"The airman went on to say that he wasn’t just offended by the Bible – he was “outrageously offended.' ”Todd Starnes
"An Air Force major, who was accused of civil rights violations for having a Bible on his work desk, has been cleared of any wrongdoing, according to military officials at the 310th Space Wing in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
"Maj. Steve Lewis, a supervisor at the Reserve National Security Space Institute, agreed to voluntarily remove the Bible pending a military review.
"The Military Religious Freedom Foundation had filed a complaint against Maj. Lewis -- accusing him of "harboring and encouraging a truly abhorrent example of First Amendment civil rights violations."
"But a public affairs spokesman told me late Tuesday that Maj. Lewis was well within his rights to have an open Bible on his office desk.
"We have concluded that no abuse of liberties has occurred," Lt. Col. David Fruck told me.
"He said both the workplace environment and the major's behavior were well within the provisions governing the free exercise of religion and religious accommodation.
"Lt. Col. Fruck said the major is free to place the Bible back on his desk - should he desire to do so."
Weinstein claimed to be representing some 33 Air Force personnel who were frightened by the sight of the open Bible on the major's desk.
“We have 33 very scared Air Force families,” Weinstein told me.
One of the airmen who reached out to Weinstein complained that the officer’s Bible is a “blatant case of Christian defiance and Christian discrimination.”
“I am intimidated by the display, and I am a practicing Christian,” the unnamed airman wrote. “This open Bible is discrimination at the highest level.”
The airman went on to say that he wasn’t just offended by the Bible – he was “outrageously offended.”
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