Smite the infidels with the hand of God from above:
A chaplain at the Air Force Academy has described a "systemic and pervasive" problem of religious proselytizing at the academy and says a religious tolerance program she helped create to deal with the problem was watered down after it was shown to officers, including the major general who is the Air Force's chief chaplain.
The academy chaplain, Capt. MeLinda Morton, 48, spoke publicly for the first time as an Air Force task force arrived at the academy in Colorado Springs on Tuesday to investigate accusations that officers, staff members and senior cadets inappropriately used their positions to push their evangelical Christian beliefs on Air Force cadets.
I am too sick to comment.
Just imagine a hangar full of little wingnuts with wings, all speaking in tongues, riling themselves up to bring about the rapture.
The investigation into the religious climate at the academy comes at a time of national discussion about the proper constitutional boundary between church and state. Critics say the academy allowed its staff, including some of its chaplains, to cross that boundary, charges that the Air Force says it is now investigating.
"Because we have committed ourselves to look at every allegation, we will find out what really happened at that moment and evaluate that," the general said. "The tension always is, when is a person crossing the line, or when are they being a positive person of faith, like our president?"
Pardon me, I have vomited.
One staff member who spoke on condition of anonymity said on Wednesday: "
There's certainly an impression that evangelicals here have that the leadership is kind of on their side. And there's a feeling among people who are atheists or people who are other varieties of Christian that the leadership does not really accept them."
Captain Morton said she had decided to step forward without authorization from the public affairs office because: "It's the Constitution, not just a nice rule we can follow or not follow. We all raised our hands and said we'd follow it, and that includes the First Amendment, that includes not using your power to advance your religious agenda."
She added, "I realize this is the end of my Air Force career."
Kind of on their side? Emphasis, and heaving, mine.