Dear (name withheld)
Calling people who have threatened your life “vile and inhumane” is not hate speech. It’s criticism of horrible behavior. When you condemn the threats on MRFF personnel’s lives and those of their families, then come talk to me. YOU have not condemned that.
I wrote to you in the spirit of Christian fellowship. Obviously it has no meaning to you. You all are not victims, are not being stopped in any way from your beliefs. You are being soundly criticized for the actions some of your counterparts have taken and from imposing your will on America. Christianity is not under attack, you are not martyrs no matter how much you wish to be, and your freedoms are intact.
The greatest joy is walking into the sunshine of a world without hate. That is the fulfillment of Christ’s hope for us. I hope that comes to you.
Elizabeth Sholes
Once again you will not condemn the hate speech of Mr. Baker. Had he said the hateful things he said about any other group you would have been crying foul..yet when his target is what you deem to be “vile and inhumane” “Dominion” Christians..any and all manner of hate and insults is fine with you. What if a person called Islam vile and inhumane..would you sit quietly by?? How about calling Jews “lemmings” who follow a spiteful God??….Hmmmm..me thinks you’d have been howling in protest..yet when these references are made with a religious belief YOU deem inappropriate, you’re fine with the hate filled rhetoric. Hypocrites! Condemn the hate speech of Mr. Baker..then get back to me about how you follow the tenents of “love grace and humility.” I at first thought that MRFF had a point, yet when I delved into the organization and found the hate filled anger directed against a form of Christianity they deem as wrong,MRFF lost all credibility, as did you and your group for your refusal to condemn the hate. Shame on you!
Dear (name withheld)If you had thousands of fundamentalist and Pentecostal Christians threatening your family, you’d think them “vil and inhumane” I suspect. And the stories from our troops about the ways they have been treated when they differ in the type of Christian perspectives they have, much less being non-Christian, are pretty horrible. Love, grace, and humility – some of the things Jesus taught us – do not seem terribly present in the vitriol directed against MRFF that defends YOUR rights as well as those of others.
You ask about Sikh garb – well, no one is stopping any Christian from wearing personal crosses or any other signs of faith. What you do as an individual is entirely protected. That is what we support. Your individual rights.Our issue is that the MILITARY must not use religious signs for what is exclusively Constitutionally-sanctioned defense work. They defend us all, even Sikhs, and using a religious sign as part of military gear is simply not legal or moral. The military also must not berate and proselytize our men and women in uniform since they are this nation’s sons and daughters and must be respected in their diversity. The military is not the Crusaders. This nation was founded on total religious freedom meaning NO one has the right to impose his or her view on others who do not willingly receive it.How you leap in judgement about me is evidence of sheer anger, and I’m sorry you feel that way. I happen to salute the brilliant work of many Evangelicals with whom I have collaborated beautifully on health care, anti-torture work, peace, support and care for the “least of those among us”, and on tax justice. They are magnificent people, and we are deeply fond of one another. We work closely with various evangelical groups as well as Abundant Life ministries, Church of God in Christ, and many others to build a better and more just world. And gosh – we manage to respect one another’s differences and even celebrate them. It’s joyous!That is why the military MUST NOT promote one vision. Where would YOU be if the dominant perspective was Catholic and images of the Pope or the symbols of Opus Dei (which is devoted to eradicating you and us) were worn on troop badges? We’d be right there supporting your right to be free from that kind of domination.Love, peace, and justice were also Jesus’ messages to us. Anger, self-righteousness, and violence were not. We opt for His message.Elizabeth SholesDirector of Public PolicyCalifornia Council of Churches/California Church IMPACT4044 Pasadena AvenueSacramento, CA 95821916.488.7300
Yet the letter from Mr. Baker calls the belief of so called Dominion Christians “vile and inhumane”, he calls these Christians “lemmings” with no purpose in life and no formal education. How are such statements about actions??? They are hateful, evil, mean spirited words directed at people and their beliefs. And….if you are a Christian….how do you get around the statement of Jesus that the only way to the Father is thru Him…sounds pretty non-inclusive to me. Tell me…..how do you feel about the Sikhs in the Army being allowed to wear their religious symbols openely, while in uniform? Oh..the horror..they’re imposing their views upon non Sikhs….surely this must be stopped…MRFF would be all over it if this were a Christian issue. You and MRFF are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites. The fact that you refuse to condemn the hate filled words of MRFF Regional Director Mr. Baker shows that you are nothing more that an anti Evangelical idealouge yourself.(name withheld)I’m not sure what offends you. It is not belief that MRFF objects to – they defend everyone’s right to any and all beliefs – but the IMPOSITION of a belief as if it were the one and only. Otherwise the only religion that would prevail in America is Congregational, American Baptist, Anglican, and Catholic (Those were the founding religions some of which forbade the free exercise of any others. Evangelicals could worship in ONLY Rhode Island, and then only as American Baptists, no other.)Imposition of religion is NOT what America is about. What keeps us safe is the lack of a theocracy, a state church, a domination by any faith position. MRFF works to keep your faith free of taint from any other so you may worship freely. However, they and we will stand in opposition to anyone assuming they have the only view and the only word and that the work of the armed forces is to impose a particular faith. It most emphatically is NOT. We are not putting our sons and daughters in harm’s way to promote religion. We are asking them to uphold he Constitution, period. And that is freedom for you and for each and every one of us, no matter what.We object to the ACTIONS of some, not what they BELIEVE.Sincerely,Elizabeth SholesDirector of Public PolicyCalifornia Council of Churches/California Church IMPACT4044 Pasadena AvenueSacramento, CA 95821916.488.7300
In your letter to MRFF you state“We in the Christian community revere everyone’s right to worship in the manner he or she chooses – that is what the First Amendment is about. and what makes America great – but we cannot permit our faith traditions and beliefs to be overshadowed by others. We do not impose our views; we do not choose to have our loved ones and congregational allies have their faith usurped by others.We are very grateful to Mikey Weinstein and to MRFF for defending our loved ones as they serve in the military, for protecting our Christian right to worship, and for standing for all people of faith or of none in their right to religious sovereignty.No – Mikey Weinstein and MRFF are anything BUT “Christianphobes”. They are greatly valued allies to us in the Christian community”Yet the reginal director for MRFF, Mr. Baker says the following about Evangelical Christians“Good People,What this unfortunate sycophant has neglected to realize that America is already a secular nation, and has been so since the Declaration of Independence and the adoption of the US Constitution. A nation in which all religions may flourish but none dominate.Here is a person, like many other Americans, immersed, inundated, buried, overwhelmed, smothered, enchanted, pinned down, enthralled, enslaved and otherwise enraptured by a brand of Christianity that has not been witnessed since the Inquisition.With little else in their lives and without direction, ambition, goals, and the benefit of true education, America’s legion of obedient Dominion Christian lemmings eschew all of the gifts humanity has to offer and squander there lives in abject servitude to a God of choice which demands much and gives little.This poor human being does not realize that it is HE who is God’s enemy. Perhaps not the enemy of the God fashioned by Dominionists who greatly resembles the God of the Old testament, but rather an enemy of the God who calls for fellowship, moderation, love of enemy, peace, brotherhood and tolerance who ostensibly gave his life in sacrifice to all humans.This stumbling idiot’s words are the words of the extremist, the, supremacist and the bigot which obviate all other views, beliefs and doctrines, the ignorant words of a Neo-Pharisee.Much as the Nazis, Fascists and Communists needed total control so do the Dominionist Christians to achieve their now exposed march to world conquest.Rejoice in the The California Council of Churches endorsement of the important work of the MRFF and think of it as an endorsement of thinking men and women who would sooner thwart the twisted liturgy of Dominion Christianity than suffer even one young soldier a heart wrenching personal betrayal by his or her senior NCO’s and officers to whom God has become a political tool.Reject Dominionism as you would reject any philosophy that has been put forward and defeated because of it’s vile and inhumane nature.Richard Baker
MRFF Regional Coordinator
Colorado SpringsThe above statements…if made about ANY other faith would be rightfully called “hate speech”..calling someones beliefs “vile and inhumane”…saying of these Christians “lemmings eschew all of the gifts humanity has to offer and squander there lives in abject servitude to a God of choice which demands much and gives little.”….calling these Christians people who “With little else in their lives and without direction, ambition, goals, and the benefit of true education, “…..this is horribly hateful and uncalled for..yet thsi man and MRFF stand by this hate speech…this speech which is far worse than anything Franklin Graham said. Does your organization support this speech..if so you are hypocrites.Sincerely(name withheld)=
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