Posted on 11/26/2011 10:19:25 PM PST by Steelfish
Air Force Academy Adapts To Pagans, Druids, Witches and Wiccans Officials say an $80,000 Stonehenge-like worship center underscores a commitment to embrace all religions.
(Pic in URL) Cadets gather for the dedication ceremony of the Air Force Academy's Cadet Chapel Falcon Circle worship center this spring. The center serves cadets whose religions fall under the broad category of “Earth-based.” (Jerilee Bennett, (Colorado Springs) Gazette / May 3, 2011)
By Jenny Deam November 26, 2011 Reporting from Colorado Springs, Colo.— In the still of a cold November evening, a small gathering of pagans, led by two witches, begins preparations for the coming winter solstice. But these are not just any pagans, and this is not just any setting. They are future officers of the United States Air Force practicing their faith in the basement of the Air Force Academy's cadet chapel.
Their ranks are slim. According to the academy's enrollment records, only three of 4,300 cadets identified themselves as pagans, followers of an ancient religion that generally does not worship a single god and considers all things in nature interconnected.
Still, the academy this year dedicated an $80,000 outdoor worship center — a small Stonehenge-like circle of boulders with propane fire pit — high on a hill for the handful of current or future cadets whose religions fall under the broad category of "Earth-based." Those include pagans, Wiccans, druids, witches and followers of Native American faiths.
Witches in the Air Force? Chaplain Maj. Darren Duncan, branch chief of cadet faith communities at the academy, sighs. A punch line waiting to happen, and he's heard all the broom jokes.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
I am sure the Illuminati is very happy.
Pogo: “We have met the enemy, and it is us”
Destroy the military, and we destroy the US!
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I like daglored's solution. One note: "Earth based religions" means "not a religion". In order to be a "religion", God has to be in the picture somewhere (squarely in the middle, actually). "Earth based religions" means people who in ignorance worship matter instead of the Creator, the temporary instead of the Eternal, the energy instaed of the Source of the energy. Many of them are entirely modern and made of out of whole cloth with doo-dads picked here and their from their favorite "Myths" books. Wicca in particular.
Excellent point. Worship of matter is non-different from any materialist or hedonist, “earth religion” followers just pin words like “sacred” and “holy” on the objects they lust after.
And since the reject the Eternal Creator and Source of all existence, in that sense they are also thieves. Since everything belongs to God, and they ignore Him but worship His “stuff” as though it belongs to them, they are spiritual criminals.
One problem with coddling “earth based religions” is that (a) more of them will join the military, (b) they will make more and more demands, and (c) most of them are hardcore leftists. Not all, but most I’ve ever met.
I just checked that thread. Both threads have very good comments.
Yes. See post #42
I’m Pagan, and while I appreciate the thought, I think an $80,000 “worship space” is a little excessive. A ritual circle costs exactly $0. I’m sure the USAF has much better uses for that money.
I would hope that anyone, regardless of background or religion, who joins the military, is motivated primarily by a desire to defend America from her enemies. I'll accept "I just wanna blow stuff up!" as a substitute at first, but hopefully a more enlightened motivation will take over in time.
I don't think either of those motivations are to be found in large quantities among those who would seriously threaten or weaken our military. I think the selection process would weed out those who aren't going to do well, or who would make too many demands. Tree-hugging pacifists aren't going to last long in any training camp.
In my opinion, having a place of worship for one's religion on base is a reasonable request, although $80K is excessive for a Pagan place given what little I know of Pagan practices. The alternative to having a bunch of separate places is to have one "generic" place, but I don't see how such a place would please anybody, as the inevitable heated arguments over which symbols are allowed, and where, would drown out any sounds of worship...
Atheists should be the least expensive (free, since they don't attend at all), with Pagans being next least expensive. I mean, how much can a couple of daggers and feathers, a piece of chalk, and a couple buckets of blue paint cost?
BTW, my comments here and above about the blue paint are based on a Pagan friend's humorous description of what they do on Saturday nights: "Oh, we just go out in the woods, get naked, paint ourselves blue, and dance in a circle under the moonlight." Overall sounds pretty harmless, although it's not exactly in line with Air Force decorum.
Well, I am a Jew (a real one, not a “messianic jew”) and when I was an Army cadet we went to chapel (Christian) every day. Far from demanding my own “worship center” I never would have thought of not praying with my Christian buddies. Jesus had it right: “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am.”
Soon there will be mosques at Annapolis.
golux
I certainly am not saying that people professing (aka as "pretending") to be druids, or wiccans, or whatever should be in any way prevented or barred in any way as long as their rituals don't involve anything illegal or immoral (orgies, for instance). But to spend money to make a special place for each and every kind of rituals is beyond ridiculous. Then every eensy little sect, cult, practice etc will make more and more demands. People make smack up every day of the week! Then they'll want chicken sacrificial altars, pig intestine tossing shrines for telling the future, mud pits for voodoo shakes and fits and it will never stop.
Besides, these so-called earth religions are made up all within the last few decades and have no belief in God, as I mentioned above, they are sort of invented little philosophies and rituals with a bit if historical color. If anyone wants to believe them or practice whatever they want, fine. But subsidized? No way.
But "religion" means the actual real ones. That have been around for centuries, believe in God, and don't mind using a generic chapel if need be. If they don't like the generic chapel, they can go out in the woods.
dayglored: “Overall sounds pretty harmless, although it’s not exactly in line with Air Force decorum.”
So long as they’re using USAF strata blue paint...
I've read forum comments on FR and elsewhere, arguing about whether a generic chapel should include particular symbols (cross, crescent/star, star of David, pentangle, etc. etc.) or be devoid of them. No one seems to have found the proper compromise, that I'm aware of. If you know of one, I'd be curious to know what it is/was.
If all the various flavors of Christians can agree to cooperate (Lord knows there have been plenty of bloody battles over those differences) and pray together in a single chapel, then I don't think there should be a problem with an even more generic chapel that is suitable for non-Christians as well. But perhaps I am too optimistic.
Good point!
What an item to see first up on the Forum.
I wonder how an 'earth worshipper' would feel about blowing a smoking crater into his god.
Good question.
I imagine it depends on where the smoking crater has to go. Into the forest meadow where Bambi and Thumper are gathered amongst the dew-drop covered grass with morning sunshine sifting through the leaves, they'd probably have a hard time. Into a sand-covered concrete bunker where a couple of insane Islamofascists are huddled with RPG launchers over their shoulders, not so hard a time.
Besides, any earth worshiper with half a brain knows that the puny damage that Man can do with even the biggest bombs is nothing compared to what God/Nature does all the time with hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, etc.
“And since the reject the Eternal Creator and Source of all existence, in that sense they are also thieves. Since everything belongs to God, and they ignore Him but worship His “stuff” as though it belongs to them, they are spiritual criminals.”
Spirited: Your point is well-taken. And what is idolatry but the selfcenteredness that elevates ‘self’ over the supernatural Creator and of course over everyone else? And when pride inflates envy rears its ugly head. And what is envy but the hatred of the supernatural God and the good fortune and blessings of others.
Envy is the great perverter and destroyer of God’s created order, that is, everything good, true, beautiful, life-affirming, holy,and natural. Envy turns the world upside-down, elevating the lie over truth, evil over good, abnormal over normal, the twisted over straight, the unhealthy over the healthy, the insane over the sane,and the unholy over the holy.
Envy then is the thief who comes to kill, steal, and destroy.
Exactly! Envy of God’s supremacy is the seed of all other evils.
And now envy, greed, lust, anger, hatred - the whole list - are elevated as worthy, although in veiled language usually.
“Earth based religions” can only be called religions if any belief in anything can be called a religion.
There are some misconceptions in the article about this space at the AFA.
1. There is an indoor Chapel that is primarily for Christians, but can be used by any faith group at the AFA. Likewise, there is now an outdoor Chapel (Falcon Circle) which is primarily for Earth-Based spiritual groups, but can be used by any faith group at the AFA.
2. The $80,000 cost. The cost cited is a bit misleading. Most of the stones used had been removed from other areas of the AFA and put up there just to get them somewhere out of the way. This was long before Falcon Circle was approved to be constructed. So the previous costs of moving the stones were added into the cost total cited. Even if there was no Falcon Circle, the costs would have been approximately the same. Due to vandalism, an additional cost are the cameras in place around the area.
There have been additional comment on here about if Pagans, Heathen, or other polytheists can serve or should be allowed to serve in the US military.
First, if you believe in the US Constitution, and I do, then the question of if they should be allowed to serve shouldn’t even be asked. Lt Col Dan Brantingham, AFA Cadet Wing Chaplain says it perfectly, ““As an Air Force Chaplain my responsibility is to ensure the free exercise of religion for all cadets to include the minority faith group cadets. When I protect and advocate the freedom of religious conscience for all cadets, I fulfill my oath and because of the brilliance of the First Amendment, I safe-guard my own freedom of religion as well.”
As for if they will serve? Like other religious groups some Pagans will choose the honor of serving, some won’t. I served, my son serves. There are Pagan Veterans groups.
Pagans and Wiccans have died serving their country.
Pagan is an umbrella term and the different Pagans religions vary widely. Very widely. Very, very widely. I don’t worship trees, dance nude, paint myself blue. I pray at home. I celebrate the holidays with my family. I light a candle. I make offerings of wine. You’d be familiar with many of the practices of my religion because Paul, a Hellenized Jew, brought them into Christianity.
Pagans, Wiccans, and polytheists are just as diverse as any other group. We are all over the political spectrum, we live in work in your city, we are from all different racial and ethnic backgrounds, all different income levels. Chances are, you know and work with Pagans - but they keep their religion under wraps because of comments like the ones that have popped up on here.
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