Air Force Academy Called Out for Violating Constitutional Rights

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ — The Restore Military Religious Freedom Coalition comprised of 24 groups led by the Family Research Council and including legal groups such as Alliance Defending Freedom, Liberty Counsel, The Liberty Institute, and Thomas More Law Center, has announced that they stand ready to offer assistance to any Air Force Academy cadet who faces repercussions for writing a Bible verse on a hallway whiteboard that has been designated by the Academy for both official and personal use.

Earlier this week, a Bible verse (Galatians 2:20) was removed at the Air Force Academy after a complaint by an anti-Christian group. Yesterday, reports surfaced that cadets are protesting the censorship by writing Bible verses on other campus whiteboards. Last year, the Restore Military Religious Freedom Coalition launched a website, www.militaryfreedom.org, to support the religious liberties of America’s men and women in uniform.

Several members of the Restore Military Religious Freedom Coalition released the following statements in support of the cadets and religious liberty:

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin, Family Research Council’s Executive Vice President:

“This reflects that the cadets understand the Constitution and have a greater faith in the Constitution than their leaders. They are freely exercising their constitutional rights that they will be defending upon graduation,” concluded Boykin.

Michael Berry, Liberty Institute’s Senior Counsel and Director of Military Affairs:

“This is a blatant violation of Department of Defense Instruction (DODI) 1300.17 and the Constitution, “Berry observed. “But the Air Force seems to think that AFI 1-1′s neutrality towards religion requirement means forbidding religious freedom. If that’s true, then I suggest the Air Force officials read DODI 1300.17, which supersedes AFI 1-1 and guarantees religious freedom for all service members,” concluded Berry.

Gary McCaleb, Chief Solicitor and Executive Vice President for Strategy Implementation at Alliance Defending Freedom:

“Suppressing religion is wrong whether it is done behind an Iron Curtain or in a dorm hallway. Certainly such raw anti-religious discrimination has no place in America’s Air Force.”

Mathew Staver, Chairman, Liberty Counsel:

“This latest incident at the United States Air Force Academy reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of religious freedom. Not only is the notion that cadets have to abandon or hide their faith as a requisite of military service not supported by law, it is actually discriminatory to brave men and women of faith that desire to serve their country,” concluded Staver.

Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel,Thomas More Law Center:

“From the Revolutionary War to the present day, military leaders have understood that in times of danger and death, no physical courage can sustain the soldier other than Divine help. This understanding prompted Article 6 of the military Code of Conduct, which emphasizes a soldier’s personal responsibilities for his actions and trust in God. Thus, the actions of the Air Force to restrict this cadet’s free speech and the free exercise of religion because it offends some, is not only unconstitutional, but conflicts with the military’s own understanding of the importance of religion to our military men and women placed in harm’s way,” concluded Thompson.

To read “A Clear and Present Danger,” Family Research Council’s comprehensive report on religious suppression in the military, click here: www.frc.org/clearpresentdanger

Click here for a list of the 24 groups that comprise the Restore Military Religious Freedom Coalition.

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Air Force Academy Called Out for Violating Constitutional Rights

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"So Help Me God" Now Optional in Air Force Academy Honor Oath

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Air Force Academy cadets now have the option whether or not to repeat the phrase “so help me, God” when reciting the school’s honor code.

The Academy’s Honor Review Committee voted to make the statement optional following a complaint by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, reports Fox News, and says the decision was made to help build a “culture of dignity and respect” for all students.

“Here at the Academy, we work to build a culture of dignity and respect, and that respect includes the ability of our cadets, Airmen and civilian Airmen to freely practice and exercise their religious preference — or not,” said Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson in a prepared statement.

The complaint came after the Colorado Springs Independent newspaper published a photograph of a poster at the academy, which included the oath, and then forwarded the photo to MRFF President Mikey Weinstein, a frequent critic of Christianity in the armed forces.

But Weinstein, while applauding the decision to make the oath optional, questioned how it will be applied, reports The Associated Press.

If the person who leads the oath includes the words, Weinstein said, cadets who don’t say the phrase may feel vulnerable.

“What does it mean, ‘optional’?” Weinstein said. “The best thing is to eliminate it.”
The Academy’s Honor Oath was originally created in 1984, reports Fox, and did not at first include the phrase. Instead, the phrase was later added to give the oath more seriousness following an alleged cheating scandal, said retired Brig Gen. Hans Mueh, who had been on the committee making the change.

The oath’s current version, which cadets swear to upon finishing basic training, reads “We will not lie, steal or cheat nor tolerate among us anyone who does. Furthermore, I resolve to do my duty and live honorably, so help me, God,” but cadets can now leave the last words off, if they choose, said Johnson.

Ron Crews, the executive director of Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, commends the Academy for still allowing cadets to choose to say the phrase.

“These young Americans being trained to defend the rights of Americans should be able to exercise their religious convictions by solemnizing their oath with so help me God,” he said.

But even though the religious phrase is now optional, cadets are still required to recite the rest of the Honor Oath.

The West Point and U.S. Naval Academy’s honor codes do not include a phrase referring to God, but the academies oaths, like the Air Force’s, forbid cadets from lying, cheating or stealing or tolerating fellow cadets who do.

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"So Help Me God" Now Optional in Air Force Academy Honor Oath