I have one big question for all the commentors here: did any of you actually go to USAFA? I did, and even back in the early 90s I saw these issues. It didn’t become a public issue until ten or fifteen years later, but it was there. For those who say” what’s the big deal about individuals talking about Christianity?”–what if that individual is your superior in the squadron? What if it’s an officer and you’re a cadet? We had plenty of prayers and invocation of God in squadron meetings, by higher-ranking cadets and officers. Maybe you don’t understand what it’s like at a service academy, but as an underclassman you are exceedingly vulnerable to the whims of your superiors.
(name withheld)
Interestingly enough, that’s also about the same time the republicans got the presidency back (GDUB). Dominionist Christianity began a strong-hold takeover the US Military, well, because they knew they could, and for some of the very reasons the person above mentions:
1. what if that individual is your superior in the squadron
2. what if it’s an officer and you’re a cadet
3. as an underclassman you are exceedingly vulnerable to the whims of your superiors
Unfortunately the Military has been used for “social experimentation” and because there is a top-down hierarchy, Corporal Jones or Lt Snuffy would have a hard time asking [telling] a senior person to not proselytize or pray in their presences. We also know that these young troops, and some older ones, will eventually “bleed” over into civilian society and bring the “faith” to the heathens (aka not Christian enough or not at all).
Everyone has their freedom to believe whatever they want, but that is an individual freedom, and MUST, at all cost, be the individuals choice and they MUST keep it to themselves or like minded individuals. Because they won’t we NEED the MRFF and Mikey Weinstein!