What happens when church merges with state? What happens when government agencies promote one religious view over another? What happens when one version of Christianity is promoted over another by government agents?
Look no further than the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado where conservative evangelical Christianity is aggressively promoted, conflated with the mission of the Air Force, cadets of other faiths are frequently insulted and forced to choose between mandatory academy functions and their religious holidays, and now a Lutheran chaplain has been fired for daring to criticize the culture of religious bigotry, and religious supremacism protected and enforced on campus.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State has been on the case for months, and so now are major newspapers in the nation.
The Washington Post, for example reported that “Amid a rising chorus of complaints about preferential treatment for evangelical Christians — and command pressure on non-evangelicals — among the 4,000 cadets, a Pentagon task force is visiting the Colorado Springs campus this week to study the religious atmosphere and propose possible remedial steps.” But the fired chaplain, Capt. MeLinda Morton has not been asked to brief the taskforce.
The Post continues that surveys of cadets and alumni, “have shown that some students said they felt a heavy and sometimes offensive emphasis on evangelical Christianity, with praise for cadets who pronounce their ‘born-again’ status and insults aimed at Jews, Roman Catholics and non-evangelical cadets.
One staff chaplain reportedly told newly arrived freshmen last summer that anyone not born again ‘will burn in the fires of hell.'”
“‘Such slurs have been heard for decades on the campus, according to Mikey Weinstein of Albuquerque, a 1977 academy graduate who said he has repeatedly complained to the Air Force brass about the ‘religious pressure’ on cadets. ‘This is not Christian versus Jew,’ Weinstein said. ‘This is the evangelical Christians against everybody else.'”
“The Air Force’s new attention to the issue stems from an earlier scandal at the school in which female cadets said commanding officers ignored or played down numerous cases of sexual assault by male students.”
“As part of its response to the sexual assault charges, the academy asked a team from Yale Divinity School to visit the campus during the summer training for incoming freshmen.”
“‘We were asked to study the quality of cadet-centered pastoral care,'” said Yale Prof. Kristen Leslie. ‘What we found was this very strong evangelical Christian voice just dominating. We thought that just didn’t make sense in light of their mission, which was to protect and train cadets, not to win religious converts.'”
“Morton, who was executive officer of the squadron of 16 chaplains at the academy, said she shared the concerns expressed by the study group from Yale.”
“‘The evangelicals want to subvert the system,’ Morton said. ‘They have a very clear social and political agenda. The evangelical tone is pervasive at the academy, and it’s aimed at converting these young people who are under intense pressure anyway.'”
This is what happens when church and state are merged. Government officials will use their positions to promote their religious and religiously informed political views; they will punish and purge those who disagree; and they will persecute those in the weakest position who do not go along. They feel justified in doing so, because they claim that their religious views require them to do so.
Similar justifications were made in years past to justify institutional racism and second class citizenship for African-Americans. Racial supremacy is no longer in fashion. But religious supremacsim is on the rise — promoted by the leaders of the Christian Right and their allies in Congress and the White House.
Let’s keep the spotlight on the outrageous conduct of the religious supremacists at the Air Force Academy. Religious bigotry by agencies and senior officers of the federal government must be condemned in no uncertain terms, and a culture of religious equality maintained.
[Crossposted at Talk to Action]
We get the state and its employees as the enforcer of religious supremacy.
This is an incredibly important story. Thank you for highlighting it.
I expect we will see an explosion of Establishment Clause cases after we get a ruling form the Supreme Court in the Ten Commandments Cases, irrespective of how the Court rules.
make that the ‘dominionist’ idea of religion, not anyone elses.
I hope the media stays on this-it’s a frightening and important story. One I keep harping on, but really, when you have people who just relish the idea of going back to the good old days of hanging Quakers, it’s something people should be aware of!
Racial supremacy is no longer in fashion. But religious supremacsim is on the rise — promoted by the leaders of the Christian Right and their allies in Congress and the White House.
I hope the racial stuff is diminished, but I fear it’s not. The Air Force Academy sounds like they’re moving in the direction of the Christian Identity groups — a scary thing when you think of the weaonry at their disposal.
“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.”
I posted the following comments on this thread at DailyKos, but I am cross-posting it here because I value the comments of this community as well, and I would like ot see more discussion of the CHurch and State Issues here.
“We must never forget that many who fist came here were fleeing toward Religious Liberty and not just away from Religious Oppression. Both the Free Exercise Clause and the Establish Clause are crucial to our liberty.
Liberal Christianity has contributed mightily to America by pointing out that “sin” can exist in the social structue or fabic of our culture, most notably in the Abolistionist Movement, but also recently in the Civil Rights movement and even to some extent the movement for gay rights. Other faiths have contributed as well and will continue to do so if allowed the freedom to flourish.
We cannot allow the State to substitute itself for God by fueling a religion focused on patriotism anymore than we can allow it to be taken over by a theocracy. Caesar can never become an appropriate object of worship.”
they invaded another continent, and set about enjoying their religious liberty to practice their faith, which apparently included genocide, slavery, and imposing horrific punishments on anyone whose beliefs differed from theirs.
When that’s the first chapter, hopes for a happy ending are bound to be dashed.
Embracing Religious Liberty for all, like most of the ideals embodied in our Constitution, is a living and dynamic ideal, not a static one. At one time Roger Williams was a lonely voice crying out for an ideal which grew to include many more advocates, including many Colonial Baptists. We would indeed be poor stewards to the Liberty bequeathed to us if we do not continue to expand on this ideal, and to extend even to those who do not embrace faith the dignity and protection of freedom of conscience to do so.
You will get no argument from Liberal Protestants like me that the treatment of the indigenous people of the Americas is one of the greatest sins on our social fabric and heritage. One way this sin can be atoned is by the inclusion of Native Americans voices in the debates of Faith and Liberty which swirl about our land. Indigenous teaching about sexuality and spirituality in particular are very important in the current discussion of gay rights.
I would like to call particular attention to the views of a Cherokee writer who has embraced the importance of integrating Native American Teaching Stories into the fabric of Native American Christian faith and teaching. You can find some of Robert Francis’ views expressed here:
http://www.thefellowship.info/News/050217pathway.icm
“Within the Cherokee oral tradition there will be more than one version of any particular teaching story. From one version to another, the facts may change, but the truth of the story remains. Certainly, historical facts, even scientific facts may be extracted from American Indian oral traditions, but these are not the most important aspects of the teaching stories. From my own observations, when people begin to focus on or defend the supposed “facts” of their teaching stories, the eternal truths of those stories may be neglected or forgotten all-together.”
He goes on to relate the Cherokee teaching story of the Creator-Son to Christian faith.
of those who share some of the older European faith traditions on the subject of early invaders’ views on religious liberty.
Cotton Mather & ilk do not come across as the most Pagan-friendly bunch…
One of the truly great lies kids are taught is that Native Americans were ‘savages’, when in fact many tribes were much more advanced in their spiritual beliefs than the religions of the settlers.
Anyone who wants to find out how truly horrific Columbus and his son were toward indigenous people have only to read the great book, “Lies My Teacher Told Me” by James W. Loewen.
This story has been percolating for awhile now and I wonder how much is going to be covered by the media. Since I rarely watched the cable news anymore I don’t know how well they are going to cover this–not that I have a lot of hopes in that direction.
Something no one here has mentioned is for me again the direct correlation between whacko christians and sex-the very high incidence of rapes and sexual assault compared to the general population in this so called mainly ‘christian’ academy.
Now why is that do you suppose?
I believe the reason for that high rate of rape and sexual assault is because these dominionists believe that women are chattel, property to be used like any other property. That only Men, should control the world, that a woman’s place is barefoot and pregnant. It sickens me to listen to some of the “christians” where I work, discussing their relevance in dominating the world, that they are the center of the world, that no other religion has value and they are the be all of the end all in theological discussions. Until you challenge them on their faith. I can’t tell you how many times I have been accused of devil worship or worse because I wear a coyote talisman. Coyote is my clan, and I also wear a medicine pouch. I don’t make any show of them, but they do slip out of my shirt once in awhile. I always respond with how do you demonstrate your faith. The most common response is I go to church on sunday. I ask, what about volunteer work, what about sharing your bountiful life with others less fortunate. Hey I tithe to my church, let them take care of it. Then the kicker, what makes you the authortity on my spiritual path, how can you tell me that my spiritual journey is corrupt. TA DA, the response is because the bible and my preacher told me that anyone who does not believe in Jesus Christ is a heathen and will rot in hell. What kind of faith is that. My faith has walked me through some truly hurtful and depressing times in my life in recovery. It has showered me with wealth unimaginable, and I don’t mean monetary wealth. Wealth of friendships, joy and happiness, untold blessings in life that can not be measured by dollar signs or what I possess. Faith is an act of belief in how you live your life, not in what you deny yourself, give yourself or offer to your church. Faith is giving yourself to the human community and sharing what you have found in a loving and positive way, so others may find the same joy and happiness, in their spiritual journey.
I spent a week at the USAFA in high school for a Summer Science Seminar. I had no desire to enter the service but thought it was a good opportunity to network and see the military lifestyle. The chapel there is very prominent on the campus. I found it amusing that underneath the main worship space was a smaller Catholic chapel for Mass. Even my 16 year old ears could detect the proselytizing against anyone not evangelical Christian–including some comments directed to me as a Catholic. I reject the fire & brimstone mode of faith, I’m glad Pastor Dan is here to balance out the Christian message–the true Christian message–of Love and Justice. And I definitely reject the mixing of Religion and Politics. Everyone loses when that happens, IMHO.