a wolf in sheeps clothing?

Mikey Weinstein, et al,

The Samaritans Purse shoeboxes are distributed to needy children of all faiths all over the world! To say that Graham is proselitizing is disingenuous!….Are you not trampling on the religious rights of the largest number of cadets of the AirForce Academy who are Christians?

Your organization, as well as the ACLU, has no shame! Both are patently anti-Christian!

(name and location withheld)

Dear (name withheld),

Mikey has read and asked me to respond to your email.

I’ll begin with the complete factual inaccuracy of the assumptions and allegations contained in your email. Based on the significant number of similar emails we have received regarding this issue, I would have hoped that a medical doctor would have taken more care with the actual facts of this situation.

In regards to your reference to Operation Christmas Child, you should be aware that it continues unabated at the US Air Force Academy simply with the lead change as requested by MRFF from USAFA’s Command Structure to its Chaplain Corps. A change by the way, requested by MRFF, in order to follow clear direction recently ordered by the Air Force Chief of Staff (http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/09/air-force-schwartz-warns-commanders-on-religious-programs-091611/). Confirmation of this can be seen in this USAFA press release:
Friday, November 4, 2011
Academy responds to cadet community project — Community project will continue, led by Academy Chaplains
http://www.usafa.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123278819
Assumptions and accusations based on factual ignorance reveal pre-conceptions and nothing else. This may create a cheap anger driven adrenaline thrill, but accomplishes nothing. As a proud Christian volunteer with MRFF, I find the easy willingness of many like you to bear false witness against Mikey or MRFF to be quite troubling.

The clear Missionary/Proselytizing purpose of OCC is discussed freely in the following video produced by Samaritan’s Purse; ‘The Greatest Journey’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=X1MNZvED3mw. If this one video by the parent organization of OCC is not enough for you to see the clear and unambiguous proselytizing purposes of OCC, please feel free to review the Samaritan’s Purse YouTube Video Channel located at http://www.youtube.com/user/SamaritansPurseVideo. For you to state that the idea that Graham is proselytizing through OCC is disingenuous is absurd to the extreme. You are not only disingenuous in your accusation; it is obvious you are willfully ignorant of the factual basis and purpose of OCC’s existence.

To be clear, MRFF doesn’t want to “Grinch” some toys out of the hands of children and, in fact, has engaged in several toy drives itself. Rather, through its assertions to the academy and other military commands, MRFF is trying to look out for children by assuring the most powerful military in the world doesn’t promote or disparage any religion, which, as history has shown us, can lead to horrific consequences for those, including children, who don’t belong to the “preferred” religion.

If you are a Christian, as I am, you should be ashamed of the false accusations put forward in your email

Your consideration and thoughtful reflection of this information would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Andy Kasehagen