An Airforce Chaplain at the U.S. Airforce academy has stepped forward to blow the lid off of the Christiant bigotry being pushed by the leadership at the academy. From the New York Times:

“A chaplain at the Air Force Academy described a “systemic and pervasive” problem of religious proselytizing at the academy and said a religious tolerance program she helped create to deal with the problem was watered down after it was shown to officers, including the major general who is the Air Force’s chief chaplain.

The academy chaplain, Capt. MeLinda Morton, 48, spoke publicly for the first time as an Air Force task force arrived at the academy in Colorado Springs on Tuesday to investigate accusations that officers, staff members and senior cadets inappropriately used their positions to push their evangelical Christian beliefs on Air Force cadets.

[…]

Interviews with staff members and cadets must be approved by the public affairs office at the academy, and nearly all students and faculty members contacted independently this week said they were afraid to speak because it could harm their careers. The public affairs office denied requests for interviews with the academy’s chief chaplain, Col. Michael Whittington, because he was being interviewed this week by Air Force investigators.

One staff member who spoke on condition of anonymity said on Wednesday: “There’s certainly an impression that evangelicals here have that the leadership is kind of on their side. And there’s a feeling among people who are atheists or people who are other varieties of Christian that the leadership does not really accept them.”

Captain Morton said she had decided to step forward without authorization from the public affairs office because: “We’re talking the Constitution here. It’s the Constitution, not just a nice rule we can follow or not follow. We all raised our hands and said we’d follow it, and that includes the First Amendment, that includes not using your power to advance your religious agenda.”

She added, “I realize this is the end of my Air Force career.”

We all owe Captain Morton a debt of gratitude for sacrificing her airforce career to stand up for the constitution.

And how tragic and ironic is it that defending the constitution should EVER be the cause of someone ending their career in the U.S. military?

For more on the culture of intolerance at the academy, read her report on a visit to the academy by a Yale Divinity School assessment team, which noted:

“Challenges to pluralism. [Yale Practicum Team] observed consistent specific articulations of Evangelical Christian themes during general protestant services. (BCT and GE) Protestant Cadets were encouraged to chant the phrase, “This is our Chapel and the Lord is our God.” Protestant Basic Cadets were encouraged to pray for the salvation of fellow BCT members who chose not to attend worship. During general protestant worship in Jack’s Valley, attending Basic Cadets were encouraged to return to tents, proselytize fellow BCT members, and remind them of the consequences of apostasy. (Protestant Basic Cadets were reminded that those not “born again will burn in the fires of hell.”) Protestant Basic Cadets were regularly encouraged to “witness” to fellow Basic Cadets. Protestant Basic Cadets were commonly told that Jesus had “called” them to the Academy and military life. Protestant Basic Cadets were informed that God’s plan for their life included attending USAFA.”

It’s time to revive one of my old ideas. Move all military bases and academies out of Red states and into solid Blue states to help dampen the influence of rightwing wackos on our military culture.

What we have brewing at the Airforce Academy is a recipe for an eventual Coup d’Etat by Christain zealots in our military who don’t like the policies or the person who may be President at some point in the future. They are a threat clear and present danger to our Republic.