Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Charles C. Baldwin recently explained the role of chaplains and respect for others’ beliefs throughout the Air Force.

“Our instructions include a code of ethics that requires chaplains to respect all faiths and work without judgment in a religiously pluralistic environment,” he said. “We have no tolerance for religious discrimination.”

The principle of respecting the religious views of others is nothing new for the Air Force or the military as a whole.

"We didn’t just begin to value religious freedom and individual rights," Chaplain Baldwin said. "This is a central part of our rich American heritage and is embodied in the First Amendment to the Constitution. It has been re-enforced through the years with countless acts of courage and sacrifice both large and small."

...it turns out that the academy's remedial program of religious toleration is running into resistance. The Air Force's chief chaplain expressed displeasure at the object lessons dramatized in a multidenominational educational videotape. "Why is it that the Christians never win?" the chief, Maj. Gen. Charles Baldwin, demanded to know after watching the give-and-take of instructional encounters. General Baldwin had segments cut out on such non-Christian religions as Buddhism, Judaism and Native American spirituality.