operation christmas child

Dear Military Religious Freedom Foundation,

I have read that Mikey Weinstein wants to stop or has stopped operation christmas child!!!!! What’s the deal???? This has been going on for many years now. Why stop it??? That isn’t right!!!! These people that get these shoe boxes enjoy it and they are people who can’t afford to get their children things that may come in these boxes. They are parents like we are and how do you feel if you can’t afford to give your child something he or she needs or wants. Oh well I guess you guys up there in Washington and in the big ole white house don’t have to worry bout NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD THINGS FOR YOUR KIDS!!! I know what its like. Its no fun to have your child want or need something that you can’t afford to get them. And OOOHHHH pray tell its soooo bad that it bares the name of Christ or that its done by christians or those that believe in God. That’s not acceptable. And why not. Oh we might make someone mad. So we have to be politically correct these days for fear of upsetting someone else. Well I say this… if the people that started this are Christians then why shouldn’t it bare that name. It would be so different if another group started this operation Christmas child. But they didn’t sooooo whats the big issue?? I think you guys up there in that white house had better start looking at what this country was built on. In my history book way back when I studied the reason we came to america was because of the right to worship and believe in God the way we wanted to. But now because we have so many different people in our United States its no longer acceptable for us to do what has been all these years. I mean come on how long has it been a Christmas tree and in the last what 10 years maybe we cant call it a Christmas tree any more its gotta be a holiaday tree. Give it up!!!!!! You mean if I say Merry Christmas to someone I am morally wrong. If people werent so freaking touchy these days that wouldn’t bother them. It doesn’t bother me if someone has Happy yule or anything like that to me. It means the same thing. But…. oh pray tell these people out here today are just being stupid and thats the long and short of it stupid. And this not being able to do the operation Christmas Child is stupid. Oh please….. What is this world coming to???? No wonder our United States is going down hill faster then a speeding bullet. People can’t believe in God with out our rights being taken away. We are being told we can’t do this or that because of offending someone. And its coming down to after awhile we wont even be able to set foot in a church because its gonna offend someone. I think its down right stupid to stop these people in the air force who help get this stuff to these kids to be made not to be able to help do it. Thats just stupid. Stuff like this just gets me off and someone needs to stand up and say that its just not right. Guess that would be me. Unless you have heard from others. But…. lets get real here I dont tell you that you have to believe in God or that you have to make up a shoe box to give these kids in Christ’s name so why should we be told we can’t. And why should it be taken away from these other countries that expect this stuff. We spend tax dollars on other stupid stuff so why not something to help someone or to make a few kids happy. It is just all crazy. I just dont get it. This isn’t right. Thank you
(name withheld)

Hi (name withheld),

Thank you for contacting the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) with your concerns over Operation Christmas Child. When you send an email to MRFF it goes to Mikey, the staff, the Board and the Advisory Board.

I have been asked to respond and I’m sorry for the delay. As you can imagine, we have been swamped with emails over the distorted facts by the media.

MRFF is in no way associated with the White House and any connection between the two is blatantly false. President Obama is in no way to be blamed for this. In fact, MRFF was started in 2005 under President Bush.

While reading your email I can feel the anger that you are expressing. I would be angry too if I didn’t have all of the facts.

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.

Let me state right up front that we are NOT stopping the children from getting presents. Operation Christmas Child is being put back into the hands of the Chaplains as required by Gen. Norton Schwartz, chief of Staff to the Air Force, and the children will still get their presents.

Gen. Schwartz’s memorandum –

MEMORANDUM FOR ALMAJCOM-FOA-DRU/CC

FROM: HQ USAF/CC
1670 Air Force Pentagon
Washington, DC 20330-1670

SUBJECT: Maintaining Government Neutrality Regarding Religion

Leaders at all levels must balance Constitutional protections for an individual’s free exercise of religion or other personal beliefs and its prohibition against governmental establishment of religion. For example, they must avoid the actual or apparent use of their position to promote their personal religious beliefs to their subordinates or to extend preferential treatment for any religion. Commanders or supervisors who engage in such behavior may cause members to doubt their impartiality and objectivity. The potential result is a degradation of the unit’s morale, good order, and discipline.

Chaplain Corps programs, including activities such as religious studies, faith sharing, and prayer meetings, are vital to commanders’ support of individual Airmen’s needs and provide opportunities for the free exercise of religion. Although commanders are responsible for these programs they must refrain from appearing to officially endorse religion generally or any particular religion. Therefore, I expect chaplains, not commanders, to notify Airmen of Chaplain Corps programs.

Our chaplains are trained to provide advice to leadership on matters related to the free exercise of religion and to help commanders care for all of their people, regardless of their beliefs. If you have concerns involving the preservation of government neutrality regarding religious beliefs, consult with your chaplain and staff judge advocate before you act.

NORTON A. SCHWARTZ
General, USAF
Chief of Staff

MRFF also has many retired and active duty military personnel on its Advisory Board and as volunteers. Some of our distinguished military are –
A Lt Col (Ret) 25 year veteran of the Air Force who served as an ICBM crewmember

A former Navy Seal

A Retired brigadier general

A Naval Academy graduate with a 36 year career in the United States Air Force, he also served a three-year assignment as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – the first to hold that position.

A former Chaplain in the United States Air Force

A retired U.S. Air Force Major General, recently Deputy Director, Center for Special Operations, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida

A retired Air Force Brigadier General – a Master Navigator

A military aviator who possesses both Senior Command Air Force wings and aircraft carrier qualified Naval Aviator wings, in addition to having been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism in combat during Operation Desert Storm.

If anyone knows the proper place of the Constitution in the military it is the above mentioned individuals.

I don’t know where you got your information but it was false. I have put the correct information below directly from the Colorado Gazette. As you can see, Operation Christmas Child is still going to happen.

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.”
And to clear up another misconception – it was 120 Cadets and 12 Chaplains from the USAFA and 2 Muslim families that complained directly to us – not 132 Muslims.
I hope this clarifies what you heard and that Christmas presents will still be going to the less fortunate children.
Pastor Joan