In addition to the Sexual Assaults & Religious Bias Zubek has written stories on the Air Force Academy hiring illegal workers. wasting Homeland security money, fund raising issues and dropping requirement for academic hours.

Even though the issues in this story are complex, MSM bias invariably frames it as religious coercion, following the lead of Americans United for Separation of Church and State who published a 14 page report April 2005 on Religious Coercion and Endorsement of Religion at the United States Air Force Academy asserting " systematic and pervasive religious bias and intolerance at the highest levels of the Academy command structure." This is an assertion that was completely repudiated by the 100 page Air Force HQ report. While there may have been some instances of inappropriate religious intimidation by young immature cadets at the Air Force Academy, the HQ report shows charges of systematic religious coercion by military personnel are unfounded.   

As much as Zubek would like to win another distinguished reporting award on her voluminous writing on this issue, it is NOT a story.  THERE IS NO RELIGIOUS COERCION GOING ON AT THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY.

The issue of religion in the workplace is an issue of religious freedom. As AFA coach Fisher stated being a Christian is about being "who I am" You cannot check "who you are" at the door when you go to work! Yet, MSM and its AU compatriots are attempting to intimidate sincere people of faith into silence about who they are with this constant barrage of negative biased reporting and monitoring of the issue.

This is typical of the MSM's phobia with Christian faith at work. You don't see MSM doing articles on Muslims, Jews or Hindus from a negative perspective. For those religions it's all about how we need to respect diversity, (See a Washington Post article on Muslims and prayer at Dell). But for the Christians, it's all about respecting the separation between church and state which in other words means, checking your faith at the door when you come to work.

Jay Gary comments on how the media frame these stories in Is Evangelism Religious Abuse? He mentions a book by Douglas Hicks, Religion and the workplace: Pluralism, spirituality, leadership. Hicks provides a thorough perspective on religion in the workplace. He points employers in the right direction for managing this growing phenomena. See the Pluralism Project for a review of the book.

The leaders at the Air force Academy could probably benefit from reading this book, but so could the MSM who have such a negative slant towards the subject.

The Gospel and our Culture network also provide a great set of resources for understanding how to remain faithful to the gospel in a pluralistic context. Author Leslie Newbigin's book The Gospel in a Pluralistic Culture is the best I have read on the subject.

For background information on this story

The Report of the Headquarters Review Group Concerning the Religious Climate at the U. S. Air Force Academy that states in the Executive Summary "The HQ USAF 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 over where the line is drawn between permissible and impermissible expression of beliefs."

Statement from AFA football coach Fisher DeBerry who was accused of inappropriate behavior for hanging a religious message in his locker room. He states " I am a Christian. Everything in my life is centered around my faith. It is who I am. I am neither shy nor embarrassed about telling others about my God. I apologize to no one for what I believe… While I have a strong Christian faith, I have never intentionally set out to pressure, offend or upset anyone who might not agree with me. I have never purposely set out to impose my beliefs on others nor have I discriminated against any player, coach or cadet for not believing the way I do."

Statement by Brig. Gen. Johnny Weida, AFA commandant who says " My faith is no secret and I have relied upon it throughout my life. Just as my faith is an important part of my life, it is also important to many cadets. As we worked through the difficulties that followed the sexual assault crisis, faith was, for me and for others, a source of comfort and strength. My actions were intended to offer encouragement to those that relied upon their faith, but I did not appreciate that encouraging some discouraged others. I believe in the uniqueness and potential of every cadet regardless of race, sex or religion and I would never intentionally do anything to discourage any of them. To the extent that my words and actions did that, I offer my sincere apology."

Here are some bloggers who are talking about this issue

Cleansing Christianity by Just Some Poor Schmuck

Creating Christian Extremism? By Napablogger

Christianity Under Attack by Blogotional

God and Country by Air Force Voices

The Blue Angels? By Hugh Hewitt

USAF Academy = Theocracy By CDR Salamander