Just a few years ago , the Air Force Academy was considered such an evangelical hothouse that the space got sued for its alleged discrimination against non - Christians . Today , the Academy is boasting of its boom pagan biotic community … and its friendliness towards spell - casters .
In a closet release egress Thursday , the Academy features Tech . Sgt . Brandon Longcrier ( pictured ) , “ the lay leader for theAcademy ’s world - Centered Spirituality residential area , which includes Wiccans and Pagans from various tradition . ” ( It ’s part of a larger cause by the school to promote an image of tolerance . )
During an inter - faith discussion radical , the release notes , one plebe asked Longcrier “ whether Wiccans or Pagans drill ‘ black magic . ' ”
Sergeant Longcrier react by citing the Wiccan credo , or advise : “ An it harm none , do what ye will . ” That would seem to close out harmful spellcraft .
However , the Rede “ would not go for to a field , ” according to the Academy release . Which gives new meaning to the terminal figure “ magic missile . ”
Two other unnamed pagan cadets offer a spirited defense of the power of magic .
“ If I put out a healing patch – say , I wanted to bring around you from pizza pie poisoning – if it does n’t influence for you , but it works for somebody else , does that think of it did n’t make ? ” one cadet expect .
“ But also keep in mind that illusion does n’t necessarily mean miracles , ” another said . “ Say you have cancer , and someone does a healing spell for you . It does n’t mean the genus Cancer vanish overnight . It could intend your MD thinks up a unlike treatment . ”
This would be an strange conversation at any military innovation . But considering the Academy had “ 55 complaints of religious discrimination ” against non - Christians between 2001 and 2005 , it ’s close to miraculous – er , wizardly . According to accord to CNN , all “ 9,000 cadets and faculty and staff member are now required to take a 50 - second grade on religious sensitivity . ”
But apparently , the pagan - Christian tension has n’t been entirely deflated at the Academy . Earlier this year , the Academy coif aside an area for a “ pagan circle ” in the woods nearby campus . But before it could be officially dedicated , a large wooden hybridizing was engraft in the midriff . Longcrier called it a “ hatred crime . ”
Photo : AFA
This military post earlier seem onWired ’s Danger Room.Wired.com has been expanding the hive mind with applied science , scientific discipline and flake culture news since 1995 .
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