A group of religious freedom advocates was outraged after the newly established Space Force had a Bible blessed at the Washington National Cathedral for swearing-in ceremonies.
The Washington National Cathedral held a ceremony Sunday to bless a King James Bible that will be used to swear in members of the Department of Defense’s Space Force. Rev. Carl Wright conducted the blessing, saying, “May this Bible guard and guide all those who purpose that the final frontier be a place where God will triumph over evil, where love will triumph over hate, and where life will triumph over death.”
Today @WNCathedral blessed the official Bible for the new @SpaceForceDoD, which will be used to swear in all commanders of America’s newest military branch. pic.twitter.com/Bg9KVzrp8W
— Washington National Cathedral (@WNCathedral) January 12, 2020
Religious freedom advocates were upset about the decision to bless a Bible for the Space Force. Steven Strauss, a visiting professor at Princeton University, ripped the decision, tweeting, “So no Jews, Atheists, Muslims, Hindus, Mormons, Sikhs allowed in Space Force?”
So no Jews, Atheists, Muslims, Hindus, Mormons, Sikhs allowed in Space Force?
— Steven Strauss (@Steven_Strauss) January 12, 2020
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation called the brief ceremony a “shocking and repulsive display of only the most vile, exclusivist, fundamentalist Christian supremacy, dominance, triumphalism and exceptionalism” in a statement posted on Monday. The group’s president, Mikey Weinstein, added, “MRFF noted with additional disgust and disdain the willing and all-too visible participation of a senior USAF officer, in formal uniform, during the travesty of this sectarian ceremony which tragically validates the villainy of unadulterated Christian privilege at DoD and its subordinate military branches.”
Weinstein continued, “MRFF is currently receiving a multitude of new complaints from outraged DoD military and even civilian DoD personnel, as well as veterans, regarding this unmitigated, unconstitutional horror. MRFF will be lodging a formal complaint to Mark Esper, the Secretary of Defense.”
President Trump suggested forming a Space Force from the campaign trail prior to becoming president. The sixth branch of the military was officially formed in December after Trump signed the NDAA.
The Bible, which was donated by the Museum of the Bible in Washington, was used during Gen. John William Raymond’s swearing-in as the first chief of Space Operations on Tuesday. It will also eventually be taken into space as the military branch develops.
