Posted on 02/09/2006 8:09:14 PM PST by SandRat
2/9/2006 - WASHINGTON -- The Air Force released a revised version of its religious guidelines Feb. 9, its latest step in a process started after a review at the U.S. Air Force Academy indicated a need for additional guidance.
Air Force Directorate of Personnel officials issued a first set of interim guidelines in August. The newly revised version was written after getting diverse feedback and careful consideration of the U.S. Constitution, laws and military necessity.
“This interim guidance outlines the basic principles we expect all military and civilian Airmen to follow as we solidify formal policy,” said Lt. Gen. Roger Brady, Air Force deputy chief of staff for personnel.
After the first set of guidelines were released, the Air Force received feedback from members of Congress, the public, religious groups, members of groups professing no faith, legal and civil liberties groups and individual citizens. In addition, more than 500 active, Reserve and Guard Airmen from eight Air Force bases were also interviewed.
“The feedback fell into three camps -- that we got the guidelines about right, that we went too far in imposing constraints on religious expression, and that we didn’t go far enough in avoiding establishment (neutrality) problems,” General Brady said. “Basically, the views of Airmen reflected those you hear from across the spectrum in the greater American population.”
The most obvious change in the latest set of guidelines is its length; it is now one page long as opposed to four.
“We found that we could more effectively express them (the guidelines) with leaner, broader verbiage,” General Brady said. “These guidelines help clarify religious respect issues and provide a simple document that is easy for all Airmen to comprehend.”
The Air Force’s guidance on the freedom of expression by chaplains is also clarified.
“The guidelines address prayer at military events, but in no way restrict private prayer or chaplains’ activities in religious settings,” General Brady said. “We respect the rights of chaplains to adhere to the tenets of their individual faiths, and they will not be required to participate in religious activities, including public prayer, inconsistent with their faiths.”
“This is an open and honest debate, so another interim period is appropriate prior to this (set of guidelines) being made the final version,” he said.
Though the national debate about religious guidance in the military will continue, General Brady said he is confident the Air Force is moving in the right direction.
“We’ll reach our goal for all Air Force members to understand their responsibilities as Airmen and their rights as Americans,” he said. “When coupled with respect for each other, the freedoms we enjoy strengthen our ability to perform our shared purpose to defend the United States.”
PING
There is a link on your source page to a PDF of the guidelines. It appears that they deliberately degraded the quality of what they posted to make it harder for folks to re-publish it.
BTTT
"Tom Minnery, senior vice president of government and public policy at Focus on the Family Action, said the proper application of the new guidelines will safeguard the religious freedom guaranteed to all citizens — military and civilian."
I'm not quite sure how they mean to work this out, but it sounds hopeful.
Rather than saying "no praying in Jesus' name." they're now saying (I think) that chaplains can turn down assignments to pray at public events that would require them to pray in a manner inconsistent with their actual faith.
I would prefer they just ruled either for or against prayer at public events. If for prayer at public events, then any chaplain should qualify, and they should simply be allowed to be themselves. If against it, then no chaplain would pray.
I so agree.
Thanks for your thoughts on this. I was going to ping you, but you have shown up already....
Why do they let these northeast elitist thugs into the Air Force Academy. You know the kids at the academy are no different than Harvard Yale etc. I bet if you asked as noral airman what he or she though, they would think this is rediculous and want to be able to express religion. Remember the kids who attend the academy are normally the rich spoiled kids. Yes a few are not, but for the majority they are. Plus the Academy is Ivy League lite so it has the making of liberalism.
Depending on how this is worked out, it could be OK. The danger, though, is this: There could come about a "more favored" class (or denomination) of chaplains who WILL pray without using Jesus' name at a public event.
Commanders will be looking for someone to do the job of offering up a neutral prayer. Let's say that some denomination is more likely to do that than other chaplains. The commander, of course, would be kindly disposed toward that chaplain for "assisting" him at various public events.
You know the rating system and how it affects the advancement of officers in the military.
Better, I think, to simply end the practice of chaplains praying at required events. (The best choice would be for America to simply grow up and recognize that there are different religions and denominations among us....but the immature and out of touch with the Founders will not tolerate such tolerance.)
Jesus was not tolerated well in His day, either. The servant is not above the Master. It is enough to be like Him. Amen.
***You know the rating system and how it affects the advancement of officers in the military.***
That was my first thought when I read through the article in yesterday's Stars and Stripes.
“We found that we could more effectively express them (the guidelines) with leaner, broader verbiage,” General Brady said. “These guidelines help clarify religious respect issues and provide a simple document that is easy for all Airmen to comprehend.”
,,, obviously, a miracle has happened to occasion bureaucrats to slim documentation from four pages to one. Stuff like that just doesn't happen usually.
The import of the page will be in its implementation, I think. If only that simplicity would hold through the hands of ruling men (an even more rare occurrence).
Yeah, mine, too. Not to mention backed by years of experience as a chaplain.
Thunder6, read through this thread and give us your thoughts, if you don't mind. Thanks.
“The guidelines address prayer at military events, but in no way restrict private prayer or chaplains’ activities in religious settings,” General Brady said. “We respect the rights of chaplains to adhere to the tenets of their individual faiths, and they will not be required to participate in religious activities, including public prayer, inconsistent with their faiths.”
Okay, while I haven't seen the new policy and can't comment on specifics, I have a couple of general thoughts:
1. I'm certainly not an expert on the induction and training of Chaplains, but my observations so far have been that they are "generalists"...by that I mean, they have their primary faith organization (RC, Jewish, etc...) but are broad enough (and secure enough in their own faith and position as a man of God) to minister to ALL their charges. The analogy I always think of comes from the old TV series M*A*S*H, where COL Potter asks Father Mulcahey if he does "a good Methodist". Else, why are they there?
2. A Chaplain holds a Commission from the President in addition to his religious affiliation. With that Commission comes the responsibility to care for and lead ALL the soldiers he is "in charge of". Not lead in the "Charge the hill" sense (though some will and have), but take the lead in the spiritual health of the soldier.
3. I think I may have written this before, but I think Chaplains are the protectors and keepers of a soldier's soul, and the one outpost of humanity in one of the most dehumanizing activities of man.
Therefore, if the guy is thinking he'll "be required to participate in religious activities, including public prayer, inconsistent with (his) faiths.”, then he probably needs to find another place to practice his particular faith.
Granted, the USAF is a viable alternative to government service, but I don't see this problem in the Army (yet...).
Regards,
LOL!
There are two types of support that chaplains provide: general and direct support. General support is that which is extended to all faith groups. Direct support is that which is extended by chaplains to those of their own faith group. Chaplains are not permitted by regulation to extend direct support to those outside their faith group since they are not ordained, certified, or licensed according to the tenets of that faith. (For example: I couldn't go into the field and set up a confessional booth for Catholics...I am a Methodist. It would violate the others' faith for me to do so.)
General support includes everything from coordinating locations for other faith groups to ordering religious dietary items to scheduling ministers to non-religious counseling. All of these are acceptable general support tasks.
Prayer at command, required events can be viewed as "general support" because it's a command event, but it can also be viewed as "direct support" because it could conflict with the chaplain's own faith/faith group IF the chaplain is told how to suck eggs.
If he isn't told how to pray, then I've got no problem with it. As soon as he is forced to say or not say something because someone doesn't like the way his faith believes, then I do have a problem with it. To tell someone that he must not pray "in Jesus' name" is telling the chaplain what he's allowed to believe and how he has to believe it.
I've got a problem with that. (Even though I do not agree with the theology that says the formula "in Jesus' name" is a requirement in a prayer. My belief,however, is my belief, and it should not be forced on another chaplain from a different group.
A Jewish rabbi did jump into the middle of this because he saw it as a chance to force Christian ministers to quit praying "in the name of Jesus" (according to his own claim, not mine). He's a total jerk. Interesting that his name wasn't mentioned here but was in numerous private sector newspaper stories.
Don't make more of this story than there was.
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