From the Family Research Council -
In
the new report by FRC and Liberty Institute, we counted 644 incidents
of religious hostility in the last decade. And thanks to a memo from
outgoing Air Force General Norton Schwartz, we just found #645. Days
before retiring, Gen. Schwartz took a parting shot at religious
expression by warning commanders that they proselytize at their own
peril. In the second section of his 27-page memo, Gen. Schwartz orders
officers and supervisors to "avoid the actual or apparent use of their
position to promote their personal religious beliefs to their
subordinates or to extend preferential treatment for any religion."
Failure to adhere, writes Gen. Schwartz, "can form the basis for adverse action [e.g. court martial] under the Uniform Code of Military Justice."
The Air Force had already accumulated quite a record of Christian intolerance. First, it suspended a 20-year-old class on "Just War Theory" because it included scriptural references. Next came the stripping of "God" from the Rapid Capabilities motto and the purging of Bibles from Air Force Inn checklists. At Christmas, the Academy ordered cadets to stop promoting a Christian charity for needy kids. Leaders even removed an article from a Squadron Office School curriculum for referencing chapel. Now, it seems the goal of religious "neutrality" has become an excuse for faith-based hostility.
As FRC's new Executive Vice President, Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin (U.S. Army-Ret.), pointed out this morning, it's very unusual to see the severity of a punishment spelled out in memos. Clearly, this was designed to have a chilling effect. And since Gen. Schwartz refused to even define "proselytizing," leaders will have the freedom to interpret the term however they see fit. What's more, it doesn't clarify whether this rule applies equally to all faith groups or specifically targets Christians. Either way, it will almost certainly lead to a wave of self-censorship from commanders who are fearful of crossing the Air Force's blurry lines.
In the meantime, atheist groups are already seizing on Schwartz's memo as validation for their cause. But, as I told Fox News, a secular nation was never what the Founders intended. And our military--which ironically was designed to protect religious liberty--deserves better. For a national snapshot of faith-based intolerance, check out the joint report at ReligiousHostilty.org.