PTL

Published On: November 4, 2011|Categories: MRFF's Inbox|0 Comments|

Accessibility Notice

This post was created on the previous version of the MRFF website, and may not be fully accessible to users of assistive technology. If you need help accessing this content, please reach out via email.

Dear MRFF:

Tell Mikey he should start an Occupy Air Force protest all across The United States (In God We Trust) on December 24th. Each of you can man a housetop with the hopes of shooting down Santa Claus. That will show them you mean business.

Keep marching left and remember to keep “Christ” in Christmas this holiday season.

(name withheld)


Dear (name withheld),

Sorry (name withheld), Mikey already occupied the US Air Force; first as an Academy cadet/graduate then as an officer and now as an alumni and veteran. Besides, he’s much more original than your suggestion.

I personally prefer E Pluribus Unum (Out of many, one). E Pluribus Unum is a phrase on the Seal of the United States which was adopted by an Act of Congress in 1782. As such, it is much more reflective of the intentions of our founding fathers than ‘In God We Trust’, a phrase officially adopted in 1956 as the official motto of the United States and recently the subject to a U.S. House Bill. E Pluribus Unum was born out of the American Revolution and our independence from England. As a Christian (Episcopalian in fact and a direct line descendant of the founders of the Anglican Church of England) I find ‘In God We Trust’ to be born out of fear and loathing…less than admirable qualities. Episcopalians in the United States came into being when American colonial members of the English Anglican Church refused to swear allegiance to the British Crown during revolutionary times. I am proud of that fact and I’ll continue to follow the lead of the founding fathers of my Nation and my Church.

Your Santa Sniper suggestion sounds like a rip-off of a cheap video game.

Although your subject line is as clear as mud (PTL?), I’ll assume you were moved to contact MRFF based on some form of recent ‘news’ report surrounding the US Air Force Academy and Operation Christmas Child. Assuming that you may be a reasonable individual seeking actual information, I’ll share the following with you:

MRFF has done nothing to stop OCC at the USAFA. Any statement to the contrary is both ignorant of actual facts and based on a wild assumption. Absolutely no one at the USAFA is being prohibited from participating in the OCC. USAFA even has an internal (meaning tax payer funded) element that can encourage participation in this or similar activities. You may have even heard of this organization that exists within all branches of the US military, it’s known as the Chaplain Corps.

MRFF’s Founder and President Mikey Weinstein stated as much:

Thursday, November 3, 2011

UPDATE: AFA backs away from toy drive that sparked flap

Weinstein said he’d be fine if the academy was backing a secular toy drive, or if the religious charity was promoted by chaplains rather than cadet leaders. But having leaders apparently backing the worldwide evangelism aims of Operation Christmas Child is inappropriate, he said.
http://www.gazette.com/articles/religious-127840-academy-christmas.html?pic=1

Was this statement:

a) Not clear;

b) Not included in whatever source you relied on to spur you to write to MRFF; or

c) Not able to fight it’s way past your preconceptions of MRFF’s actual goals?

This position on the USAFA handling of participation in OCC which I believe was clearly and precisely stated by MRFF was quickly followed by the USAFA agreeing with MRFF 100% in a press release:

Friday, November 4, 2011

Academy responds to cadet community project — Community project will continue, led by Academy Chaplains

http://www.usafa.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123278819

MRFF’s goal is, and has always been, to uphold the military’s command structure constitutional imperative to be totally neutral on religious affairs. In fact, this imperative is of such significance as to require a very recent command directive from the US Air Force Chief of Staff:

September 1, 2011

Schwartz: Don’t endorse religious programs

Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz sent a service wide memo Sept. 1 cautioning leaders at all levels to balance the Constitution’s protection of religious freedom and the prohibition on government intrusion.

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/09/air-force-schwartz-warns-commanders-on-religious-programs-091611/

Was this command directive:

a) Not clear;

b) Over 2-months old and difficult to recall;

c) Applicable to all US Air Force elements outside of the USAFA; or

d) Not able to effectively cut through an existing, and un-constitutional, command structure religious bias?

Assumptions based on factual ignorance reveal pre-conceptions and nothing else. This may create a cheap anger driven adrenaline thrill, but accomplishes nothing.

We are involved in a cause that affects children worldwide very deeply, both today and tomorrow. Any assertion that MRFF has no care for children speaks volumes about the lack of understanding of the overwhelming historical importance of our cause. To allow the command structure of the most powerful military in world history to promote any religion would lead to potentially horrific consequences for any children not belonging to the “preferred” religion.

Your consideration of this information is greatly appreciated. May the warmth and calm of Christian brotherhood be with you.

Sincerely,

Andy Kasehagen

Share This Story

Leave A Comment