UPDATE: Air Force Academy Players Can Pray Publicly Before Games

You may remember this item from earlier this month. Now there’s this, from Air Force Times: 

Air Force Academy football players have a right to pray publicly before games, an academy athletic department review has found.

“The United States Air Force Academy places a high value on the rights of its members to observe the tenets of their respective religion or to observe no religion at all,” academy officials said in a statement on Wednesday.  “Recently the United States Air Force Academy received a complaint about its football players kneeling in prayer.  An inquiry was initiated, which found the football players’ actions to be consistent with Air Force Instruction 1-1 and its guidance on the free exercise of religion and religious accommodation.”

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a group that opposes proselytizing in the military, complained about academy football players praying in the end zone after its Nov. 28 game against the University of New Mexico. The Falcons also prayed in the end zone before their Dec. 5 game against San Diego State University despite the complaint.

Shortly afterwards, the academy received an “opposing viewpoint” from The Alliance Defending Freedom, a group that advocates for religious expression, arguing that the football players should be allowed to continue to pray publicly, an academy spokesman told Air Force Times on Dec. 8.

“The United States Air Force Academy will continue to reaffirm to cadets that all Airmen are free to practice the religion of their choice or subscribe to no religious belief at all,” academy officials said in the statement. “The players may confidently practice their own beliefs without pressure to participate in the practices of others.”

Read more.

Photo: Air Force Times