Air Force Academy: chapel for Wiccans, Druids.etc

You are right Jim.

 

Fair enough - if we wan't to go that route.

If that is the case than an druid soldier deserves the same privilege as a Christian soldier.

My major point here is that either every one or no one has the right to tax payer funded worship facilities.

 

I completely agree with you. If persons in the military would like to go to church, let them go to an already established church or start their own. There's absolutely no reason for my hard earned money to pay for their religion.

 

The reason a paid military chaplaincy program and state-funded buildings of religious worship for the military is supported by most church and state separationists (I am one) is because military personnel are often stationed in places where there are no churches available and/or it would be dangerous to have soldiers attend a meeting in a place that is outside the supervision/control of the military. Furthermore, military bases are highly organized/structured places where you are "on call" even when you are off duty. Unless you have a pass, you are not allow to come and go as you please.

I know a few people who have gone through the Air Force Academy and it is my understanding that it is just like a military base. Students/cadets are not allowed to leave the Academy without authorization. Not providing an opportunity for organized corporate religious worship without a pass could be considered a restriction upon the religious freedom of the students/cadets.

Therefore, I don't have a problem with it, but it does raise some thorny issues.

 

In Canada, we have no religious rights, First Amendment, or whatever that is in the USA.
We have Protestant and Roman Catholic chaplaincies. In war, a chapel serves any religious group. The padre will comfort any soul on the field. It is much the same on home bases.

The taxes spent are minimal compared to the religious and moral values. The offerings and tithes go back to the miltary to further finance other religious activities.

At home, and I think this applies to religious institutions in the USA, no property taxes are charged and there are tax deductions in other areas.

Should all these benefits be stopped as well? Let common sense prevail.

Cheers,

Jim

 

If God doesn't want druids worshipping at the USAF Academy, He can handle it.

Let the gods fight it out and may the best god win. Why do we think God needs out help or our money?

I propose that after a 30 day warning Jerusalem be turned into radioactive glass. If no human can rebuild on the site and if it is important to God then God can rebuild whatever sort of structure he pleases and we will know which religion has the correct slant on things.

 

The centre of this story is simply the construction of an outdoor chapel. My guess is that if Christians wanted it for an Easter sunrise service and it was not booked they would be free to use it.

I can accept providing religious facilities for all, as long as no one is left out.

I prefer the state to keep her nose out our the affairs of the church.

 

I think y'all are missing Roger's point. Once we say only Christian, then we have to determine which denomination or type; then we have to determine particular practices; and so on.

There's currently a small movement to introduce "chaplains" for atheists. Some atheist decided that the military chapels are predominantly leaning towards the religious folks, and he thinks there ought to be equal time for the non-religious. Seems pretty stupid to me; but once we set in motion one rule against a particular religion (or in this case, non-religion), then the question becomes where do we stop? And before you know it, we're just like a Muslim country (extreme step of logic, but the possibility, however faint we think it, is there).

 

So you do not believe in equal protection under the law?

 

And the Air Force Academy has it sorted. Anyone who wants to worship indoors has the indoor chapel and those who want to worship outside have the new chapel.

I would prefer neither, but I am happy enough with this solution.

 

And, as usual, two things become apparent:

1. Billwald posts yet another post that has little to do with the thread;
2. We're not really sure who billwald is rooting for in his silly little "battle of the gods." He's probably flipping a coin and going with "heads." For all we know, he's pulling for Shiva.

 

The post is about Druids using USAF property being somehow harmful to the people on BB and/or to God.

I would be disappointed if a fertility cult had the inside track into the next life.

 

Yes I understand the All-Or-Nothing argument. The outdoor chapel was built specifically to accomodate neo-pagans because, golly, the Christians have a chapel!

That is the sort of thinking that gave us Handicapped parking not only at hospitals and clinics, but at every single parking lot in the country. And the type of reasoning that mandated removal of all the Men At Work signs on the highway, even though 99% of the workers are...men. And there are other examples we all know about.

This is where the common sense should come in but seldom does any more.

 

This is vital - if the druids and others need the indoor chapel or the Christians need the outdoor chapel, say for an Easter sunrise service, there will need to be some compromising and accommodating.

 

Ok, compromise it is then

 

Yes sergent.