After complaints from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, the Air Force Academy has backed away from its active promotion of a Christian Christmas charity. The Colorado Springs Gazette reports:
Academy critic Mikey Weinstein accused commanders of crossing the line by promoting “Operation Christmas Child” a program sponsored by an evangelical Christian group that sends toys and toiletries in shoe boxes to needy kids around the globe. The group includes a Christian message with the gifts.
“This is arrogance beyond measure,” said Weinstein, an academy graduate who runs the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and has crossed swords with commanders at the school for years.
The academy, which initially stood by its promotion of the charity, changed its tune Thursday evening, with an email to cadets that retracted an earlier missive asking for help with the program. The academy’s commandant of cadets Brig. Gen. Richard Clark called Weinstein Thursday with an apology.
“We agree that it was inappropriate,” said Lt. Col John Bryan, an academy spokesman.
The project has been handed over to the academy’s chaplains, who can legally take part and recruit support for religious endeavors.
