A petition demanding officials in the United States Armed Forces value the religious liberty of cadets received more than 100,000 signatures and was then sent to the Air Force Academy on June 25th. American Family Association and Family Research Council together drafted the petition after there were reports of some kind of religious fanaticism at the academy. The petition addressed to Air Force Academy superintendent Lieutenant General Michelle Johnson seeks to restore religious freedom in the military and urges supporters to voice their opinions in favour of Air Force cadets.

“I trust the Air Force Academy to train up the best young men and women our nation has to offer to be prepared to faithfully defend my family, my community and my country. Part of that trust hinges upon the notion that the Academy would protect the religious freedom of the cadets we send it,” read the petition.

The petition also says if the academy whitewashes religion, it will lead to a culture of fear among cadets and the academy will fail to develop warriors.

“If cadets are taught to be afraid of Bible verses, how will they respond against terrorists who are willing to die for their cause?” continued the petition.

Over the last few years, people have debated over the level of religious freedom granted in the United States military, with conservatives saying military officials often punish subordinates for openly expressing their faith in Christianity and this highlights a growing culture of intolerance.

Sandy Rios, AFA director of government affairs said, “Military leaders need to be reminded they answer to the people of the United States, not a well-funded, demanding atheist. Now it's the Americans who send their sons off to war and embrace the God of our fathers time to be heard. Under the umbrella of the Restore Military Religious Freedom Coalition, this is only the beginning. Simply put: We expect the Air Force Academy to immediately stop harassing and intimidating cadets from exercising their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and religion.”

According to Jason Torpy, president of Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, different organizations use the academy to instill fear among their constituents, which is why the voice of cadet officers is almost always lost. Most of the cadets want to solely focus on becoming Air Force officers and not getting involved in religious propaganda. While the military cannot ignore the needs of freethinkers, usually promoting the agenda of Christian evangelists, the Air Force Academy is not particularly good or bad in this regard, according to Torpy.