Democracy…it’s what our military fights and dies for isn’t?

Dear Mike Weinstein:
I was reading a headline this afternoon “Air Force Academy Backtracks on Christmas Toy Drive Because It’s Too Christian”….so I read the article. It states in the article that “one” (operative word there) cadet came forth with an opinion stating, “This just shows how our military is supporting one religion – which is Christianity”. Well, Mr. Weinstein was democracy practiced before the decision was made? Was there a vote taken to make the decision NOT to deliver needed items to the less fortunate? Our military branches fight and die on the sole basis for democracy. I am curious as to when the minority opinions started to hold such a high standard. What are you teaching our Air Force Cadets? It sure does not seem like you are teaching them about Democracy…the reason why the United States of America is THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
I sincerely hope you have a backup program in place of Franklin Grahams’. B/C it would truly be ashame for children not to receive gifts this year…Christmas or not…it is the Holiday spirit of giving to the less fortunate that is at stake here, not a belief system. MOREOVER, if “giving to the less fortunate” happens to be solely a Christian belief…well, then, may you see the light to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks,
A Concerned American with American Values

Dear (name withheld),

Mr. Weinstein asked me to respond to your email since we are a large Christian organization that is in full support of MRFF’s actions.

The issue of whether an institution of our government can support a specific religious organization is not up for a vote. It is in the Constitution. Yes it DOES specify that there must be a wall between the state and its show of favoritism for a religious venture. Samaritan’s Purse is such a venture – it is not just obtaining toys for children in dire need. It uses those toys to elicit pledges from their parents to have the children convert to Mr. Graham’s beliefs.

This would be offensive no matter what religious group was being helped. The mission of the US Air Force which includes its Academy is to defend the Constitution, period.

Cadets who want to support the toy drive may do so as individuals and as ALL individuals across the country will do and are doing. That’s fine. But the Cadet group is part of the US Air Force. It is not a religious organization, but it is supported as part of the Academy by our collective tax money.

Therefore they can raise toys for kids in all manner of ways – Toys for Tots (the Marines do that great), the Red Cross (for kids in disasters), and many other venues that are secular in nature and goals. It simply must not raise money for toys used as part of religious recruitment by one version of Christianity.

I imagine you’d be upset if this were to have been an effort to raise money for us, the California Council of Churches IMPACT – so if you’d object to our being the focus, then you object to the principle. It is utterly un-American to have our military favor one religious group over another.

Kids will hardly be deprived of toys. All of us in the faith community look after kids in need, especially at holiday time. Anyone can do that as part of their private acts, individual or group. But MRFF protects the rights of all people of faith not to have our military provide preference to any one faith perspective.

I hope you will join with others in seeing to it that children in hard times do get toys. We are. And we wish you and yours the blessings of the season.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Sholes
Director of Public Policy
California Council of Churches IMPACT
Sacramento, CA