: Religious Favoritism at U.S. Air Force Academy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Americans United Report Details Instances Of Religious Favoritism At U.S.
Air Force Academy
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Watchdog Group Asks Rumsfeld, Air Force Officials, To Correct Problems
CONTACT
Press:
Joseph Conn, Rob Boston, or Jeremy Leaming
202-466-3234 telephone
202-466-2587 fax
http://www.au.org/
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AMERICANS UNITED REPORT DETAILS INSTANCES OF RELIGIOUS FAVORITISM AT U.S.
AIR FORCE ACADEMY
Watchdog Group Asks Rumsfeld, Air Force Officials, To Correct Problems
Americans United for Separation of Church and State today asked Secretary
of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and other military officials to move quickly to
stop acts of religious bias at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado
Springs.
Recent news accounts have chronicled allegations that Academy staff have
promoted evangelical Christianity and that cadets of other faiths have
been the victims of religious bias.
Attorneys with Americans United have been investigating the complaints and
today released a detailed report backing up the assertions. A copy of the
report was sent to Rumsfeld and other military officials.
"The right to worship or not worship as the individual sees fit is a
cornerstone of American life," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive
director of Americans United. "All branches of our military must respect,
not denigrate, this vital principle."
In a cover letter to Rumsfeld, Lynn wrote, "A soldier's religious beliefs
or lack thereof should be irrelevant to his or her ability and willingness
to defend the country. The situation at the Air Force Academy sends
exactly the opposite message. The close relationship between the Academy
and evangelical Christianity sends a message of exclusion to those of
other faiths. It may very well dissuade some from considering the military
as a career."
The Lynn letter urged Rumsfeld "to take the steps to correct these
problems and ensure that the Academy is open to cadets of all religious
faiths and those with none."
Incidents detailed in the report include:
* Complaints that an Academy chaplain exhorted cadets to witness to
non-Christians cadets and bring them to evangelical services.
* Allegations that Academy instructors proselytized in classrooms; in one
instance, an instructor ordered cadets to pray before taking a test.
* Assertions that senior cadets harassed non-Christian junior cadets over
their religious beliefs.
* Complaints that evangelical cadets are routinely given passes to attend
religious meetings off campus but that cadets wishing to attend meetings
of non-believers were denied the same right.
Americans United asserts that these incidents and others, as detailed in
the report, have created an atmosphere that is hostile toward cadets who
do not share an evangelical Christian faith. The group has urged Rumsfeld
and other military officials to act promptly to correct the problems.
Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in
Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans
about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious
freedom.
Ninure Saunders aka Rainbow Christian
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