Shaw

Published On: December 11, 2013|Categories: MRFF's Inbox|0 Comments|

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Please stop trying to tear down our country. You do so much more harm, than you do good. Do you REALLY think that having a nativity scene removed helped someone feel better about themselves, or did the vast majority of people read the article and think your group is just another extreme gormless group that believes in nothing, therefor you don’t want anyone else to believe in anything.

Your asseveration is noteworthy, but for what real cause? To be noisome to 99% of the people so you and few minions can feel good about yourselves?

Your agonist actions simply help to degrade our country. Please use your time and talents for something that will actually help our country.


I appreciate you reaching out to us. I’m going to address your sole appropriate question as best I can.

> Your asseveration is noteworthy, but for what real cause?

Our cause is the separation of church and state and ensuring that military members can serve without proselytization. You see, it may not be obvious from the outside looking in, but there are many members of the military that are unjustly treated as second-class citizens in the military because they either aren’t Christians or “aren’t Christian enough” for the radical Christians. These radicals push extraneous lies and attempt to press their will against others in the military, sometimes that includes destroying the careers of those deemed “not Christian enough.” That is wholly unconstitutional.

In the case of the nativity scene we merely pointed out that the placement of the scene was an infraction of Air Force Instruction 1-1 Section 2.11 which states

> 2.11. 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 the constitutional 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 for any religion. Commanders or supervisors who engage in such behavior may cause members to doubt their impartiality and objectivity. The potential result is a degradation of the unit’s morale, good order, and discipline. Airmen, especially commanders and supervisors, must ensure that in exercising their right of religious free expression, they do not degrade morale, good order, and discipline in the Air Force or degrade the trust and confidence that the public has in the United States Air Force.

That regulation is guided by the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution which states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Since the Air Force is not a citizen, and actually is a department of the federal government, it does not have the right to free exercise. Therefore we told the Air Force to move the scene to the base chapel where it would be constitutionally compliant, as the members of the Air Force do have that right to free exercise. Had it been moved to the chapel then those active duty members would have been allowed to exercise their constitutional rights by visiting it there. As it turned the Air Force chose to take down the display entirely.

If you have a complaint about the removal of the display I would direct you to get with the Base Command and ask them why they removed it rather than moved it.

Very Respectfully,
Paul Loebe
Special Projects Manager
Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Chicago, IL

*Disclaimer: Although I am a Marine Sergeant my views do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense, U.S. Marine Corps, or any affiliated branches.*


I have heard about the removal of the nativity scene at the South Carolina Air Force Base after your group contacted the Pentagon with your concerns.
I was curious if you could tell me why it is a “direct violation of the U.S. Constitution”?

Could you point to me where in the Constitution it says this can’t be done?

The only thing the Constitution states about religion is that it “shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”
So in other words. It can’t tell me or anyone else how or how not to practice religion.

But please show me where a nativity scene violates the Constitution.

Thank you for your time.

(name withheld)


Dear (name withheld),

I will do my best to answer your questions. First I would like to thank you for being respectful in your message to us. We receive so much hate mail that it is refreshing to find someone who is genuinely kind and respectful in their inquiries.

> I was curious if you could tell me why it is a “direct violation of the U.S. Constitution”?

The “direct violation” of the U.S. Constitution is in reference to the Establishment Clause which states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…” This means that not only can they not establish a religion they cannot have anything respecting one – this being a sole nativity scene in the middle of the base without any reference to other religions.

This is backed up by over 200 years of case law in which the Supreme Court ruled that there must be an absolute separation of church and state. If you care to research the case law it would be greatly informative and I would highly suggest you do so.

> prohibiting the free exercise thereof”

We did not inhibit anyone’s ability to exercise their belief in Christ. We did not ask for anyone to remove the scene from their residence, church, or private business. Nor did we demand that it be taken from the Chapel on base. In fact we did precisely the opposite. We told the base officials that in order for the monument to be Constitutionally compliant the appropriate thing to do would be to move it to the chapel. They chose to take it down altogether. That was a decision on their part, not ours.

This all falls under specific military regulations as well. Specifically Air Force Instruction 1-1 Section 2.11 which states:

> 2.11. 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 the constitutional 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 for any religion. Commanders or supervisors who engage in such behavior may cause members to doubt their impartiality and objectivity. The potential result is a degradation of the unit’s morale, good order, and discipline. Airmen, especially commanders and supervisors, must ensure that in exercising their right of religious free expression, they do not degrade morale, good order, and discipline in the Air Force or degrade the trust and confidence that the public has in the United States Air Force.

I hope this has answered your questions. If you have any further questions please feel free to reach back out to us at MRFF.

Very Respectfully,
Paul Loebe
Special Projects Manager
Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Chicago, IL

*Disclaimer: Although I am a Marine Sergeant my views do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense, U.S. Marine Corps, or any affiliated branches.*


Loebe – it’s always amazed me that a low life worthless piece of shit scum bag such as yourself is so intimidated by Christianity that you spend all of your time helplessly trying to squash all things related. A Nativity scene gets so under your skin that you foolishly will go to any length to have it removed. I often wonder what motivates the mind of an atheist. An atheist coward such as yourself has really no purpose in life other than to try and destroy Christianity which you and I both know will never ever happen. You are a waste of space with no life. You can whine and cry and pout all you want to but Christianity will always be here thriving regardless of you or your organizations futile attempts to impose your ignorant beliefs or lack of I should say.
Merry Christmas

(name withheld)


Babe Ruth,

Thank you so much for your kind Christian words! I can feel the love flowing through your words and I’m happy that I was able to bring a little bit of the Constitutional spirit back to your holiday fervor. I am afraid, however, that you do not understand what cowardice is. Cowardice is sitting behind a keyboard typing in unbridled anger towards an individual you’ve never encountered and lambasting them for upholding and defending the document upon which this nation was founded, the Constitution of the United States of America. Do you know how many men and women in service have died to give you the privilege to be able utilize that free speech the Constitution affords you?

I would say the waste of space is not me, but rather resides in the recesses of where your brain-housing group should be located. I’d say it’s high time you cleaned it out, reeducated yourself, and got back on track to understanding the principles this nation was founded upon. Freedom of religion requires that all faiths, that includes none, are represented when put forward with governmental approval.

For your knowledge 41 individuals complained about the nativity scene. 39 of them were Christians….although I’m assuming they were just the “wrong kind of Christian” according to you.

Semper Fidelis!

Very Respectfully,
Paul Loebe
Special Projects Manager
Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Chicago, IL

*Disclaimer: Although I am a Marine Sergeant my views do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense, U.S. Marine Corps, or any affiliated branches.*

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