STARS AND STRIPES – Air Force leaders detail force cuts, defend religion policies

Published On: March 20, 2014|Categories: News|0 Comments|

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Several members of the committee argued that the removal of the verse constituted a violation of the cadet’s religious freedom, and suggested that the Air Force was ignoring the Constitution.

“We’re worried that this idea in the law that [imposes some religious restrictions aimed at maintaining] good order and discipline is now becoming an excuse for political correctness. And I think that very quickly tramples the First Amendment rights of certainly our airmen,” Rep. John Fleming, R-La., said. “We’re seeing this in Air Force far more than other services.”

“It’s a balancing act. It’s balancing that free expression of religion with the needs of the military and not giving the appearance or an actuality of forcing anything [on airmen].” James said

Welsh pushed back strongly against the accusations that were being leveled.

“I know all kinds of people at the Air Force Academy … who would disagree with your assessment of there being a problem with religious persecution at the Air Force Academy … You have to get the facts right on every one of these cases and try and stay unemotional until you know what happened,” he said. “The single biggest frustration I’ve had in this job is the perception that somehow there is religious persecution inside the United States Air Force. It is not true. We have incidents like everybody has incidents. We investigate every one of them. We’ve asked every chaplain in our Air Force if they know of these cases, [and] they say no.”

Fleming cited a case reported by Todd Starnes, a Fox News columnist, in which a group trying to distribute Bibles at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Were turned away by base officials.

“I would not believe an article from Mr. Starnes,” Welsh said. “I know there are cases where he’s not had his facts right in his articles.”

Welsh told another lawmaker that servicemembers have a right not to be proselytized to by religious airmen.

“You have every right to your beliefs and to practice your faith freely. If someone asks you about your faith, tell them everything about it. [But] if they don’t ask you, don’t assume they want or need to know.”

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