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Groups Protest Air Force Academy's Scheduled Prayer Luncheon Speaker

By Howard M. Friedman

Yesterday the Military Religious Freedom Foundation released a letter (full text) it has sent to the Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy objecting to the Academy's scheduling of former Marine Lt. Clebe McClary as the speaker for the Academy's National Prayer Luncheon next month. McClary, a professional motivational speaker, is described by Truthout as "a retired Marine, who was wounded in Vietnam and now serves the 'Lord's Army,' and believes that USMC (US Marine Corps) will always stand for 'US Marines for Christ.'" The MMRF letter said in part:

Indeed, it is precisely that incontrovertibly explicit and prestigious institutional approval of former Lt. McClary's non-inclusive religious "message" of fundamentalist Christian triumphalism, exceptionalism and supremacy which is the gravamen of the truly disgraceful decision by the Academy to honor him as the featured speaker at its National Prayer Luncheon event.

Several other groups have sent letters to the Academy supporting the MMRF's call for rescinding the invitation to McClary.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 21, 2011 (boomark / email).