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Focus on the Family: Urge Bush to "restore the right to religious expression in the Air Force"
Yesterday's dispatch from Family News in Focus, Focus on the Family's political news service, was cautiously skeptical of new Air Force guidelines on the exercise of religion. The regulations "could silence Christians," said the headline, but those quoted in the story were somewhat optimistic.

"As I read between the lines here, I see the authors of the document trying in a good faith way to basically state what's been established practice all along," military analyst John Howland told Focus.

An update from Family News in Focus, however, takes off the gloves. While there's no direct quote from a Focus official, all those quoted are critical, and suggest the Air Force went too far.

Most critical is Liberty Counsel president Mat Staver, who calls the guidelines "outrageous."

"To say that you can only have prayer in extraordinary circumstances, I think is hypocritical and certainly not consistent with our founding fathers and George Washington — our first general and first president," Staver said. "We are a 'nation under God,' as our Pledge says, and once we forget that, we've forgotten our heritage. And once we do that, we're no longer America."

The latest Focus piece ends with a call to readers: "Please contact President Bush and urge him to restore the right to religious expression in the Air Force."

Also critical of the guidelines is U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., who tells the Jewish newspaper Forward, "My concern is that it just seems like one assault after another on what I think are the Judeo-Christian values of America. I felt that the Air Force defended itself very well. But if they have made significant changes, then I think they are yielding to outside political pressure."

The Rocky Mountain News reports that U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., wrote a letter of caution to Air Force Legislative Liaison Director Maj. Gen. Scott Custer, warning the Air Force not to "turn commanders into sensitivity police."

"The notion of maintaining an environment of religious tolerance within the armed forces is an important goal," Tancredo wrote. "That being said, it is fundamentally important to ensure that the government does not seek to achieve that mission by creating an environment that is hostile to religious expression."

Neither Jones nor Tancredo seem to have responded to the content of the three-page document. (Note Jones's comment "if they have made significant changes"). One hopes that anyone heeding Focus's call to call Washington will take a minute or two to read them before doing so.

More on the military:

• Keep religion out of military | They say there are no atheists in foxholes, and that might or might not be true. But if there are, it's their business, not their commanding officer's (Lou Sessinger, The Intelligencer, Doylestown, Pa.)
• Respecting religious diversity | We need a bipartisan presidential commission to fully explore how an appropriate balance can be reached in the military between the personal expression of faith and the constitutional separation of religion and state (Editorial, Forward)
• Naval Academy retains prayer | The U.S. Naval Academy has no plans to banish the noon mealtime prayer for midshipmen, after the Air Force issued a policy this week that discourages prayers at some events but keeps the tradition at others (The Washington Times)

Politics:

• O.C. apologizes for ill-timed election | Special primary in the 48th Congressional District is Oct. 4, when the Jewish New Year is celebrated. Early voting will begin Sept. 25 (Los Angeles Times)

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September (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49