WILMORE, Ky., March 28th, 2003, 1 p.m.) -- American flags were removed from cafeteria tables at a theological seminary because officials said "God's people do not wave flags as a sign of conquest."Gulf War veteran Jason Ballmes, the food services director at Asbury Theological Seminary, put the flags in the cafeteria "to show our honor and support of our troops serving in harm's way," he said on the seminary's "Table Talk" chat room last week.
"A handful of people, from this country and others, felt that this was an offensive gesture and ... that being a Christian and a patriot do not go together," Ballmes wrote.
He explained that "political correctness has entered the scene, and he was asked to remove the flags."
Seminary officials ordered the flags removed because they are "not the most fitting way of representing this conflict."
"God's people do not wave flags as the sign of conquest. We bear crosses as the sign of reconciliation," an official statement said Friday.
The statement of the seminary administration also said that people on campus "hold many different interests and positions as relates to the present war."
Steve Moore, senior vice president, said that a candle, yellow ribbon and a piece of barbed wire would be a better representation of how people at the seminary feel about the war.
"We encourage people to light a candle and pray for our troops, for peace, quick resolution to the war and to the injustice," he said.
Ballmes refused to elaborate on the incident, saying the seminary's official statement was "good enough."
"The seminary has a perfectly valid statement," he said.
Some students supported Ballmes actions.
"To have a flag of being an issue of division is a painful thing," said Sean Levine, a student and U.S. Army reservist. "We believe in a military community very strongly in what the flag stands for. They are making it to seem that this value is in conflict with the value of being a Christian."
Levine said that as an army reservist who is in training to be a chaplain, he feels "isolated and alienated on campus."
"There is also that feeling that as part of a military community, you are not appreciated here," he said.
Paula Winchester, another student, said there should be more support for American troops on campus.
"We should support them whether we agree (on starting the war) or not," she said. "If I was there, I would want to know that my country is behind me."
Jamey Lee said that removing the flags was justified by the fact that some students on campus are pacifists and some are not.
"There was a division on campus on how students feel about the war, and the flags on the tables bring to mind the disagreement we have and cause arguments to arise," he said. "It was the right decision to replace them with candles, because we all can pray for the troops whether or not we agree with the war."
Ray Nothstine said he was disappointed with the administration removing the flags because he felt it was violation of the First Amendment right of free speech. Nothstine and his friend, Adam Justice, bring their own flags and display them on the table every time they come to the cafeteria.
"We're showing our nonviolent protest just like Martin Luther King did," Justice said. "Bringing my flag to lunch every day is the least I can do to support the president and our troops."
If they can't support the war, then at least shut the hell up!