Marine Speaker

Published On: July 21, 2020|Categories: MRFF's Inbox|3 Comments|

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Leave the Marines alone. One of our sayings is GOD, Country and Corps. Stick to your own Air Force branch, if you want to spew your agenda. You are probably mad because you couldn’t make it in the Marines. We are sick of the minority pushing their junk on the majority.

Respectfully Submitted,
(name withheld)
U.S.M.C. and God’s Child

Response from MRFF Board Member John Compere
On Jul 21, 2020, at 5:55 PM, John Compere  wrote:
First & foremost, thank you for your military service.
 
Please be advised the US Constitution, American law & US Armed Forces regulations prohibit our secular military, as part of our secular government, from officially promoting or endorsing any particular religion. Military chapels are provided for religious worship & military chaplains are available for religious instruction for all who want them. This lawful prohibition includes all mandatory military training. That is why the Marines themselves cancelled the unlawful training after being notified of complaints from many Marines required to attend.
 
The very definition of a republic is ” …a nation of laws and not of man.” – John Adams (Founder & 2nd President).
 
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 Jul 21, 2020, at 7:14 PM, Mike  wrote:

Not particularly respectful, Corporal. Not that it matters, but we respect all branches. And our ranks
represent them all.
No one here is against your faith or your self-description. That’s your right. But we have a Constitution and
a body of laws in this country and they say the U.S. Government does not favor one religion or belief system
over others. It’s called the separation of church and state. So you and any service-member who want to worship
in a certain way are welcome to do so, but you can’t force your way on anyone who believes differently. Because
that is the case, a formal, government-sponsored event may not include a proponent of one faith unless it
includes them all. Otherwise it’s a violation of the separation of church and state.
I trust that’s not too hard for you to understand. I hope I’m not wrong. You did, after all, make it all the way to
corporal.
Mike Farrell
(MRFF Board of Advisors)

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3 Comments

  1. Steven W July 21, 2020 at 9:01 pm

    Funny thing is I remember honor, courage and commitment from my time in the corps. I only remember unit, corps, god, country from one of my all time favorite movies. Maybe it was before my time. Of course i took my oath 1/4 century ago christmas.
    I do not agree with the decision to cancel the speaker at the behest of the mrff. From what i can tell this was not a religious speech, I’m sure there would be an occasional religious reference.
    When i enlisted I referred to myself as agnostic.
    Years later I discovered my religious aligns more of a deists much like many of our founding fathers who put religious references in our early documents.
    That never bothered me. Either way my tags showed no rel pref.
    There were always religious references day to day life in the corps and outside of it. It is a normal part of life and anyone who feels their religious faith endangered by the occasional inclusion of comments referring to a speakers own faith has his/her own issues to work out.
    Stop blaming people of faith because you have questions about your own.
    This is distasteful, let the man speak.

  2. Jeff B July 24, 2020 at 5:51 pm

    Steven: this was not to be a religious speech? Who are you kidding? Nobody was objecting to a speaker who the occasional inclusion of comments in a speech referring to the speaker’s own faith. That is not at all what this particular speaker has been doing, and continues to do at every opportunity. Stop lying about the facts, and start respecting the constitution and religious freedom for all. Stop attacking people who are supporting religious freedom for all, which is supposed to be what the Marines and all of our military service members are serving to protect, among other rights. The regulations are there for a reason. Read them and respect them, as you took an oath to do when you were in the Corps.

  3. Sage on the Hudson July 24, 2020 at 6:26 pm

    “Leave the Marines alone.”

    THAT plaint should be directed to retired A.F. Col. Jay Lorenzen, who wished to use the mechanism of the military — funded at the expense of taxpayers, ALL taxpayers, Christian, non-Chistian and non-religious — to spread his own religious beliefs.

    The Founders of this nation did not create the Armed Forces just so that they might be co-opted by churches, coproration or ANY organization or cause; the Armed forces have a MISSION, and that is to protect America and its way of life, and that way of life is to offer equal protection to all, whatever it is they may believe, which is CANNOT do if someone like Lorenzen is allowed to elevate his beliefs above those of others.

    This applies to every other institution and expression of government, which belong to ALL OF US, not just the Christians, and particularly not Lorenzen’s kind of Christians who think that rules apply to others, and not them.

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