Air Force Cadets See Religious Harassment

[Kadie]

Air Force Cadets See Religious Harassment
By ROBERT WELLER, Associated Press Writer

Tuesday, April 19, 2005


(04-19) 11:33 PDT AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) --


Less than two years after it was plunged into a rape scandal, the Air Force Academy is scrambling to address complaints that evangelical Christians wield so much influence at the school that anti-Semitism and other forms of religious harassment have become pervasive.


There have been 55 complaints of religious discrimination at the academy in the past four years, including cases in which a Jewish cadet was told the Holocaust was revenge for the death of Jesus and another was called a Christ killer by a fellow cadet.


The 4,300-student school recently started requiring staff members and cadets to take a 50-minute religious-tolerance class.


"There are things that have happened that have been inappropriate. And they have been addressed and resolved," said Col. Michael Whittington, the academy's chief chaplain.

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/04/19/national/w111447D80.DTL

[MountainLaurel]

1. Onward Christian soldiers

Quite literally.

[Selteri]

10. kinda takes on a whole new meaning to that one N/T

[Ouabache]

47. Bombadiers for Jesus

quite literally, of course.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

2. And this is the dirty little seceret about anti-semitism

that never gets talked about.


"including cases in which a Jewish cadet was told the Holocaust was revenge for the death of Jesus and another was called a Christ killer by a fellow cadet."

[MisterP]

22. but the Right told me that only the Frenchies and those wicked A-rabs

hated Jews (the Right only likes Israel when they a. provide an arms market b. purge Arabs c. provide Armageddon fodder)

[Freedom_from_Chains]

23. Yeah and after their utility is used up the choice will be

Convert or die.

[CO Liberal]

3. Situation Normal in Colorado Springs, CO.....

Home to FoKKKus On The Family and dozens of other conservative religious organizations. Where people regularly spew Bible passages on local talk radio, and a local office supply dealer places ads in the local paper telling people what to think.

[rockymountaindem]

4. My mom told me it was in the local news.

Color this Colorado Springs Jew not surprised. The first time I was told I was going to hell was by one of my second grade classmates. To be fair, it wasn't specifically because I'm Jewish, just because I don't believe in Jesus. Oh well, nobody liked that girl anyway.

[CO Liberal]

5. Besides....

...everyone knew that SHE was the one bound for hell, right???

:-)

[rockymountaindem]

17. Nah, it's wasn't for that.

She was really not fun and a huge stick in the mud. Also, a lot of people ripped on her behind her back for being poor. She seriously was the poorest kid in school. Her grandpa drove her there every day in the most dilapadated car I've ever seen. I didn't care about that, but lots of people made fun of her for it.In retrospect, it wouldn't surprise me if she'd been either removed from her parents' custody or if they were in jail. I sort of felt bad for her until she told me I was going to hell. Actually, now that I think more about it, she said it was because I didn't believe in God, not Jesus. Please allow me to correct my earlier post. At that time I didn't believe in God, but I knew I was a Jew and that remark offended me. Now I do believe in God, so I wonder what she'd say.

[ThumperDumper]

6. Colorado Springs is creepy!

Lived there for 12 years! It's like they took a city out of the deep deep south and transplanted it in Colorado! Rednecks galore! You can't go anywhere on a Saturday without seeing a "lifted" pickup truck laden with chrome bumpers and rollbars, gunrack in the rear window and giant rebel flag on a pole sticking out of the bed of the truck (or at least rebel flag stickers.)

[RaRa]

9. Welcome, ThumperDumper!

Glad you found us!

[ThumperDumper]

15. Thanks. Going to donate soon!

[Colorado Blue]

46. It's sad, Colorado Springs is so beautiful, Colorado is so

beautiful - it's gotten really crazy though.

This thing at the Air Force Academy, on top of the rape scandal, is really nauseating.

You take care!

[TheMightyFavog]

13. Why the hell did the fundies ever pick Colorado Springs as their base?

One would think that they'd headquarter themselves somewhere in the deep south or something.

[CO Liberal]

14. Apparantly, Dobson Was "Invited" Here

And he attracted the rest of the vermin.

[TheMightyFavog]

16. Whoever invited that jagoff needs a swift kick in the face.

End of Line.

[rockymountaindem]

18. The city council (in the late 70s and 80s) invited them

because they brought population and revenue, without any air or water pollution (say what you will about other kinds of pollution). One time an acquaintance of mine found out about that and exclaimed "We gave them tax breaks when we could have been fostering legitimate businesses like crack dens and whorehouses!?" That provided a chuckle.

[catnhatnh]

52. The air farce academy was there...

....since at least 72' when I passed through (4th ID 72-73).

[MountainLaurel]

54. Poster isn't talking about the Academy

He/she is referring to Focus on the Family and Dobson.

[Hekate]

48. It's in the Bible Belt

And for a News of the Weird kinda theory: According to a woman I briefly worked for, Colorado Springs is at the nexus of some kind of earth-power thing. (Something about ley-lines that I never quite understood.) According to that belief, which others share, that power-nexus would be why the Air Force chose the site in the first place -- they instinctively felt it. She and her followers built a retreat center in the mountains around there for the same reason.

Hekate

[smirkymonkey]

55. That's very interesting - I have never been there but

my brother graduated from there about 12 years ago. A lot of his friends and ex-girlfriends are fundies. He isn't but he went through a phase for a while.

Do you have anymore info about ley lines/nexus of earth power stuff? I find it kind of fascinating.

[Hekate]

57. Google for this:

ley lines
one of the 493,000 hits is
http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMLeyLines.html
An Englishman named Alfred Watkins noticed patterns in the landscape he was mapping in 1921, and concluded that
>Ley lines, or Leys, are alignments of ancient sites stretching
>across the landscape. Ancient sites or holy places may be
>situated in a straight line ranging from one or two to several
>miles in length. A ley may be identified simply by an aligned
>placing of marker sites, or it might be visible on the ground
>for all or part of its length by the remnants of an old
>straight track.

Occultist Dion Fortune invented the idea that they were
>"lines of power" linking prehistoric sites...Later, it was
>suggested that ley lines followed lines cosmic energy in the
>Earth and could be detected using dowsing rods. In the 1960s,
>ley lines...became linked with UFO sightings.

In 1969 John Michell wrote about them in
>The View Over Atlantis...within the context of geomancy. By
>1974, ley lines and geomancy, plus other esoteric subjects
>having to do with the Earth, were collected under the umbrella
>term of "Earth Mysteries.

Thanks to your question I just learned more about this notion than I knew before. Ten or so years ago I was an admin asst/everything else for a woman who in the job ad said she was an author. True, but she was also a trance channeler with a huge following. When she and others used terms like ley-lines they pretty much assumed everyone knows. I'm not New Age, so I didn't.

But the other thing -- about palpable spots of Earth energy -- I had heard about. For some reason, sacred sites sometimes get used over and over by human worshippers even as the original gods and goddesses die off, move away, change names, change religions... I'm being a bit facetious here, but Chartres Cathedral, for instance, was dedicated to the medieval cult of the Virgin Mary, and is built atop an even more ancient site, a well dedicated to a Celtic pagan goddess and a place where Druids met. Gimme that Old Time Religion.

Hekate

[smirkymonkey]

58. Thanks - that's very interesting.

I am definitely sensitive to the energy of places (whether it's positive or negative) so I was curious to see if some of the places I have been were along any of these lines or hot spots.

Cool website - thanks again! :hi:

[dxdem]

20. I'll be moving to Boulder within about a year or so, hopefully,

is CO Springs really this bad, or is it restricted mostly to the Air Force Academy?

You shaved all their heads, and didn't expect them to take the next logical step?

[rockymountaindem]

21. Yeah, Colorado Springs is mostly like that.

[CO Liberal]

25. Boulder Is WAY More Progressive Than Colorado Springs

In fact, right-wingers refer to Boulder as "The People's Republic of Boulder", as if to imply that everyone there is a communist.

ON EDIT: Come to think of it, most cities in North Korea are more progressive than Colorado Springs.

[Kolesar]

7. Tim McVeigh was part of a Nazi cult in the US Army

You remember him. He bombed the federal building in Oklahoma City ten years ago today.

[LostinVA]

8. These are our future military leaders, remember

Who will command men and women that they'll consider "filthy Jews," among other things. They will have little tolerance and much contempt for their own countrymen and woman. So... how will they feel about brown-skinned Muslins> Catholics? Etc.?

Seriously -=- WTF is wrong with the AF Academy??? I always thought that was the most "normal" one on the branches of teh armed forces.. Any ideas?

[Shallah Kali]

34. If this is the way they treat those who are supposed to be equals.......

I do not want to see what they do to those they really don't like.... Maybe I am paranoid but things like this make me wonder if a out and out crusade is in the offing. The thought of people like these in charge of wmds fills me with dread.

And isn't the defense for this behavior rich. They are oppressed because they can't force others to practice their religion the poor babies!

As for the air force academy - considering it's history of sexual abuse it is plenty screwed up even without throwing in religious rape as well. By religious rape I mean rape of the spirit, being forced to do something intimate that should only be by choice. I hope i am making sense as it is late and my brain is fading :b

[Behind the Aegis]

11. Not surprising at all

There is much anti-Semitism in the military. My father is retired Army and one brother is retired Air Force. The both experienced it. My dad much more so because of his higher rank. I have told my father he should write about his experiences and create a "primer" on relations with Jews in the military.

[Stinky The Clown]

12. Can anyone make the case that religious harrassment is not rape?

Rape is an insult to a person's body. Religious harrassment is an insult of similar severity, just delivered to a different part of the person.

Religious Tolerance classese? Fuck that. These nuts need to criminally prosecuted.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

19. From the bottom of the story....

"Tom Minnery, an official at Focus on the Family, disputed claims that evangelical Christians are pushing an agenda at the academy, and complained that "there is an anti-Christian bigotry developing" at the school."

Snip

Dip shits. The place is over 90% Christian and this "moran" comes up with this? Those pesky 10% mix of Buddhists, Muslims and Jews ganging up on the under-represented meek and defenseless Christians.

And they wonder why so many have a bad taste in their mouth for these self appointed spokesmen of God.

[JoFerret]

24. 50 minutes

Sure...50 minutes of tolerance class should be enough to fix it.

[Spinzonner]

26. Probably relates to their attention span

[BadGimp]

27. it has begun...

downward into the darkness we fall..

[Gloria]

28. Air Force Cadets See Religious Harassment (by Evangelicals)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/04/19/national/w111447D80.DTL


Air Force Cadets See Religious Harassment

By ROBERT WELLER, Associated Press Writer

Tuesday, April 19, 2005



(04-19) 18:28 PDT AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) --

Less than two years after it was plunged into a rape scandal, the Air Force Academy is scrambling to address complaints that evangelical Christians wield so much influence at the school that anti-Semitism and other forms of religious harassment have become pervasive.

There have been 55 complaints of religious discrimination at the academy in the past four years, including cases in which a Jewish cadet was told the Holocaust was revenge for the death of Jesus and another was called a Christ killer by a fellow cadet.

The 4,300-student school recently started requiring staff members and cadets to take a 50-minute religious-tolerance class.

"There are things that have happened that have been inappropriate. And they have been addressed and resolved," said Col. Michael Whittington, the academy's chief chaplain.

More than 90 percent of the cadets identify themselves as Christian. A cadet survey in 2003 found that half had heard religious slurs and jokes, and that many non-Christians believed Christians get special treatment.

MORE

[Gloria]

29. The details are VERY SCARY......so read on.....

eom

[ltfranklin]

30. OK, now here's the fun part...

At the end of the story:

Two of the nation's most influential evangelical Christian groups, Focus on the Family and New Life Church, are headquartered in nearby Colorado Springs. Tom Minnery, an official at Focus on the Family, disputed claims that evangelical Christians are pushing an agenda at the academy, and complained that "there is an anti-Christian bigotry developing" at the school.


The Academy is 90% Christian...and there is an anti-christian bigotry developing. Uh Huh...well, I always knew Christians were big on martyrdom, but perhaps that's taking it a bit far.

[Nothing Without Hope]

36. So what are the organizers working toward, do you think?

Development of enough neocon "Crhistians" within the military to stage a coup? After all, they have a private pipline to god's will and they will have the guns.

[ltfranklin]

37. In my deepest, most paranoid mind...

Yes, they may well be working on getting some nice pliable men in all officer grades in the services. Just in case they can't work through the system, they might have a backup plan to take over the system and it's good to have some men in the service to "back up" your moves.

Yeah, it does sound kind of Technothrilleresque (ooooh, nice word), but I'll bet these are the kind of guys that read Techno-thrillers.

(of course, so do I, but I'm a good guy!)

[Nothing Without Hope]

40. Yes, it sounds paranoid, but then if someone had told you 10 years ago

that the 2000 and 2004 elections would be brazenly stolen with the compliance of the media, and some of the many crimes that the Bush administration has done with the compliance of Congress, wouldn't they have sounded thrilleresque too? As my still-disbelieving sister-in-law said to me with a laugh when I mentioned the stolen election, "Come on, this is still America!"

Actually, producing the neocon version of Hitler Youth is on the schedule, I'm betting. It makes sense, since illegal power grabs and wars to get what they want are what they're all about. No way a wise fascist ignores the military if they want to stay in power indefinitely.

I think it's happening and we need to pay more attention to it.

[smirkymonkey]

56. Here, here...

When will people wake up to what is happening in this country? So much of what has happened over the last decade was previously unthinkable.

I am afraid that labeling these kinds of things "conspiracy theories" undermines the fact that some very sinister powers are work in this country.

[Justin54B20L]

31. Not surprising.

When I was in the Army, at Ft. Campbell, KY religiosity was blatantly prevalent.

I was nearly handed an Article 15 for not participating in a group prayer session conducted on a recreational "Fun Day." When the Col. instructed the Chaplain to lead the group in prayer (Christian only of course) I decided to leave the center of the group as to allow others who liked that sorta crap enjoy themselves. Boy the looks I got as I skirted my way out from the center. Most coming from seasoned leaders and esp. from the Col. himself.

I tell ya, shit's crazy in there. I had quite a few wiccan friends in there as well as another who was satanic. These guys fought like "hell" to get the recognition to practice their beliefs as allowed for under the 1st amendment for quite some time.

[drduffy]

33. truly scary

am getting truly fed up with these evangelical assholes. yeh, the abyss is beckoning and that's where this country is heading! I hope the 'rapture' comes pretty quick and spirits the christos away.

[Vincardog]

35. PSSST don't tell the Fundies but the rapture was last week.

Pass it on.

[Hekate]

49. That would make a great bumper sticker, wouldn't it?

"The Rapture was last week, and you're still here."

Hekate

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

32. Kick

[dArKeR]

38. Non-Christian Air Force Cadets Cite Harassment

By David Kelly Times Staff Writer

DENVER — The Air Force Academy, still recovering from rape and sexual harassment scandals, is facing charges that some Christian cadets have bullied and berated Jews and students of other religious backgrounds.

School officials said Tuesday they had received 55 complaints over the last few months and were requiring students — and eventually all employees — to attend a course on religious tolerance.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=latimests/nonchristianairforcecadetsciteharassment

I'm batting almost 98%. The only thing I said which didn't happen or proved true is that aWol would have a psychotic breakdown before the election 2004.

"Bush's objective is to destroy ALL religions of the world, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Taoist. Jewish... aWol is a psychotic Born Again Christian. All the alcohol and drugs he'd taken for nearly 40 years, day and night, has destroyed what little brain he had. Remember even in college when his brain was young and fresh he was a D- student."

[JohnnyBoots]

39. Didn't the Romans kill Jesus, so shouldn't they be

pissed off at the Vatican, you know ROMAN Catholiscism?

[ltfranklin]

41. They are...

...they're just a little further down the list.

[LostinVA]

51. The Romans weren't Christian at that point.

And, I was raised RC, and the Evangelicals pretty much loathe Catholics. Take a gander at the anti-Catholic Chick tracts. I had that stuff said the face by some very rabid Fundies in college. Scary stuff.

[Moderator]

42. kick to combine

[NNN0LHI]

43. Critics see religious bias at Air Force Academy

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-air20.html

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Less than two years after it was plunged into a rape scandal, the Air Force Academy is scrambling to address complaints that evangelical Christians wield so much influence that religious harassment has become pervasive.

There have been 55 complaints of religious discrimination at the academy in the last four years, including cases in which a Jewish cadet was told the Holocaust was revenge for the death of Jesus and another was called a Christ killer by a fellow cadet.

more

[donco6]

44. You can see Focus on the Family from the Academy

Gee, great.

[Synnical]

45. Military Atheists are following this closely . . .

http://maaf.info/

The AF Academy is continuing to come under scrutiny for its Christian bias. Indications are that benefits are withheld for Christians and cadets suffer discrimination if they do not participate in religious events. The AF has also recently distanced itself from religious flag folding ceremonies, saying it endorses no script for the events.

Also, via a link from the MAAF homepage:

http://tinyurl.com/9sb6a

Publication:The Gazette; Date:Mar 6, 2005; Section:Metro; Page Number:29

One day last April, David Antoon and his son sat quietly in a chapel pew.

Up front, 10 uniformed Christian preachers boasted about a weekly Bible study program that draws 800 students.

“Amen,” one pastor said.

The Antoons had come from Dayton, Ohio, for appointee orientation. The teen was on the verge of embarking on his lifelong dream to attend the Air Force Academy.

T h e y were surprised by the chaplains’ zeal, and that the scene unfolded at the tax-funded academy, which like other arms of the military is charged with defending the U.S. Constitution and its separation of church and state.

“It was like a southern revival,” said Antoon, a 1970 academy graduate. He described the atmosphere during the two-day orientation as “cultish.”

<snip>

Religious bias problems should be acknowledged by the entire military, said Army 1st Sgt. Kathleen Johnson, based in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The founder of the 350-member Military Association of Atheists and Free Thinkers, Johnson said Christian beliefs saturate every branch.

She’s attended hundreds of graduations, promotions and other military ceremonies that include only Christian prayers.

“There is never any attempt to make these prayers inclusive in any way, shape or form,” she said. “It’s always a prayer ‘in Jesus’ name we pray,’ always. For those of us who are not Christian, we are forced by regulation to stand up and participate whether we want to or not.”

A sailor who belongs to the military atheist group told Johnson that Christian prayers are broadcast over his ship’s speakers.

[Kolesar]

50. I have heard the US Military described as a "Southern Institution"

Now I have a further appreciation for what that means.

[funflower]

53. The best solution to this problem

would be through recruitment policies aimed at pumping up the cultural diversity of the student body. However, guess who is most likely to want to enroll in a military academy?