Headline USA Today: Air Force Academy moves to curb Bible verses in e-mails

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) — Air Force Academy officials are cracking down on a practice by some staffers to put Bible verses at the bottom of their academy e-mail.

“None of this (Bible or personal signature notes) is appropriate, and it says this in Air Force instructions,” Lt. Col. Laurent Fox said Thursday….

Earlier this week, academy superintendent Lt. Gen. John Rosa said the school would bolster its religious tolerance training after a survey showed evidence of harassment or pressure toward cadets based on their beliefs.

He said about half the cadets who responded to the annual survey reported hearing religious slurs, comments or jokes, and that some cadets felt ostracized because they weren’t religious.

First of all, I don’t think it is appropriate to use Bible verses in your e-mail signature at work, particularly if there are explicit instructions not to do so. As a Christian, you should be exemplary in your work, and you should not distract others with your conduct.

But it did strike me as odd that the article links banning Bible verses from e-mails with an attempt to bolster religious tolerance. Banning Bible verses is an example of bolstering religious tolerance?

Let’s get this straight. The USAF Academy has done a survey that finds half of the students are offended by religious comments of the other students. Therefore, in the name of “religious tolerance”, the USAF Academy will train the religious students to not mention religion at all.

Toleration is recognizing that others have the right to hold opinions that differ from yours. You can discuss your differences and try to convince others to adopt your view while they attempt to convince you of theirs. But at the end of the day, you recognize that they have the right to reject your views if they do not find them to be convincing, just as you have the right to reject their views. That is toleration. Toleration does not mean that one point of view is not allowed on the playing field because the other side might be offended. Toleration is not a one way street.