Nativity

Dear Military Religious Freedom Foundation,

And there is only 1 God…Jesus Christ our Savior!

Fully support NOT removing the Nativity as this country was FOUNDED on Christ!! Don’t like it…move to the middle east. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Blessings!
(name withheld)

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Dear (name withheld),

I see by your email that you have managed to show your ignorance on American history, the lack of knowledge of the Constitution and military law and your contempt, bigotry and hatred for a fellow American in two lines. Congratulations! It usually takes many paragraphs to get to get this point by the other tunnel vision Christians who email us and spout such self-righteous elitism.

I’m breaking up your last line into 4 parts and responding to each.

“Fully support NOT removing the Nativity”

You may fully support not removing it but that puts you in direct opposition to Gen. Schwartz and the Constitution. Gen. Schwartz, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, sent a memorandum to all Commanders in September of this year.

The Memorandum Subject is “Maintaining 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 its 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 to any religion…

…avoid mixing religion with their military roles.

They must refrain from appearing to officially endorse religion generally or any particular religion,”

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/09/air-force-schwartz-warns-commanders-on-religious-programs-091611/
https://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/USAFA_memo.pdf

Do you see where it says that they must refrain from endorsing religion generally? Do you see where the Travis AFB Commander ignored a direct order from the Chief of Staff which borders on insubordination? If you don’t then you don’t understand military law.

Here are some facts-
The first amendment in the Constitution states;

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion (establishment clause), or prohibiting the free exercise thereof (free exercise clause).”

Our military cannot favor one religion over any others (Establishment Clause) and cannot stop our soldiers from practicing whatever religion they want or if they want to practice no religion (Free Exercise Clause).

Article VI of the Constitution states;

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no Religious Test.

No person holding any job in the US government is to be judged on their religious affiliation or lack thereof.
The Commander is responsible for ensuring that soldiers and their families have the opportunity for the free exercise of religion. He does not get to endorse one religion over another.

The Chaplain is a special staff officer to the Commander and soldiers who want religious support.

There would be no problem this year if the Nativity and Menorah were put back in front of the individual Chapels where they belong and “refrain from appearing to officially endorse religion generally” by the Commander of the base in direct disobedience to the Chief of Staff.
I find the military and media negligent in leaving out Gen. Schwartz’s memorandum on religious practices in order to make it appear that there is a war on Christmas and Christ by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF). Nothing could be further from the truth. We are doing nothing more than supporting Chief of Staff Gen. Schwartz’s position. If you have a problem with this I suggest you take it up with him.
Contrary to popular reports, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) is not a one man organization. When you send an email to [email protected] it goes to Mikey, the Board, the Advisory Board and the volunteers. Many of us are Christians. I am an ordained minister in the Assemblies of God and on the Advisory Board. The California Council of Churches/IMPACT with over 5,500 churches support us. There are many other Christian churches that support us. We also have many active and retired soldiers from all branches of the military on our Advisory Board and as volunteers.
Mikey Weinstein, the founder of the MRFF, is an honor graduate of the Air Force Academy, held the position of Judge Advocate for 10 years at the Air Force Academy and was a Presidential Counsel to President Reagan for 3 years. Many of the people involved with MRFF are military veterans. Some of them, including Mikey, have been the object of beatings, verbal abuse, withholding of advancements, drummed out of the military on false charges and subject to the harshest religious proselytizing ever imaginable because they do not conform to the Christians religious standard set by their superiors and fellow soldiers.
Some of our military volunteers include-
A Lt Col (Ret) 25 year veteran of the Air Force who served as an ICBM crewmember
A former Navy Seal
A Retired brigadier general
A Naval Academy graduate with a 36 year career in the United States Air Force, he also served a three-year assignment as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first to hold that position.
A former Chaplain in the United States Air Force
A retired U.S. Air Force Major General, recently Deputy Director, Center for Special Operations, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
A retired Air Force Brigadier General – a Master Navigator
A military aviator who possesses both Senior Command Air Force wings and aircraft carrier qualified Naval Aviator wings, in addition to having been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism in combat during Operation Desert Storm.

If anyone knows the proper place (in front of the chapel) of religious symbols it is the above honored officers.

“this country was FOUNDED on Christ!!”

This country was already “founded” long before any European settlers came here and brought colonialism with them.

These fine upstanding Christians STOLE the land and MURDERED innocent people because they had a different belief system – the same reason these Puritan/Calvinists came here from the religious purging in Europe. Christians held the Salem witch trials and MURDERED other Christians. Christianization of these lands was an abysmal failure with one sect of Christianity killing another sect of Christianity, hence the Constitution that gives ALL men the freedom of ALL religions.

Not every founding father was Christian. Many were Deists who believe in the existence of God, on purely rational grounds, without any reliance on revealed religion or religious authority or holy text. Thomas Jefferson cut out every reference to Jesus in the bible. Hence the term “God” or “Creator” but no “Jesus” in our founding documents.

Here are 3 quotes that dismiss the idea that this country was founded on Christians principles.

“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between church and State.” -Thomas Jefferson

“The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries.” -James Madison

“As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.” – Article 11, Treaty of Tripoli, 1796, ratified by the Congress and signed by President John Adams, 1797, with the attached Presidential statement: “Now be it known, That I John Adams, President of the United States of America, having seen and considered the said Treaty do, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, accept, ratify, and confirm the same, and every clause and article thereof. And to the End that the said Treaty may be observed, and performed with good Faith on the part of the United States, I have ordered the premises to be made public; And I do hereby enjoin and require all persons bearing office civil or military within the United States, and all other citizens or inhabitants thereof, faithfully to observe and fulfill the said Treaty and every clause and article thereof.”

“Don’t like it…move to the middle east”

You have no right to tell anyone to leave this country because they do not have the same beliefs you do! Your intolerance and hatred to others is showing. In doing so you have trampled on the Constitution where is says “We the people!” It does not say “We the Christians!” Shame!

“MERRY CHRISTMAS!”

Thank you and a Merry Christmas to you, too.

“Blessings!”

Blessings? Really? How condescending and hypocritical of you!

Pastor Joan

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Joan,

What little you know about an actual “relationship” with our Savior Jesus!

How dare you sit in judgment of me! You have no idea about my relationship to Jesus!

It is not about religion as you folks like to put it and someday you will witness that first when you stand before God.

As will you! The term “religion” is used by the Constitution and Gen. Schwartz.

Again, and I will try to slow it down for you this time so you can u n d e r s t a n d it…this country called America which you live in was and still is founded on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Slow it down all you want. The murderous early Christians failed to set this country up as a Christian nation. Hence, the Constitution that gives All people the freedom to worship any deity they want. The bible says that we should have no other gods before us but the Constitution says yes, they can.

Go tour the white house.

Been there, done that. I’ve been to DC several times…the latest in November. I even spoke in Freedom Plaza a few years ago. Take a tour of the rest of the DC buildings and you will see pagan influence all over the place.

You, Ms. Arrogance, all in such a minority just like the petty aclu it’s laughable…sad.

MS ARROGANCE! It is you who think you have a lock on God and anyone who disagrees with your version of Christianity is doomed!

I don’t need some president who signed some bill tell me to leave God out.

No one or President is telling you to leave God out of your personal life.

So tell me how you are all handling Dearborn, Michigan then? Exactly!

In America, under the Constitution, they have the freedom to worship their own religion whether you like it or not!

So wake up.

I am awake.

Don’t they have a freedom to put up a Nativity

Yes, they have the freedom to put up a Nativity on chapel grounds.

just as you have the freedom to post this foolish petition?

“You are entitled to your opinion, but not your own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Again…exactly. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

And a Merry Christmas to you, too!!

And for the record, GOD’s law far far far outweighs any military our federal law. That it is written which you nor any of your puppets can change.

Yes, it does and maybe you should follow God’s Word which says we must obey the law of the land, which you cannot change.

”Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.” Romans 13:1

“So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.” Romans 13:2

“For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.” 1 Peter 2:13-14

So, if you believe you can disregard the laws of America then you are disobeying the very Word of God.

Good day.

Good day to you, too.

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Joan,
Feel free to throw all the “laws of the land” and “bills” around you wish. That is your freedom thanks to the men and women in uniform. Bottom line is simply this. All the energy, time and money you and your organization waste trying to hide the Good News of Jesus Christ – one day you Joan will stand before the Lord and will be asked, “Why”?

Here is your verse to think about for 2012:
Matthew 10:32-33
New International Version (NIV)

32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

Think about all you could do Joan with all that time, energy and money FOR Christ!!!

(name withheld)

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Dear (name withheld),

We BOTH will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ.

No one is trying to hide the “Good News of Jesus Christ” and nowhere did I say I am disowning Christ. You have leapt to that judgment on your own.

Again, for clarification —I stand by Jesus’ own words which you have chosen to overlook.

”Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.” Romans 13:1

“So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.” Romans 13:2

“For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.” 1 Peter 2:13-14

This means “laws of the land” and “bills” which you want to ignore when Jesus said that those who rebel against the authority He has established, will be punished.
These are your verses to think about for 2012 and when you stand before Him he will ask you “Why?” you didn’t obey His word.

Pastor Joan