Academy officials say that religious tolerance has improved dramatically since reports five years ago that evangelical Christians harassed cadets who did not share their beliefs. The chief critics agree.
"This is the first time we feel positive about things there," said Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which battled the academy in court over claims that evangelicals at the school were imposing their views on others.
The academy superintendent, Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Gould, says the improvements are the result of a topdown campaign to foster respect and a commitment to accommodate all cadets, even nonbelievers and an "Earth-centered" religious group that needed a place for a stone circle so it could worship outdoors.
The story reports on a new Cadet Interfaith Council that tries to be proactive about meeting the religious needs of cadets and maintaining a supportive atmosphere on campus. It also offers background both on the earlier charges and on the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which was formed to combat the alleged harassment.
[The Associated Press via The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, Religion News]
Religion on our Campuses 