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Air Force unit removes 'God' from logo...
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This may be old news to some of you....
<broken link removed>
A change in the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) patch logo has upset Republican lawmakers after a reference to God was removed.
According to The Hill, the motto on the patch originally said "Opus Dei *** Pecunia Alienum Efficemus" (Doing God's Work with Other People's Money), which is an inside joke among RCO members. The new logo instead says "Miraculi *** Pecunia Alienum Efficemus" (Doing Miracles with Other People's Money).
A group of 36 lawmakers, led by Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), wrote a letter to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz demanding the unit changes the logo back, restoring the reference to God.
Forbes warned the move could set a "dangerous precedent" for religion in the military.
"The action taken by the RCO suggests that all references to God, regardless of their context, must be removed from the military," he wrote in the congressional letter. "As we are confident that your legal advisors would not suggest that censorship is required for compliance with the First Amendment, we ask that you reverse this perplexing decision."
AP Photo/Ed AndrieskiIn this Friday, Jan. 20, 2012 photo, cadets head to class on the campus at the Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colo.
The Daily Mail reports the logo was changed after the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers objected to the God reference.
Jason Torpy, president of the association, said the word "God" had no place in the logo because not all members of the military are religious. "We just hope [the Air Force] can provide more equal opportunities for atheists and humanists in the military."
The letter adds that "courts consistently have upheld the constitutionality of our national motto, 'In God We Trust, despite the obvious mention of God."
Luke Goodrich, deputy general counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, told the Salt Lake City Tribune, "Obviously the Constitution doesn't treat God like a dirty word... Religion is a part of this history."
Representatives from the Air Force have not responded to media requests for comment.
According to the U.S. Air Force website, the RCO, located in Washington, D.C., responds to Combat Air Force and combatant command requirements. Their mission is to expedite development and fielding of Department of Defense weapon systems by leveraging defense-wide technology development efforts and existing operational capabilities.
What do you think? Should the Air Force RCO restore the God reference in their logo?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This may be old news to some of you....
<broken link removed>
A change in the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) patch logo has upset Republican lawmakers after a reference to God was removed.
According to The Hill, the motto on the patch originally said "Opus Dei *** Pecunia Alienum Efficemus" (Doing God's Work with Other People's Money), which is an inside joke among RCO members. The new logo instead says "Miraculi *** Pecunia Alienum Efficemus" (Doing Miracles with Other People's Money).
A group of 36 lawmakers, led by Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), wrote a letter to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz demanding the unit changes the logo back, restoring the reference to God.
Forbes warned the move could set a "dangerous precedent" for religion in the military.
"The action taken by the RCO suggests that all references to God, regardless of their context, must be removed from the military," he wrote in the congressional letter. "As we are confident that your legal advisors would not suggest that censorship is required for compliance with the First Amendment, we ask that you reverse this perplexing decision."
AP Photo/Ed AndrieskiIn this Friday, Jan. 20, 2012 photo, cadets head to class on the campus at the Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colo.
The Daily Mail reports the logo was changed after the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers objected to the God reference.
Jason Torpy, president of the association, said the word "God" had no place in the logo because not all members of the military are religious. "We just hope [the Air Force] can provide more equal opportunities for atheists and humanists in the military."
The letter adds that "courts consistently have upheld the constitutionality of our national motto, 'In God We Trust, despite the obvious mention of God."
Luke Goodrich, deputy general counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, told the Salt Lake City Tribune, "Obviously the Constitution doesn't treat God like a dirty word... Religion is a part of this history."
Representatives from the Air Force have not responded to media requests for comment.
According to the U.S. Air Force website, the RCO, located in Washington, D.C., responds to Combat Air Force and combatant command requirements. Their mission is to expedite development and fielding of Department of Defense weapon systems by leveraging defense-wide technology development efforts and existing operational capabilities.
What do you think? Should the Air Force RCO restore the God reference in their logo?
