Among the incidents highlighted in the task force report were fliers that advertised a screening of "The Passion of the Christ" at every seat in the dining hall, more than 250 people at the academy signing an annual Christmas message in the base newspaper that said, "Jesus Christ is the only real hope for the world" and an atheist student who was forbidden to organize a club for "Freethinkers."
The commandant of cadets, Brig. Gen. Johnny A. Weida, came in for particular scrutiny by the Air Force panel. He sent an academy wide e-mail message to announce the National Day of Prayer, instructed cadets that they were "accountable to their God" and invented a call-and-response chant with the cadets that went, "Jesus ... Rocks."
Brian J. Foley, a professor at Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, said in an interview, "We are often told that the reason we spend more than any other country on our armed forces is because our military exists to 'protect our freedoms.' If the allegations about the Air Force Academy are true, then the Air Force must immediately move to protect its own future officers' constitutional right to freedom of religion. These brave and talented young men and women, who have committed to risk their lives to defend their country, deserve the ability to practice their religion, or no religion at all, free from government pressure and coercion, and free from the government's supporting one religion over other religions. "
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