Mikey Weinstein

Published On: April 1, 2015|Categories: MRFF's Inbox|5 Comments|

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This email is meant for Mikey  ( although I find it strange that an older man would even want to be called Mikey- does this mean that he feels and thinks like a child, at heart?)

 

I recently read that the Air Force has finally decided that they had had enough of Mikey Weinstein

(  After years of dealing with the bullying antics of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, the Air Force is finally grounding anti-Christian activist Mikey Weinstein.)  This could not have happened to a nicer man child.

 

So much “hate” from such a small man.  I don’t hate Michael Weinstein, I FEEL SORRY FOR YOU, MICHAEL WEINSTEIN. What really surprises me is that you claim to be so intelligent (Michael L. “Mikey” Weinstein is an attorney, businessman, and former United States Air Force officer) yet you let some individuals affect your life to the point of “hating all Christians” just because some immature jerks treated your sons at an Academy in a unChristian manner.  My goodness, if I let every person’s opinions or harsh words affect the rest of my life, then I would be in sad shape.

“Weinstein says that both his sons were exposed to Christian proselytizing at the Academy. In the case of his younger son Curtis, he reported that it included anti-Semitic language and being asked “how it felt to kill Jesus”. His older son Casey, a 2004 Academy graduate, alleged that “Senior cadets would sit down and say, ‘How do you feel about the fact that your family is going to burn in hell?'”.[6] Weinstein wrote in his autobiography:[7]

It is naturally of great personal consequence that Curtis’s and Casey’s encounters with religious bigotry occurred at the Academy, which is where I first encountered it as well. Of course, from a historical perspective, Jews have always had the unfortunate role of scapegoat thrust upon them. But I’m under no illusions that what happened to my Jewish sons and my Christian daughter-in-law could not have happened to the son of a patriotic American Muslim or Buddhist or agnostic or atheist. I wouldn’t be surprised if it already had.”   Its too bad that this happened, but that was so many years ago, one would think that its time for Mr. Weinstein to grow up and get “over it”.

Hopefully Weinstein, you will seek mental help, which you desperately need to help you cope with every day life.  Its sad to go thru life with so much “hate”,  and pretend to be a happy person.

You are far too old Mr. Weinstein to keep holding on to old grudges……hopefully you did not pass on your “sick hatred” to your sons, otherwise they will have to join you in your mental health counseling sessions.

In closing, I found this in Wikipedia :  Weinstein responded in a Newsletter to his audience, noting that Savage’s “stupefying rant” was “a rabidly ad-hominem, personal assault… which should serve as a particularly revealing clue as to the psychological state of this specimen, a professional bottom-feeding hyena who earns his daily bread by foaming at the mouth and spreading extremist hysteria which he likely doesn’t even believe himself.”

Wow, this coming from a man who claims to be normal, but continues to “rant” like a ‘rabidly ad-hominem” and talk about “revealing clue as to the psychological state of mind”—its as though you are talking about yourself, Weinstein. You are more fortunate then others ( who can not afford the best mental help that is available) but with your salary I’m sure that you can find the best psychiatrists that can cure your ‘hatred’ and possibly cure whatever mental disease you might have.  My sympathy to your wife and sons.

(name withheld)


 

Dear (name withheld),

When one writes to the President of a company, they don’t send it to the Development Department (You do know what a Development Dept does, hopefully). Your choice of skipping over the main email address and deliberately choosing the email for his wife is despicable.
Your whole email is nothing but an ad hominem attack on Mikey.
“Wow, this coming from a man (a woman) who claims to be normal, but continues to “rant” like a ‘rabidly ad-hominem” and talk about “revealing clue as to the psychological state of mind”—its as though you are talking about yourself, Weinstein (Blank).
Who gives a darn about Mikey’s nickname? I suspect your nickname is Ronnie (like others I know with your name). Would you like me to say that sounds like a male name?
I don’t see anyone going after Piyush Jindal’s nickname “Bobby” which he gave himself from a child character in the TV series “The Brady Bunch.”  Does this mean that he feels and thinks like a child, at heart?
Did you actually read the book that you are quoting? If you did, then you would have seen that Mikey wasn’t hurt by words when he attended the Air Force Academy, but severely beaten TWICE – one time so badly that he was found at the bottom of the stairs – left for dead.
The hatred you harbor in your heart towards the Jewish people is so against what God thinks.
“For God so LOVED the world that he GAVE his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
 For God SENT NOT his Son into the world TO CONDEMN THE WORLD; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:16-17
 Do you not see this? God SENT His son to die…it was HIS PLAN. If you want to blame anyone for the death of Jesus as atonement for our sins, it is the Father.
 “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children  unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me…(Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 5:9)
 “Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. (Exodus 34:7)
 The third and fourth generations from the killing of Christ are long past and to blame today’s Jewish people for Jesus’ death – planned by the Father – is ungodly. How about the “Christians” of today “get over it?”
Seeing as you went to our website to get an email address to send this ridiculous, self-serving rant, why did you skip over his bio?
You wrote:
“. What really surprises me is that you claim to be so intelligent (Michael L. “Mikey” Weinstein is an attorney, businessman, and former United States Air Force officer) yet you let some individuals affect your life to the point of “hating all Christians” just because some immature jerks treated your sons at an Academy in a unChristian manner.  My goodness, if I let every person’s opinions or harsh words affect the rest of my life, then I would be in sad shape.”
Are you for real? Here’s his real bio:
Mikey is a 1977 Honor Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy…Mikey served for more than 10 years with the Judge Advocate General (“JAG”) Corps…

A registered Republican, he also spent over three years working in, and for, the West Wing of the Reagan Administration as legal counsel in the White House. In his final position there, Mikey was named the Committee Management Officer of the much-publicized Iran-Contra Investigation in his capacity as Assistant General Counsel of The White House Office of Administration, Executive Office of the President of the United States. Mikey has held numerous positions in corporate America as a senior executive businessman and attorney.

After stints at prominent law firms in both New York City and Washington D.C., Mikey served as the first General Counsel to Texas billionaire and two-time Presidential candidate H. Ross Perot and Perot Systems Corporation. He left Mr. Perot’s employ in 2006 to focus his fulltime attention on the nonprofit charitable foundation he founded to directly battle the far-right militant radical evangelical religious fundamentalists: the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. (http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org)

If this makes him unintelligent in your eyes then your IQ must be in the single digits.

And, where in the world did you get the idea that we hate all Christians? From the RWNJ websites?

How about going here and see what we really stand for:

http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/about/our-mission/

The reason it seems we are attacking Christians in the military is because they are the ONLY ones overstepping the bounds of the Constitution, case law and the UCMJ.

“. . . no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”   (Article VI, Section III)
 
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment (Establishment Clause) of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise (Free Exercise Clause) thereof . . . “(1st Amendment)
 
The Establishment Clause comes before the Free Exercise Clause for a reason; the Free Exercise Clause is subservient to the Establishment Clause – not the other way around as some Christians would like it to be.
 The wording “separation of church and state” was several times upheld by the Supreme Court as an accurate description of the Establishment Clause.
 Jefferson’s concept of “separation of church and state” first became a part of Establishment Clause jurisprudence in Reynolds v. U.S., 98 U.S. 145 (1878). In that case, the court examined the history of religious liberty in the US, determining that while the constitution guarantees religious freedom, “The word ‘religion’ is not defined in the Constitution. We must go elsewhere, therefore, to ascertain its meaning and nowhere more appropriately, we think, than to the history of the times in the midst of which the provision was adopted.” The court found that the leaders in advocating and formulating the constitutional guarantee of religious liberty were James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. Quoting the “separation” paragraph from Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists, the court concluded that, “coming as this does from an acknowledged leader of the advocates of the measure, it may be accepted almost as an authoritative declaration of the scope and effect of the amendment thus secured.
The Supreme Court heard the Lemon v. Kurtzman case in 1971 and ruled in favor of the Establishment Clause.
Subsequent to this decision, the Supreme Court has applied a three-pronged test to determine whether government action comports with the Establishment Clause, known as the “Lemon Test.”
1.      Any law or policy must have been adopted with a neutral or non-religious purpose.
2.      The principle or primary effect of any law or policy must be one that neither advances nor inhibits religion.
3.      The statute or policy must not result in an “excessive entanglement” of government with religion.
 If any government entity’s actions fit into one of these three, then it is a violation of the Establishment Clause.
Then there’s Parker v. Levy:
 “This Court has long recognized that the military is, by necessity, a specialized society separate from civilian society… While the members of the military are not excluded from the protection granted by the First Amendment, the different character of the military community and of the military mission requires a different application of those protections. … The fundamental necessity for obedience, and the consequent necessity for imposition of discipline, may render permissible within the military that which would be constitutionally impermissible outside it… Speech [to include religious speech] that is protected in the civil population may nonetheless undermine the effectiveness of response to command.  If it does, it is constitutionally unprotected.” (Emphasis added) Parker v. Levy, 417 U.S. 733, 1974
You wrote (really copied and pasted):
“I recently read that the Air Force has finally decided that they had had enough of Mikey Weinstein
(After years of dealing with the bullying antics of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, the Air Force is finally grounding anti-Christian activist Mikey Weinstein.)”
This is hysterical and untrue. It amazes me that people actually devour propaganda like this and believes it without doing some actual research.
Hang on a minute – I can’t stop laughing!
Ok, I’m better now.
FYI (because you didn’t you didn’t research us) Mikey – who is Jewish – is the face, founder and President of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) but, there is also the Board, the Advisory Board, volunteers and supporters. In fact, 75% of those involved with MRFF are Christian. A full 96% of our almost 41,000 soldier clients (1 can represent more than 50 and 1 represents 100) are Christians – Catholics, Episcopalians, Methodist, Lutherans, Baptists, Evangelicals, etc. We fight for the rights of Christians more than any other group but you don’t hear that, do you?
MRFF does not act on its own but at the request of our soldiers’ complaints of the blatant disregard and trampling of the Constitution and the UCMJ; blurring the lines between the separation of church and state.
If you have a problem with the soldiers complaining then I suggest you wrote to the Stars and Stripes and tell them so.  http://www.stripes.com/
It appears that you lack the skill of “critical thinking”…you know, thinking for yourself.  Here’s a website that should help you catch up to the rest of the world.
Pastor Joan
MRFF Advisory Board Member

Dear (name withheld),
 
It’s always worth pointing out that Fundamentalist Christians think it’s perfectly normal to inflict their religious beliefs on everyone else, and when anyone dares stand up to such abusive conduct then they are besmirched, slandered, marginalized and told they need to “grow up” and/or that they need psychological help. This of course is the same way radical Christian fundamentalists as well as radical Islamic fundamentalists treat victims of sexual crimes too: they attack and blame the victims. If you weren’t so fundamentally intellectually vacuous you would grasp the astounding irony of your accusations against and slanders of Mr. Weinstein, since you are the one doing the very thing you’re accusing him of doing. But, again, this is not surprising because willful ignorance and bigotry go hand in hand, particularly among Fundamentalist, Dominionist Christians, otherwise known as the Christian Taliban. In your Nazi mindset (essentially the American Family Association mindset wherein all immigrants to the U.S. should be forced to undergo a Christian conversion prior to admission to the Country) Jews and everyone else deserve to be harassed and threatened unless and until they “convert” to your cult of bigotry and hatred. It goes without saying that your beliefs are beyond inane, though Joseph Goebbels and Spain’s Grand Inquisitor, Tomás de Torquemada, would certainly have endorsed them.
Akiva David Miller
Director of Veterans Affairs
Military Religious Freedom Foundation

Dear (name withheld),
Mikey is busy defending the religious rights of around 40,000 service members right now so he asked me to respond to you on the foundation’s behalf. This was a doozy of a confusing read but let me try and rebut point by point why your message comes across as degrading, insulting, and uninformed. That may not be your intention and, thankfully, your message wasn’t filled with unbridled hatred and death threats which happens far too often for us….But the insult still stings.
It is my intention that this can perhaps be a learning experience, so please do not take to heart anything I say as an insult or degradation towards you or your worldview.
This email is meant for Mikey  ( although I find it strange that an older man would even want to be called Mikey- does this mean that he feels and thinks like a child, at heart?)
Mikey was given this nickname when he was a grown man. I may have some of the details wrong about the story behind it, as I’ve only heard the story once, so forgive me if the specifics are a bit off. But as I understand it he received the nickname from his wife’s family when he went to visit them. I believe they were not yet married at the time and Mikey was so picky with what he ate that one of Bonnie’s parents gave him the nickname “Mikey” because it was humorous that his picky eating reflected the character “Mikey” from the Life Cereal commercials who was so hard to please with food. It stuck and Mikey embraced it. And why not? Not only did Mikey embrace that but he shared it with his colleagues and everyone around the world. A small family anecdote has become a staple in his life and, yes, it does sound a bit child-like. But isn’t it part of your scripture in Matthew 18 and Mark 10 that alludes to having child-like faith?
How can you possibly embrace that as a tenet for your core belief system and then degrade another for displaying a similar trait? Although in this instance it is not religious in nature but rather familial.
I recently read that the Air Force has finally decided that they had had enough of Mikey Weinstein
(  After years of dealing with the bullying antics of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, the Air Force is finally grounding anti-Christian activist Mikey Weinstein.)  This could not have happened to a nicer man child.
I assume you are referring to the newest article written by the American Family Association (an Orwellian title for such an anti-family organization) wherein they state they have won a battle because the Air Force rescinded their decision to deny gate guards to say “Have a blessed day.” Would it interest you to know that the AFA had absolutely no involvement in that case? It was all handled internally by the commander and officers of the base. While we disagree with the decision of the base to continue carrying on with an obvious sectarian religious sentiment instead of the proper greeting as guided by military regulations of “Good Morning,” “Good afternoon,” or “Good evening,” followed by the rank of the individual entering the base, it is in no way indicative of the Air Force shunning Mikey or the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
I’m sure when someone undoubtedly creates another religious exercise and we are forced to intervene then the AFA will suddenly be up in arms asking “Oh my goodness! How could this have possibly happened?! I was sure we had neutered MRFF and Mikey…” or not. That was a bit of sarcastic snark, directed at the foolish bravado of AFA, not you.
So much “hate” from such a small man.  I don’t hate Michael Weinstein, I FEEL SORRY FOR YOU, MICHAEL WEINSTEIN.
I’ll disregard your insult on Mikey’s stature and size as it’s irrelevant to anything. Mikey does not “hate” Christians and did not create the foundation in order to hate anyone. If anything else his reasons for doing so are polar opposite from your perception. 95% of the over 40,000 clients that MRFF has are in fact Christian or Roman Catholic. Let that sink in a moment. 95%
Mikey isn’t doing this for hate. Neither am I. Nor are any of the over 200 volunteers that put in hours and hours of work for this organization. Most of the volunteers are also Christian. A vast majority of them. This organization functions for the sole purpose of protecting religious freedom and ensuring religious neutrality in the military.
 What really surprises me is that you claim to be so intelligent (Michael L. “Mikey” Weinstein is an attorney, businessman, and former United States Air Force officer) yet you let some individuals affect your life to the point of “hating all Christians” just because some immature jerks treated your sons at an Academy in a unChristian manner.  My goodness, if I let every person’s opinions or harsh words affect the rest of my life, then I would be in sad shape.
I’m not Mikey’s best friend nor have I witnessed his prowess in court of law, but based on my experience with him and my research with what he has done I would have to say that his intelligence probably dwarfs most people in this nation. I don’t know many people who can operate a national non-profit to such success on a shoe-string budget. Nor do I know anyone else personally who has worked directly with President Reagan in the White House operating as part of the legal counsel. While I may disagree with Mikey on some key issues, although there aren’t many, I can’t refute the “claim” of his intelligence. It seems pretty obvious he is intelligent.
I’ve already covered the fact that Mikey doesn’t “hate” Christians and I believe this is where I get to share my story so that you will get a more firm grasp on the mission of the organization.
Ten years ago neither one of us had ever heard of Mikey Weinstein. MRFF did not exist (or had just been created) and I was entering boot camp. I was part of a Christian movement called “Dominionism” or dominion theology. That ideology falls under the worldview that Christianity must rule every aspect of life, most importantly the government. Under that dominionist worldview I believed with every fiber of my being that it was my job to not only  join the military, but to spread the “word of God” through any means necessary: force, coercion, official orders, war, etc.
I enlisted in the Marines for a multitude of reasons, but one of the primary missions was to spread to word of Christ through any means necessary. Fortunately, I was just a private and had little to no real authority to push my toxic worldview on others. Had I been in a level of authority I most certainly would have abused that authority because one of the mandates under dominionism is to take over every sector of government. Dominionism does not abide by nor believe that religious freedom should be guaranteed. It runs anathema to our Constitution’s protection of religious freedom. And since that is what I was raised to believe, I thought it was right. I did not believe that anyone should be elected to office without being a Christian. I did not believe that anyone should serve in our armed forces without being a Christian. I did not believe that any laws should be passed without first consulting the Christian Bible. I believe that anyone who wasn’t a Christian did not deserve the same rights as Christians.
It took me a few years, but I fortunately fell away from that toxic viewpoint and began to accept that differences, diversity, openness, inclusion, and equal freedoms were essential to anyone regardless of whether or not I agreed with their religion or creed. However, there are some high-ranking individuals in the military who still follow that belief system I fell under. They abuse their authority and attempt to cram that forced toxic version of Christianity down people’s throats. And they attempt to punish anyone who complains. Punishment can come in many forms in the military and it can last for years, and sometimes a lifetime. If an individual (such as Mikey’s sons) complain about being forced to attend showings of “Passion of the Christ” and are constantly being called “Christ killers,” “dirty kikes,” among dozens of other derogatory insults to whom do they turn? If that treatment is being sanctioned by the very Chain of Command they are to trust then what are their alternatives? It would be akin to a rape victim attempting to report their rape to the police officer who committed it. That isn’t going to go very far. In the end it merely just discourages proper reporting and further victimizes the victim.
That’s why MRFF exists. That’s what we do. We give victims of religious persecution a voice to lodge complaints in a way where they know they won’t be further victimized merely for asking that their first amendment rights be honored. When you don the uniform, you don’t give up your Constitutional rights. But some commanders attempt to instill enough fear in the hearts of service members to make them think those rights are forfeit.
  Its too bad that this happened, but that was so many years ago, one would think that its time for Mr. Weinstein to grow up and get “over it”.

No. That’s amazingly juvenile and patronizing. Grown ups do not “get over” having their inalienable rights taken away from them. Grown ups stand up and fight, ensuring that no one else has to go through the same issues they went through. Grown ups fight to ensure they leave the world a better place for their children. It seems that you are the one that needs to look in the mirror for a little self-evaluation and probably needs to “grow up” a bit, yourself.

Hopefully Weinstein, you will seek mental help, which you desperately need to help you cope with every day life.  Its sad to go thru life with so much “hate”,  and pretend to be a happy person.
You are far too old Mr. Weinstein to keep holding on to old grudges……hopefully you did not pass on your “sick hatred” to your sons, otherwise they will have to join you in your mental health counseling sessions.

I think I’ve illustrated above that this is not about “grudges”. It’s about freedom, equality, openness, inclusion, and against bigotry. If that qualifies Mikey for the looney bin, well then sign me up!

My sympathy to your wife and sons.
I think that’s a rather low blow and quite unnecessary. My sympathies do extend to you, and I mean that in the most sincere way possible. If you have any questions or comments I’ll be glad to respond to you.
May you have a wonderful day!
Very Respectfully,
Paul Loebe
Special Projects Manager
Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Chicago, IL
*Disclaimer: Although I am a Marine Staff Sergeant I do not speak on behalf of the Department of Defense, United States Marine Corps, or any affiliated branches.*

This email is meant for (name withheld) (although I find it strange that an older woman would spell (name withheld) with a k.  Does this mean she feels and thinks like a child?)  Actually I’d say that a person’s name is more the result of what those close to them have called them throughout their lives.  What is more telling of a childish heart or mind is making overreaching assumptions about the personal lives of total strangers.

You’ve shared several quotes by Mikey along with a few bullet points from his life, but have you met him?  I’m willing to venture the answer is no.  I’m not particularly advanced in age, but I have had the opportunity to spend enough time on a personal level with several public figures to learn what should be an obvious lesson: the complexities of their lives can’t be distilled into sound bytes and paragraph long factoids.

Here’s a story about my first time meeting Mikey myself.  While I was a cadet at West Point I invited Mikey to visit a club there that I presided over at the time.  Having heard about his bullish persona I admit I was intimidated.  I expected him to be every bit as gruff as he’d been portrayed in the media.  It wasn’t long at all after picking him up from LaGuardia international airport however that we were jamming out to some heavy metal and making jokes about one thing or another on the hour long drive to the academy.  I learned that he was, personally, an ordinary person very quickly.  Certainly not hateful or difficult to be around.

Later on I had the opportunity to spend time with him and his family in Albuquerque.  Getting to know him better over time I saw the love that he has for his close family and even for people outside his family.  That said, his concern for others is strong enough that he will do whatever he must and is able to do to defend their rights.  To defend my rights.  What you’ve mistaken for hate is more accurately described as very proactive love.  Yes, he is tough when it comes to defending others.  But who wouldn’t be when their family is threatened?  And what more venerable quality is there than treating even strangers with as high regard as family?

I won’t assume that you are a woman child.  We haven’t met.  I can assume that you have had a different set of experiences, that you read Breitbart regularly, and that you frequently spend time with people who leave your beliefs unchallenged.  If you want to go out into the world parroting the messages broadcast by right wing entertainment programs like Fox, you’ll be closing yourself off from reality.  That’s your choice.

It was definitely Jesus’ plan for his followers to represent him by pretending to know what goes on in other’s minds and make attempts at insulting them though. At least that’s what his followers and yourself have shown me by their actions.

Cheers,

Blake A. Page
Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Special Assistant to the President
Director of US Army Affairs


Hi  (name withheld),

Mikey is pretty busy protecting the freedom of religious belief of the women and men in our military, so I thought I’d try to step in on his behalf and attempt to clarify things. I hope you don’t mind.

It’s too bad there is so much misinformation flying about, because it stirs up people’s emotions and provides opportunities for some to launch attacks, in this case against Mikey and the MRFF, when they really don’t have the facts.

If you will, let me explain a couple of things.

Mikey is, as you seem to be aware, the founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and its primary spokesperson. The MRFF’s website very clearly spells out its mission and if you were to read it you’d understand that, contrary to what you’ve been led to believe, we do not oppose anyone’s faith or belief system. Our goal is to protect the right of everyone in the military to believe as she or he chooses.

Now please note I’ve said “in the military.” Pretty much everyone in America understands that different people have different belief systems and some of them involve what is called evangelizing or trying to promote one’s own belief. As Americans we recognize those rights and also recognize our own right to say ‘no thanks’ if someone – say a scientologist or some other fervent believer – gets in our personal space or otherwise goes too far.

But you see, in the military it’s not so easy. In the military, which is a powerfully hierarchical organization, if an officer or non-com or someone in a position of authority over you wants to push her or his deeply held belief and it’s wrong for you, or it makes you uncomfortable, or it offends your own belief system, it can cause big problems if you say ‘no thanks.’ It can mean loss of a promotion, loss of a job, being discriminated against in many different ways, having a promising career ruined, you name it.

So for that reason alone there can or should be no religious proselytizing in the military. And that comes down from the top, because the military is part of our government and our government, based on our constitution and its extension in the laws of our land, specifically says there can be no overt or inferred preference shown for one form of belief over another.

That’s really what the freedom of religion is all about. You’re free to believe or not believe, as you choose, and, at least ideally, no one can discriminate against you or cause harm or create problems for you because of your chosen belief.

Now we know, given the various forms of bias in our society, that this is an aspiration that is too often not achieved, but we work at it. However, in work associated with the government, it is an absolute requirement.

And protecting servicewomen and men from those who don’t honor that requirement is what the MRFF is about. That’s all.

So you see, all the misinformation that’s out there about the MRFF and Mikey being anti-Christian, for example, is simply false. The claim that Mikey is an atheist is false.

The problem arises from the fact that of all the religions in existence, most Americans consider themselves Christian in some form, so when it is a form of Christian proselytizing that is causing problems for some of our servicewomen and men and the MRFF responds to their calls and takes action, some of the more zealous Christians spread the word that Mikey or the MRFF is anti-Christian. Not so.

But when the MRFF took action against an officer who was attempting to inculcate his atheist belief system on those in his command, no one complained. Interesting, huh?

The hard part for some to get is that there is a sect of Christianity known as dominionism that insists it is the one and only true faith and everyone who doesn’t follow them and believe as they do, even those of other Christian beliefs, is damned and doomed to hell. And they are very zealous, sometimes very intimidating, and in my own view very un-Chrisitian, in the way in which they try to frighten and manipulate people. But they can be very slick and sometimes very clever at broadcasting the alarm that opposing their methods makes us anti-Christian.

This fundamentalist, my-way-or-the-highway belief system cannot, no matter how strongly their belief that they are right, be allowed to insist itself into the military or any part of our government. They are certainly welcome to their belief and they can propagate it in chapel or church or between themselves, but they have to respect the separation of church and state as established in our laws.

So you see, it’s very frustrating when you or some of your apparently well-meaning friends fall into the trap of believing the nonsense put out about Mikey Weinstein and the MRFF. Over 95% of the members and supporters of the MRFF are Christians. The difference is they are Christians who understand and honor the freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. They understand and respect the fact that the right of others to have different belief systems is one of the basic strengths of this country of ours.

I hope this helps. And, if you will, I hope you’ll share this message with some of those with whom you’re in touch who might have been misled by the nonsense that’s flying around out there about Mikey and the MRFF.

Thanks.

Mike Farrell

(MRFF Board of Advisors)


 

Hello (name withheld) –

Mikey has read your email and asked if I would be interested in sending you a note.  I’m a Christian, USAF Academy graduate, and Air Force veteran who supports the MRFF in a variety of ways.

First, I’m not sure why you find Mikey’s nickname to be “strange”. Among my adult male friends and acquaintances over the years, I’ve know a Vinny, a Kenny, a Louie, a Petey, and one other Mikey. So to tease him about his nickname makes no more sense than it does to tease someone about an odd spelling of their name.  In any case, take it from someone who knows Mikey fairly well — he is an intelligent, mature, and honorable man who willingly accepts a tremendous amount of abuse because of his belief about the importance of Constitutional protections that are owed to all members of the US military.

It’s important to note that it is that simple belief in Constitutional rights that motivates Mikey and all of us at the MRFF — not hatred, not because of mere opinions, not because of harsh words.  The inappropriate treatment that his sons experienced at USAFA may have triggered the creation of the MRFF, but it’s not the driving force today.  Sadly, their experiences are not unique, as the same sort of inappropriate religious proselytizing and favoritism continues to occur in today’s military.

So there is no need to feel sorry for Mikey, or to offer sympathy to his family.  If you want to extend your sympathy to someone who needs it, I’d suggest that you look to those among our fellow Christians who feel that their own religious beliefs should prevail over those of other citizens and in our governmental and military establishments, and even at the expense of the Constitutional rights of others. From where I stand, those are the truly sad people because they have zero understanding of what “religious liberty” in American really means.

Peace,

Mike Challman

Christian, USAF veteran, MRFF supporter


Dear (name withheld),


You speak of critically holding on to old grudges but what about remembering such inhumane events as the Holocaust, religious wars that raged for centuries killing millions and the discrimination against women so dreadfully prosecuted by religious leaders of all faiths? We must remember those in order to try and prevent them from ever recurring.

Mr. Weinstein does not hate Christians but rather attempts to ameliorate what some Christians do to other Christians. This especially in the Armed Forces where it is critical to have a united front.

There is quite a difference between “hating  Christians” and trying to assist in bringing them and other factions closer together through logic, reason and evidence.

Can you believe that in some African nations which have been steadily and forcefully proselytized by Dominionist Christian Missionaries there are still occurance’s of burning at the stake, decapitation, crucifixion and other vile punishments for disobeying strict Christian Law?

In any case Mr. Weinstein will continue, as successfully as he has in the past,  to pursue those who use religion as a weapon and defile it’s original purpose.

I hope I have been successful in explaining MRFF’s goals and Mr. Weinstein’s actions. Please visit our web site at militaryreligiousfreedom.org for more information.

Rick Baker
Capt. USAF (Med Ret)
MRFF Volunteer


 

I choice to use the spelling of the name (name withheld) (with a k and not a ‘c’) in my “user name”  because I did not want to use the plain ‘c’.  Its as simple as that. But I will say that you made me laugh when you stated ” Does this mean she feels and thinks like a child?”  First of all, thanks for the laugh, although I did find it somewhat childish that “you, Mr. Blake Page” should get upset ( or defensive) just because I made that comment. Once again, I will say that the only time I have ever heard anyone use the name “Mikey” is when they were conversing with a small child (otherwise adult men that I’ve known all my life always have preferred to be called Michael).   Anyway, lets move on.  In regards to your comment : ” I can assume that you have had a different set of experiences, that you read Breitbart regularly, and that you frequently spend time with people who leave your beliefs unchallenged.  If you want to go out into the world parroting the messages broadcast by right wing entertainment programs like Fox, you’ll be closing yourself off from reality.  That’s your choice.” First of all I do “not” read Breitbart regularly, in fact I don’t even subscribe to his blog?and I do “not” spend time with people who leave my beliefs unchallenged” in fact I’m actually a quiet person.  The only time that I will express my opinion is if someone asks me for it. I am not a left wing nut nor a liberal, I’m more of a conservative and I do NOT go around ‘parroting’ messages that are broadcast by Fox news( which I do NOT watch). And may I also add that “you” should also follow your own advice of “you’ll be closing yourself off from reality” if all ‘you’ watch is CNN, CBS, MSNBC, etc. In closing , ” It was definitely Jesus’ plan for his followers to represent him by pretending to know what goes on in other’s? minds and make attempts at insulting them though. At least that’s what his followers and yourself have shown me by their actions.” YOU DO NOT KNOW ME and I am ‘not’ offended by this immature comment of yours.

Thanks again for the ‘laugh’ and have a good day. Please don’t feel that ‘you’ have to respond to this email since I hardly ever use my google email account ( as you can tell from the date of my response to your reply).

Goodbye!

(name withheld)


 

I’m sure you did “choice” to spell your name that way after as much deliberation as you apply to every line of gibberish you’ve sent us.  (name withheld), I truly do pity people like you who are so lacking in education and simultaneously stalwart in their opinions.  I’m sure it’s an uncomfortable “place” to “be”.  Then again I’ve “heard” that ignorance “is” bliss.  Being able to shout “nuh-uh! You’re wrong!” and believe it to be a sound rebuttal in a contentious conversation must make life simple for you.

-Blake

p.s.- while I do hope the subtext of my message was accessible to you, you might need to seek help from one of your more studious acquaintances in reading it, or you’ll miss the key points.  It was a soft pitch, but I believe it may still have passed over your head


All I can say to your gibberish is “FUCK YOU”!

(name withheld)

Awe.  You’re such a sweet lady.  And so very Christ-like
Blake

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5 Comments

  1. Christine Brean April 3, 2015 at 2:29 pm

    Aside from commenting on the letter and the answers, it would make a very interesting article if Paul Loebe would write a little about how he came to change his mind so dramatically. It seems he made a 180 degree turn-around. Changes in belief systems are not an easy or comfortable process and usually takes years. Since he writes so well I’d be interested in reading his story.

  2. Yeshua Warrior April 3, 2015 at 3:12 pm

    I found this statement by Akiva David Miller very interesting -“This of course is the same way radical Christian fundamentalists as well as radical Islamic fundamentalists treat victims of sexual crimes too: they attack and blame the victims.” Where does he get the idea that Christians attack and blame victims of sexual crimes?? Can he site a specific case where this has happened, if he cannot I would request he detract this statement!

  3. Yeshua Warrior April 3, 2015 at 3:18 pm

    Hmm, I think Akiva David Miller has already discredited himself in the past after he was exposed by Christian Fighter Pilot – “In April of 2010, Akiva David Miller — also of the MRFF — wrote a letter to the MRFF complaining about religious symbolism in NASCAR. Again, a member of the MRFF was writing a public letter to the MRFF — all for public show.”

  4. Yeshua Warrior April 3, 2015 at 3:26 pm

    I think the original writer of this letter has a point here about Mr. Weinstein as evidenced in an article that Christian Fighter Pilot wrote, seems that Mr. Weinstein is also a charlatan and a deceiver as well. http://christianfighterpilot.com/blog/2010/04/21/mrff-seeks-cause-to-litigate-agitate-and-ice-cream/

  5. Connie April 3, 2015 at 9:39 pm

    Yeshua Warrior said “Where does he get the idea that Christians attack and blame victims of sexual crimes?? Can he site a specific case where this has happened, if he cannot I would request he detract this statement!”

    I read your statement three times, then took my dog for a walk. I ate dinner. I looked at the news. I waited until I could answer you without wanting to smack the priviledge off of your smirky face.

    Specific cases? You know what you excuse for a human? If a girl isn’t saying yes – and that means your spouse too – then a mans penis has no business anywhere near a womans vagina or ass or mouth. Are we clear? It goes for same sex too – if someone isn’t saying yes then no one is getting anything.

    Asking for specifics… honestly. That’s like standing in the middle of the Mississippi river and asking why you are wet. Are you really that clueless?

    PS – I failed. I really want to give you such a Gibbs smack that you find your brains next week. Seriously. Please get some help to get that plank out of your eye.

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