A request

Dear MRFF,

I am shocked that your organization would attack the Air Force Academy for supporting Operation Christmas Child. Mikey Weinstein is quoted as saying, ” We are not trying to take show boxes of toys and candy away from kids…But this is clearly an egregious Constitutional mistake” (http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/air-force-academy-backs-away-from-christmas-charity.html). The first point I should make here is that you make not be trying to take shoe boxes of toys and candy away from kids, but you are. If you prevent the Air Force Academy from promoting OCC and therefore lessen the amount of people that get involved with OCC and lessen the amount of shoe boxes sent. Whether or not you support the message behind the boxes, those kids deserve the gift of love from somebody across the globe. You are effectively ensuring that some kids do not receive that love.

The second point I should make is that your claim that this is a Constitutional mistake is false. The Constitution does not call for the separation of church and state. While it does prevent Congress from establishing a national religion through law, the act of the Air Force Academy supporting Operation Christmas Child does not violate the Constitution. I would suggest that your issue is not with the Air Force Academy or Operation Christmas Child, but with God. He gave you a conscious for a reason. You know what is right and wrong. For the sake of your soul and every soul at your organization, consider the actions you are taking.

“Against You, You only, have I sinned —
That You may be found just when You speak.
And blameless when You judge.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts…”
Psalm 51:4-6

Sincerely,
(name withheld)

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Hi (name withheld),

Thank you for contacting the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF).

I have been asked to respond to you.

First and foremost, we are not anti-Christian. In fact, there are many mainline Christians that volunteer with MRFF. I am one of them and I am an ordained minister in the Assemblies of God. Also, the California Council of Churches IMPACT with 5,500 churches supports us besides many individual churches, ministers and lay people. We are the most ardent supporter of the Constitution and the separation of church and state under the articles within it.

The academy did make a mistake under the Constitution and admitted it.

The first amendment in the Constitution states;
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion (establishment clause), or prohibiting the free exercise thereof (free exercise clause).”

The establishment clause stops the government from establishing one religion over another.

The free exercise clause gives people the freedom to believe in any religion they want or no religion at all.

No one has the right to impose their religion on anyone, especially at the academy where there is diversity in religions.
Your reasoning that children are losing out on Christmas presents because we stopped the email from going out to all of the cadets is wrong.
As a Christian I have filled and given many shoeboxes to Samaritans Purse. It filled my heart with joy knowing that some child was getting things he/she needed.

But we didn’t get 100% of the parishioners to send boxes even when they were financially able to give. Perhaps your concern on children being shortchanged should begin in your own house of worship.

We at MRFF have absolutely no problem with the Chaplains instituting a call for “Samaritan’s Purse” within the confines of their church affiliation parishioner soldiers. What we do have a problem with is the Commander and other high ranking military endorsing an email to ALL soldiers – regardless of their religious beliefs or non-belief – for Christmas gifts under the guise of “Operation Christmas Child” which is deceptive in its true purpose.

The Commander is responsible for ensuring that soldiers and their families have the opportunity for the free exercise of religion.

The Chaplain is a special staff officer to the Commander and soldiers who want to attend church and receive religious support. It is the Chaplains job to alert his/her parishioners on any church activity.

There is a difference. The Commander’s job is to make sure his soldiers are free to exercise any religion they want or lack thereof. A Chaplains job is to be the religious guide for those seeking it.

The Gazette –

“The academy, which initially stood by its promotion of the charity, changed its tune Thursday evening, with an email to cadets that retracted an earlier missive asking for help with the program. The academy’s commandant of cadets Brig. Gen. Richard Clark called Weinstein Thursday with an apology.
“We agree that it was inappropriate,” said Lt. Col John Bryan, an academy spokesman.
The project has been handed over to the academy’s chaplains, who can legally take part and recruit support for religious endeavors.”
Brig. Gen. Richard Clark even admitted that it was inappropriate (illegal) and the academy’s Chaplains are now in charge, as they should be.

“Commanders have put “religious respect” training in place. In September, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz issued a memo to commanders that told them to avoid mixing religion with their military roles.
They must refrain from appearing to officially endorse religion generally or any particular religion,” Schwartz wrote.”
General Schwartz even issued a memo that supports our position.
We are not trying to take Christianity out of our military. If MRFF was attempting to do that I wouldn’t be volunteering for them. We are just trying to put religion back where it belongs – in the hands of the Chaplains.
I hope this clarifies what seems to be perceived as an attack on Christianity. We are more than grateful that those in charge at the USAFA have seen the illegality of their original position.
My God bless your socks off!
Pastor Joan