Posted on 01/22/2011 4:23:01 PM PST by Sad Hill
Marine 1st Lt. Clebe McClary Next, they'll be trying to snuff out officers who are too straight, or too white...
(Gazette) A religious rights group is calling for the removal of the Air Force Academy’s top officer after a flap over a speaker planned for a February prayer luncheon at the school.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation says the academy’s choice of retired Marine 1st Lt. Clebe McClary shows that superintendent Lt. Gen. Mike Gould remains tilted toward evangelical Christianity and tolerates an environment where proselytizing is accepted.
Lt. Gen. Mike Gould
“We’re done,” said academy graduate Mikey Weinstein, the foundation’s founder and a frequent foe of religious practices at the school. “Gould needs to go.”
An academy spokesman, Lt. Col. John Bryan, defended the choice of McClary and said the planned prayer gathering is optional and inclusive of a broad spectrum of religious views.
“Nobody is being forced or coerced to go to this luncheon,” Bryan said.
McClary is a wounded Vietnam veteran who overcame his disabilities and now says he’s in the “Lord’s Army.”
Bryan said he’s heard McClary speak and came away with inspiration for overcoming obstacles rather than religious philosophy.
“He’s a nationally recognized motivational speaker,” Bryan said.
McLary’s website lists testimonials from celebrities including The Rev. Billy Graham and former Denver Broncos coach Dan Reeves.
The academy first sought retired Army general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell to speak at the luncheon, but when he couldn’t make it due to schedule conflicts, McClary was picked to keynote the annual event. He’ll be paid $2,500 and airfare reimbursement.
Weinstein points to McClary’s website for evidence that the speaker is too evangelical for the academy.
“To him, USMC will always mean a U. S. Marine for Christ,” McClary’s website says.
“Such statements are not only antithetical to the clear mission of the United States Air Force Academy, they are totally anathema to the purportedly globally inclusive purpose of this National Prayer Luncheon,” Weinstein wrote in a letter to Gould and Defense Department officials.
Several groups, including the Colorado branch of the American Civil Liberties Union have written Gould in support of Weinsten’s effort.
Weinstein has battled the academy in recent months over the school’s failure to include him in a conference on the school’s religious tolerance practices and the academy’s initial failure to release results of a survey that showed concerns about prosyletizing there.
Gould hasn’t responded to Weinstein’s latest letter.PLEASE let the United States Air Force Academy Public Affairs know what's on your mind. Tell 'em Sad Hill sent ya...:
Mailing Address HQ USAFA/PA 2304 Cadet Drive Suite 3100 U.S. Air Force Academy, CO 80840-5016
Phone: 719.333.7731 Fax: 719.333.4094
Community Relations: pa.comrel@usafa.af.mil Media Relations: media.pam@usafa.af.mil
It’s an odd one, alright...
MSFF website:
http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/
My stars! Just found this on their site. The letter to General Gould. Adding it to SHN, now.
http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/2011/01/mcclary_demand/
Thank you Free Republic and my friends over at Weasel Zippers, who just picked up the story, too.
Semper Fi and God Bless!!!!
Romans 1:16-17 (King James Version)
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
Why ashamed ???
This ring knocker is a POS who “happened” to graduate the academy. Who’s OER was done in crayola for reason.
One of my favorite quotes from Oswald Chambers:
“Some of us run away instead of standing; when there is a fresh onslaught of the wiles of the devil we lose heart instantly; and instead of standing we scuttle, and others have to stand until we are sufficiently ashamed to come back again. We have to take on the initiative in standing against panic. One strong moral man will form a nucleus around which others will gather; and spiritually, if we put on the armour of God and stand true to Him, a whole army of weak-kneed Christians will be strengthened. Remember, we have to take the initiative where we are, not where we are not.” — Oswald Chambers
http://sadhillnews.com/2010/09/24/weak-kneed-christians
My, isn’t he fat rat bastard?
So soldiers have no right to religious beliefs, particularly Christian? They fight for our rights but they exercise their fundamental rights. Common sense decency is becoming extinct.
I think I know what their opinion is on that.
His bio on his website shows him to be an extremely pompous ex JAG and Christian-hating Jew, a particularly squirrelly combination!
JC
Yeah....ashamed to say he was a classmate (’77). He’s a moron.
Clebe is a very good friend of mine, If not for GOD he would not have pulled through his ordeals.
This makes me angry and sad.
The cadets will miss an inspirational moment.
The USAF Academy was attacked a couple years ago for being TOO Christian by the left. Looks like it is now swinging the pther direction.
It’s as easy as A, B, C: atheism, buggery, and communism.
BIG HELP Girlene.
Posted portions of it on the article.
Thank you.
Mikey Weinstein lives in New Mexico, and is a complete arrogant wackjob. The local afternoon talk show had him on and it degenerated into complete lunacy.
He’s the equivalent of the nutcase who want’s In God We Trust off currency.
Haters hating Christians. My upmost respect for Marine Lt. McClary.
I don’t think “JAG” people should have military commissions or go to service Academies.
-----------------------------Bit of satire on Mikey
Reporter catches up with ole Mikey as he's leading the new plebes through the great halls of the USAFA:
Meanwhile Mikey has cameras on him as they're filming him as the star in a sort of Doonesbury meets National Lampoon.
Producer yells "CUT. Take five everyone. We'll give you ten minutes Mikey. Remember, we're on a timeline here."
Mikey to producer:" Yo give me ten. I have a couple triple cheeseburgers to scarf after this."
Reporter:"Sooo Mr Mikey Weinstein how many years have you been here at this fine school?"
Mikey: " Just call me Mikey duude, but Inshallah. I love it here man. I can score good grass and play the one holed flute in the Wiccan Mother Earth band. I'm now a full,'Imammy from the Meccan school of Infidels that Wanna Be.'"
Reporter: An Imam? One hole flute? Is that the online class from the once Nigerian prince who was so infamous years ago?
Mikey:" Yo yeah that be the man! I haven't met him yet but he gave me this cool certificate but had to get a tutor to teach me the bigger words in his version of the Quran. The school prices were a bit steep. I had to sell my gramma's house and stick her inna home to pay the five hunnert grand but now I'm in the finals for the 12th Caliphate, he said."
Reporter: Oh, so what's you muzzie, I mean Muslime name?"
Yo my name is Obama ben Mohmammed al infidelis. Cool how he made my name with some of the Italian stuff at the end. he wrote me and said he got the name right from the lips of the prophet hisself. I shunned Judaism years ago. So now I'm a full fledged arab and everythng." Reporter( looking a bit frazzled): Umm yes, So what were your favorite classes when you were here?"
Mikey: Oh I'm a Sophomore now. Love this place, the uniforms and all. I been here fifteen years. I've learned math AND'rithmatic!
Reporter scratches head:" So are you going to be a pilot?"
What kinda question is that? Hell yeah. I'm already training in a simulator F-22 outside Rite Aid. Hey remember when it was called Thrifty's and you could get two scoops for a dime?"
Reporter:" Umm no I'm only twenty-three. So why do you hate God?"
Mikey: "It's all the rage now. hey look at my new gig!! Hollywood is doing a movie on me and the ACLU just loves me. You know we fought a hard court case to get that airplane seat a bit wider for us slightly overweight plebes.
Reporter: "I think this is enough. Anything you want to say for the finale."
Mikey: Yes, God of the Bible is overrated. See I'm Jewish or was until I was CHOSEN by the Nigerian Imammy blessed be his obesity. AND the Nigerian Muslim has actually sent me a ticket to my first Hajj next year praise be to the one true prophet. I hear the Saudi's are all coming out to hear me speak on tolerance a Chppie Choppie square. I think that's sort of a place that serves falafels and Chinese food. Wanna see my bomb belt? It's free upon gradjitashun."
Reporter:*faints.*
Mikey thinking aloud: He*l yeah, Now my chance to show my CPR skills, this guy is kinda cute...
--------------------------------------
Thus endeth his fifteen minutes of fame
Hard to believe. When I entered the Navy through AOCS, the Navy bent over backwards to ensure tolerance. As I was the only Jew in the regiment, every Friday evening a bus pulled-up to the barracks to take me to services in town and then back. A bus seemed excessive for just one passenger, but that was probably all they had.
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