To whom it may concern,
Although it may be that Mr. Weinstein is employed as a consultant by our government on religious issues,
I find there to be a vendetta-like underlying issue. Perhaps, Mr. Weinstein may have endured some very real persecution by Christians in his youth. However real and hurtful that may have been for him, the mature person recognizes that as human beings, we have all been subject to discrimination, bias and mean spirited people. One need not take out their own personal encounters on the rest of society so as to make blanket derogatory statements about organizations: in this case the organization of Juseo-Christian religious institutions.
if possible, it would be quite enlightening and instructive if this e-mail could be passed along to Mr. Weinstein and after becoming more informed, he may want to re-issue a new statement and substitute the religion of peace and tolerance (Islam) in the stead of Christianity, especially where referring to Christians as weaponized monsters and I will provide the proof below.
The Holy Book of the Quran verbatim:
Surah 4:89 seize the unbelievers and kill them wherever you find them
Surah: 9:5 when the sacred months are over (Ramadan) slay the idolaters wherever you find the. arrest them.
besiege them and lie in ambush everywhere for them
Surah 9:23 believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you. deal with them firmly
Surah 47:4 when you encounter the infidels, strike their heads off.
The Holy Book of the Bible verbatim:
Matthew 5:44 but I tell you, love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you
Luke 6:29 whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also, do good to those who hate you
Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. Repay evil with blessing
Proverbs 16:7 when a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies at peace with him
Need I say more?
I’m sure Mr. Weinstein is a smart man and most likely knows these things are true. No doubt, he was finely educated and I’m just gonna give him the benefit of the doubt that his aptitude scores are “off the charts”, so then I have to ask myself in perplexity, why would he demonize just Christians? After reading the above verses, gee I wonder if he should re-vamp his entire statement on the demeaning of Christian proselytizing. The Muslims proselytize as well. How else have they been able to recruit worldwide for terrorist activities? By the way, the mayhem and violence going on in Egypt. Are Christians burning and torching churches and killing Muslims or are Muslims burning churches and killing Christians? I intend to inform as many people about this glaring hypocrisy coming from your religious freedom org. I think some restitutional public correction statements need to be made to American Jews and Christians who follow a holy book and instructions to do no harm but be kind as a general motto. What does Mikey think? I would welcome a reply. Thank you.
(name withheld)
<hr/>
Good Morning, (name withheld) –
Mikey Weinstein has received and read all of your emails, and we’ve discussed them. He has asked that I reply to you, and I’m happy to do so. Thanks for taking the time to write and share your concerns. I’m especially grateful that your email is polite and gracious, something all too often lacking from correspondence that we receive.
Some background about me – I’m a lifelong, ardent Christian; USAF Academy graduate (’85); and veteran Air Force officer. For the past couple of years, I’ve been active with MRFF because I believe that its mission is appropriate and necessary. I think that I have a good sense of where you’re coming from, because I once sent a similar email to MRFF.
My initial approach to MRFF was from a critical perspective. I’d been reading new reports on a story out of my alma mater (USAF Academy) regarding concerns raised by MRFF about the inclusion of “so help me God” in the Honor Oath that cadets are required to make each year. Before then, I was unfamiliar with either MRFF or Mikey Weinstein, and I will admit that my first impression was of an organization that was anti-religion and desired to remove God from the military (not just from an oath). So I wrote to MRFF and expressed my concerns. I, too, received a direct response. I was surprised to learn that my perception of MRFF, formed from information provided by conservative sources like Fox News, Breitbart, and WorldNetDaily, might not be the whole story. This led me on an independent research effort to learn more – not only about MRFF but also about the broader issue of Constitutional protections of religious freedom in our military. By the end of my research, I was convinced that the impression given by conservative outlets is simply wrong.
By way of example, let’s look specifically at the “so help me God” controversy. Despite accusations to the contrary, MRFF was not attempting to prevent people of faith from saying those words. The challenge was whether it’s appropriate and Constitutional to require those words to be said by people with no belief in God (yet who are, of course, still good, honorable people). It was the mandatory nature of the words in the oath that was at issue. As an aside, I’d ask you to consider for a moment the irony of requiring an individual to make a solemn pledge not to lie, and then offer it to a God in whom the individual does not believe. Keep in mind, too, that our military is supposed to be open to Americans of all backgrounds, traditions, creeds and beliefs (including non-belief). So the position of MRFF was that the words “so help me God” should be optional, that the Academy cannot favor or promote either option, and that there could be no negative consequence for individuals who elect not to say the words. I can’t imagine how anyone reasonable person, religious or not, could object to this approach if they believe that Constitutional protections apply to all Americans.
On a broader scale, I would respectfully suggest that your impression that MRFF exists to broadly attack Christianity, or even to engage in a more expansive societal debate about religion in general, is not accurate. That realm is far beyond the attention of MRFF. Our focus is actually quite narrow and specific – we are dedicated to ensuring that all members of the United States Armed Forces fully receive the Constitutional guarantees of religious freedom to which they and all Americans are entitled by virtue of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. That support is available to military members of any and all conceivable doctrine or belief – Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Druids, Free-Thinkers, and on and on. We are a pro-Constitution organization, not an anti-religious one. In fact, I would argue that we are more ‘pro-religious’ than the vast majority of groups who claim to promote religious liberty, because our focus is to support the rights of believers of all stripes, not just one sectarian belief, denomination or sect.
If it seems that the preponderance of situations in which MRFF finds itself seem to involve Christians, I would agree (sadly) that is generally true…. but not for the reason that you may think. The vast majority of requests for MRFF assistance involve actions by a leader or superior to proselytize about Christianity. There is a small but active of Christians that are often referred to as Dominionists (they typically don’t accept that title for themselves, but it is descriptive of who they are). These are folks who believe (wrongly) several things. First, they believe that the US is an explicitly Christian nation, and therefore that Christianity should have preferential influence and significant dominance (dominion) in our government, including the military. Second, they believe that the ultimate truth and rightness of their belief is so compelling that they can grant it favoritism and prominence over all other beliefs. Lastly, they believe that their own personal right to religious freedom is so sacrosanct that they can proselytize and promote it at any time, place or manner… and disregard the corresponding rights of other individuals.
But rest assured – inappropriate proselytizing by a military leader of ANY belief would be treated in the exact same manner at MRFF. So if you have issues with the fact that some Christians are the most common offenders, your beef is with those offenders, not with the MRFF.
Regarding your valid concerns about the violence occurring in the world today at the hands of Muslim extremists, you will find that everyone associated with MRFF also condemns those actions just as strongly as you do. And if it happens that a US military leader proselytizes or promotes Islam in an inappropriate time, place, or manner, MRFF will address that problem with the same fervor that we address all Constitutional violations that are brought to our attention.
Thanks again for writing and sharing your thoughts. If you would like to continue this dialogue, I’d be honored to correspond with you for as long as you’d like.
Peace,
Mike Challman
Christian, AF Veteran, MRFF Supporter
Dear Mr. Chairman,
With respect to you and not knowing you I can only respond by saying that I have to infer you may very well be a nominal, lackluster Christian who really does not know or accept what the bible would define as really being Christian.
Your commentary lends itself to my ascertaining this. I know that when we use our wisdom and discernment capabilities all rational human beings can usually figure out and analyze anything in life according to people’s words and behavior so this is why
I suspect you may GENERALLY follow Christianity but you may prob ably be what I would call a fence-rider. I could be wrong but anyway, the reason I feel as I do about Mr. Weinstein is because he called Christians monsters but I think with just even a quick look
at the geopolitical scene today we can see who the real monsters are and what religious group really engages in proselytizing – to the extent of one’s losing their life if they will not convert. I’m not fooled by this certain group of people who proclaim
to be a religion of peace, when all one needs to do is listen to the adherents of that “religion” who speak the truth of such an oppressive barbaric truth of what it’s all about. The liberals and apathetic Americans should first research and understand
the revelations about this political, military and economic chokehold that masquerades as a religion and I will not be swayed by your nice sounding letter of marketing and promotion for MRFF. But hey, I support your wanting to use your God given right of
free speech to reach out and take the time to contact me and share your feelings. By the way,
If you look up our nation’s founding and history, that’s been intentionally diminished and even rewritten in our kids’ education system, you would know that we were founded on the Judeo Christian religious principles and the perversion that has taken place is this: The founders did not want a national religion like King George was mandating that they only follow his BRAND or denomination. The founders wanted to make sure their new American homeland would not specify which subset (if you will) or which
Christian denomination to be followed. That is all. Decades ago some informed Americans should have presented this fact and fought the rogue judges who deliberately have made it seem like we are a no-religion country. There are
many more evidences of this truth that are too numerous to go into here but you can find them if you just goggle. Also, sir, I would invite you to take a tour of DC and see the ENGRAVED words pertaining to not only religion like at our Supreme Court
where the Ten Commandments are inscribed but take a gander at the Wash. monument, up top where they now prevent people from going and actually you’ll see engraved there a dedication to Jesus Christ. Any rational person can draw one
and only one conclusion from this and you do sound like a rational person. Good day.
(Name Withheld)
Dear (name withheld) –
As a huge fan of Frank Sinatra, the “Chairman of the Board”, I really appreciate that you would deign to bestow upon me the moniker of “Chairman”.
What I appreciate much less is that you acknowledge that you don’t know me, and then follow that admission with hundreds of words to describe what you think you DO know about me and my supposed shortcomings as a Christian. Your inferences and suspicions about whether or not I’m “really being Christian” are really just so much blather. God knows who belongs to Him, and for you to suggest that you have some special insight in that realm is the height of arrogance and hubris.
Still, your note is instructive because it demonstrates precisely the type of threat from which our service members need to be protected. Today, the greatest risk to the Constitutionally-guaranteed right to religious freedom of all American soldiers, sailors and airmen comes from military leaders who think as you do. Specifically, those who wrongly believe that they know better than anyone else what is right or wrong in terms of religious beliefs – including even whether professed Christians are the ‘right kind’ of Christian. Thus, they feel entirely justified to use their position or the color of their authority to promote and proselytize their personal religious beliefs at inappropriate times, places and manners.
Rather than merely spouting bald assertions of what you think is, or is not, the biggest threat to the Constitutional rights of military members, you would do well to engage in some research and become better acquainted with the facts. You will find that the group that most frequently, and most egregiously, infringes on the Constitutional rights of US military members is Dominionist Christians.
It’s really not at all surprising that you refuse to allow yourself to be “swayed” by facts that disagree with your preconceived notions. Thankfully, you and I can hold differing opinions and it’s a case of ‘no harm, no foul.’ However, when the same type of situation occurs in a military environment between a superior and a subordinate, and the leader says or does things that threaten the religious freedom of the subordinate, there is potential for much harm. Those of us who respect and uphold the ideals of the US Constitution will continue to challenge those misguided leaders.
Lastly, I find it mystifying that you apparently continue to find fault with MRFF for not being more involved in larger socio-political issues – but as I said, that is not our mission as a foundation. As to your apparent belief that Christianity is the only religion that should be afforded Constitutional protections, that is flat wrong. But I realize that you’ve no interest in hearing that another of your closely-held opinions is flawed, so I’ll not waste either of our time demonstrating your error.
Peace,
Mike Challman
<hr/>
Dear (name withheld),
Because we get a lot of letters, calls and emails and try to respond to them all, Mikey has asked me to let you know that your messages have been received and also to attempt to clarify some of the areas wherein you appear to be confused.
While it has taken me some time to go through your various presentations and figure out how to respond to some of your points, my primary concern is that you don’t seem to understand what it is that the Military Religious Freedom Foundation is about. As a result of your lack of understanding you appear to expect the MRFF to speak about issues and take positions that are outside its mandate.
Let me be clear: the MRFF is concerned with protecting the freedom of religious belief or non-belief of the women and men in the U.S. Armed Forces. Period. Our work is directed only at seeing that those who serve in our military are free to believe as they choose, practice whatever religion they wish and practice no religion at all if that is their choice. We protect those rights in accordance with American law in support of the long-held tradition of separating our government from establishing, supporting or appearing to support one religious belief system over another. It’s known in law as the separation of church and state.
In that regard, it is important to understand that the MRFF does not, as you seem to suggest, favor one religion or belief system over another, nor do we promote one faith over another. To us, what people believe is their own business. What we do object to, however, is the imposition of a belief system held by one person onto another who may not welcome it, especially in the military when it is done by someone in a superior or more powerful position than the person on the receiving end.
As you might imagine, that is a particularly tricky situation in the military, which is a strictly hierarchical organization, and thus must be taken very seriously. It is the mandate of the MRFF to ensure that protection.
So I hope you now better understand that many of the points you seem intent on making in the series of emails you’ve sent are off-point as regards the MRFF and are irrelevant to our work. That being so, your rather sharp criticism of Mr. Weinstein might be better re-thought and directed elsewhere.
Let me now, if I may, touch on a few of the points you’ve made and try to respond where I think it might be helpful. It appears to me in going over your messages that you may have received some of your information from sources that are either not careful enough to check their facts before making assertions or have an agenda of their own. Or perhaps both.
First, Mr. Weinstein is not “employed by our government on religious issues.” He was in government during the Reagan Administration, but that was long before the formation of the MRFF and has no relation to it.
While Mr. Weinstein has been very critical of inappropriate proselytizing by certain Christian military officers, he has also been critical of the same by atheist officers. He is particularly critical, as are we all, of the totalitarian views expressed by a fundamentalist, dominionist Christian sect whose members behave in a cult-like manner insisting that theirs is the one and only “true faith” and that anyone who believes otherwise, including other Christians who do not meet their approval, is condemned to perdition.
Your assertion that he has made “blanket derogatory statements about organizations: in this case the organization of Juseo-Christian (sic) religious institutions,” is incorrect. He does not condemn Christianity, a fact that is made clear by noting that upwards of 95% of those associated with the MRFF are themselves Christians, some of them clergy. But he is, as I believe we all are, intolerant of those who harass people who do not believe “the right way” and attempt to frighten or otherwise impose their will on those beneath them in rank or position.
Your apparent belief that Mr. Weinstein supports Islam over Christianity is also mistaken. He, like any educated person, understands that Islam, Judaism and Christianity are three of the great monotheistic, Abrahamic faiths that grew out of the Middle East. He honors all faiths, I think it’s fair to say, including some of the lesser known and more esoteric, and also honors the right of those who hold no faith. Knowing him as I do I can say he is open-minded about people’s belief systems, as long as they are positive, hopeful, peaceful and tolerant. But like any sentient person he is offended by the kind of totalitarian fundamentalism that tends to flare up in strange groups and sometimes within the ranks of the great religions, sects that arrogate to themselves the right to threaten and condemn “non-believers” and some that we see today, Muslim fundamentalists committing horrifying sacrilegious acts while claiming to do so in honor of Allah, Jewish fundamentalists savaging Arabs for their God, Hindu fundamentalists slaughtering Muslims, Christian fundamentalists bombing or shooting up synagogues or murdering doctors.
It’s a confusing time in our world today, particularly so when we are bombarded in the media by stories of horrors visited on one group by another, and it’s easy to get caught up in the choosing of sides or the blaming of someone for something someone else says he said or did. But let me reiterate that you are mistaken about Mr. Weinstein and the work of the MRFF. You are correct, I should add, when you say “Mr. Weinstein is a smart man.” But when you go on to say you are perplexed as to why he would “demonize just Christians,” you have been misled by someone or misunderstood something.
As an example, you note that the MRFF “supports fighting again (sic) a Christian Fundamental Coup in our country,” and ask “why are you not equally dedicated to fighting an advancing and rapidly rising Fundamental Islamic Coup in our country as well?” While I personally see no evidence of a ‘rapidly rising Fundamentalist Islamic Coup in our country,’ I am certain there’s no danger of it arising from within the U.S. military. But if such a thing were to give evidence of occurring, the MRFF would of course do everything in our power to stop it.
It is fair to say that most of the problems we deal with in regard to the U.S. military have to do with overzealous and inappropriate Christian proselytizing. That’s largely because Christianity is the predominant faith in this country. But that fact, as most good Christians understand, means they have to be especially mindful and tolerant in honoring the separation of church and state so that their comrades are not made to feel threatened by the fact of holding a different belief system. The problems arise when the fervent belief of “knowing one is right” overwhelms common decency and leads to insisting or forcing one’s belief on another.
As Mr. Weinstein often says, it’s a question time, place and manner. There is a right time, a right place and a right way to practice one’s faith and it’s not about forcing it on someone else.
I hope this helps you better understand the work of the MRFF and Mr. Weinstein. As regards your deep concern about the dangers of Muslim fundamentalism and the possibility of terrorists starting wildfires, I’m afraid there’s really nothing Mr. Weinstein or the MRFF can do to help you.
I wish you peace.
Mike Farrell
(MRFF Board of Advisors)
<hr/>
Mr, Challman,
I only apologize for my typing error. I meant to spell your name and instead inadvertently it spelled “Chairman”. I must say your use of vocal and sentence structure is impeccable. Your well articulated position is well, slick and clever.
What a fool a person is if they don’t make observations, assessment and analysis of every single topic, issue, behavior and commentary from the most trivial to the most important issues in life. If you think as a Christian, we can’t
make an objective non arbitrary assessment of what Christianity is, then a person isn’t thinking. In the bible, you will find scripture from the Old to the New Testament where we are to rightly divide the word of God and do all that
is in the criteria and definition so your being disingenuous when you say I’m filled with pride and arrogance. Every religion and organization has a criteria for labeling oneself with it and being a Christian requires criteria like anything else.
We are supposed to preach the gospel, in love and gentleness not force it upon people. The military never had a problem with people sharing (not forcing their faith) until maybe the last decade so you are trying to make it seem
like this is factually the case while that is untrue. The tenant of the entire Christian religion is to share the gospel. If a person is not interested, then we move on. I know people of all faiths that share it with me in social circles and I always
listen but then I reject it. I don’t force them to shut up or get annoyed I always engage in discussion. I, likewise share my faith. Life is all about sharing and advertising that which we ascribe to. People don’t have to accept it and in the military it’s been this way
so I am not be fooled by your linguistic trickery and deception. Also, scripture says the gospel of Christ is foolishness to them that are perishing. So it should make you happy and cheerful to share your Christianity and move on. Then
the person you’re sharing with can decide for themselves. Advertising is part of life, whether it be your religion or favorite shoe style. Who do you think you’re kidding that the military has always been against sharing faith? You sir,
I believe may be a shill or troll trying to do ineffective PR for a foundation. Good luck with that. I challenge you to answer 2 questions to see if you really are a Christian. Let’s see if you’ll put your money where your mouth is.
Is Jesus Christ God and do you believe this to be truth when Jesus said. “No man comes to the father except by me” and “there is no OTHER name under heaven by which we are saved than Christ. Just a little biblical trivia for ya
Don’t labor over it too long. Hint, that may be a clue for you to see if you’re really practicing your faith or merely labeling yourself with it.
(name withheld)
<hr/>
Dear (name withheld),
No need to apologize, I’m never offended by things that bring to my mind the greatest crooner of all time. I figured it was an auto-correct issue — I was merely injecting a bit of wry humor into a discussion that is quickly becoming a decidedly more pointed conversation. Nobody else gets my sense of humor, either, so don’t fret over it.
And while I appreciate your compliment about my writing ability (for which I must say, all credit goes to my mom and to Ruth Townsend, my high school English teacher), I’m not at all clear how you make leap from that to an accusation that I am “slick and clever”, a “shill or troll”, or attempting “trickery and deception”. To this point in our discourse, it would seem that your own approach seems to be based mostly upon judgement… something that our Lord Jesus Christ, tells us that we are to avoid. But after living for 16 years as a devout Catholic in the heart of the Bible Belt, the Deep South, my hide is as thick as leather so even your name calling does not affect me.
In your eagerness to accuse me of the things I noted above, you misread my comments. I didn’t say people lack the ability to understand what it means to be a Christian — although I would suggest that none of us should be so overconfident as to believe that we can truly know the thoughts and ways of God. Nor did I suggest that individual churches are wrong to articulate specific attributes for membership. My comment had only to do with your claims to know about my relationship with God.
As for preaching the gospel, I agree completely that we are to do that. In the words of a famous quote (usually wrongly attributed to St Francis of Assisi) – we should “preach the gospel at all times and use words when necessary.”
What you seem not to understand (and for that I take responsibility because I’m the guy trying to explain it) is that MRFF seeks to ensure that military leaders who desire to ‘preach the gospel’ do so in an appropriate time, place and manner. I can tell you unequivocally that the military environment has no parallel in the civilian world. Leaders can literally order their subordinates to do things that have a high probability of killing them, and the subordinates must comply. So when you offer examples about proselytizing that you’ve experienced “in social circles”, that is simply not the same thing. In a civilian social setting, relationships have parity. Not so in the military. Leaders have very real and literal power over subordinates — and as a result, they have the ability to exert great control over them, either for good or ill.
The ONLY thing that MRFF opposes is an effort by a military leader of ANY belief to use his position or the color of his authority to push a personal sectarian agenda in an inappropriate time, place or manner. So it’s not that military leaders cannot share their faith — but they must be cognizant of when it’s appropriate to do so.
I often tell people — when I was in the Air Force, I evangelized and shared my faith every day….. by striving to be a servant leader, by dealing with people compassionately and honestly, by treating them with dignity and charity, and by trying to actively live the tenets of my faith in all of my actions. But I didn’t explicitly announce my religious beliefs to the airmen and sergeants in my squadron. Why? It’s simple – because religious conversion was not my mission as an Air Force officer. But I believe that the Lord works through us to accomplish His will, and even our unspoken actions should proclaim His greatness.
Finally, to your little pop quiz. My first impulse is to ignore it, because quite frankly I don’t owe you any proof of my faith. But instead, I’m going to answer so that you don’t disregard everything that I just took the time to share and say to yourself, “Aha! I knew it! He’s not a real Christian like me!” The only caveat I will offer is that I believe your quiz is fundamentally flawed (pun intended) because we’re not saved by our faith alone, nor by our works. We are saved by God’s grace alone. So with that as backdrop:
Yes, I believe that Jesus Christ is God.
Yes, I believe that He spoke the truth when He said, “No one comes to the Father except through me”… and that there is not “any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.”
Of course, how He chooses to bestow that grace and the gift of salvation upon any individual is something that I will not claim to know — He will save whom He saves. What I do know is that I put my full trust and confidence in Him, and I strive to know Him, love Him, and serve Him in this world.
Peace,
Mike C
<hr/>
Dear Mr. Chairman,
With respect to you and not knowing you I can only respond by saying that I have to infer you may very well be a nominal, lackluster Christian who really does not know or accept what the bible would define as really being Christian.
Your commentary lends itself to my ascertaining this. I know that when we use our wisdom and discernment capabilities all rational human beings can usually figure out and analyze anything in life according to people’s words and behavior so this is why
I suspect you may GENERALLY follow Christianity but you may prob ably be what I would call a fence-rider. I could be wrong but anyway, the reason I feel as I do about Mr. Weinstein is because he called Christians monsters but I think with just even a quick look
at the geopolitical scene today we can see who the real monsters are and what religious group really engages in proselytizing – to the extent of one’s losing their life if they will not convert. I’m not fooled by this certain group of people who proclaim
to be a religion of peace, when all one needs to do is listen to the adherents of that “religion” who speak the truth of such an oppressive barbaric truth of what it’s all about. The liberals and apathetic Americans should first research and understand
the revelations about this political, military and economic chokehold that masquerades as a religion and I will not be swayed by your nice sounding letter of marketing and promotion for MRFF. But hey, I support your wanting to use your God given right of
free speech to reach out and take the time to contact me and share your feelings. By the way,
If you look up our nation’s founding and history, that’s been intentionally diminished and even rewritten in our kids’ education system, you would know that we were founded on the Judeo Christian religious principles and the perversion that has taken place is this: The founders did not want a national religion like King George was mandating that they only follow his BRAND or denomination. The founders wanted to make sure their new American homeland would not specify which subset (if you will) or which
Christian denomination to be followed. That is all. Decades ago some informed Americans should have presented this fact and fought the rogue judges who deliberately have made it seem like we are a no-religion country. There are
many more evidences of this truth that are too numerous to go into here but you can find them if you just goggle. Also, sir, I would invite you to take a tour of DC and see the ENGRAVED words pertaining to not only religion like at our Supreme Court
where the Ten Commandments are inscribed but take a gander at the Wash. monument, up top where they now prevent people from going and actually you’ll see engraved there a dedication to Jesus Christ. Any rational person can draw one
and only one conclusion from this and you do sound like a rational person. Good day.
(name withheld)
<hr/>
Dear (name withheld) –
As a huge fan of Frank Sinatra, the “Chairman of the Board”, I really appreciate that you would deign to bestow upon me the moniker of “Chairman”.
What I appreciate much less is that you acknowledge that you don’t know me, and then follow that admission with hundreds of words to describe what you think you DO know about me and my supposed shortcomings as a Christian. Your inferences and suspicions about whether or not I’m “really being Christian” are really just so much blather. God knows who belongs to Him, and for you to suggest that you have some special insight in that realm is the height of arrogance and hubris.
Still, your note is instructive because it demonstrates precisely the type of threat from which our service members need to be protected. Today, the greatest risk to the Constitutionally-guaranteed right to religious freedom of all American soldiers, sailors and airmen comes from military leaders who think as you do. Specifically, those who wrongly believe that they know better than anyone else what is right or wrong in terms of religious beliefs – including even whether professed Christians are the ‘right kind’ of Christian. Thus, they feel entirely justified to use their position or the color of their authority to promote and proselytize their personal religious beliefs at inappropriate times, places and manners.
Rather than merely spouting bald assertions of what you think is, or is not, the biggest threat to the Constitutional rights of military members, you would do well to engage in some research and become better acquainted with the facts. You will find that the group that most frequently, and most egregiously, infringes on the Constitutional rights of US military members is Dominionist Christians.
It’s really not at all surprising that you refuse to allow yourself to be “swayed” by facts that disagree with your preconceived notions. Thankfully, you and I can hold differing opinions and it’s a case of ‘no harm, no foul.’ However, when the same type of situation occurs in a military environment between a superior and a subordinate, and the leader says or does things that threaten the religious freedom of the subordinate, there is potential for much harm. Those of us who respect and uphold the ideals of the US Constitution will continue to challenge those misguided leaders.
Lastly, I find it mystifying that you apparently continue to find fault with MRFF for not being more involved in larger socio-political issues – but as I said, that is not our mission as a foundation. As to your apparent belief that Christianity is the only religion that should be afforded Constitutional protections, that is flat wrong. But I realize that you’ve no interest in hearing that another of your closely-held opinions is flawed, so I’ll not waste either of our time demonstrating your error.
Peace,
Mike Challman
<hr/>
Dear Mr. Challman,
I think I may have misinterpreted your faith. I am sorry. You do sound like you care perhaps I am rigid in following biblical Christianity. I don’t know who Jesus saves in the final analysis
Yet, even though we’re saved by faith and God’s grace, we are not dolled out grace like candy. Any one of us can actually lose our place in heaven when we pass on if we conform to the world and since today more than ever, Christianity is under attack, I like to stand firm in my convictions and try to be apart from the world as we’re asked to do in the Word. It is a monumental task to be consistent in doing
this when so many new social engineering doctrines are being conjured up by consensus in our modern society of this era. When I really got into the bible a few years back, I realized that I was just a nominal Catholic and really not a changed person in the way the bible tells us we have to be renewed or else we are among the lost. It took a lot of time and study and being convicted by The Holy Spirit to
realize this and actually it’s not pleasant to come to this knowledge because then you may have to let go of some people and environments that are toxic to your eternal salvation. It really makes you choose
whether or not to have one foot in the door of church and naively think you’re going to be in heaven or fully allow yourself to be crucified with Christ and try to save the lost. I’ve struggled with how
to approach people who live for self and care not about what tomorrow brings.
See, death is imminent and when I face the Creator, I would feel pathetic and ashamed to admit that I cowered at proclaiming my faith because the military or my employer or my school system ruled it illegal.
I just know that God would not say that’s perfectly okay to deny him, even passively and usher me right into the kingdom of God anyway. For there’s no justice if all the remnant who stood firm in defending God would see watered down, lukewarm Christians in the kingdom. God is a just and Holy God as well as a logical God and no sin can enter so people will be with him or not according to their loyalty especially
and even sharing the gospel under it being called illegal in this earthly plane.
This is laid out clearly in the bible so I’m not guessing. While we are not to judge, today people use that as an excuse to relieve themselves of feeling obligated to share. The overtly secular crowd
throws around that accusation which then intimidates people so all discussion is silenced. Imagine if the 11 of the 12 apostles who were brutally martyred for God felt that they could deny Him because the government and political forces of that day compelled them to acquiesce and separate their faith from the political Roman rulers? It really is walking a tight rope for sure. We are to judge generally, not a person specifically if you get what I mean. We read, infer, deduct and conclude. Sometimes we don’t even need to conclude. God is very concise and clear in what constitutes sin. So when we kindly relay that info, people jump and accuse we are judging. It’s astonishing to me that people don’t know how to refute this because every human being makes judgments all day long about everything and so does our legal system. But today speaking the word sin is a four letter word. No, I think society is careening toward judgment because a nation so richly blessed has turned away from and rebelled against the God who blessed and prospered her. Economic calamity, social and civil upheaval is on the horizon and unless America repents for her national and personal sins, we will meet the same fate that every nation throughout history has met. But there’s still hope if people recognize their fallen nature and ask for forgiveness.
I wish you well. Take care.
(name withheld)
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Dear (name withheld),
Thanks for sharing such personal thoughts. I can appreciate your journey – I think that anyone who has pursued a truly meaningful relationship with God has experienced very similar feelings. I know it’s true for me.
Before we part as friends, I’d like to leave you with a final thought:
There is an aspect of freedom of religion in the military to which some people of faith give short shrift — the rights of TWO individuals need to be equally respected.
It’s easy for us to say, “People of faith have a right to express it.” But that only considers the rights of one party.
In the very hierarchical and authoritarian structure of the military, a subordinate does not have the ability to easily say ‘no thanks’ to unwelcome proselytizing by a leader. And a leader who actively promotes his faith without considering the rights of others runs the very real risk of creating an environment that is unwelcome, or could even perceived as hostile, to subordinates who don’t hold similar beliefs. That is not good for unit cohesion and readiness.
At MRFF, our goal is simply to ensure that the rights of subordinates don’t get trampled by an overzealous leader… even if the leader’s intentions are good. And remember, it can just as easily be an atheist leader disrespecting the rights of a Christian subordinate as the other way around.
Thanks again very much for this lively exchange — I’ve enjoyed it a ton. If you ever want to discuss things again in the future, I’d welcome it.
Peace,
Mike C
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Dear Mr. Challman
I don’t know you and don’t even know why I’m still drawn into this continued dialogue with you. I wanted to resist any further back and forth but I must tell you that unfortunately
your very intelligently worded explanation for freedom from religion in the military with respect to the rights of the other person kind of falls short to suffice. Also, freedom of expression
of one’s faith is enshrined into the Constitution and goes beyond that phrase because it’s freedom to practice it and religion. If any institution, including our military try to limit or diminish that right even in the small measure you assert to be fair, then we really can’t practice it. So I say, proselytize away, advertise, and promote your religion. The disrupting of cohesion and readiness you believe will result can be
mitigated with common sense and respect. This was never an issue since our country’s founding. It is apparent that only in very recent times has there been a deliberate purging of religion and
the religion of choice in this purge is Christianity. In fact, our dept of defense and the hierarchy of the Obama admin. has been blatant in their attempt to appease and placate those of the Muslim
religion. Not too long ago, I read that in a few Middle Eastern countries they made our soldiers follow some religious adherence to Muslim practices during their ramadan holiday, specifically telling
servicemen not to drink coffee on base or on private weekend time not to drink when going out and several other unfathomable requests or I should say Commands from the superiors to people in our military
that are not Muslim. Imagine if we Christians told Muslims to abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent so they could respect our religious practices. You can find this fact I’ve stated and many Americans see through the top down orders like these from a president who clearly has no Christians’ interests but more of the Muslims’ interests to coddle and protect. I really have done much research about the lopsided bending over backwards by our governmental agencies for Muslims so I can only conclude that there is a purposeful effort to rid our military in a slow systematic and incremental way of Christian influence this country has no doubt had in America and on the world. It seems that MFFR may be aiding in this effort at the orders of the top dogs.
In the bible, we see the reliable pattern of when nations allow other gods into their country to be fair and gracious to a fault, then those nations lose God’s hand of blessing and protection. (Do our open borders come to mind?) It’s no accident
we are experiencing a poor economy, civil uprisings, moral decay and rot, social re-engineering and a weakened military, all accelerated by a Marxist regime headed by the Marxist in chief.
George Washington dedicated this nation to God at a church right near Wall St. where 9/11 occurred and ironically that’s where the first judgment of God took place to warn and wake up an apathetic nation of godless pagans but did we heed the warning? I think not. So when we see terrorism and then fall over backwards to still defend the religion of tolerance and peace, (the only peace they want is a piece of you) we shouldn’t be surprised when the next terror event occurs as God lifts his hand of protection over a nation that has turned their backs on Him and tried to excessively appease those other gods which will only bring in their assured demise. You can disagree with me, mock me and this might anger you but I will stand by these words and when, not if you see more terrible calamities hit our once great nation maybe you’ll think back to a time when the God of the bible’s religion of the Judeo-Christian ethic really was the religion that should have been given the most respect for it was His Jewish/Christian people who built this nation, not Hindus, nor Buddhist nor Islamists. History tells this truth and of late, only this Administration is trying to erase our once very Christian military but astute Americans see this charade and know we truly are a Christian nation yet giving undue favoritism and deference to other “religions.” As a Christian we are mandated to be salt and light. We can’t do that and our hands are tied if in our military we are stifled to practice this. In fact a true follower of Christ would feel compelled to seek to preserve the right to share the faith, in what you coyly represent as proselytizing.
Mr. Challman, I think you are intellectualizing your faith too much because of worldly tugging instead of giving over to the Holy Spirit to guide you in child-like wisdom and not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Let’s be real. There are ways to broach the subject of your faith yet still be respectful. We don’t need to knock people over with it. The wisdom of men is like foolishness to God. You seem to rationalize how you can stay fair to all but your over intellectualizing is so transparently exposed. On the judgment day appointment the most intelligent, gifted, high IQ’d men and women will not be able to present that as evidence.
I mean you no disrespect. Let events unfold with each passing day as prophesied (no other “religion” can boast prophecy) and that will be the best evidence of the light and truth of the God of the bible.
Sincerely,
(name withheld)
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Dear (name withheld),
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. May 2015 bring you and your family good health and many blessings.
Peace, Mike