Colorado Springs, USA - The questions facing Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff, a retired military chaplain appointed to help set guidelines for religious expression at the Air Force Academy, range from the serious to the seemingly obvious. One cadet wants to know if he can say "God bless you" when someone sneezes.
The back-and-forth illustrates how cadets and commanders will have to approach questions involving religion under guidelines Resnicoff is drafting. He began after dozens of cadets complained that evangelical Christians have harassed other cadets at the Colorado school.
Would a reasonable person consider "God bless you" an intrusion or an attempt to force religion into the military structure?
"My answer would be no," Resnicoff said in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "On the other hand, if someone says, 'Please don't say God bless you to me, that offends me,' then we respect that person and try to remember not to say it to that person."
The Air Force hired Resnicoff, a retired Navy chaplain who served in Vietnam, after a Pentagon task force investigation into complaints of religious intolerance at the academy found leaders had failed to accommodate the diverse religious needs of students. Resnicoff's job is to help carry out the task force's recommendations, including helping cadets and commanders freely practice their religion without appearing to endorse one faith over another.
Resnicoff initially said he would rush to define a basic policy before the new class reported in early July. On Monday, he said it's taking longer than expected. He now hopes to present the guidelines when the fall semester begins.
"We want to make sure we're getting it as right as possible," he said.