Air Force Academy adapts to pagans, druids, witches and Wiccans

[rug]

Officials say an $80,000 Stonehenge-like worship center underscores a commitment to embrace all religions.



Cadets gather for the dedication ceremony of the Air Force Academy's Cadet Chapel Falcon Circle worship center this spring. The center serves cadets whose religions fall under the broad category of “Earth-based.” (Jerilee Bennett, (Colorado Springs) Gazette / May 3, 2011)

By Jenny Deam, Los Angeles Times
November 26, 2011, 4:36 p.m.

Reporting from Colorado Springs, Colo.— In the still of a cold November evening, a small gathering of pagans, led by two witches, begins preparations for the coming winter solstice. But these are not just any pagans, and this is not just any setting. They are future officers of the United States Air Force practicing their faith in the basement of the Air Force Academy's cadet chapel.

Their ranks are slim. According to the academy's enrollment records, only three of 4,300 cadets identified themselves as pagans, followers of an ancient religion that generally does not worship a single god and considers all things in nature interconnected.

Still, the academy this year dedicated an $80,000 outdoor worship center — a small Stonehenge-like circle of boulders with propane fire pit — high on a hill for the handful of current or future cadets whose religions fall under the broad category of "Earth-based." Those include pagans, Wiccans, druids, witches and followers of Native American faiths.

Witches in the Air Force? Chaplain Maj. Darren Duncan, branch chief of cadet faith communities at the academy, sighs. A punch line waiting to happen, and he's heard all the broom jokes.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-air-force-pagans-20111127,0,6813530.story

[ZombieHorde]

1. I imagine military New Agers are big Tool fans. nt

[MADem]

2. This is pushback from the days when the evangelical xtians were bullying Jews and others at the

academy. It was so entrenched and insidious that DOD sent in an "other service" chaplain of impeccable reputation to do an investigation. What he found was hair-curling. I never saw the report, but I have a pretty good guess that there were lots of remediation recommendations at the end of the thing.

Regardless of lawsuit dismissals, this didn't happen organically. This was a crafted response to something that still has potential to be a "problem," if you know what I mean:

In 2005, the Air Force — still reeling from accusations of sexual assaults against female cadets at the academy — was accused in a lawsuit of allowing aggressive proselytizing toward non-Christians. The suit, ultimately dismissed, was brought by an attorney and academy graduate, Michael Weinstein, who founded the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and has continued to fight what he calls a climate of religious oppression at the academy.

Weinstein isn't buying this new spirit of "Kumbaya." He says he has received hundreds of complaints from cadets who allege pressure by other cadets or superiors to profess faith in Christ and cites a desecration incident in 2010 when a cross was left at a previous Earth-based worship site. The Air Force condemned that incident, and it was never discovered who was responsible.

Weinstein says the presence of the powerful fundamental Christian organization, Focus on the Family, just a short hop down the highway from the academy only adds to tension for non-evangelicals.

Meade Warthen, a civilian spokesman for the academy, stands by the academy's efforts, adding that it takes heat not only from critics like Weinstein but also from those who say it does too much to accommodate other religions.

[hootinholler]

10. I hadn't heard they've stopped. n/t

[MADem]

12. Well, put it this way--it's certainly less overt and officially unsanctioned, if it is indeed

continuing.

It would have to be.

I can't speak to what's happening there at this moment, I do know that the report was pretty scathing. The guy who was heading up that effort is the personification of integrity. I doubt anyone "got a pass" or was "allowed to slide."

[nostalgicaboutmyfutr]

3. What a better view than the AFA chapel!

I will personally pay the AFA for building this for two reasons....

- Open support of all religions, or non-religion(s) (make a choice...support for all, or support for none)
- To see the xtians heads explode in Colorado Springs is a beautiful thing ('My tax dollars for what???')

[NMMNG]

5. The second one alone is worth it for me

To see the xtians heads explode in Colorado Springs is a beautiful thing ('My tax dollars for what???')

I'm both frustrated and amused by people who react that way to something like this, but who see nothing wrong with taxpayer funded crosses, monuments of the 10 Commandments and other blatantly Christian stuff on public property.





- Open support of all religions, or non-religion(s) (make a choice...support for all, or support for none)

I agree. Unfortunately TPTB don't agree, nor can they see their own hypocrisy.

[roguevalley]

7. what a beautiful site good for all of them

[humblebum]

4. Don't forget Major Nelson had a Jeannie. nt

[RKP5637]

6. IMO this is great. At first I thought it was the onion. n/t

[Walk away]

8. I'm sure anything is better than Atheists to the military...

It's easy to control people who believe in myths. Not so easy to brainwash skeptics who question the ultimate authority. It would be tricky to get a bunch of critical thinkers to walk onto a battlefield and go to war.

[rug]

9. Didn't stop Hitchens and Harris

[Walk away]

14. Christopher Hitchens jioned the military and fought in a war?....

I have never heard this before! When did this happen?

[humblebum]

11. This is a very good thing. nt

[bananas]

13. It will be so cool when the Air Force refuses to bomb ancient sacred sites.nt

[Trillo]

15. I only feel good about the photo.

Good Job!