The Air Force Academy, stung several years ago by accusations of Christian bias, has built a new outdoor worship area for pagans and other practitioners of Earth-based religions."Horrible thing?" It doesn't take much to spike the outrage meter these days.
But its opening, heralded as a sign of a more tolerant religious climate at the academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., was marred by the discovery two weeks ago of a large wooden cross placed there.
"We’ve been making great progress at the Air Force Academy. This is clearly a setback," said Mikey Weinstein, a 1977 graduate of the academy. He is founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and has often tangled with the academy over such issues.
Although he credits the academy’s superintendent, Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Gould, with an improved climate of religious tolerance, Weinstein criticized other academy officials as trivializing the incident, which he said was not revealed to cadets.
Rhetorically addressing academy officials, Weinstein said Tuesday, "It’s been two weeks — were you going to get around to telling them about this horrible thing that happened, and why haven’t you?"
Academy spokesman John Van Winkle said officials reported the situation to those on base and issued a message reiterating the school’s policy of religious tolerance and respect.
In a statement, Gould said, "We absolutely will not stand for this type of destructive behavior. I consider this no different than someone writing graffiti on the Cadet Chapel." …
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Oh the Horror! Cross Found at Air Force Academy Pagan Worship Site
The new pagan worship site at the Air Force Academy received an unexpected blessing when a large wooden cross was found there. Needless to say, outrage is the word of the day:
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5 comments:
I'm sure there would be a much more significant and ridiculous response if there was a pentagram placed in a Christian place of worship.
Actually that kind of stuff has happened lots of times and I don't remember ever hearing about a "ridiculous response". Christians aren't afraid of pagan symbols.
Yes, it happens lots of times, and yes, it gets a response. A quick Google search shows several recent instances where defacement of Churches with pentagrams has lead to police action. Such shenanigans don't become "right" simply because the perpetrators are your co-religionists. And if such Christian on Pagan defacement is more easily dismissed without official response than the reverse, that reveals bias.
A point to be remembered here is that the Air Force Academy needs to be especially careful, because of a recent history of people within the institution using their position and authority as an aid to their Prosthelytizing.
You are so quick to dismiss and belittle the 'victims' (in this case the pagan worshipers)because they are not like you. Did you bully others when you were a kid? Because that is what the people who you are defending did. You know the intent of these people who put that cross there...that stone circle was a 'safe' place, a place of worship and of community, for these people. That therein is the violation. It was intended to destruct, to remind them that the 'truth' (in this case, Christ), would follow them wherever they went, even into their place of safety and community.
Sorry, guy. Forget the 'oh, the horror' speel. No buying it. Bullying, pure and simple.
WHY IS IT AUTOMATICALLY ASSUMED THAT CHRISTIANS WERE INVOLVED IN THIS?!??!
ROMAN CATHOLICS ALSO USE THE CROSS AS A SYMBOL!!!!
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