Apparently some people believe that denial of an exorbitantly expensive government resource for exhibition purposes to a previously favored religious group somehow amounts to religious discrimination. Or at least that’s what I gather from reading this story from the Idaho Press-Tribune (hat tip to Crooks and Liars):

NAMPA — Organizers of the God and Country Family Festival say the Pentagon denied a military flyover, which the celebration has featured for 42 years, because of the event’s emphasis on Christianity.

“Basically, we applied to have a military flyover,” Director Patti Syme told the Idaho Press-Tribune Thursday. “We were given (Federal Aviation Administration) approval, and then had to apply through the Pentagon. When we applied they denied our request because, as the gentlemen stated, our Web site specifically stated that this is a Christian event.”

Upon first reading this, I was genuinely shocked. Not shocked that the Pentagon had denied the flyover this year, but that the Department of Defense had been providing military planes and pilots for a flyover of this event for the past 42 years!

Writing on Daily Kos, Chris Rodda of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation explains that the denial of the flyover might reflect increasing responsiveness to the MRFF’s demand that the Pentagon follow the First Amendment:

MRFF began exposing these events, which included flyovers on the five holidays when flyovers at civilian events are permitted, and even a few at National Day of Prayer events, and began to see some decline in their frequency, but we weren’t sure if the number of flyovers at these events was really decreasing, or if the military and organizers of these events were just being more careful not to make the nature of the events so obvious.

Well, needless to say, the following letter denying, for the first time in 42 years, the request for a flyover at one Christian rally, released on many websites in conjunction with a Christian Newswire article titled “Pentagon Denies Flyover of Patriotic ‘God and Country Rally’ in Nampa Idaho Because of its Christian Content,” was the best 4th of July present MRFF could have asked for.

The organizers of the God and Country Family Festival and their sympathizers see it a little differently, however. The Idaho Press-Tribune tells us:

Christian activist Brandi Swindell sent a text message about the lack of the flyover from Wednesday night’s event at the Idaho Center amphitheater. She followed up with another message Thursday.

“This is unbelievable and deeply troubling,” Swindell wrote. “The Pentagon does not have the authority to discriminate against Christian groups or events. This type of religious bigotry is unconstitutional. How sad to see this lack of respect and level of blatant bias surrounding the 4th of July celebration.”

Perhaps in the space of a text message Ms. Swindell was unable to elaborate on the nature of discrimination. But I really would have liked to hear her explanation of how denying a costly flyover by military aircraft to a sectarian religious event is unconstitutional. Or does the U.S. Constitution guarantee all U.S. citizens the right to a military flyover?

Religious discrimination does exist in this country, but people like Ms. Swanson muddy the discussion when they throw around the term, well, indiscriminately. By no measure is the Pentagon discriminating against Christians. Now, if she could point to an instance of the Pentagon granting flyovers to a Buddhist or Muslim festival but still denying the Christian festival, then she indeed would have a case.

Lest anyone doubt the real purpose of the God and Country Family Festival, I direct you to their mission statement found right on their own website:

Our mission is primarily about spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. We believe this Festival, started in 1967, is an incredible tool to share this Good News by strengthening the fabric of our society through our connection to family and country.

We want to encourage believers everywhere to get out in their communities, not just to strengthen each other, but to encourage family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers to learn more about who Jesus Christ is and what He’s done for each and every one of us.

We have religious freedom in this country. That means that they are free and welcome to hold such a festival. But we have a secular government that is prohibited from endorsing or favoring one religion over any other, and that means, sorry, no costly taxpayer funded flyovers for religious events. Unless we all get them! In which case I would like to sign up right now for a flyover for the next humanist conference.

Frankly, I would prefer to see the Pentagon be rather parsimonious when granting such a huge and expensive privilege as a flyover by military aircraft to any event, whether it be religious or not.