Air Force sued over religious intolerance

[Brad M Pardee]

Steve,

It may be that I've been fortunate in the people I've had around me.  I 
was raised Presbyterian, and I don't remember hearing anything said there 
about Jews at all unless we were talking about Old Testament history and 
things like that.  As an evangelical, I've heard that there were 
individuals, some of whom were Roman and some of whom were Jewish, who 
brought about the death of Christ, and that only those specific 
individuals could be held accountable for those actions.  I've heard that 
the Holocaust was about Satan's unending hatred for the people with whom 
God had made a covenant going back to Abraham.  As I said, though, it may 
be that I've simply been fortunate in the people I've had around me.

As far as the second item goes, nobody should be harassed or marginalized. 
 The action being requested by the plaintiff, though, seems to go beyond 
righting those wrongs.  While the hierarachy of the military certainly 
present different challenges in this matter than those of us in civillian 
life face, there should be a way to avoid throwing the baby out with the 
bathwater.  We should be able to find a way, within the constraints of the 
military hierarchy, to permit conversations that are freely entered into 
by all parties without jeopardizing the rights of those who do not wish to 
discuss the subject from being made unwilling participants.

Brad

Steven Jamar wrote:

I'm surprised that you've never heard any evangelical state the Holocaust 
was revenge for killing Jesus or refer to Jews as Christ killers.  I have 
heard such from Catholics, traditional denominational Christians, and 
evangelical Christians.  At one time it was official Catholic church 
doctrine, if I recall my religious history correctly, and from there the 
idea continued on even long after the doctrine was abandoned.

The second item recognizes voluntary/involuntary conversation distinction 
you are making -- or am I misreading it? 

I have also found that what some evangelicals consider mere witnessing 
comes across to me and even more so to many others as inappropriate, or at 
least unwanted evangelizing or proselytizing.  In a rigid hierarchy like 
the military where superior rank is based on when your papers were signed 
giving you your rank, this can be a serious problem in a practical way.

I think the problem did not arise from one or two or even a dozen cadets 
meeting together, publicizing meetings, or one-on-one witnessing.  It 
arose, as I understand it, from creating a pervasive culture in which the 
non-evangelical students were harassed and marginalized from officers from 
the top (or near the top) down.  It happened when the majority started to 
oppress the minority.  

Steve
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