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Published On: February 17, 2014|Categories: MRFF's Inbox|0 Comments|

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Hello
I couldn’t find an email address to Mr. Weinstein so I chose this email to send a letter to him.

As a Christian and veteran I find it sad that a person can personally attack a military Chaplain (Chaplain Charles Popov) while he does his job overseas serving the men he is assigned to.

To me, Weinstein has taken the one freedom that he served to protect and is trying to use it against the spreading of the Gospel. If all other religions are allowed to practice their faith in the military why would Weinstein objects to a military chaplain doing his job for the men and women he serves with. The accusations that are spelled out in an article he wrote are his personal beliefs. He was not with these missionaries and the Chaplain Popov while they served in Combat in Iraq yet he is accusing these men of doing things he feels are wrong.

Mr. Weinstein, I for one know Chaplain Popov as a friend and you for sure are way off base on your opinion. I would suggest that give back all of your military earnings reimburse the academy for your education and find a country that will not let you spout off about religious freedoms and the military. May Iraq would be a great place to move to.

Reading your article has explained to me that why our US Air Force Academy in Colorado has made some of the changes they made in the last few years in regards to honoring our God the Father creator of Earth.

Lastly, I have always wondered that if you crybaby’s got your way what would you whine about then. Answer me that Mr. Weinstein.

“May We All Earn Wilderness”
(name withheld)
“Kodiak”


Dear (name withheld),

Mikey has read your email and asked me to respond.

If you read the article on God’s Soldier on the Military Religious Freedom Foundation’s (MRFF) website – that was written in 2008. If you look at the top of the article it says Violation on Video- MRFF Research Discovery. You see where it says research? This was not written by Mikey but by our researcher Chris Rodda who also posted an article on Huffington Post titled Ten Ways to Convince the Muslims We’re On A Crusade. You should do a little more research before placing the blame on someone else.

We had no idea who Chaplain Popov was until he showed up on the Military Channel in this video.

I worked for the military under contract in 2004-2005 and there were strict laws about even bringing bibles into Iraq due to Muslim laws. We gave our soldiers that wanted a camouflage bible one with strict orders that no Iraqi saw them. We also warned them that there was to be NO proselytizing under CENTCOM GENERAL ORDER NUMBER 1A (GO-1A), section 2, article J: Proselytizing of any religion, faith or practice. Proselytizing was not only forbidden to the Iraqi’s but also within our military.

The cross on the chapel is also in violation of Army Regulations. Chapels are to be open to all religions, not just Christianity.

I – as an ordained minister in the Assemblies of God – have a problem with Chaplain Popov calling himself God or speaking for God when he yells “Hey this is God. Come to Bible study tonight at 1900. Purpose Driven Life. You only have 25,000 days in your life, and probably half of its gone.”

I also have a problem with him taking scripture out of context when he says “Put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may stand your ground.”

Ephesians 6:11-17

Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Vines Expository Dictionary – high places means heavenly regions)

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of PEACE;

Above all, taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Not one word in the above scripture points to the armor of today’s military.

In Matthew 5:9 Jesus says: Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Does this mean that warmongers are not children of God? I wouldn’t want to find out.

Allowing 2 missionaries to be embedded with the base and walk the streets of Iraq – proselytizing – is also against GENERAL ORDER NUMBER 1A (GO-1A) and they should have been punished.

3. PUNITIVE ORDER: Paragraph 2 of this General Order is punitive. Persons

subject to the UCMJ may be punished thereunder. Civilians serving with,

employed by, or accompanying the Armed Forces of the United States in the

USCENTCOM AOR may face criminal prosecution or adverse administrative

action for violation of this General Order.

4. INDIVIDUAL DUTY: All persons, military and civilian, subject to this General

Order are charged with the individual duty to become familiar with and respect

the laws, regulations, and customs of their host nation insofar as they do not

interfere with the execution of their official duties. Acts of disrespect or violations

of host nation laws, regulations and customs may be punished under applicable

criminal statutes and administrative regulations.

5. UNIT COMMANDER RESPONSIBILITY: Commanders, Security Assistance Office

Chiefs, and military and civilian supervisors are charged with ensuring that ALL

PERSONNEL are briefed on the prohibitions and requirements of this GENERAL

ORDER. Commanders and supervisors are expected to exercise discretion and

good judgment in enforcing this General Order. Component Commanders may

further restrict their forces as they deem necessary.

As Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan said “You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.” What were written by MRFF Researcher Chris Rodda were facts.

Another problem I have with Christians is saying “God and Country.” In America soldiers take an oath to defend the Constitution not the bible. Country comes first here.

You wrote;

“I would suggest that give back all of your military earnings reimburse the academy for your education and find a country that will not let you spout off about religious freedoms and the military. May Iraq would be a great place to move to.”

Seeing that you are a Christian vet who wants to make Christianity the religion of the military against Separation of Church and State (Establishment Clause), you should give back all of your military earnings for not living up to your oath when you joined.

If you want to live in a country that is ruled by religion, perhaps it is YOU that should move to Iraq.

This country does not belong to just you and Christians but those of other faiths or no faith at all, too.

And, FYI, Mikey is Jewish and prays 3 times a day to the same Father we do. 75% of those on the Board, Advisory Board, volunteers and supporters with the MRFF are Christian. 96% of our 36,000+ soldier clients (1 can represent 50 and 1 represents 100) are Christians. We fight for Christians more than any other religion. Never heard that, did you? Of course not.

Pastor Joan

MRFF Advisory Board Member


Miss Joan:

Thank you for getting back to me.

I’m just a simple man who loves God and Country. I’m sure you are a much more educated person than I. I came to know Jesus through the Assemblies of God and have stayed in the Assemblies my entire Christian life though I am not an ordained Minister I feel this country was founded by our for fathers on Godly beliefs.

I apologize for not researching the article far enough but I think Christians should have as much right to profess God in the military as does other religions. If the writer would have researched Chaplain Popov further they would have realized that Chaplain Popov performed all kinds of services for the soldiers he served along with giving aid to numerous Iraqi citizens because of his Love and Calling from God. I had the privilege of meeting some of the soldiers he served when his unit came home from Iraq. They had no problems with what he did for them or the citizens of Iraq.

In regards to what you seen Chaplain Popov said during the documentary God’s Soldier you need to know Chaplain Popov’s heart. I do. I have had the privilege of knowing Chaplain Popov since 1990 when he was called to Pastor one of the strongest Church of God churches here in Cincinnati. I know what he personally gave up to serve God and this Country during the War on Terror. His bible scriptures were not misquoted in my opinion, but everyone has their opinion like you have yours and I have mine.

I sounds like to me now that the writer and the ones that support the article looked at the ministry of Chaplain Popov as a Chaplain in the military in a legalistic way which is fine. However, if Christians looked at serving God, Reaching the Lost and Ministering to those in need in a legalistic manner there would be people in countries like China and Russia who would never hear about the Word of God.

Sure the military have regulations against the Proselytizing of any religion, faith or practice It’s ok for other religions to say what they want while they are in the military however Christians aren’t not held to the same level. Christians are held to a stricter standard. Don’t get me wrong, to me Christianity is not a religion but a Walk with God.

I guess it is safe to say that I will always feel that what was written about Chaplain Popov was not correct but just like me one man’s opinion.

In closing I like to say that I’m just an “Old Peacetime Veteran”. Thankfully I never had to serve in combat but if I would have had to I would have agreed with the Men that served with Chaplain Popov, I would have been glad Chaplain Popov was my Chaplain.

God Bless and again Thank You for getting back to me.

“May We All Earn Wilderness”

(name withheld)

“Kodiak”


Dear (name withheld),

It’s nice to hear from you again.

We are not questioning his faith or heart. I felt his love towards his fellow man as I watched the video. We are questioning the fact that he overstepped the bounds laid out by our Constitution and military regulations in a war zone. He put Iraqi lives at stake for having them participate in a nativity scene. The penalty for an Iraqi to do that is death. Three were arrested but the video does not say the outcome of it.

Christians in the military are not held to a different standard than other religions. In fact, the opposite is true. I have been privy to information where Christians that are not “born-again” are told they are not “Christian enough”, going to hell, given poor performance evaluations, denied advancement and drummed out of the military on trumped up charges.

Bill Bright made up the born again, 4 Spiritual Laws in 1952 by taking 4 different scriptures and putting them together. There is no such things as these spiritual laws for salvation in the bible. It is nothing more than a marketing tool and by a snake oil salesman.

What do we do about the rich man approaching Jesus and asking Him what he needs to do to be saved and Jesus tells him to sell everything he has and follow him? What do we do about the scriptures saying to believe in Jesus and you will be saved? Are all the Christians born before 1952 going to hell because they didn’t repeat these spiritual laws?

The reason Christians are screaming “persecution” is because they are the ONLY religion trampling the Constitution in the military. Every other religion works within the bounds set up by military law. We wouldn’t be in existence if the Christians obeyed our laws.

Chaplain Popov has his heart in the right direction. But, while in Iraq he had to obey the boundaries that were set up by military regulations.

May God bless your socks off!

Pastor Joan

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