The US Christian Air Force
Well, thank heavens. The Air Force has come to its senses:
The Air Force, under pressure from evangelical Christian groups and members of Congress, softened its guidelines on religious expression yesterday to emphasize that superior officers may discuss their faith with subordinates and that chaplains will not be required to offer nonsectarian prayers.
Source: The Washington Post, via John Cole's Balloon Juice
/Sarcasm...
This is very bad. Anyone who has served in our, or any, military will see the problem immediately. Superiors allowed to discuss their particular religion, and indeed proselytize it, in the presence of their juniors? This is tantamount to requiring those juniors to convert to the superior's faith. At the very least, junior officers and enlisted personnel in the Air Force will be spending a lot of time pretending to agree with statements they don't agree with. Oh, to be sure, this happens all the time. But about something as personal as your religious beliefs? No. Just no. This is simply and purely wrong. Indefensible.
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Certainly we can't talk about anything that's a fundamental part of ourselves like politics, religion, family values...let's extend that to opinions on anything...how could anyone follow instructions from someone they [gasp] see as human?
But seriously, sarcasm aside, respect is earned.
Can be earned by those who speak about all of the "taboo" subjects. All depends on actions, not words.
He who doesn't walk his talk, gets respect from nobody.
Posted by ChangeWarrior (Deb) At 09:31:43 PM On 02/12/2006 | - Website - |
So, for example, suppose you've had long and intense discussions with your superior, and he's made it clear that he's a religious bigot. By which I mean, he thinks Muslims are all evil and should be killed out of hand. Your unit is serving in Iraq. Your superior orders a response to civilian protest that you consider to be unnecessarily harsh, so you refuse or even merely hesitate. Oops. Turns out your superior, ulterior motive or no, had received an intelligence briefing you had not ('cause you are too *junior*), and was absolutely correct. Your hesitation, or refusal, results in the deaths of some of your fellow soldiers. Now, it isn't QUITE that simple (see My Lai, Vietnam, for the definitive case). But my point is that the military does not intend for juniors and seniors to know each other well or to become good friends.
Now, to the specific point in the article, this is all due to the US Air Force Academy's overt Christianization. It was all over the news, so I'm sure you saw it or can Google it. The issue is this: A full bird Colonel sits down for a casual conversation with a lowly 2nd Lieutenant and says, "Son, I haven't seen you at morning worship services. Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior?" Now, how exactly is that conversation, no matter where else it goes, remotely acceptable? Seem too extreme an example? Well, replace the Colonel with a supervising officer, and the LT with cadets, and that's precisely what happened at the Air Force Academy. And worse. Jews were harrassed and non-Christians were pressured to become Christians. At a military academy. Unacceptable.
It is simply NOT ok for seniors to try to convert juniors to a particular faith. Ever.
Posted by Rob McDonagh At 06:08:44 AM On 02/13/2006 | - Website - |
So really, it doesn't MATTER what they choose to talk about.
Their orders are going to supercede whatever they believe.
Using your example, and assuming the junior hesitated out of sensitivity or concern, he was probably going to do that anyway at some point. It wouldn't really have mattered what his superior had or had not told him.
Nobody should try to convert anybody. Yeah, I share that opinion. However, I don't believe that opinion applies more to the military than anywhere else.
But, again, if you're going to make that kind of ruling for the military then everything else except military training should be taboo as well.
No public declarations regarding sexual preference, family values, religion, political interests, or personal opinion of any kind should be permitted. Military fact only.
What a screaming irony if these 'superiors' actually manage to convert people this way and then have these converts all quit the military on the grounds that 'thou shalt not kill' is a commandment that supercedes their orders.
Posted by ChangeWarrior (Deb) At 05:28:12 PM On 02/14/2006 | - Website - |
But in case you're wondering, military officers are generally expected to avoid discussing ANY controversial topic with other members of the military, the exception being those of the same rank - and even then, it's frowned upon.
By the way, the particular flavor of Christianity these people are pushing does not consider the Commandment against killing to be any sort of contradiction with the use of military force. They believe only murder is forbidden, and military action is not - by their definition - murder. That doesn't meet MY definition of Christianity, but that doesn't stop them from claiming to speak for ALL Christians.
Posted by Rob McDonagh At 05:55:04 PM On 02/14/2006 | - Website - |
You state that it is part of military culture to "to avoid discussing ANY controversial topic with other members of the military...".
Well given that rationale, it would be outside of the comfort zone of any officer to discuss matters of faith with a subordinate. So the superior in question not only stepped outside of his own comfort zone, he stepped outside of acceptable military culture to perform his potential indoctrination.
I wonder how his peers reacted.
There are other methods of coercion.
Perhaps this guy's peers will use a few of their own methods on him.
Then, just to muddy things further, the article goes one to say that it is alright to discuss one's faith "where it is reasonably clear that the discussions are personal, not official, and they can be reasonably free of the potential for, or appearance of, coercion."
Well that just clears everything up, doesn't it?
Whatever happened to that that "Separation of church and state..." thing that Americans used to talk about?
That would make all of this discussion moot, wouldn't it?
Anyhow, I think we are going to agree to at least partially disagree on this one, bud.
I agree that America has lost its footing a little allowing church business into state business. Happened a long time ago, though. Your money says "In God We Trust" on it.
I agree that faith and coercion should be mutually exclusive terms.
However, I really do believe that people, when put together for any great length of time, will revert to their natural behaviours.
Sometimes that will include talking about questionable subjects.
Sometimes that will include corruption of power.
Sometimes that will include making questionable decisions.
Sometimes that will include following idiots blindly.
Fundamentally, though, I believe we should all have the right to be human.
The state shouldn't be legislating what people can and can't talk about.
Even military men. C'est la guerre.
BTW, happy V-DAY, Cap'n Rob.
Have very much enjoyed debating with you.
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