Rights of religion

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

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Dear MRFF,

Hello I’m contacting you in regards to the Air Force Base that removed its’ nativity scene.

You state it’s in support of freedom of religion and that it violates rules in the military. How dare you? If people are allowed to practice any religion they wish then why can’t they not do so openly. A muslim is allowed to go to their Mosque, they are allowed to leave work to pray five times a day, and they are allowed to fast even when their training conditions requires them to eat.

It’s okay for gay people now to get married and be open in the military, am I correct? They can openly display themselves in public? It’s their right isn’t it? Why is it not the right of Christians to practice their religion by displaying a nativity scene, in YOUR perspective it should be NO different than displaying gay sexual orientation to the public. You are a disgusting organization to even support such an act as removing a Christian religious holiday decorations.

So people who are offended by Christianity are allowed to cause an uproar over traditions and practices of the religion but I’m not allowed to say that I do NOT want to see or support gay marriage and relationships? If I do, I’m seen as anti-gay or committing hate speech.

This country has been turned upside down and it started with organizations like you that think you have the right to conduct a “balancing act” between people’s lifestyles. Being openly gay and being an open Christian. Being an Obama supporter and just not.

If everyone has the right to do what they please with their life then EVERYONE should be forced to just “leave them alone”, leave the nativity scene up, go stand on a soapbox and talk for eighteen hours and preach your beliefs if that’s what you want, allow Chaplains to do there job because there are so many religions out there.

If you are truly protecting people’s religious beliefs, you would be supporting nativity scenes and not tearing them down.

(name withheld)


Dear (name withhled),

Because your message contains many and varied points that need correction or clarification, I’ll include it here and respond in “quotes”.

First of all, let me explain that Mr. Weinstein is very busy protecting the religious freedom of the men and women in our armed forces, so, as a member of MRFF’s board of advisors, I am answering for him.

Hello I’m contacting you in regards to the Air Force Base that removed its’ nativity scene.

You state it’s in support of freedom of religion and that it violates rules in the military. ” That is correct. According to the law, the military, as part of the government, “may not advance, promote, recommend or proselytize one religion over another or religion over non-religion.”

How dare you? “See the quotation above. It is from the U.S. Supreme Court.” If people are allowed to practice any religion they wish then why can’t they not do so openly. Of course they can. But the military, as part of the government, cannot. A muslim is allowed to go to their Mosque, they are allowed to leave work to pray five times a day, and they are allowed to fast even when their training conditions requires them to eat. And people of other faiths can practice their beliefs personally and independently, it just can’t be done for them by the military leadership.

It’s okay for gay people now to get married and be open in the military, am I correct? They can openly display themselves in public? “I’m not quite sure what you mean by “openly display themselves in public.” It’s their right isn’t it? Why is it not the right of Christians to practice their religion by displaying a nativity scene, in YOUR perspective it should be NO different than displaying gay sexual orientation to the public. “Perhaps you’ve heard of ‘apples and oranges?’ Here you’re comparing a religious observation with a sexual orientation. I’m not sure I understand your point.? Are you suggesting that because gay men are no long required to hide their true selves behind a macho curtain or lesbians no longer have to live a lie, believers of a particular faith should be able to force their religion on others ” You are a disgusting organization to even support such an act as removing a Christian religious holiday decorations. “You are, of course, welcome to your opinion, but it appears to be somewhat clouded by confusion. We have no complaint about religious holiday decorations, only about a part of the U.S. Government establishing and maintaining same. If done in the appropriate place by the adherents of that faith (not by the U.S. Military) for the observers of that faith, we would have no issue.”

So people who are offended by Christianity are allowed to cause an uproar over traditions and practices of the religion but I’m not allowed to say that I do NOT want to see or support gay marriage and relationships? “To clarify once again, we are not offended by Christianity; actually, most of our members and supporters are Christians. We simply agree with the U.S. Constitution and the Supreme Court that arms of the government cannot propagate a religious faith. It’s not proper for a government that professes freedom of religion. As regards your homophobia, that’s between you and your God.” If I do, I’m seen as anti-gay or committing hate speech. “Well, it appears you’ve made your anti-gay position clear, but “hate speech” is a whole other thing.”

This country has been turned upside down and it started with organizations like you that think you have the right to conduct a “balancing act” between people’s lifestyles. “Upside down?” From what, I wonder? It appears to me the founders of this nation tried hard to balance freedom and the rights of people with their aspirations for the nation they were creating. And they made a few mistakes along the way, but they established a Constitution and a body of laws that allowed for growth, what the U.S. Supreme Court called “the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society.” “That allowed for women like you to gain the vote, for black people to escape slavery and, today, for gay people to be recognized as human beings with a right to be true to themselves. Should one assume you’d like to go back to the good old days when women and blacks had no rights and gays and lesbians lived in fear of exposure?” Being openly gay and being an open Christian. Being an Obama supporter and just not. “Your discomfort with evolving values is for you to contend with, but it has nothing to do with the MRFF’s protection of the right of freedom of religion and belief of the men and women of the armed forces.”

If everyone has the right to do what they please with their life then EVERYONE should be forced to just “leave them alone”, leave the nativity scene up, go stand on a soapbox and talk for eighteen hours and preach your beliefs if that’s what you want, allow Chaplains to do there job because there are so many religions out there. “We’re all for having the chaplains doing their job, in their place, just not forcing it on people who choose not to embrace it.”

If you are truly protecting people’s religious beliefs, you would be supporting nativity scenes and not tearing them down. “We haven’t laid a hand on it, ma’am. The commander of the base did that after coming to the understanding that he was wrong to allow it to be put there in the first place.”

Mike Farrell

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