Evangelical Group to Intervene in Lawsuit Involving Chaplains' Religious Liberty
by Chad Groening
March 2, 2006
(AgapePress) - - A Colorado-based organization whose national membership comprises some 52 evangelical congregations has plans to intervene in a lawsuit filed by several former U.S. Air Force Academy cadets, in which they claim the school allows Christians to harass cadets who do not share their faith. According to the head of the major Protestant Christian agency, the suit is nothing more than an effort to secularize the U.S. military. The Air Force cadets' complaint alleges that evangelical Christians at the Air Force Academy in El Paso County, Colorado, attempted to impose their beliefs on other cadets at the school. But Kyle Fisk, executive administrator for the Colorado Springs-based National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), says the legal action is in fact an attempt by the plaintiffs to impose their secular humanist viewpoints on everyone else.
"This is an issue that goes beyond a single military service member or a single chaplain and his or her rights being violated," Fisk contends. "This is a systemic attack, a frontal assault upon religion in a military context. This is an attempt to secularize the military."
The NAE official believes the ultimate resolution of this legal battle could have serious ramifications, particularly for the future of chaplains in America's armed services. "The outcome of this case is going to have dramatic impact upon those chaplains and their ability to do their duties," he notes.
"Should the plaintiffs prevail, and we hope they don't, but should they prevail, the ability of our chaplains to perform their stated duties would be drastically reduced and, in some instances, potentially eliminated," Fisk adds.
The evangelical Christian leader says the plaintiffs in this matter "are no doubt operating from a secular, humanistic vantage point, and therefore they want to secularize the military." And since this particular lawsuit could result in a landmark decision, he and his organization are urging Christians to realize the need to stand strong and speak up for the First Amendment rights of believers in the U.S. military.
Last month the National Association of Evangelicals announced it will intervene in this court dispute on the side of the Air Force. "This is a time to defend religious liberties," Fisk asserts. "This is a time to promote and defend the civil and religious liberties of our men and women in uniform, and that is what the NAE is doing."
Chad Groening, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
