Operation Christmas Child

Published On: November 4, 2011|Categories: MRFF's Inbox|0 Comments|

Accessibility Notice

This post was created on the previous version of the MRFF website, and may not be fully accessible to users of assistive technology. If you need help accessing this content, please reach out via email.

Dear Military Religious Freedom Foundation:

I am contributing to Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan’s Purse. Wanna try and stop me you gutless cowards! Your letter to the U.S. Air Force is despicable! You wouldn’t know the Constitution if you it bit you on the ass. It is apparent that your agenda is nothing more than a ruse to take religion out of our country and particularly the Christian religion. Know what? You are going to fail BIG time! Bring it on lowlife!

(name withheld)


Dear (name withheld),

Despite your declaration of false and misplaced bravado, we’re still proud of you here at MRFF that you have the guts to continue participating in OCC.

I am a very proud Christian (Episcopalian in fact and a direct line descendant of the founders of the Anglican Church of England) supporter of MRFF. As such, I will take time to share the following:

MRFF has done nothing to stop OCC at the USAFA. Any statement to the contrary is both ignorant of actual facts and based on a wild assumption. Absolutely no one at the USAFA is being prohibited from participating in the OCC. USAFA even has an internal (meaning tax payer funded) element that can encourage participation in this or similar activities. You may have even heard of this organization that exists within all branches of the US military, it’s known as the Chaplain Corps.
MRFF’s Founder and President Mikey Weinstein stated as much:
Thursday, November 3, 2011
UPDATE: AFA backs away from toy drive that sparked flap
Weinstein said he’d be fine if the academy was backing a secular toy drive, or if the religious charity was promoted by chaplains rather than cadet leaders. But having leaders apparently backing the worldwide evangelism aims of Operation Christmas Child is inappropriate, he said.
http://www.gazette.com/articles/religious-127840-academy-christmas.html?pic=1
Was this statement:
a) Not clear;
b) Not included in whatever source you relied on to spur you to write to MRFF; or
c) Not able to fight it’s way past your preconceptions of MRFF’s actual goals?

This position on the USAFA handling of participation in OCC which I believe was clearly and precisely stated by MRFF was quickly followed by the USAFA agreeing with MRFF 100% in a 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

MRFF’s goal is, and has always been, to uphold the military’s command structure constitutional imperative to be totally neutral on religious affairs. In fact, this imperative is of such significance as to require a very recent command directive from the US Air Force Chief of Staff:
September 1, 2011
Schwartz: Don’t endorse religious programs
Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz sent a service wide memo Sept. 1 cautioning leaders at all levels to balance the Constitution’s protection of religious freedom and the prohibition on government intrusion.
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/09/air-force-schwartz-warns-commanders-on-religious-programs-091611/
Was this command directive:
a) Not clear;
b) Over 2-months old and difficult to recall;
c) Applicable to all US Air Force elements outside of the USAFA; or
d) Not able to effectively cut through an existing, and un-constitutional, command structure religious bias?

Assumptions based on factual ignorance reveal pre-conceptions and nothing else. This may create a cheap anger driven adrenaline thrill, but accomplishes nothing.

In regards to your diatribe regarding our understanding of the Constitution, you should be aware of the following:
The Constitution clearly states in not one but two separate instances the absolute unimportance and lack of respect for religion in our democratic republic form of government.
Article VI – …but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
Amendment I- Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;…
These quotes are not taken out of context, the language is clear, concise and on-point. There is no mincing of words here. Get over it.

I have always thought our Constitution came first and that a huge part of American Exceptionalism was based on our secular democracy. I think I read somewhere recently that we’re real concerned about and supportive of SECULAR democracies forming in the Middle East in the wake of both U.S. military action (Afghanistan & Iraq) and the ‘Arab Spring’. You may want to check this out, I think it appeared in a few opinion pieces, policy statements, and conservative think tank opinions. Either we believe in this concept, or we’re the biggest hypocrites on Planet Earth. We’re Americans, let’s be exceptional.

We are involved in a cause that affects children worldwide very deeply, both today and tomorrow. Any assertion that MRFF has no care for children speaks volumes about the lack of understanding of the overwhelming historical importance of our cause. To allow the command structure of the most powerful military in world history to promote any religion would lead to potentially horrific consequences for any children not belonging to the “preferred” religion.

…and yes, MRFF will continue to “Bring It On”, with or without your permission.

Your consideration of this information is greatly appreciated. May the warmth and calm of Christian brotherhood be with you.

Sincerely,
Andy Kasehagen

Share This Story

Leave A Comment