To Michael Weinstein Regarding The Demand Letter Sent to General Welsh

Published On: May 20, 2015|Categories: MRFF's Inbox|0 Comments|

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Dear Michael L. Weinstein, Esq.
The irrational fear and hatred you hold for those who practice the Christian faith are blatantly made known through the choice of insulting words you associated with the Christian, Craig Olson: disgusted and shocked, brutal disgrace, scathingly sectarian, shame spectacle, and sick to damn death to list a spare few. I watched the YouTube video that you provided with the link and don’t understand how you can find anything sickening with its contents unless you have Christianophobia.
Craig Olson is a Christian who was addressing fellow Christians at a Christian event. He was by no means proselytizing and even if he was, Olson, as a citizen, is protected under the First Amendment to do so. It is not brazenly illicit to share your faith or an exchange of ideals with another in this country, even for a serviceman standing in front of millions of viewers. Olson’s speech was not sectarian, shameful or in the spirit of supremacy. He encouraged all to pray for God to grant wisdom and success to every member of the military. He asked everyone to pray for those who are deployed and their families, regardless of their creed. There is no more shame or superiority in this than there is in receiving a card from your coworkers who only wish you well.
Your objection to Olson’ sharing his testimony is synonymous with censorship. People have heightened, deeply spiritual and otherworldly experiences. To ban such people from sharing their experiences simply because they wear a uniform, is revoking their rights as an American citizen and, in a sense, enslaving them. To demand servicemen and women when dawning their uniforms to give up their rights as American citizens, self-censor and ignore their religion is essentially asking them to deny their very identities, blot out their personalities and become mindless slaves of the institution they willingly joined.
Comparing Olson’s personal experiences and prayers to some random Major General’s racist remarks shows how bias and illogical your conclusions are when it comes to Christians. Your poorly constructed equivalency makes it clear that you think it is wrong and even illicit for any servicemen to talk about their faith. Your hatred for Christians is apparent in your desire to oppress and gag them.
The argument that Olson’s speech was a national security risk is ridiculous. He said nothing that would ignite the fury of Islamists and cause them to attack our deployed servicemen and women. Olson’s speech wasn’t political—it was personal. Everyone is entitled to share their personal journeys, spiritual or not. “Olson’s screed of fundamentalist Christian triumphalism.”—you make it sound as though Olson got up on the stage and cried out, “Jesus, is the greatest of all gods! He is the only God that ever existed. Christians are so much better than the heathens. All heathens will be their slaves and then go to hell!”. Now, that would have been sickening and disgraceful. Olson would have certainly gotten fired for saying all of that, especially in his uniform. But he didn’t, and probably couldn’t even fathom saying any of that in such a hateful spirit. Instead, Olson peacefully and sincerely spoke about his personal walk with God and he prayed for the well-being of everyone, including unbelievers. You are slandering Olson by essentially putting words in his mouth and saying he is doing something that he is clearly not.
I suggest you learn to tolerate people who hold other worldviews that are different from your own. The only supremacist I found in this letter was you.
Sincerely,
(name withheld)
Dear (name withheld),
Mikey is busy protecting the freedom of religion of the men and women in the military and has asked me to respond in his stead. I hope you understand.

There is no irrational fear and hatred of or for Christians held by Mikey or anyone associated with the MRFF. Nor is there any rational fear or hatred of same. The words you read are the result of very strong feelings about the abuse of our constitution and the flouting of (in this case) Air Force regulations by Major General Olson and the continuing assault on same by the adherents of a devious Christian sect that is trying to insinuate itself into power in our military.

For more information on the subject, search out Dominionism. Read about their goals. Take a look at what they think of others, even other Christians, who don’t share exactly their version of the “true faith.” Then ask yourself why a Christian event was being held on U.S. Government property.

FYI, if Major General Olson was at a legitimate Christian event wearing civilian clothing and chose to express his views about his faith, no one at the MRFF would have had a problem with it. As it was, he was used, wittingly, by those in authority there to further tie their particular religious viewpoint both to our military and our government.

As to your charge of ‘censorship,’ do some research about the U.S. Supreme Court’s finding about the necessity of limiting religious expression on the part of those in authority in the military.

Per the question of national security, Major General Olson’s profession of faith while in uniform before a camera that broadcast it to the world provides ample ammunition to those in the radical Islamist camp who continue to deride the West as Christian Crusaders intent on destroying Islam and all Muslims.

I’m sorry you so misconstrue our position. I hope you’ll consider pursuing a bit more information about Dominionism and its goals.

Best,

Mike Farrell

(MRFF Board of Advisors)

Dear (name withheld),

Thank you for taking the time to write us.

Of course, I do disagree with the contents of your message, but I appreciate your candor.

The only point worth contending here is whether or not General Olsen was in violation of laws or regulations while giving his speech.  First, he was giving a presentation at the National Day of Prayer, an event which is already at odds with US law regarding government endorsement of religion as it is run by an evangelical Christian organization which excludes non Christians from participation in the government sponsored event.  Second, he was not speaking as a civilian but as an officer and a representative of the rank he has earned.  AFI 1-1 expressly forbids the actual or apparent use of rank to further a religious belief.  General Olsen’s actions could not possibly be viewed as anything short of just that.

Aside from law, let’s try an analogy that might resonate easier with you.  A thought experiment.  Imagine being an African American serving under a Caucasian American commander.  Let’s say that this imagined commander delivered a speech in uniform in a public forum extolling the greatness being Caucasian.  Let’s say the commander didn’t even say that his race was superior, but merely that to be a member of his race is something that all of his subordinates should relish in (if they were so lucky).  Would that scenario be just?  Would the commander have done something unconscionable?  If you understand how such a speech regarding race might be wrong, you would be able to see how an identical scenario regarding religion is wrong.

Any superior officer that uses their rank to evangelize is a criminal.  Disagree if you’d like, but we’ll continue our fight.

Cheers,

Blake A. Page
Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Special Assistant to the President
Director of US Army Affairs

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