AIR FORCE TIMES – A crusader for church-state separation

Selected Article Excerpts:

• Religion watchdog Mikey Weinstein is closing out the year with another big win against the Air Force.
• All the action started in late summer when the Air Force yanked an ethics course for nuclear missile officers that had Christian-based themes. About a month later, Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz issued a memo reminding leaders to steer clear of proselytizing. For his work, Weinstein has been named Person of the Year by the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.
• The foundation’s maneuvers, orchestrated by Weinstein, are many: letters to the brass, press releases, calls to reporters, billboards, Freedom of Information Act requests, lawsuits, rallies and conferences. The nonprofit accepts donations, has fundraisers and sells books, bumper stickers and a T-shirt on its website, www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org.
• Mikey: “The moment we have a Jew that does it [proselytizes], we’ll be in their face. The moment we have a Hindu, a Buddhist or Muslim, we’ll be in their face.”
• If a service member feels retaliated against, Weinstein suggests filing a complaint with the inspector general or the military equal opportunity office. If that doesn’t work, he and the foundation will step in.
• Mikey: “When you come into the military, you swear an oath, not to a particular perspective of the New Testament, or the Torah, or Quran, but to the U.S. Constitution. … The military is not a missionary field for you.”

Click to read full article