US Air Force Academy Wiccan Center desecrated

[AuzmansMOM]

The US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs CO, has had a long record of complaints about Christian bias for permitting proselytization by evangelical Christian officers under color of authority. A 2004 Academy survey found that many cadets felt that evangelical Christians were imposing their views and harassing non-Christians at the school. According to Mike "Mikey" Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, many of the complaints were coming from Christian cadets whom evangelicals regarded as not being Christian enough.

Things have been changing recently and the number of complaints being handled by groups like the MRFF has fallen dramatically. One of the examples of the way the Academy has been promoting tolerance is the establishment of a worship area for some of the service's Wiccans to celebrate their polytheistic religion. The site, brainchild of Academy Tech. Sgt. Brandon Longcrier, a simple circle of stones on a grassy open space, was set to be dedicated in March. It's erection had the support of Academy chaplains.

But not everyone at the Academy feels so tolerant of others. Sometime during the night on the weekend of Jan. 17, someone or some group set up a large cross constructed of railroad ties against the circle of stones. So far, no one has stepped forward to take credit for the deed.

Mikey Weinstein, himself an Air Force Academy graduate, said, "We've been making great progress at the Air Force Academy. This is clearly a setback."

Academy superintendent Lt. Gen. Michael Gould issued a statement on this little act of bigotry that stated, "We absolutely will not stand for this type of destructive behavior. I consider this no different than someone writing graffiti on the Cadet Chapel."

The USAF Office of Special Investigations is looking into the incident.


Source: examiner.com

[AuzmansMOM]

General Gould's Statement to the Cadet's . Sorry in advance for the shouting(all Caps), but this is how it was sent. I think he my have been steamed:

At the Air Force Academy, It's All About Respect
By Lieutenant General Michael C. Gould


IN THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS, YOU'VE READ OR HEARD OR SEEN THAT THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY HAS ESTABLISHED AN AREA FOR EARTH CENTERED WORSHIP. SOME OF WHAT YOU READ OR HEAR IS SENSATIONALIZED. I WANT TO SEPARATE FACT FROM FICTION.

WE MADE THE DECISION TO ADD A WORSHIP AREA FOR FOLLOWERS OF EARTH-CENTERED RELIGIONS BASED ON RELIGIOUS RIGHTS OUTLINED IN THE U.S. CONSTITUTION. THE STONE CIRCLE IS LOCATED ATOP A HILL OVERLOOKING THE VISITOR CENTER AND IS THE LATEST ADDITION TO A COLLECTION OF WORSHIP AREAS THAT ALREADY INCLUDE PROTESTANT, CATHOLIC, JEWISH, MUSLIM AND BUDDHIST SACRED SPACES.


THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE REMAINS NEUTRAL REGARDING RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND WILL NOT OFFICIALLY ENDORSE NOR DISAPPROVE ANY FAITH BELIEF OR ABSENCE OF BELIEF. THE EARTH-CENTERED SPIRITUALITY GROUP THAT MEETS AT THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY FALLS WITHIN THE DEFINTION OF RELIGION AS DEFINED IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE INSTRUCTION 36-2706 WHICH STATES:



"A PERSONAL SET OR INSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM OF ATTITUDES, MORAL OR ETHICAL BELIEFS AND PRACTICES HELD WITH THE STRENGTH OF TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS VIEWS, CHARACTERIZED BY ARDOR AND FAITH AND GENERALLY EVIDENCED THROUGH SPECIFIC RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES."



EARTH CENTERED WORSHIP FALLS IN THIS DEFINITION. ADDING THE EARTH-CENTERED WORSHIP CIRCLE WAS DONE SO IN RESPONSE TO THE REQUEST OF BOTH CADETS AND ACTIVE DUTY PERSONNEL WHO ASKED THAT THEIR RELIGION BE ACCOMODATED BY THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY CHAPLAINCY. THEREFORE, IT IS OUR OBLIGATION, MY OBLIGATION, TO ACCOMMODATE THE GROUP'S RELIGIOUS REQUIREMENTS IN A MANNER THAT IS FAIR AND CONSISTENT WITH OTHER RELIGIOUS GROUPS WHO ARE ACCOMODATED AT THE ACADEMY.



YOU MAY HAVE ALSO HEARD THAT A CROSS WAS FOUND AT THE SITE. THE CROSS WAS MADE OF RAILROAD TIES BEING LEFT AT THE EARTH WORSHIP SITE. THIS TOPIC HAS ALSO BEEN EXTENSIVELY COVERED AND NOT ALWAYS ACCURATELY. THOUGH WE DON'T KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES BEHIND THIS INCIDENT, WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS A MALICIOUS ACT OR NOT, OR EVEN IF ACADEMY PERSONNEL WERE INVOLVED, WE DIRECTED AN INQUIRY THAT IS ONGOING. IF WE FIND THAT THIS IS AN INTENTIONAL INCIDENT AND IDENTIFY THOSE RESPONSIBLE, WE'LL TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ACTION. BUT WE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AND ON THE 2TH OF JANUARY I PERSONALLY TALKED TO MY SENIOR STAFF TO REITERATE THE ACADEMY'S STANCE ON RESPECT AND DIGNITY. SINCE THEN, OUR DEAN OF FACULTY HAS ADDRESSED THIS WITH HER FACULTY AND STAFF, OUR COMMANDANT OF CADETS HAS TALKED TO THE ENTIRE CADET WING, OUR ATHLETIC DIRECTOR HAS TALKED WITH OUR COACHES AND PHYSICAL FITNESS AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFFS, OUR PREP SCHOOL COMMANDER HAS TALKED WITH HIS STAFF AND THE 220 CADET CANDIDATES !
AND THE COMMANDER OF OUR AIR BASE WING HAS DONE THE SAME WITH HIS STAFF.



OUR MESSAGE IS SIMPLE: WE ARE TAKING THIS INCIDENT VERY SERIOUSLY AND CONDUCTING AN IQUIRY. WE ABSOLUTELY DO NOT STAND FOR ANY TYPE OF DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR OR DISRESPECT FOR HUMAN DIGNITY.



THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY IS NOT THE FIRST AIR FORCE INSTITUTION TO ACCOMMODATE EARTH CENTERED RELIGIONS AND WE WON'T BE THE LAST. HOWEVER, AT THE AIR FORCE ACADMEY THE ISSUE OF RELIGION IS FAR GREATER THAN ACCOMODATION, IT'S ABOUT RELIGIOUS RESPECT.



THE MISSION OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY IS TO EDUCATE, TRAIN AND INSPIRE MEN AND WOMEN TO BECOME OFFICERS OF CHARACTER TO LEAD THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE IN SERVICE TO OUR NATION. WE ARE DEDICATED TO CREATING A LEARNING AND TRAINING ENVIRONMENT WHERE CADETS CAN REALIZE THEIR HIGHEST POTENTIAL REGARDLESS OF THEIR RELIGIOUS OR OTHER BELIEFS.

CADETS LEARN THAT TO SUCCEED AS AN AIR FORCE OFFICER WE MUST BE ABLE TO SUPPORT AND RESPECT THE PEOPLE WHO WE LEAD, SERVE WITH AND FIGHT ALONG SIDE EVEN IF THEY DO NOT SHARE OUR PERSONAL BELIEFS.


CADETS LEARN THAT EVERY SERVICEMEMBER IS CHARGED WITH DEFENDING FREEDOM FOR ALL AMERICANS AND THAT INCLUDES THE FREEDOM TO PRACTICE A RELIGION OF THEIR CHOICE OR TO NOT PRACTICE ANY RELIGION AT ALL.
CADETS LEARN THAT IT IS A GREAT HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO WEAR THE UNIFORM OF OUR ARMED SERVICES AND SERVE TO PROTECT FREEDOM, TO INCLUDE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.
ON GRADUATION DAY, THE SAME DAY AS THEY ARE AWARED A COMMISSION AS SECOND LIEUTENANTS IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, THEY WILL TAKE AN OATH TO SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.

AT THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY WE FOCUS AND WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON RESPECT FOR HUMAN DIGNITY TO ENSURE ALL PERSONNEL RESPECT THE SPIRT AND INTENT OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE U.S. CONSTITUION. THIS OUR COMMON DUTY AS MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE.

[cavs mom]

What is Wiccan?

[AuzmansMOM]

This article is about the duotheistic religion. For other uses, see Wicca (disambiguation).


This pentacle, worn as a pendant, depicts a pentagram, or five-pointed star, used as a symbol of Wicca by many adherents.
Wicca (pronounced [ˈwɪkə]) is a Neopagan religion and a form of modern witchcraft. It is often referred to as Witchcraft or the Craft[1] by its adherents, who are known as Wiccans or Witches. Its disputed origins lie in England in the early 20th century,[2] though it was first popularised during the 1950s by Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft", and its adherents "the Wica".[3] From the 1960s the name of the religion was normalised to "Wicca".[4]
Wicca is typically a duotheistic religion, worshipping a Goddess and a God, who are traditionally viewed as the Triple Goddess and Horned God. These two deities are often viewed as being facets of a greater pantheistic Godhead, and as manifesting themselves as various polytheistic deities. Other characteristics of Wicca include the ritual use of magic, a basic code of morality, and the celebration of eight seasonally based festivals.

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[cavs mom]

Thanks for the good information.