As a child I attended Vacation Bible School (VBS) most summers. One summer in college while I was working with a church in central Oregon I was tasked with helping organize and run the VBS. For those who aren’t familiar with them, a VBS is generally set up as a week long several hour per day program to indoctrinate children in the Christian religion. It’s often a combination of arts and crafts, music, performances, Bible stories, and every other imaginable way to systematically indoctrinate a youngster.

As it turns out the US Army is going to be paying for BS, I mean a VBS at Ft Bragg.

Justin Griffith has this to say about it:

Earlier this month, all 50,000 troops stationed at Fort Bragg received a message from our Public Affairs Office. It was a brief announcement for the Annual Garrison Chaplain’s Vacation Bible School.

“The annual Garrison Chaplain’s Vacation Bible School (VBS) will be held at Gordon Elementary (Linden Oaks) June 16-17 from 9 a.m.-noon and Devers Elementary (Ardennes) June 20-24 from 9 a.m.-noon. VBS is available for DOD Family members who have completed kindergarten through the sixth grade.”

Okay, so there are some obvious issues already. The government is funding a religious summer camp for youths (why?). Public school buildings are hosting religious activities, albeit it seems to be during ‘summer break’. Don’t forget the raw marketing power of a huge user base for the email message announcing it.

Since Griffith figured it would be a waste of time to fight it, he went with the approach of trying to get equal support for a Camp Quest on the base, which may happen next year.

Honestly I would rather my tax dollars not be spent on either, but beyond that I’m not quite sure what I think about this…