To: Air Force Academy
Along with many of my classmates, we have seen the religious evangelism at our beloved alma mater as a sad divergence from the ideals we shared and were taught as cadets. As head chaplain, I would hope that you would take a more active role in emphasizing that freedom of religion does not mean freedom to impose religion. The Cadets for Christ, let’s face it, advocate a world view on the role of women that is antithetical to an enlightened society and perpetuates inequality. Religion has been used to control the fate and aspirations of half the population, women, for centuries and, much like the Taliban, this group you seem to advocate is firmly in that camp.
As a member of the first class with women, I have seen what a misogynistic society and Air Force was like in the 1970s and now, 30 years later, I am horrified to see that things are much worse than they ever were. As a religious leader, who is also an Air Force officer, I would expect that you would stand up for principle first and dogma second. You have a responsibility to these female cadets, make no mistake about it, and as with many of the religious abuses at the Academy in recent years, there appears to be no one taking the lead. When 41% of the Cadet Wing’s non-Christians report to being subjected to unwelcome and unsolicited proselytization in the last year alone, I am deeply disturbed about what has happened to my Academy. Any group, such as the Cadets for Christ, that perpetuates the sexism of the past is to be discouraged and its members reminded that the Air Force does not tolerate discrimination against women. That is your job, first and foremost. If you can’t do this, I respectfully submit that you do not belong at my Academy. If you perpetuate this through benign neglect, tolerance or encouragement, you are undermining what my class fought so hard to create, an Air Force that would not tolerate discrimination against women.
(name withheld)
