A request

The Honorable Michael Weinstein:

I recently became aware of news that the Military Religious Freedom Foundation objected to the involvement of Air Force Academy cadets in the charitable activity known as Operation Christmas Child. If that is true, I would like to ask that your agency reconsider allowing the voluntary expression of a group’s Christian faith to provide gifts to many thousands of needy children. Faith-based humanitarian and charitable organizations (Jewish and Christian) provide for countless numbers of people in the areas of: disaster relief; food, clothing, and shelter for the homeless and aged; affordable health care to working poor; clean water wells in foreign countries to combat the results of unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene ; gifts for children of prisoners and military personnel; cancer research and treatment; and expressions of love and provision for needy children in foreign countries. Without the outreach of faith-based organizations, the recipients would most likely be overlooked. In your efforts at MRFF, please include the free exercise of people’s Christian faith, thus protecting their religious freedom, as well.
Sincerely,
(name withheld)

Dear (name withheld),

Seriously? It is hard to take this kind of communication for anything more than an irreverent and sarcastic shot at what is a very serious issue. I do understand that there are many of you out there from the low-information congregants to the highly educated that are true followers of people like Franklin, but I also understand that the Kool-Ade does not recognize years of education and experience.

What is most disturbing about your email is that you are (I am surmising) posturing yourself as a caring American who clearly enjoys the freedom of religious beliefs yet your hostility toward those of us who fight for the freedoms of others comes blasting through.

Honestly…why would you extrapolate that because we believe that our country belongs to ALL Americans…religious/non-religious; atheist; agnostic; and all others that we would in any way want to deny any person in need? Your sanctimonious sarcasm certainly goes against the teachings of Christ. Do you really think that Jesus walked among us spreading the Good Word with a clipboard in hand requiring a signature on a Statement of Faith before he would bestow his blessings as the son of God?

Well, neither do we, and that is one of many issues we have with Mr. Graham and those like him. I am assuming you know that they require a signature on a Statement of Faith BEFORE the hand out mosquito nettings, toys, food, supplies…you must know that without my telling you…right? And this is what you have garnered from Christ’s teachings? That you force conversion on the backs of those who are desperate, suffering and downtrodden? If so, I can assure you that that is not the same Jesus that I have known in my life as one who is told I am not “the right kind of Christian”.

NO one, Christian, Jewish, Muslim American, Atheist, Pagan, WICCAN or ANY other view has the right to use employees paid with taxpayer dollars from all those groups and many more to spread “goodwill” in the name of the Great Commission and the race to harvest souls. Period.

We at MRFF are highly supportive of all faiths and no faith. That is secular and as it was designed to be in this country that was founded by those who fled theocratic rule and bent over backward to assure that this country would be one without a church that served as the guiding ruler.

So, please, I urge you to research and learn a bit more about those like Samaritan’s purse before rising to their defense in total blindness. I know firsthand that the proselytizing occurring in countries such as Nigeria come at great cost to the people who live there and would elicit another Jesus in the Temple moment if he were walking this earth today.

God grant you understanding and love for ALL God’s children – which do include ALL of God’s children on this earth.

Leah L. Burton
Board Member, Military Religious Freedom Foundation