Lake. In previous years, the nativity scene had been displayed on the grounds of the base chapel. All faith-based and secular groups wishing to place a holiday display on the grounds of the chapel this year are encouraged to coordinate with the Shaw chaplain staff.

So, if Christians want to put up a display, they are allowed to do so only if they create one from another faith?

There’s an interesting discussion here about the difference between equal opportunity and equal outcome.

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Former SecDef Robert Gates to Lead Boy Scouts

A few weeks ago the Boy Scouts of America announced that former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates would become the organization’s president next year.  The Associated Press noted

Gates helped oversee the end of the military’s ‘‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’’ policy banning openly gay soldiers. The organization he will help lead has faced its own issues with gays in its ranks. The Boy Scouts, in a process guided by the national executive board, opened its ranks earlier this year to gay Scouts, but not gay leaders.

Homosexual advocates “praised Gates’ appointment.”

Also at FoxNews.

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Shaw AFB Tries to Articulate Nativity Policy

Following the revelation that Shaw Air Force Base had removed a Nativity scene immediately following Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s request, public outcry has left the Air Force “mulling” how to respond to the other side of the issue — those who view such a move as both unconstitutional and a questionably inappropriate relationship with Weinstein.

Though Weinstein was able to get action from the Air Force in “two hours and 15 minutes,” other normal Americans and a few reporters had trouble even getting a statement — which inspired Fox News columnist Todd Starnes to publish the (publicly available) phone numbers and emails of Shaw Public Affairs to see if others would have more success (they didn’t). This may be because most people did try to go through Public Affairs — while Weinstein had managed to get connected through the Base Command Post. (In what is unlikely a coincidence, Shaw AFB removed their Command Post phone number from their website yesterday.)

Shaw has subsequently clarified the situation, noting that a Shaw AFB chapel congregation put the Nativity up next to the Base Christmas tree, which Read more

President Obama Nominates New JAG of the Air Force

President Obama has nominated BGen Chris Burne to be the next The JAG of the Air Force (TJAG):

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced today that the president has made the following nominations:

Air Force Brig. Gen. Christopher F. Burne has been nominated for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and for assignment as the judge advocate general, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Burne is currently serving as the staff judge advocate, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.

Like the retiring LtGen Richard Harding, whom he will replace, BrigGen Burne will skip his second star and go directly to his third.

General Harding is one of the last senior officers from the tenure of former Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz — and one of the last to have a long running, if tenuous, relationship with military religious freedom critic Michael “Mikey” Weinstein. (General Read more

Air Force Chief of Staff Calls out Leadership

Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh previously told Airmen to stop following guidance that was “stupid.”

“If it doesn’t make common sense, if it doesn’t make the mission better, if it doesn’t take better care of our people, then just don’t do it and tell your boss you’re done.”

Notably, his message was to Air Force leaders, explicitly telling them their people “don’t feel empowered” even to do what seems smart.

General Welsh recently hammered the point again, this time making the parental statement that Airmen should use “common sense:”

Common sense would dictate that if Airmen run across something in their duties that doesn’t make sense, then they should suggest better ways to do them, Welsh said…”If it doesn’t match common sense then I don’t care what it says in the AFI, let’s talk about it.”

There is enough to do, the general said, without Read more

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