Definition of Religion

Published On: October 27, 2013|Categories: MRFF's Inbox|0 Comments|

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When one proudly dons a U.S. military uniform, there is only one religious symbol: the American flag. There is only one religious scripture: the American Constitution. Finally, there is only one religious faith: American patriotism. – Mikey Weinstein

Full Definition of RELIGION
1
a : the state of a religious
b (1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2
: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3
archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness
4
: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith

If words have specific meaning, then the American Flag, the American Constitution, and American patriotism is not religion. By so saying, the one saying becomes suspect or obvious to all that hold that words have specific meaning, that the one saying is attempting to change another’s perception of reality, or what has been done by so many who wish to control other’s thoughts to achieve the sayer’s particular agenda or control of the dialog.

The American flag is not a religion, it is a symbol of what and who America is – a quite definable state.

The American Constitution is not a religion, it is the prime document stating the law of our society, and is the defining document that states how our society will behave, conduct itself, and champion individual rights.

American patriotism may be contemporaneously speaking, considered a religion, but not in the historical definition of religion. Patriotism is not a worship of the God of patriotism, but a feeling derived from belief in our Constitution.

Religion has more components than belief, it also has a component of faith in those beliefs.

The Constitution is not a belief and does not sustain itself on faith. Rather it defines the operation and the sustainment of itself, by the words written in the Constitution.

To suggest that our American adherence to our Constitution is some religion, and is thus based on belief and faith, is as I suggested, a twisting of the perceptions of reality to promote your agenda.

By the fact that an inscription of some religious proportion appears on a scope seems to me to be a choice of the manufacturer, and in a tolerant, free enterprise society, of which the Constitution suggests that is how free people live and survive, it is illogical to me for an organization to suggest that the brand cannot include an inscription on their brand. To force the brand to remove the inscription is yet another coercion by outside forces to decide for the brand what it can and cannot do with its brand.

By the fact that MRFF imposes its beliefs, its religion, on product companies shows that is not tolerant of free enterprise, nor tolerant of one’s expression of its beliefs.

The question I have, will MRFF also promote individual freedom’s when a manufacturer, or an individual wishes to express one’s belief, with the same vehemence of protecting the right of the individual to express those beliefs? In the case of the free enterprise manufacturer of the rifle scopes, MRFF has fallen down on that principle.

MRFF’s illogic in this instance, demonstrates that what made America and it’s Constitution exemplary in mankind’s history of the pursuit of individual freedom’s, is not really MRFF’s standard.

When the Islamic proponents step forward, which is a political system in the guise of a religion, will MRFF hold this entity to the same standard?

And, when the progressive/liberal/communists proclaim that theirs is a religion, will MRFF proclaim the same standard on those entities?

Freedom of religion and freedom of expression states that we all have the right to express our faith. By denying the right of an individual or in one case that MRFF pursued to deny the manufacturer of including a subscription on its brand, your pursuits become less than promoting of freedom.

Regards,

(name withheld)


Hi (name withheld),

You seem to have missed the point of the below preamble which you have taken literally. It does not seek to turn American icons such as the flag and our constitution into religious symbols or change their definition. Rather, it is a caution for those of faith in the armed forces not to conflate the religious with the secular.

Too often in our military, our young men and women suffer command centered and coercive Christian based proselytizing from superiors who have adopted militant religious methods of command. MRFF is currently addressing over 35,000 complaints from these young people as to the depth and breadth of this proselytizing.

As you may know, the US Supreme Court ruled in Kurzman Vs. Lemon, 1971, that Government, including Public Education and the Armed Forces, may not promote, recommend, suggest or advance one religion over another or religion over non-religion.
By the preamble, MRFF seeks to inform those entering the service as well as those already installed not to assign religious meaning or actions to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and Constitutional law.

As you might imagine strong unilateral religious belief systems in the military can create states of confusion and resentment and cause a loss of discipline and good order.

The trouble the Biblical Inscriptions on US small arms is that the bulk of them were used by American troops in the Middle East and to arm Muslim allies. When disclosed what these inscriptions were, it was difficult to prevent Muslim troops from reacting against their American Allies and why it was of great importance to have the inscriptions removed.

It is vital that such strong beliefs be relegated to bona fide scheduled religious ceremonies at bona fide places of worship both on and off military reservations.

This does not bar religious events in private homes.

The idea is not to commingle religion with military directive.

I hope this answers your questions.

Sincerely,

Rick Baker

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