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Naval Academy’s mandatory lunch time prayer under fire
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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Lunch time at the U.S. Naval Academy was more than a meal for one midshipman who had to choose between praying with the brigade or standing out in the crowd.
“It’s very frustrating to be forced to play along with the mandatory prayer,” said the recently graduated midshipman who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
“I choose not to practice religion, and I don’t feel I should be subjected to a prayer.”
That midshipman, along with eight others, said academy officials ignored their pleas to abolish the lunch time prayer that has been in practice since 1845 because they said it violated their rights.
“I’m all for tradition, but not when its unconstitutional,” the midshipman said.
The midshipmen turned their cause over to the American Civil Liberties Union, which is calling on the academy to remove the prayer from lunch time.
“[The academy] implies it is a necessary part of midshipman training ... but people can develop character and ethics that is not religiously based,” said Mike Pheneger, of the national ACLU board and a retired Army colonel.
However, the academy said participation in prayer is voluntary.
“The academy does not intend to change its practice of offering midshipmen an opportunity for prayer or devotional thought during noon meal announcements,” said Deborah Goode, the academy’s spokeswoman.
All 4,000 midshipmen gather for lunch formation. Following announcements, a chaplain then says a prayer. The unnamed midshipman said the chaplains, who include Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths, rotate saying the prayer.
Academy officials said the prayer is nonsectarian.
While attendance is mandatory, the midshipmen do not have to bow their heads or acknowledge the prayer, officials said.
“But not participating makes you stand out, and peer pressure made me feel like I’m different or do not respect others as much,” the midshipman said.
Days after the ACLU sent its letter to the academy, the Navy’s top admiral told the graduating class to question authority if they feel their leaders are in the wrong.
Religion has been a controversial issue at the Naval Academy for years.
The academy’s prayer was unsuccessfully challenged by the Anti-Deformation League in 2005.
Earlier this year, officials were questioning the practice of lowering the American flag during church services at the academy’s chapel.
ACLU officials said if the academy doesn’t change its policy, a lawsuit could follow.
“We haven’t had a response from the Naval Academy, and statements in the media now make it clear they do not intend to make changes,” said Debbie Jeon, legal director for Maryland ACLU.
jflanagan@baltimoreexaminer.com
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Examiner Reader said:
I am an air combat veteran of the WW11 and Korean wars and I have learned that men die when they rely upon spiritual help, when they need to rely on real issues at hand. Keep our training to face real issues and keep divine intervention in non lethal areas.
1 agree | 1 disagree
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KLF said:
Our country was founded and deeply rooted on the principles of God Almighty. Why are so many people trying to remove God from the very fabric of which this country was founded? How can a person know his or her way without God providing a lamp to their and a light to their path. Prayer should most definitely stay!
1 agree | 1 disagree
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Indie said:
THERE'S NO ARGUMENT!!! PRAYER OUT OF GOV'T FUNDED SCHOOLS!!! IT'S OUR CONSTITUTION!!! The Academy will lose this suit and waste lots of money for violating the country's constitution. It's so simple!! Prayer out of schools and honor America's liberties and be thankful! There are plenty of opportunities to pray for the midshipmen without offending anyone and violating our constitution.... PERIOD
5 agree | 7 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Next they'll sue to sit during the National Anthem or Pledge of Allegiance, I suppose. Imagine that.
7 agree | 9 disagree
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Greg said:
The majority of so called Christians in this country don't even belong to a church, but they want the right to complain when someone wants to take God out of some saying or a public place. These same people don't have enough room in their Christain lives to make it to church on Sunday. Start making God a part of your life before condemning others for not making him part of theirs. I don't like the fact that I have to defend my religion (Catholic) from the attacks of modern society, however it makes me even madder when others who only beleive when it suits them, so they can raise cain over someone elses actions. Walk the walk if you are going to talk the talk.
7 agree | 6 disagree
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Rick, Nevada said:
Another example of the Jews hatred of White Christians. When they took over the Soviet Union they made Christianity illegal and that is what we are seeing right now.
5 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Being a former Marine I would have to say kick those idiots out of the academy. If your going to school for free you don't have the right to complain about how the school is run. If you don't like what the academy does, then go to a forign country and join their academy.
7 agree | 8 disagree
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11 said:
Ahh I ment Christians lol.
5 agree | 6 disagree
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11 said:
The ADL radicals continue their attack on Chritians in America. Why some Chritians support Israel or the ADL, I will never know. Its really has become time for us Christians to stop sideing with these hateful racist Jewish ADL types.
9 agree | 6 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Um, it's the Anti-Defamation League, not the Anti-Deformation League.
6 agree | 6 disagree
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Alexander--Vienna, VA said:
Being an Anglica-Christian who keeps his faith mainly to himself, I think those malcontent middies at the USN should not have taken their complaint to the most virulent and subversive Marxist organization on Earth! Instead, they should have gone directly to their brigade commanders or the Academy's superintendent. Who will the ACLU target next, the Army and Air Force Academies? Destroy the liberal left now before we lose our religious freedoms; irrespective of which ones Americans practice.
7 agree | 6 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
if you don't want to pray than sit there and be quiet. show some respect for others and thank God(even if you don't believe) you are in a country where you can choose. If you feign the action, how can the God you do not believe in punish you????
7 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The ACLU's involved. That means something unamerican is being pushed for. If these kids don't want to pray then they don't have to. If they don't like others praying then that's too bad for them. If they hate it that much they should leave the academy.
6 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
solid, but you shouldn't have got beat in your back yard by the New York Times on a Naval Academy story.
5 agree | 6 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I hate the race card that people pull every chance they get. If you can not pass the tests or just uneducated you need not apply to the Naval Academy. It's not about race because there are plenty of whites that can't make it either. Stop dumming down the U.S. because a handful of minoity's can't make the grade. I was in the Marine Corps and I knew plenty of minority's that went to the Naval Academy and excelled in everything they had done. Just because we have some uneducated minority's that don't mean they all are uneducated. Oh by the way I'm white and did not go to the Naval Academy.
6 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I think this article is completely wrong. The folks at the Naval Academy do an outstanding job at recruitment. The problem they face is competition with private and state universities that are all to happy to offer bright and talented minority youth an academic scholarship without the military service commitment.
10 agree | 9 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Maybe if they offer them double pay checks or give them automatic credit on courses they did not take will increase the minority. I thought we were pass this stuff but I guess not. The Academy has become a joke among colleges everywhere.
7 agree | 11 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Who cares if a minority can't get into the academy, how about just quilified people get in. Why does everything have to be black,white and hispanic? If you quilifiy than good on you, if your stupid than apply for community college. Stop wasting tax payers money on stupid stuff.
8 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
you mean the object to obeying orders from officers in command? prehaps they should review their oath. if not, try community college and the boy scouts.
55 agree | 60 disagree
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USNA Alum [Ancient Mariner] said:
Re: "Talk about a waste of taxpayer dollars. Highly paid gov't PR stunt-men is all they are" I never ceases to amaze me how willing individuals who know nothing about a subject are so anxious to prove it !
89 agree | 75 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Talk about a waste of taxpayer dollars. Highly paid gov't PR stunt-men is all they are.
134 agree | 133 disagree
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