AFA upset after Air Force removes “God” from logo

Original USAF Rapid Capabilities Office logo [full size (200×198)]

One of the more amusing things about Christian-Right groups is how they (mostly) claim to be all for the separation of church and state, only to immediately start whining the moment the U.S. Government actually starts respecting the Establishment Clause. Cue the American Family Association:

We need your help in calling on the Air Force to reverse its decision to remove a Latin reference to "God" from a logo after an atheist group complained.

Rep. Randy Forbes, (R-VA), said the Air Force removed the logo several weeks ago from the Rapid Capabilities Office. The patch included a line written in Latin that read, "Doing God's Work with Other People's Money."

But after the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers complained, the line was rewritten in Latin to read, "Doing Miracles with Other People's Money."

A bi-partisan group of 35 lawmakers sent a letter to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz expressing concern over the decision to remove the reference to God.

Forbes said the removal of "God" is a "bridge too far in terms of the rights of men and women who serve in our military and their ability to express their faith."

Unfortunately, under Secretary Donley, the Air Force is quickly becoming the military's leader in trampling religious symbols, emblems and freedoms from the armed services. Last year, the Air Force banned a class on the Christian-based "Just War Theory" because the class used verses from the Bible.

You know, someone really should ask these folks where they got their amazing linguistic abilities that allows them to translate “removing the government’s endorsement of a sectarian faith” into “trampling soldiers’ religious freedom”. It’s clearly a very obscure and esoteric skill – no-one else seems to interpret these things that way.

(Footnote: I had left a comment on that post saying essentially the same thing as in this post, and I’m now amused – albeit entirely unsurprised – to see that both my and another commenter’s similar remarks have silently disappeared. | Edit (02/09/12 8:40 PM ET) – You can see my comment here on my Facebook page. Yay for cross-posting.)

Tags: USAF • US Air Force • American Family Association • AFA • Rapid Capabilities Office • God • Christianity