The US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs CO, has had a long record of complaints about Christian bias for permitting proselytization by evangelical Christian officers under color of authority. A 2004 Academy survey found that many cadets felt that evangelical Christians were imposing their views and harassing non-Christians at the school. According to Mike "Mikey" Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, many of the complaints were coming from Christian cadets whom evangelicals regarded as not being Christian enough.
Things have been changing recently and the number of complaints being handled by groups like the MRFF has fallen dramatically. One of the examples of the way the Academy has been promoting tolerance is the establishment of a worship area for some of the service's Wiccans to celebrate their polytheistic religion. The site, brainchild of Academy Tech. Sgt. Brandon Longcrier, a simple circle of stones on a grassy open space, was set to be dedicated in March. It's erection had the support of Academy chaplains.But not everyone at the Academy feels so tolerant of others. Sometime during the night on the weekend of Jan. 17, someone or some group set up a large cross constructed of railroad ties against the circle of stones. So far, no one has stepped forward to take credit for the deed.
Mikey Weinstein, himself an Air Force Academy graduate, said, "We've been making great progress at the Air Force Academy. This is clearly a setback."
Academy superintendent Lt. Gen. Michael Gould issued a statement on this little act of bigotry that stated, "We absolutely will not stand for this type of destructive behavior. I consider this no different than someone writing graffiti on the Cadet Chapel."
The USAF Office of Special Investigations is looking into the incident.
Photo Credit:
1) Cross on the Wiccan worship site (source: MRFF)
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Comments
Don't believe them. Highly doubt you'd see the fact that a Christian chapel had graffiti on it in an article online or in the major news. Christians being persecuted is not new and not often reported either.
Should someone have disturbed, violated, vandalized this area set aside for some other belief system? no way. But let's not automatically assume it was Christians either. Could have been anyone ticked off, goofing off, drunk or trying to make a point in the wrong way.
"Christians being persecuted is not new and not often reported either." Not often reported? A google search using the words "Christians persecuted today" resulted in 2,910,000 hits. There are entire organizations, websites and blogs dedicated to reporting such "persecution". There's even a "Christian Persecution Magazine".
Of course it all depends on how you define "persecution". I think many Christians WANT and NEED to feel persecuted...and that what they think is persecution is being treated without the kind of csocial and crypto-governmental favoritism they feel is their due as the religious majority. That's not persecution though. That's EQUALITY.
WOW, don't even know if it was done by Christians but "presumed guilty". We all know that this pagan group would never stage this whole thing to get national attention. Things could be worse they could be Christian's in the Middle East being executed for their beliefs.
"Sometime during the night on the weekend of Jan. 17, someone or some group set up a large cross constructed of railroad ties"
Was the contructed cross, burning by chance? Plus Ca Change.
GREETINGS AND FAITHFUL SAYINGS:
Greetings to one and all: In that most precious name. That name which is above every name, the name: "Jesus" ____There's tremendous power in that name. I'd suppose we'll never fully realize all that can truly be accomplished, by us simply calling out that name in true faith.____There's an old, old, gospel song that goes like this: Faith in the Father, faith in the Son, faith in the Holy Spirit, great victories are won. Demons will tremble and sinners will awake, faith in Jehovah will anything shake.____For you who have never come into this realization, if you're reading this, just give him a welcome into your heart and life. You will both feel and see an awesome difference. You will have also purchased the ticket to heaven (by accepting, therefore making him welcome to come into your life. You will also sup from His cup that contains living water. (As did the woman at the well of Bethesda.) John 4:10____Much love, ____Your brother in Christ Jesus, who i
Why would the Pagans do this to get attention? That's just an ignorant statement. They just got this area and it's gotten national attention. Why would they bother? The fact that they had to wait this long for a place to worship tells it's own story. They don't need to desecrate their own worship area to get attention.
Hello Kris. Blaming the victim is a common way to deflect criticism. I remember seeing all sorts of stories in the Islamic press after the 9/11 attack about how the US bombed itself in order to have an excuse to attack Islam.
While anything is possible, some things are more likely than others. Even though we can tentatively say that the perpetrators of the Wiccan cross business were more likely Christian than otherwise, there's no pressing need to regard it as a conclusion. There's plenty of time for USAAF investigators to do their job and already plenty of reason for the Academy to continue strengthening its current policy of promoting acceptance (or at least tolerance) of people of all faiths and viewpoints.
Just out of curiousity Brian, what would you call it? A harmless prank intended to deliver no message to anyone? ...or maybe a random act of carpentry?
I agree with Brian Soeder (who proudly served in the US Army). Since the cross can be removed [important point!] and is thus not permanent, it should NOT be considered offensive (... or at least no more so than a burning cross left by the KKK on the front lawn of a black family in the deep South).
Sometimes we Christians just like to use our cross as a way to intimidate others and let them know they are not welcome. It is good to see that the tradition is still alive and well.
Brian, does that mean it's okay for the white supremacy groups to paint swastikas on a synagogue if it's washable paint? I mean, it can be washed off, it's not permanent.
Or maybe to write "666" all over a Catholic church in shoe polish? That's not permanent.
The disrespect and warning is clear, whether the cross was movable or not. Frankly, the cross is a symbol as old as time, used by Pagans far before Jesus was born. I suggest accepting it as a gift and making it a permanent figure in the landscape and covering it in runes and Pagan symbols.
While it is inexcusable to promote or accept intolerance of religious groups in the military, I believe Lt Gen. Gould has gone taken his criticism too far. His logic isn't valid. Leaving an article that is able to be moved is much different then writing graffiti on walls. It is not just the permanence factor or the lack of destructiveness, rather it is the lack of grounds in the Uniform Code of Military Justice and Department of defense Instruction 1300.17 which all America's soldiers, airmen, and sailors are bound to. It is clear this news source is biased too as the quote is introduced as a "little act of bigotry". Lt Gen Gould should think before he speaks.
This is a classic example of Christian hate, intolerance and bigotry (as well as why Christianity is held in such low esteem by a majority of humanity)... The perpetrator of this act should be given the choice of 30 days in jail or 100 hours of community service to the pagan group whose worship grounds were desecrated...
You know TWJ, that's a very good idea for a sentence. 100 hours of community service with the group the perpetrator has trespassed against might teach him a little empathy; like walking a mile in someone else's shoes.
It's nice to see them get there own place of worship. When I was in the Army I was a High Priest. We had a place of worship made of a circle of stones but we had to tier it apart after it services. That was fine for I was able to have services. I invite who ever wanted to come even my Sgt.'s and Capt.'s and some of them came out of respect for me. This was at Fort Leonard Wood in 2004. I was very good friends with all of them and my fellow soldiers too. I had many Christian and Buddhist friends. I even had Christian come to my service to see what all the fuse was about and though they kept with there faith I was happy to have come and see to them self that we were not evil but that we just lead a different path. I do believe that all the Goddess and Gods are real to those who have faith in them. But those who worship there chosen Goddess or Gods are whats right for each of them. For it's faith in them that makes them real. As someone of the Wicca faith that make life real and right.
When is everyone going to figure out that every group is for themselves? Compromises only go so far. Quit living a lie.
Great suggestion from Kris! I was going to say something similar. Takes the power out of any intended slight - kind of like reclaiming words like "queer" did for the gay community.
The point is well made that the cross was a pagan symbol long before it became a Christian symbol, just as the ichthus represented the cult of Osiris before the Christian's claimed it. The stories of a man humbly born around the winter solstice, hanging on a cross, entombed in a cave for three days and then rising from the dead are also taken from cultures that pre-date Christianity. It's like setting up a Christmas tree or wreath or hiding Easter eggs on the site! Why take it as an affront? Use it to educate.
GuestWilliam Dunigan - you are funny! "The name that is above every name" - that would be the Americanization (Jesus) of the Spanish version (hey-suse) of the Roman version (Yay-zu) of the Hebrew "Yeshua", who would've been known in some parts as "Asa", right? If you went back 2000 years in time and shouted "Jesus", nobody would have a clue what you were saying. I get that you're passionate, but learn something about what you're passionate about. See in a mirror, clearly, and the truth shall set you free.
THE THREE LIES .
WHORE MARY AND THE BASTARD SON.
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