Your e-mail to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation

Published On: October 24, 2013|Categories: MRFF's Inbox|0 Comments|

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My name is (name witheld). I am a United States Navy Service Connected Disabled
Veteran.

And I am offended by your actions. While I served and was injured in
the line of duty, I did so for ALL PEOPLE to live free and BELIEVE their
OWN way… I did not fight just for people like you that think your way
is the correct one and ALL other people should cater to and adhere to
your way of doing things.

This country was founded on a number of principals, including freedom OF
religion. Not freedom FROM religion. Yet you seem to think your
mission includes barring, changing or removing any icons or text or
anything else that even hints at religious belief.

This country is over 220+ years old… and it made it this far and until
recent years, did not have groups like yours trying to destroy this
country, and what so many do believe, from within.

BTW, I am NOT a religious person. I have my own belief but I do NOT try
to FORCE everyone else to adhere to my ideals like you and your
organization seem hell bent on doing. I am also not ‘offended’
personally because someone else uses certain text, words or otherwise.
As far as I am concerned, what ever a person does believe is up to
them….. including you people. But you do not see all those people
trying to FORCE YOU to adhere to their ways.

IF you were majority, then perhaps some changes would be right because
the MAJORITY would decide. But you people use the scare tactic of
political correctness to get what you want regardless of what the
majority want, and THAT is more insulting than anything else to so many
people.

What I also find extremely insulting is that you think 98% of the planet
is off their rocker, insane or nuts…. and you and the remaining 2% are
right and totally sane and in the know factually about everyone else’s
belief. What a crock of shit you are stirring. Just as no one can
prove that God or Bhudda or Muhamed or any other diety exists, niether
can you DISPROVE it. And yet you think that makes it right for you to
pull your moral elite crap on everyone else.

Trying to “FORCE” the U.S. Military, or anyone else for that matter, to
change something you do not believe in that they DO believe in is more
anti-american than the taliban.

A lot of us out here are getting sick and tired of this crap. If we
want to celebrate Christmas with carols, decorated trees or whatever
else, what gives you the right to screw it up for everyone else not to
mention years and years of traditional celebration? What gives you the
right to impose your ideals on everyone but not accept OUR ideals? You
talk about the U.S. Constitution. Your actions are doing more against
the intent of the Constitution than anything else. Just because you
want to take a literal passage and then change all tradition, that does
not mean it is the RIGHT thing to do just because you want it that way.

The talk I just saw on Fox is a great example of how you want to FORCE
your ideals on people… Half the time you did not even let Megyn
finish her question before you were jumping out of your seat talking
over her.

So answer her question…. Why do you “require” certain words to
literally be removed in an oath? Why can those who do not want to say
the words, just leave them out? Your argument is that the words
should be taken out and if WE WANT to say them still we can…. What
gives you that right? In other words it is ok for you to literally
remove the words that have always been there and “allow” us to say them
if we want to, but it is not ok for US to LEAVE the words IN and YOU
just not say them if you do not want to…

In other words, like so many other parts of your arguments, you are also
hypocrites in reality. You want what you want but anyone else be
damned if what they want is against your ideals..

I would love to have a public on TV debate with you on this subject. I
already know what would happen. The blow back on you and your
organization would be so profound, it would make your head spin. But
I know that will not happen because it appears the way you do things is
to stay under the political correctness radar and do it all quietly
behind the scenes before anyone realizes what you are doing.

If you truly wanted to make a difference and protect the Constitution
you would not be wasting time on this crap. Instead you would be going
after the politicians who are passing executive orders and changing many
different laws against the will of the people. THAT would be a
worthwhile mission. Not destroying the very foundation that this
country started on and defining those changes to your own ideals.

Sincerely,
(name withheld)


Dear (name withheld),

Thanks for writing to us. My name is Akiva David Miller, I volunteer my time as the Director of Veterans Affairs for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and I am a 100% (service-connected) disabled U.S. Navy Veteran as well. Further, I am an Orthodox, G-d fearing Jew (just so you and I understand each other). Before I write anything else I want to thank you for your service. However, sadly, your honorable service has not been enough to equip you with the truth on the matters which you addressed in your note.

One of the great ironies of your note is you accuse Mikey of trying to impose his beliefs on others while in fact the opposite is actually true. Mr. Weinstein and the rest of us at the Foundation work tirelessly to represent service members and veterans of all faiths (and no faith at all) who daily face predatory proselytizing, harassment, threats and even violence at the hands of Fundamentalist/Dominionist Christians who seek to impose and inflict their beliefs on everyone else. I have experienced this harassment first hand. What may surprise you is that the vast majority of our clients are in fact Christians who are not considered “Christian enough” by their Fundamentalist co-religionists. You may not have experienced this sort of harassment or coercion personally during your service, however, we are daily contacted by countless honorable service members and veterans who routinely face just this sort of oppression. And you and I both know how difficult it can be when an NCO or Commissioned Officer up the chain of command seeks to impose his or her religious views on others – the military command structure offers much more serious opportunities for abuse than are ever present in the civilian world.

Strangely, (name withheld), you seem to be under the erroneous impression that phrases like “under G-d” have always been a part of American life when the phrase “under G-d” in the Pledge of Allegiance is in fact a modern, 20th Century addition. Our Founding Fathers (whom I’ve bothered to study) never intended Americans to take any oath “under G-d.” Of course your opinion on this matter no doubt is just one more example of a regurgitated lie heard on Faux News. As Roger Ailes, the President of Fox, so proudly stated, “The truth is whatever we can make people believe.”

Finally, you accuse the Foundation of staying “under the political correctness radar” and doing “it all quietly behind the scenes before anyone realizes what you are doing.” Forgive me, but this actually made me laugh out loud because no one in their right mind would ever accuse Mikey of doing anything “under the radar,” nor certainly practicing any form of political correctness. Everything the Foundation and Mikey does is out in the open, loudly and passionately. We are, after all, fighting to preserve the religious liberties of those who routinely lay their lives on the line for this great nation, who are prepared every day to give what Lincoln called the last full measure of devotion. We owe it not only to the living, breathing service members and veterans of this great nation, but also the honorable dead to fight for the religious liberties of those who honorably serve this great nation. I understand you disagree, and that doesn’t negate your honorable service, it only means your honor doesn’t extend to protecting the rights of others who serve, and tragically, that makes you less than a honorable human being.

Finally, trust me, you don’t really want to debate Mikey; he’d have your intellectual and moral vacuity flayed and exposed for all to see in an instant, but then even my sister’s cat could expose you for the intellectual cockroach you are without ever getting its whiskers in a twist.

Sincerely,

Akiva David Miller
Director of Veterans Affairs
Military Religious Freedom Foundation

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