Congressmen Complain Air Force Is Trying To Remove References To God

Congressman Diane Black announced Thursday that a letter (full text) signed by 66 members of Congress was sent earlier this week to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta complaining that the Air Force "repeatedly has succumbed to demands from organizations that seek to remove all references to God and faith in our military."  The letter cites five specific instances, and says that they "go beyond the requirements of the Constitution, and appear to have been influenced by the more stringent guidance issued by Gen. Schwartz in September 2011." (See prior posting.) According to Fox News, an Air Force statement in response to the letter says that members of the Air Force are "free to exercise their constitutional right to practice their religion -- in a manner that is respectful of other individuals' rights to follow their own belief systems." The Fox News article also explores each cited incident, saying they "were not all as clear-cut as the lawmakers made them sound."