Thursday, October 13, 2005

Religious Intolerance: Evangelical Chaplains Harassed for Sharing the Gospel

From the Family Research Council...

It appears the U.S. Air Force may be backing down from a policy that would have allowed military chaplains to witness to Air Force personnel who are not affiliated with other religions. According to a document circulated at a school for Air Force chaplains, the military clergy pledged: "I will not proselytize from other religious bodies, but I retain the right to evangelize those who are not affiliated." But now, the Air Force seems to be caving in to a lawsuit filed by 1977 U.S. Air Force Academy graduate Mikey Weinstein.

Mr. Weinstein has accused Academy leaders of pressing cadets to embrace Evangelical Christianity. These developments raise disturbing questions about the rights of Christians in uniform. The Academy's Commandant, an Evangelical Christian with an excellent record, was "passed over" for promotion following the complaints. When cadets take the oath to defend the Constitution of the United States--shouldn't their First Amendment rights be a part of what they defend?