There is a grave and growing danger that will undermine the spirit of “teamwork & morale” that our military units need to operate effectively in battle:
Group Trains Air Force Cadets to Proselytize
A private missionary group has assigned a pair of full-time Christian ministers to the U.S. Air Force Academy, where they are training cadets to evangelize among their peers, according to a confidential letter to supporters.
The letter makes clear that the organized evangelization effort has continued this year despite an outcry over alleged proselytizing at the academy that has prompted a Pentagon investigation, congressional hearings, a civil lawsuit and new Air Force guidelines on religion.
After all, why let something pesky like laws and the discomfort of other servicepeople get in the way of some good harvesting of souls?
“Praise God that we have been allowed access by the Academy into the cadet areas to minister among the cadets. We have recently been given an unused classroom to meet with cadets at any time during the day,” the husband-and-wife team of Darren and Gina Lindblom said in the Oct. 11 letter to their donors.
Following allegations of religious intolerance at the academy, the Air Force issued interim guidelines in late August that caution senior officers against discussing their faith with subordinates. But the guidelines do not limit “voluntary, peer to peer discussions,” and they do not say whether Air Force officials can provide office space or other assistance to professional missionaries who train cadets to evangelize among their peers.
There are few things that will divide and cause conflict between people more in life than religion. It is the source of ethnic conflicts, wars, crusades, broken friendships and divorce … pick any relationship between two or more people, and RELIGION is the one that is almost guarenteed to roil the waters.
This is especially true of evangelicals. Yes, yes, I know, I’m being intolerant of these poor, victimized souls. Lets take a look at the page where I found the illustration above (click on it to read it yourself), a site devoted to “saving” Mormons:
The fact that witnessing involves both joy and pain was again recently brought home to me. I was teaching a Bible Class attended by a non-active Mormon. By the second week it was becoming obvious that he was greatly disturbed by the lessons. He erupted when we came to passages stressing that only through faith in Jesus can people enter into the Father’s presence. In keeping with LDS doctrine, he was offended at the thought of God not allowing “good” people into heaven.
As he angrily left the room, I felt a stab of pain. Since I had previously had a couple of productive visits with him, I had hopes that he would be brought to faith. Therefore his rejection of Jesus hurt. In addition, I knew that the tension with his Christian relatives would increase dramatically. As I saw how upset his Christian wife was, Jesus’ words in Matthew Chapter 10 immediately came to mind: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.” (Vs 34-36) (see KJV)
But I also experienced joy that night. Also attending that class were two Christians who originally were from LDS families. Not only did they witness eloquently to that man about their faith in Jesus; they did so lovingly. It was obvious that not only did they love their Lord deeply – they loved this Mormon man deeply.
Just think if nobody would have cared enough for these two individuals or their families to witness to them? Not only would they still be in the darkness of Mormonism and be on the way to outer darkness; Christ would have two less fervent witnesses. But because people cared enough to share with them the wonderful fact that Jesus was their Substitute they are not only enjoying the light of his love but are also reflecting that light out to others.
Have you ever seen more self-righteous narcissism in one passage in your life? The question of the Mormon man’s faith, his upbringing, his independent spiritual development is only an issue so far as he’s being kept by it from “the truth”. This sort of attitude sums up my experience with evangelicals myself. And no, I feel NO need to be tolerant of the intolerant. Is this the kind of “love” being brought to young cadets starting out their military careers? How in any way can introducing and empowering this particularly agressive form of Christianity be helpful in helping the Air Force Academy build a sense of cohesion amongst the future officers being trained there, and will those same officers adopt the same tactics against enlisted men and women in their eventual units?
There is another group of people that the military goes out of their way to keep out: gays and lesbians. As The Economist highlights:
So why ban self-confessed gay GIs? Three reasons are usually offered. First, the Pentagon fears that gay soldiers would undermine teamwork and morale. On the battlefield, soldiers do not fight for King and Country; they fight for each other—for love of their “band of brothers”, as Shakespeare put it. Some fear that soldiers would be wary of loving their gay comrades in this way. Second, allowing gays to serve openly could actually be bad for recruitment: the extra homosexuals would be outnumbered by the homophobic Americans thus deterred. The third reason is more abstract. Successful armies reflect the mores of the societies from which they are drawn, and America, it is said, is unwilling to allow its heroes to be gay.
I’ve already stated how religious differences cause real divisions between people who have to live and work together. As to the second “reason”, how comfortable are people of other faiths, or NO faith, going to feel about enrolling at the Air Force Academy? This particular form of right-wing reactionary Christianity is in the minority, just seven percent of the adult population, and the segment of American society identifying as Christian in general is shrinking. How much sense does it make to allow this loud and intolerant minority use our military to advance their goals, causing division and discomfort along the way?
As to societal mores, gay and lesbian households are increasingly accepted, and one of the fastest-growing market segments in America, especially amongst young Americans. The Evangelical Right is trying to use our military to fight inexorable societal trends, and despite the bleating of many politicians and religious leaders, America is becoming a more diverse and varied culture every day, and our Armed Forces should reflect that trend. I’d certainly consider gays to be less of a diversion from 21st Century American culture than the pinched, angry and anti-humanist cadre that is now running things, and many polls bear that belief out. The likely effect of gays and lesbians serving openly in the military is highlighted by the British example (again from The Economist):
Congress should look at the British example. In 2000, when the queen’s army jumped out of its closet (so to speak), many senior officers were aghast. Their arguments then were similar to American fears now: sooner or later, showers and bars of soap were mentioned. Four years later, recruitment has not suffered; most new recruits are unfazed about meeting gay comrades. And with gays subject to the same rules governing appropriate behaviour as heterosexuals, the showers need hold no fears for happily-married men. Come on, Rummy, what are you afraid of?
We are a more open and tolerant people than the loud and the funded right would have us all believe. Yes, there is still bigotry and fear in the land, and yes the Evangelical Right feeds on hatred, bigotry and fear the same way vultures feed on carrion, but we are better than the America they are using the Bush Administration to help them create. It is past time to meet intolerance with scorn, and the aggressive “witnessing” trumpeted in the letter about the missionaries in Colorado has NO place our military. If they want to offer church services for believers to visit, that is their right, but currently:
“The only group that gets 24/7 unrestricted access to cadets is this fundamentalist, born-again Christian group,” Weinstein charged.
The Lindbloms are not chaplains hired by the military. They are private, full-time ministers assigned to the Air Force Academy by the Navigators, a Colorado-based group whose motto is: “To know Christ and to make Him known.” It began in 1933 as a ministry to sailors and now has missionaries in 104 countries, according to its Web site.
Allowing this to go on only fosters division. America is better than that.
