Mr. Weinstein,
As a moderately religious practicing person and retired member of the Armed Forces of the United States, I saw the positive work exerted by military chaplains during peace and conflict.
The concept of God is critical to the maintenance of a free society and its conception of something in support of individual conscious above mere government. This is particularly necessary in the military, which is a tool of government.
The nature of your organization and its true targets and goals are obvious to anyone who pays a modicum of attention to this organization.
Even the deceitful nature of the title of your organization is incredibly dishonest and insidious. If you were an honest person, you would name your organization more accurately and state your goals forthrightly.
Your MRFF is one of the most useless, and unworthy organizations I have ever had the displeasure to come across.
Sincerely,
(name withheld)
Response from MRFF Board Member John Compere
On May 25, 2020, at 2:50 PM, John Compere wrote:
Your military service is appreciated. However, your maligning message is not & reflects a major misunderstanding of the military, military chaplains & the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
For your information, the US Constitution, American law & US Armed Forces regulations prohibit our secular military, as part of our secular government, from publicly promoting a religion except in military chapels & military chaplain social media outlets. That is why chaplains are prohibited from using official military channels to proselytize their religion version & why the military has stopped the unlawful practice when complaints are received from military members. Chaplains are aware of this legal restriction & must obey laws & regulations just like all military personnel.
Also for your information, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has its name because it is the only American non-profit constitutional rights organization dedicated solely to protecting & preserving the right to religious freedom of our military men & women from those who do not respect that right. We have represented approximately 68,000 military members (95% are Christians) who requested our assistance. For this pro bono advocacy, the Foundation has been officially nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 7 times. We will proudly & patriotically continue to do so as long as there are those who disrespect the right of our military men & women to determine, enjoy & practice their own beliefs.
1st President & Commander-in-Chief George Washington even recognized the problem when he wrote the Continental Congress that the military chaplaincy “…has a tendency to introduce religious disputes into the Army, which above all things should be avoided, and in many instances would compel men to a mode of worship which they do not profess.” (Letter, June 8, 1777)
Brigadier General John Compere, US Army (Retired)
Disabled American Veteran (Vietnam Era)
Board Member, Military Religious Freedom Foundation (over 80% Christians)
Response from MRFF Advisory Board Member Mike Farrell
On May 25, 2020, at 6:15 PM, Mike wrote:
(name withheld) Baby,Nice to meet you. Kidding.Does being a “moderately religious practicing person” make it easier for you to accuse someone you don’t know ofbeing deceitful and condemning his organization on the basis of the “modicum of attention” you’ve apparently paidto it? Should one assume the ‘moderation’ allows for the use of some of the values of your sort-of-chosen faith and theabuse of others?I ask because whatever you moderately believe, judging and condemning seems acceptable and vagueness isapparently a requisite.What exactly is your complaint? We are well aware of the “positive work exerted by military chaplains during peaceand conflict.” The chaplains with whom we are in regular contact, and others whom we’ve been happy to assist, arefine examples of that “positive work.”So what?If you’re having difficulty figuring out exactly how to say just what it is you don’t like about us and what we’re doing,perhaps you can suggest what your discomfort about what we do prompts you to think we should be known as ratherthan the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. That might – and I emphasize MIGHT – give me a sense of whereyou’ve gotten so confused.I’m always happy to help. I just need a clue as to what the problem is that has so gnawed at your moderate religiousbelief system that you felt impelled to reach out.BestMike Farrel(MRFF Board of Advisors)
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