Chaplain Wants Christ Out of Air Force Academy

NewsMax ^ | 5/12/05 | Carl Limbacher

[wagglebee]

Here’s a story that will throw you for a loop: a "chaplain” at the U.S. Air Force Academy is complaining that the school’s administration has a "systemic and pervasive” problem of promoting religious religious values with a Christian bent.

The chaplain, Capt. Melinda Morton, a "Lutheran minister” spoke out publicly on Tuesday as an Air Force task force arrived at the academy to investigate charges that officers and staff members pushed their religious beliefs on cadets.

And she claimed that a tolerance program developed at the academy, called Respecting the Spiritual Values of all People (R.S.V.P.), was watered down after it was shown to officers.

Maj. Gen. Charles C. Baldwin, chief of chaplains for the Air Force, screened the 90-minute R.S.V.P. film in October, according to Capt. Morton, and asked her: "Why is it that the Christians never win?” in reaction to some of the program’s depictions of cadet interactions.

"Chaplain” Morton’s complaints about too much religion at the military academy is creating waves, and earned her hero status in a report in the New York Times Thursday.

Gen. Baldwin acknowledged in an interview that he felt too many scenes in the film portrayed Christians at fault for excessive evangelical proselytizing.

He also said he asked that the Air Force cut segments on non-Christian religions such as Buddhism, Judaism and Native American spirituality.

The problem in dealing with proselytizing and church-state issues at the academy, he explained, "always is, when is a person crossing the line, or when are they being a positive person of faith, like our president.”

Last year, the Colorado Springs academy invited Yale Divinity School professor Kristen Leslie and six Yale graduate students to visit the school and observe how the chaplains minister to the cadets.

A memo from the Yale team cited the "stridently evangelical themes” at a worship service attended by 600 new cadets.

Leslie said a chaplain urged cadets to pray for those who didn’t attend and "remind them of the consequences ... those not ‘born again will burn in the fires of hell.’”

But academy spokesman Johnny Whitaker disputed that account, saying several other chaplains told him that no one mentioned burning "in the fires of hell.”

Morton, a 48-year-old "Lutheran minister," said she was removed from her post as executive officer to the chief chaplain, Col. Michael Whittington, last week. She claimed the dismissal came after he pressured her to deny details of what happened at the religious service.

But Whitaker said Whittington sent Morton an e-mail on May 4 saying he was removing her "to ensure a smooth and complete transition” for new leaders.

Morgan said she had stepped forward because "it’s the Constitution, not just a nice rule we can follow or not follow. That includes not using your power to advance your religious agenda.”

She acknowledged that after speaking out, "I don’t think I have much future in the Air Force.”

[dmj]

A Lutheran - I doubt! Whoops, I guess as things are in the ELCA these days the Captain right well might carry such a label. However, as a retired Air Force officer and a Lutheran she does match what found to true of the so-called "Lutheran Chaplains". Sadly, I think that our military through the 'endorsement' process that is controlled by denominational affiliations becomes a 'dumping ground' for folks with an agenda other then ministry.
I wonder what, if anything, will the endorsing agency do about this? Perhaps those charged with decisions on endorsement are of the same tilt. I pray not.
A Captain at 48 tells the total story!

[Fred Hayek]

The ELCA Social Statement on Abortion states no position (there are differences in opinion, yada yada), yet seems to wink at the notion that abortion is an acceptable choice. Ichabod! The glory has departed!

[pa mom]

bump

[Oaklander]

That's "dyke". Dikes hold back water. Besides, anyone that can appreciate a woman's charms can't be all bad.

Seeing as she's wearing a flight suit, she's probably rated as well. Long hair in the military is stupid, pure and simple. At the units I served in we'd rather have ugly women who were competent than pretty ones who were useless.

[Oaklander]

No. Jesus came to bring peace to this world, or did you forget John 3:16?

The only time Christ EVER got angry was when he saw the corruption of His Father's Temple. It was the commerce going on that incurred his wrath.

Or so I've read.

[Oaklander]

Yep, after all, women have no idea about love, forgiveness, compassion, or any other christ-like qualities. Women also rarely commit pedophilia.

[Nov3]

Hell the Catholics are persecuted at the Air Force academy! But as I have been told on this site I am not Christian, I am Catholic.

[Maimonides]

Interesting how newsmax really distorts what people say. She didn't suggest keeping Jesus out of the academy. But rather that evangelicals (who represent only 1/3 of of the 90% Christian student population) were getting preferential treatment. That their religious beliefs were being previledged by the academy and that other groups such as catholics (1/3 of all Christians in the academy) and non evangelical protestants (the other 1/3 of Christian students) were not being respected by the 1/3 evangelical bunch.

Her charges are probably exaggerated and are perhaps partly due to the fact that she belongs to a more liberal denomination (Missouri synod excluded of course). Regardless it is very likely that there is some truth in what she is saying. However let us properly represent what people say otherwise we are disagreeing not with her but rather with newsmax since what she actually said was severely misrepresented. Let's keep it fair.

[Maimonides]

"Women shouldn't be pastors in the first place." wk4bush2004

So they can be astronauts, prime ministers, neurosurgeons, fighter pilots, cops, they can be killed for their faith, but oh no...ministers that never.....give me a break.....

[Maimonides]

"Lutheran's believe in The Ten Suggestions!"Texas Cajun

Actually the Lutherans Missouri Synod (numbering a few million in the united states) plus Lutherans in Latin America, Africa (also numbering in the millions) are very conservative. The above minister belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (more liberal organization which is probably going to announce gay ordination within the next 6 months). Although it has the name evangelical in its name it is very liberal, and not evangelical (in the most common and current sense of the word).