Please cite the Constition

Your organization is committing is simply wrong. Starting prior to the American Revolution soldiers both enlisted and officers are allowed to worship the God of this nation. That God being cited in most of our founding documents. Please stop your hate mongering.

The very freedoms you are fighting against are what our military is fighting for. You have no legal standing for your complaint. It’s good that most Americans dismiss your rants. Lol

(name withheld)

Dear  (name withheld):

I am writing in response to your May 17, 2015 email to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (“MRFF”).  You are clearly confused or misinformed regarding the mission of MRFF.  I hope I can provide some clarity.

You state that both enlisted soldiers and officers have been allowed to “worship the God of this nation” since before the American Revolution.  I assure you that soldiers (as well as sailors, Marines, cadets, and veterans) still have the right to worship God or any other deity and MRFF does not oppose this right.  In fact, the mission of MRFF is to protect the right of religious freedom for our service members.

However, your claim that soldiers “worship the God of this nation” is erroneous.  There is no “God of this nation.”  While our Founding Fathers may have been Christian, they clearly established a government based on democratic principles, rather than religious principles.  The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment prohibits the establishment of religion.  Additionally, Article VI states, “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust.”  When a military leader uses his/her actual or apparent authority to endorse a particular religion, that conduct violates both of these Constitutional restrictions.

MRFF protects the rights of service members by ensuring that their superiors respect and adhere to the mandates of the Constitution.  You also claim that God is cited in most of our founding documents, yet there is no mention of Christianity in the Constitution.  You do not state which founding documents include such citations.  In the subject line of your email, you requested that I cite the Constitution, so I request that you also provide citations for your assertions.

You also state, “The very freedoms you are fighting against are what our military is fighting for.”  First, MRFF does not fight against any freedoms.  The only “fight” pursued by MRFF is the fight to protect and defend the rights of the brave men and women in uniform who sacrifice so much to protect our rights.  Based on your references to God, I assume that you are claiming that MRFF is somehow fighting against Christianity.  I hope I am incorrect because this assumption could not be further from the truth.  MRFF works tirelessly to protect the religious freedom of service members who practice many different religious faiths – or no faith at all.  You may be surprised to learn that more than 95% of MRFF clients are Christians.  Similarly, our military does not fight for Christianity or any other religion.  Instead, it fights for the rights of all U.S. citizens, including non-Christians.  If you believe otherwise, you are sadly misinformed.

As far as your claim that MRFF has “no legal standing for [its] complaint,” I can only assume that you are referring to the demand letter recently sent by MRFF requesting that Maj. Gen. Craig Olson be disciplined as a result of his statements clearly endorsing Christianity over other religious beliefs.  Please understand that the term “legal standing” refers to the ability to bring suit in court – not the ability to send a demand letter to someone with authority to take appropriate action when the mandates of the Constitution, as well as Air Force Regulations, are violated.  Any concerned citizen can send such a letter and, it should be noted, that the members of MRFF are uniquely aware of military regulations and the consequences of violating them.

I sincerely suggest that you visit MRFF’s website to learn more about its mission, work, and accomplishments.  If you have any questions regarding MRFF or the requirements of the Constitution concerning religious freedom, I will be happy to address them.

Blessed be,

Tobanna Barker

MRFF Volunteer