Mikey

Published On: March 12, 2014|Categories: MRFF's Inbox|0 Comments|

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First of all, what adult is named Mikey? Pretty funny. Anyhow, I think “Mikey” needs do dust of his history books a bit and delve into our nation’s past. Founded on Christian principles, one nation under God.
You guys can believe what you want…free country. But don’t demonize those who follow the founding father principles. By the way, I’ll bet if that student had a phrase from the prophet Muhammad on the door you wouldn’t touch it with a 10′ pole.

(name withheld)


Dear (name withheld),

Thank you for your note to Mikey Weinstein. He’s tied down at the present and asked me to make sure your correspondence was answered .

His name was sort of a nick name for some time but he began to get tagged with it on a regular basis. People seem to like calling him that. However, he still uses his full name for most legal purposes.

I dusted off a few history books and can find none that declare that America was founded on Christian principle. As a matter of fact, several of our founders were sort of luke-warm to religion, Christianity in particular. You might want to read some of Thomas Jefferson’s remarks about religion which are available on Google. “One nation under God” was a phrase that was added to the Pledge of Allegiance by Congress is the ’50’s, a couple of centuries after the founding.

It appears that our founders were intelligent enough to write a constitution that was completely void of religion, thus guaranteeing that America would be a nation in which all religions could flourish but none dominate. The only reference to religion in our Constitution is the statement that The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

As for us being more favorable to Islam than Christianity, you would be wrong. If practitioners of Islam were to attempt to proselytize their faith as many of our Christians do, they would be equally interrupted.

Again, thanks for your note and I hope I have responded with information that satisfies your questions.

Rick Baker
Capt. USAF (Ret)
MRFF Volunteer


Dear Rick,

This is a bit confusing:
“now in America it is better to express ones faith in the proper venue such as
home, church, church gathering or in the presence of like believers”
Why and according to who? Like I said before how are they hurting others? There
are plenty things I see that offend me in print, your website, tv etc, but you
have the Right to say it. You and I fought for that.

“In that decision the Supreme Court ruled that government, including public
education and the armed forces, may not promote, recommend or advance one
religion over another”

“So you can see now that much of the situations MRFF addresses could fall under
that category including a cadet writing Christian messages in a dormitory.”
How does a students right to free speech relate to this ruling?

(name withheld)


Dear (name withheld),

To answer your question, there is nothing wrong with a person expressing his
faith but because of the number of belief systems now in America it is better to
express ones faith in the proper venue such as home, church, church gathering or
in the presence of like believers.
>
> When one is in a position of supervision and proclaims his faith to his
subordinates it is almost exclusively taken as subjective proselytizing.
>
> It is important for you to know that in 1971 the US Supreme Court made a
ruling in the matter of Lemon Vs. Kurzman outlining religion’s role in
government and the armed Forces.
>
> In that decision the Supreme Court ruled that government, including public
education and the armed forces, may not promote, recommend or advance one
religion over another or religion over non religion. Requiring compulsory
church attendance in the ranks was prohibited.
>
> So you can see now that much of the situations MRFF addresses could fall under
that category including a cadet writing Christian messages in a dormitory.
> We are and must remain strictly objective in our dealings with the government
and
> military.
>
> Are you aware that General Jerry Boykin (Ret) a staunch Christian, says that
Jesus will return but will be carrying an AR-15 assault rifle instead of the
more popular sword version. He’s serious. It is his type that creates the most
problems for us.
>
> Common person to person communications which includes an occasional “God Bless
You” or “God willing” are not considered to be offensive or proselytizing.
(name withheld)


Dear (name withheld),

One may not exercise free speech by falsely yelling “FIRE” in a crowded theater. Similarly it is not free speech for a cadet to violate settled law and military regulation by writing exclusive religious material in a dormitory.

Free speech is not absolute as are none of the other constitutional provisions.

Rick

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