Washington – An evangelical Christian congressman said his faith was “attacked,” while a Methodist minister questioned why an Air Force Academy commander accused of pushing his faith on cadets would be promoted, as Congress continued to grapple Tuesday with the topic of religious tolerance at the school north of Colorado Springs.
The emotional hearing before a House Armed Services subcommittee followed up on an Air Force report last week that found “a perception of religious intolerance” at the academy but not any overt bias against cadets who are not evangelical Christians.
The panel called the author of that report, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Roger Brady, to testify along with retired Air Force Chaplain Jack D. Williamson and Yale Divinity professor Kristen Leslie, who led a group of students that examined chaplains during basic training a year ago.
Brady said the problem generally comes from overeager cadets, not Air Force chaplains. “The clergy has this ‘politically correct’ thing down,” he said.
Leslie questioned the Air Force’s commitment to religious diversity. She asked why the academy’s commandant of cadets, Brig. Gen. Johnny Weida, has been proposed for promotion while under investigation for proselytizing.
Weida, a born-again Christian, has apologized and has been cleared by the Air Force inspector general on six of seven allegations of favoring evangelical Christianity. One count is still being investigated. In May, he was nominated for a promotion to major general.
“There are a number of occasions when he’s clearly crossed the line, and he’s been counseled,” Leslie said. “That’s not an appropriate level of accountability. He’s a general.”
Most lawmakers cited their faith as they started their remarks at the well-attended hearing. Still, Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, said he felt the discussion was “intolerant of Christianity.”
“Throughout this whole discussion, I’ve felt attacked because of my Christian beliefs,” said Conaway, a deacon in his Baptist Church. “I’m not going to stop ending my prayers with Jesus Christ.”
Leslie said that showed how difficult religious issues can be. “If you feel attacked, imagine how it is for non-Christians” at the academy, Leslie said.
Williamson cited the case of a Jewish cadet who got clearance to go to services on a Friday night. But when she tried to leave, a superior told her she should stay with her fellow cadets.
“She said she got back in her uniform and never asked again,” Williamson said. “For ‘Sunday people,’ it’s easy. If you’re not a Sunday person, you have to petition, fight and scrape every step of the way.”
Not called on to testify was Capt. MeLinda Morton, a former academy chaplain who said she was pressured to deny the findings of Leslie’s group. She resigned from the military last week. Morton attended the hearing and said it was “disappointing” she was not called to testify.
“As one who clearly understands the environment at the academy, I would have hoped that the committee would have recognized the efforts of those of us who have been raising this issue for a long time,” she said.
Staff writer Mike Soraghan can be reached at 202-669-9542 or msoraghan@denverpost.com.
