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Midshipmen parents say meal prayer OK at Naval Academy
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“To get a great education for free, you might have to put up with that,” said Michigan native John Thomas, parent of two midshipmen and a retired Army veteran.
Several parents from across the country were asked at Wednesday’s Induction Day ceremony whether a prayer should be part of the mealtime routine.
Most didn’t agree with the nine midshipmen opposed to standing at attention during the lunchtime prayer, which the academy insists is mandatory. The midshipmen took their complaint to the American Civil Liberties Union, which is calling on the academy to change its policy.
“I think the mids understand they have to live in a world of diversity, and have to learn to tolerate other religious beliefs,” said Debbie Camiolo, parent of a midshipman and a member of the Pennsylvania academy parents support group.
But Thomas said the complaints should be considered.
The Annapolis academy stood firm Wednesday on its policy, even as it inducted a new class of midshipmen. The academy upheld its recent statement that it does not plan to omit prayer from the meal routine.
Several incoming midshipmen said Wednesday that they either didn’t hear about the prayer issue or were not fazed by standing during the mealtime prayer.
“I don’t see it as unconstitutional, per se, and if you don’t have to bow your head or actually pray, what’s the problem?” said Mary Medford-Davis, 18, an incoming plebe from Houston.
The Anti-Defamation League, an old foe of the academy prayer, is joining the ACLU in tackling religion at the academy. The ADL first opposed the prayer several years ago, but without success.
In a statement this week, the ADL called for congressional hearings on “religious intolerance and proselytizing in the armed forces and at government institutions such as ... the Naval Academy.”
jflanagan@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
1:05 PM MST on Sun., Aug. 17, 2008 re: "Midshipmen parents say meal prayer OK at Naval Academy"
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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.
3 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!
3 agree | 4 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
7 agree | 8 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.
8 agree | 10 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.
12 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 | 9 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 | 9 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.
10 agree | 7 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Um, it's the Anti-Defamation League, not the Anti-Deformation League.
6 agree | 7 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.
8 agree | 7 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????
8 agree | 6 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.
8 agree | 9 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.
12 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.
9 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 | 62 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 !
90 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.
135 agree | 137 disagree
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