An Air Force Academy survey found that 41 percent of cadets who who identified themselves as non-Christian said they were subjected to unwanted proselytizing at least once or twice last year.Overall, 19 percent of all cadets said they were subjected to unwanted proselytizing.
That number should be zero, but things are looking up.
[Lt. Gen. Michael] Gould, who was not at the academy at the time of the 2004 survey, has made it a priority to improve religious tolerance, launching new programs and frequently reminding cadets, faculty and staff of the need to respect others' beliefs, or lack of beliefs.In August, when he described the latest survey in general terms, Gould said the results showed fewer cadets felt pressured to participate in religious groups than in previous surveys.
The documents obtained by the AP appear to support that contention. They show that the percentage of Christians and non-Christians, including atheists, who felt pressure to get involved in religious activities declined, compared with a survey in 2007.
Huh. That's funny. The evangelical Christian Commander in Chief leaves office and religious pressure within the military eases. Imagine that.
This is a complete non-issue unless the proselytizing was done by superiors. The article doesn't make that clear. If I'm a cadet and my Christian roommate is constantly trying to covert me even though I've made it clear I'm uninterested, that certainly qualifies as unwanted proselytizing. But it isn't a first amendment issue. If an officer orders (or pressures) me to attend Bible studies, that's a whole different matter. But just identifying the problem as "unwanted proselytizing" is way too vague.
ReplyDeleteIf this kind of harassment gets more publicity, it will discourage military recruiting.
ReplyDeleteUNRR: It is worse when it is done by superiors, but proselytizing is always harassment. If I had a college roommate who treated me that way, I wouldn't speak to him or have anything to do with him until he stopped. Proselytizing is one of the most open expressions of contempt for another human being.