Shaw Air Force Base swiftly removed its Nativity scene from its base Friday after an undisclosed number of airmen were troubled with the scene and notified the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Posted on 12/10/2013 2:43:58 PM PST by markomalley
Shaw Air Force Base swiftly removed its Nativity scene from its base Friday after an undisclosed number of airmen were troubled with the scene and notified the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
The Nativity display was removed — only about an hour before the base hosted its tree lighting ceremony, said Lt. Keavy Rake, public affairs officer for Shaw Air Force Base. Rake explained that volunteers from Shaw Chapel erected the Nativity scene near Memorial Lake after first sending out emails asking others about putting up different religious representations. After receiving no offers on erecting other displays, the volunteers proceeded with putting up the Nativity scene.
The base didn't receive direct complaints about the Nativity scene display from its service members, Rake said. Officials on base first learned of concerns when they received a phone call from Mikey Weinstein, president and founder of MRFF. Rake said the display was a violation of Air Force legal policy, and the base was informed by their headquarters in Washington, D.C., that they had to take it down.
"The base's legal team received a call, and they basically said we couldn't have a sole religious display and we had to take it down," Rake said. "The volunteers took down the Nativity scene and are deciding on a better place to put it."
According to MRFF's website, some of the organization's clients informed Paul Loebe, special projects manager, about the decorations just before noon Friday, which led to Loebe notifying Weinstein. Loebe wrote in a statement on the MRFF website that the display was illegal because it was not erected near a chapel.
"This in and of itself is not a problem. However, it was not within the vicinity of any chapel and was not part of a scene designed to accommodate all religious preferences, or no preferences, aboard the base," said Loebe in the statement. "It was very sectarian in nature and a direct violation of the U.S. Constitution as well as a blatant violation of Air Force Instruction 1-1 Section 2.11."
After receiving notification of the display at Shaw Air Force Base, Weinstein reached out to senior Air Force leadership at Headquarters Air Force at the Pentagon about 3:30 p.m. Friday who informed him that the matter would be investigated, according to the MRFF website. Rake said about 5 p.m., they were asked to remove the display from the base.
Pastor Webb Belangia at Sumter's Aldersgate United Methodist Church said the removal of the Nativity scene is sad.
"I think it's a sad state of affairs when we have to remove everything because it may offend someone," Belangia said. "If you don't want to believe in Christmas, that's fine. But why is it offensive if I believe?"
"We have military service members who are of all different parts of the religious spectrum, but it may be hard for someone who has very strong beliefs to see that," Rake said.
Good news, though, Christmas can be had in Texas!
Way to go, Texas!
undisclosed = one
Troubled with the scene? What was Joseph wearing Crocs?
This situation should have been solved the same way many other situations are handled with an election. The majority wins.
Sadly, though, this is South Carolina...and a Federal installation.
They had something for Kwanzaa and Hanuka, nothing for Christmas. We were shocked and offended.
Ha!
Maybe even less that that
Ah, yes. Can’t have any of those dangerous displays of Christianity anywhere. As opposed to the AFB in CA a few months back which brought in drag-queen entertainers to celebrate “diversity day.” Homo perversion... A-OK. Christianity... verboten.
Maybe if the nativity statues, both human and animal, were displayed in a manner in which they were shown sodomizing each other, it would be considered acceptable.
I wonder if weinstein is just angry that he never got to celebrate christmas when he was growing up?
What about the people who are offended by its removal? And how many “undisclosed number” of airmen were there — one?
Yep, there’s something about Christmas that some Jewish people absolutely despise. I guess this guy’s one of them.
Mikey Weinstein is a God-hating Christ-hating fag. To hell with him.
If Jesus were among us today, he would be executed just as before. People don’t want the Savior. They will get their wish - eternity without Him.
Dear Jews........you are PLAYING with FIRE here!!! STOP THIS ANTI-CHRISTIAN CRAP!!!!
So these military members think the Nativity scene is a threat? God forbid they meet any Muslims in battle; they’d give up immediately!
Something has gone terribly wrong in the Air Force over the last 10 years.
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