Dear Michael, (or anyone reading)
I just want you to know that throughout my life I have been persecuted for my faith. There is no place on earth that is free from harsh words or hurtful people. I just want to say that I have forgiven those who hurt me and cursed me and called me stupid for believing in a God. I don’t hold it against them, I am not a victim. I just want you to know not an ounce of my being believes what you are doing is right, for all intents and purposes I should be against you. However, I am not against you, I love you good sir. Just as God loves you. I know that what you do is not from you. I know you have needs in your body and I would like to pray for you to be healed and anyone in your staff.
I pray that God will fill you with his love, I pray dear Lord that you would show Michael Weinstein your peace and your comfort and your healing.
Even if you hate me and ridicule my pathetic attempt at an email. That’s ok my offer still stands.
(name withheld)
Dear (name withheld),
You are not being persecuted for your faith nor do we hate you.
I am an ordained minister and on the Advisory Board of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF). I and others will be responding to you.
Mikey and the MRFF DO NOT act on their own but on the complaints of soldiers who see the blatant disregard for the Constitution and military law where religion is concerned.
We are neither anti-God nor anti-Christian. Mikey is Jewish and prays 3 times a day to the same Father we do. A full 75% or more of the Board, Advisory Board, volunteers and supporters with the MRFF are Christian. Out of our 37,100+ military clients (1 can represent 50 and 1 represents 100) are Christian – Catholic, Episcopalians, Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists, Evangelicals, etc. If anything, we represent Christians more than any other religion but that doesn’t make the news.
Dominionist Christianity (google it) is what we fight against – not all Christians. They believe that they must cleanse the world of all Christians not of their sect, those of other faiths and those will no faith, in order for Jesus to come back thus throwing out the Book of Revelation.
Christians listed above are under emotional distress and persecution by an extreme fringe of Christianity better as known Dominionists. Though this sect only makes up about 10% of the Air Force Academy, they are the most vocal and allowed to run roughshod over the other 90%. They crave media attention in the hopes of drawing in those mainline Christians – which THEY persecute – outside of the academy to come to their defense and it’s working very well.
This is what Dominionists in the military think of the faith of those Christian denominations listed above:
US Army chaplain MAJ James Linzey, who, in a 1999 video, described mainstream Protestant churches as “demonic, dastardly creatures from the pit of hell “that should be “stomped out.”
If you are not a Dominionist and belong to a mainline Christian denomination, then we are fighting for you.
When one joins the military, he/she gives up some rights in order to have cohesion and good order in the unit. They are not allowed to speak back to their superior or disparage the President. They are not to speak about politics or religion in public while in uniform. They are to obey every rule and command even if they disagree with it.
The Air Force has strict rules on religious neutrality. This is binding on everyone at the academy.
BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE
Air Force Instruction 1-1
7 August 2012
2.11. Government Neutrality Regarding Religion. Leaders at all levels must balance constitutional protections for an individual’s free exercise of religion or other personal beliefs and the constitutional prohibition against governmental establishment of religion. For example, they must avoid the actual or apparent use of their position to promote their personal religious beliefs to their subordinates or to extend preferential treatment for any religion. Commanders or supervisors who engage in such behavior may cause members to doubt their impartiality and objectivity. The potential result is a degradation of the unit’s morale, good order, and discipline. Airmen, especially commanders and supervisors, must ensure that in exercising their right of religious free expression, they do not degrade morale, good order, and discipline in the Air Force or degrade the trust and confidence that the public has in the United States Air Force.
The Cadets just went through training on religious neutrality (AFI 1-1) but this one Cadet decided to ignore it.
No Cadet has to give up their Christianity. They are still free to talk about it in the hallway with a friend, go to chapel, attend a Bible study, bow their head in prayer at meal time, etc. We encourage this.
Go to this link and read the REAL story and the comment by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh III regarding this incident.
http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/press-releases/2014/Bible_Verse_3-13-14.html
You wrote:
I know that what you do is not from you.
Is this a veiled reference to Satan? If so, you are sadly mistaken.
We Christians with the MRFF take God’s Word on obeying our “governing authorities” very seriously.
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. Romans 13:1-2
I do not want judgment brought on myself because I didn’t uphold and fight for our laws.
I suggest you go to our website www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org click on “About” and then click on “Foundation Voices.” Scroll through and see the honorable and distinguished military personnel that we rely on for their expertise in military law.
Pastor Joan
MRFF Advisory Board Member
Dear (name withheld),
Thanks very much for your message. It’s frustrating, I must say, to hear that you’ve been persecuted for your faith. That shouldn’t happen to anyone, anywhere. And while it is true that “there is no place on earth that is free from harsh words or hurtful people,” it is fortunate that here in America we enjoy Constitutionally protected freedom of religion along with our other rights. Because I don’t know where you live I can only offer my sympathy for your plight, but it sounds as though you have found a way to persevere in your belief, and that is as it should be.
Our organization, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, is dedicated to protecting that very right, the freedom of choice of religious belief, or of course its corollary, non-belief, in the United States military, where that freedom has run into some difficulty. We believe, as you apparently do, that every woman and man in the military should be free to believe however she or he chooses. The problem we’re dealing with in our military, as it happens, is that some who have a very fervent belief in a particular religious view feel it is appropriate to impose that belief on others, especially those below them in rank or station. That, of course, can’t be allowed in this country.
Given your experience, I’m sure you agree with us that that sort of thing is not appropriate in any situation, but it’s especially wrong when it happens in an organization associated with the government, such as the U. S. military. For us, our dedication to American law and tradition insists that we do everything we can to protect the right of free choice of belief of all military servicewomen and men. Because our staff, founder and our thousands of supporters are of every faith, we of course oppose no belief system and feel that everyone should enjoy fully the very freedom that you have held to so dearly.
So with thanks for your kind thoughts and prayers, we remain ready to help those in the military avoid the very persecution you have experienced. It’s unfortunate that you’re not in the American military where we could lend our efforts on your behalf, but we wish you well.
Best,
Mike Farrell
(MRFF Board of Advisors)
Good Day, (name withheld) –
Mikey shared your email with me and I would like to respond directly to you. I’m sorry to hear that you have felt persecuted for your faith throughout your life, and that people have hurt you, cursed you and called you stupid for being a person of faith.
I, too, am a Christian. While I have been blessed not to have been subject to the sort of abuse that you describe, I do know the feeling of being apart from others because of my faith. I’m glad that you are responding to your experiences with love and not hate. You reflect the love of God when you do that. I’m reminded of one of my favorite Scripture verses, Isaiah 43:4 — “You are precious in My eyes, and honored, and I love you.”
There is no one at MRFF that hates you or ridicules you. In fact, most supporters and clients are Christians. We join together with other people of different beliefs, as well as people with no belief in God, to work together to help protect the rights of military members of all beliefs (including no belief). That work is not contrary to Christian values — in fact, it is eminently Christian to stand up for people who may not be able to stand up for themselves. I believe that is what we do at MRFF.
So your prayers for Mikey and others are appreciated —– but if you’d be so kind, I have another prayer request….
Please pray for the Christians who believe that their faith and fervor allows them to violate the rights of others. These types of Christians, often called Dominionists, are convinced that the laws and rules that guide and protect our Constitutional rights do not apply to them.
There are such people, even in our military. And in our military that sort of injustice is especially heinous, because the strict rank structure of a military organization gives tremendous power and control to leaders. If that authority is misused, the damage to subordinates can be awful. Even though these Dominionist Christians believe their actions are justified, even ordained by God, they are mistaken.
So if you want to pray for someone who truly needs God’s guidance, pray for those fellow Christians of ours who need to understand that their faith is not threatened just because someone else’s rights are protected.
Thanks again for writing.
Peace,
Mike Challman
Christian, AF veteran, MRFF supporter