MRFF's Inbox
February 2008

To whom it may concern,
I just wanted to voice my opinion as a member of the military. I listened to Mikey Weinstein's views and opinions on the website and I do agree that women should not be treated as less than, or good for nothing more than making a baby. I do not agree with or participate in any way in anti-semitism or anti-muslim, and although I do not agree with homosexuality, I take a view that I do not hate the person who is gay, just their ways.

On these views or opinions I would have to say that I agree with Mikey Weinstein's. However, I consider myself a christian, not a good one, but still a christian in my beliefs and I feel that what Mikey Weinstein and the organization he started, are helping to take away from my religious rights. What you are doing is directly reflective of the attack the ACLU has launched on the Christian religion in America. It seems that Mikey Weinstein's views and opinions have been formed by the ignorant and hateful attack against himself, his son, and the Jewish religion. It seems that these views and opinions are also over the top.

If a C/O wants to let his people know of his beliefs and what he wants to do with his life and one of his people does not believe the same way, where is the problem? I've had several senior enlisted and officer's as well try to convince me that God does not exist, and I did not try to sue anyone over it. If you are intimidated by someone else's belief when they try to tell you about it, then you have a problem with who YOU are. You are not secure in WHO/WHAT you are, and you allow someone who IS secure in who THEY are, to intimidate you because of their own self strength. It exposes your weakness as a person.

I think that Mikey Weinstein is irresponsible in his message he is spreading. I assume Mikey Weinstein believes in God and IF he does, then the message he is spreading, in the context he is spreading it, is hurtful and detrimental to a belief in God. Just as the taliban's message is hurtful and detrimental to a belief in God. I say this with all due respect, thank you.

- Bill S.

 

Dear Bill,
Thank you very much for taking the time to contact us at MRFF. I am Casey Weinstein, Mikey's son. He passed on this note to me and wanted to be sure that we reached out to you, since you took the time to share your feelings with us. I too am a member of the military. I graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2004, spent over 3 years on Active Duty, and recently transferred to Reserve status.

Bill, rest assured, the last thing we are trying to do is take away your rights as a Christian. In fact, we are the LAST organization that would want to do that. I joined the military and put my life on the line to protect that right. My grandpa, uncle, dad, brother, and wife all did the same. We don't want to take away anyones Constitutionally-guarenteed right to the free exercise of religion. What we want is to simply ensure that commanders, and those put in charge of the lives of others, do not discriminate among the 'believers' and 'non-believers' in their ranks - that they treat all of their subordinates equally, regardless of their religious beliefs, personal views, or genetic attributes. I wish I could tell you that supervisors and commanders are doing this Bill. They are not. I know this both from many personal experiences (far too many to write in this email), and through the almost 7,000 e-mails and phone calls from mostly Christian members of our armed forces who are being singled out for either not being Christian, or not being Christian 'enough'.

I can't describe to you what it's like being a minority Bill. I suppose it would be like trying to describe sight to a blind person. Trust me though, it gives you a different outlook on the world when it is made clear that you somehow aren't right in the views of your piers, or in the views of their G-d. And let me tell you something important - this has NOTHING to do with my insecurity or inability to hear anyone question my views. Indeed I welcome these questions as they are part of the free exchange of ideas that makes our country great. I will NOT, however, sit by idly and let someone who is in charge of people's lives, who is in charge of the security of our country, dictate who is the children of the lesser or greater G-d, and then make decisions that affect their subordinates' career, their training, their safety, even their lives based on their beliefs. Bill, this HAPPENS. I have lived it, and every day we hear about it. It violates the very foundation of the country that you and I swore to protect.

We receive some e-mails that are too heinous to relate to you, including threats on my father's life. Hearing respectful dissent is refreshing, believe it or not. Thank you very much for taking the time to send us your comments, and for your honorable service to our country.

-Casey Weinstein

 


 

Dear Mr. Weinstein,
While I believe that you are acting based on sincere beliefs, from the outside it appears that you are supporting the same type of religious intolerance your foundation accuses evangelical Christians of. Christians are not the enemy (nor are Muslims or other religious groups, per se). But you cannot support "religious freedom" for every group BUT evangelical Christians. And as a Navy veteran of over eight years, I can assure you that our military is decidedly not overrun by Christianity--quite the opposite.
It would seem then that your promotion of "religious freedom" is more about promoting any faith (except Christianity) or absence of faith in the interests of diluting a Christianity for which you hold a hostility that's unwarranted and irrational. What is there in the notion of a deep and limitless love that suffers and dies for all humanity--whether or not they ever accept or understand--that you find so offensive?
If you genuinely believe in religious freedom and plurality, please consider including evangelical Christians under the umbrella of your protection for their rights. And if you cannot do that, then I can only hope you will recognize and rethink your own hypocrisy.
Sincerely,
Lisa Holloway
"He who is willing to sacrifice freedom for security, deserves neither freedom nor security." - Benjamin Franklin

-Lisa H.

 

Dear Lisa H.,
I want to personally thank you for taking the time to contact the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Because of my background, Mikey has asked that I, his daughter-in-law, respond to your concerns.
First, let me tell you that I am a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and served in the Air Force for more than 3 years and I thank you for your time in service as well. I am also a Christian, raised in an evangelical Christian home, and one of Mikey's biggest supporters. In fact, most of the thousands of soldiers who are forced to turn to MRFF as a last resort, as I was, are in fact Christians themselves. MRFF is not trying to suppress any religion but rather allow ALL religions equal protection and allow ALL soldiers of ALL faiths the freedom to practice their own religion while not being forced using the machinery of the state to practice the religion of another.
I am sorry if our message sounded as though we are not protecting the rights of Christians, because we very much are. The unfortunate truth of the matter, however, is that some form of Christianity has been forced upon every one of the servicemen who have come forward.
I am very pleased to hear that in your time in the Navy you did not have the misfortune that many of us did while we served in the military, but let me assure you that just because you did not experience religious discrimination does not mean that the thousands of us out here did not. I was ostracized by my chain of command and given poor rankings in retaliation for using my chain of command to file complaints of discrimination and inappropriate use of government funds, time, and materials. I was forced to attend mandatory bible studies held under the auspices of a retirement ceremony where I was told only a certain breed of Christian could truly succeed in the military. I was forced to attend mandatory mentoring sessions at a local catholic seminary. I was forced to attend mandatory ceremonies where I was told that my husband (also serving in the military) would be going to hell because he was a Jew and could not let go of his selfish ways to accept Jesus. I was personally ordered by a BRIGADIER GENERAL to attend a passion play and bring along as many non-Christian fellow service members as possible. BUT all of this pales in comparison to the treatment some of our other service members have had to endure. One soldier in the army was only assigned the most heinous and dangerous tasks in Iraq after his commander found out he was an atheist. One cadet was taunted for months and his Torah was destroyed only to have his commander do nothing. One member was called a fucking Jew and Christ killer in front of his unit on more than one occasion. How many incidents do you need to hear before you will believe that we have service members out there who are not guaranteed the freedom of religion? I could list each of the thousands upon thousand of complaints (over 6,500 to be exact) of religious discrimination. Is that enough? We received 11 more yesterday. Is 6,511 enough? Personally, I think 1 incident is 1 too many.
As a Christian, I hope these stories of horrendous discrimination, injustice, and intolerance make your blood boil just like mine. I hope they make you stand up and fight to force the military to treat EVERYONE the way you would like to be treated, equally. Proverbs 31:8-9 states, "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and the helpless, and see that they get justice"
You see, regardless of whether the message of Christianity is inherently offensive to the majority of the world or to Mikey, the tactics some Christians in the military use is not only offensive but illegal and unconstitutional. I hope I have clarified our message and our purpose at MRFF and that maybe now you too will speak up and see that they get justice.

Thank you for your time.
Very Respectfully,
Amanda L. Weinstein


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