Go Navy!

Earlier this week the United States Air Force decided to go over to the Dark Side by discouraging "public prayer at official functions and urge commanders to be sensitive about personal expressions of religious faith."

This is ridiculous. Warriors need to pray before they go into battle or into training for battle.

The guidelines do not ban public prayer outright and say short, nonsectarian prayers may be included in special ceremonies or events, but only to lend a sense of solemnity and not to promote specific beliefs.

Nor do they bar personal discussions of religion, including discussions between commanders and subordinates. They caution Air Force members "to be sensitive to the potential that personal expressions may appear to be official expressions."

The guidelines state that members of the Air Force "will not officially endorse or establish religion, either one specific religion, or the idea of religion over non-religion."

They also say that "abuse or disrespect" of Air Force members based on their religious beliefs, or lack of such beliefs, is unacceptable.

Regardless of whether the guidelines "ban public prayer outright" or not, limiting religious expression is a violation of the 1st Amendment.

I am very heartened to see that the Navy will continue with freedom of religion.

The Naval Academy is the only U.S. military institution that holds formal prayer at lunch, a ritual that might date to its founding in 1845. Its chaplains say grace at the mandatory lunch for its more than 4,100 midshipmen.

Academy spokesman Cmdr. Rod Gibbons said there are no plans to change the tradition of what he has called "devotional thoughts." Prayers are nondenominational and are led by Roman Catholic, Jewish or Protestant chaplains.

The Navy is even standing up to the rotten ACLU.

The American Civil Liberties Union (search) Foundation of Maryland and the Anti-Defamation League (search) have asked the Navy to stop the lunchtime prayer based on that ruling, but academy leaders have declined.

David Rocah, a lawyer for the Maryland ACLU, said the organization has not been able to bring a suit because midshipmen are reluctant to "begin their career by suing the Navy."

Go Navy!