Religious Accommodation (or lack thereof) in the Air Force
CNN recently reported that an Air Force investigation released by the Pentagon identified a failure to accommodate the diverse religious needs of some of the cadets in the military. According to the report:
"The [Air Force] team found a religious climate that does not involve overt religious discrimination, but a failure to fully accommodate all members' needs and a lack of awareness where the line is drawn between permissible and impermissible expression of beliefs..."
Some of the examples cited included a perception of intolerance among some cadets and staff; complaints that evangelical Christians wield so much influence at the school that anti-Semitism and other forms of religious harassment have become pervasive; allegations that students, faculty, staff and members of the chaplains' office frequently pressured cadets to attend chapel and receive religious instruction; others said prayers were frequently conducted before official events.
This is particularly disturbing after the scandal concerning complaints of sexual harassment which allegedly were ignored several years ago. Obviously, there are issues concerning respect in the workplace, tolerance and diversity that need to be addressed there. According the the article, the Air Force was credited in the report for moving to address these issues. Let's hope their intervention is sufficient.
