Hello Mr. Weinstein,
Just wondering what your organization the MRFF is really all about?
My husband is in the Army and we are very much blessed by the Grace of our Savior in our home and our lives.
We have never seen Jesus pushed on anyone during our time in the service.
We do try to share the Free Gift of Christ’s Salvation with as many other soldiers and their families as we can but we never force anyone to come to Christ.
Why does the MRFF attack only Christians?
We have more Christians in the Army than all of the other religions combined.
Also as a Jew don’t you think that your peoples’ heritage already has a bad enough history record of attacking Christians?
You and the MRFF are only making the Jewish reputation even worse with your constant attacks.
So your wife writes books about the so called bad letters you get?
Maybe you all should realize that you deserve a lot of the blame yourselves.
Please find something more worthwhile to do and leave us Christians alone.
Jesus Christ would welcome hateful sinners such as you and the MRFF.
If you would but bend the knee and confess Him as your only Savior. (Romans 14:11)
Even the torturer of Christians Saul of Tarsus bent the knee and became St. Paul.
You and your MRFF are modern day Sauls.
Please surrender to Christ before it is too late. He is the Only Way. (John 14:6)
An eternity in hell awaits Jews like you and your MRFF who refuse. (Matthew 13:42)
Remember that Jesus Christ loves you and the MRFF.
This message is from a Proud Christian and Army Officer’s wife and mother who will remain anonymous
Response from MRFF Advisory Board Member Martin France:
Dear Ms Susan “Anonymous” Smith,
As a member of the MRFF’s Advisory Board, I occasionally answer emails like yours for Mikey and the organization. I’d decided to take up yours and, since you were kind enough to write in paced or bullet form with your questions, I chose to answer them in Green below.
Hello Mr. Weinstein,
Just wondering what your organization the MRFF is really all about?
Our organization’s mission is stated at militaryreligiousfreedom.org/about/ As a former college professor, I usually expect even the slowest of my students to do a simple Google search before they ask any questions like yours. Maybe if you’d done this, you could’ve saved us all a lot of time.
My husband is in the Army and we are very much blessed by the Grace of our Savior in our home and our lives.
Good for you and thank you for your service. I served in uniform for over 41 years and enthusiastically defend your right, to this day, to believe and practice (in your private lives) as you see fit.
We have never seen Jesus pushed on anyone during our time in the service.
There’s an old saying that “the fish don’t notice the water in which they swim.” If you were not Christian, you might notice the pushing. I did during my time, beginning with quasi-mandatory church service in basic training through distinctly Christian prayers and invocations at mandatory events to commanders and others asking me if I’d “found a church home,” to bible verses put up in workplaces, and on and on. When my bosses tell me that their god is their number one priority, I get the message that they think their god should be my number one priority as well.
We do try to share the Free Gift of Christ’s Salvation with as many other soldiers and their families as we can but we never force anyone to come to Christ.
If you do this off-duty and it’s with soldiers that are equal in rank to your husband, then that’s fine. If your husband outranks them, then that’s wrong–unless you’re doing it at church that they (the other soldiers) were already attending. You may not realize this (I’m sure your husband does) that when a senior officer tells a subordinate what they SHOULD be doing (i.e., worshipping as you do) then that’s coercion. There are Dept of Defense restrictions against this. Use that Google thing i mentioned and find them. Your husband knows about them, too, and he’s probably violating them. As a Christian, he can probably get away with it. If he was a Muslim or Atheist, it wouldn’t be so easy.
Why does the MRFF attack only Christians?
We don’t attack Christians. We attack those that violate the Constitution, established judicial precedent concerning the place of religions in the military (again, that Google thing — look up ‘Parker v Levy), and DoD and Service regulations. It just so happens that well over 90% of those violations are committed by Christians, but the MRFF has also filed complaints against Jews, Atheists, and others that have acted inappropriately.
We have more Christians in the Army than all of the other religions combined.
So what? Does majority rule override the Constitutional rights of the minority? Does that give you the right to tell others how to worship or that they can NOT worship?
Also as a Jew don’t you think that your peoples’ heritage already has a bad enough history record of attacking Christians?
Let’s look at the historical scorecard of Jews attacking Christians versus supposed Christians killing Jews. Hmmm. Seems like there are millions and millions of the latter (The Inquisition, Pogroms throughout Europe, The Holocaust, etc). Can’t think of too many on the other side.
You and the MRFF are only making the Jewish reputation even worse with your constant attacks.
Blaming the victim. That’s called a logical fallacy. Look that one up. Would we all be better off if those nasty Jews just shut up and converted/assimilated? I guess that would make you happy, but also violate the Constitution that your husband has taken an oath to protect.
So your wife writes books about the so called bad letters you get?
Yes, she does. I’ve read both. Fortunately, you probably won’t be in the next one because, unlike so many other letters sent to the MRFF, you seem to know some standard rules of grammar and spelling. Good on you!
Maybe you all should realize that you deserve a lot of the blame yourselves.
For what? Defending the rights of our military in the workplace? Yeah, we should be very ashamed about that. (What I just said is “sarcasm.” Google that, too)
Please find something more worthwhile to do and leave us Christians alone.
No. We think this is enormously important. Human rights are important, don’t you think? Defending them is really everyone’s job.
Jesus Christ would welcome hateful sinners such as you and the MRFF.
Maybe so. He’s not here to say. Not sure he ever was here to say that either.
If you would but bend the knee and confess Him as your only Savior. (Romans 14:11)
No thanks. I personally don’t think that would be worth my time.
Even the torturer of Christians Saul of Tarsus bent the knee and became St. Paul.
Good for him (sarcasm again)
You and your MRFF are modern day Sauls.
Actually, I think we’re modern day Jeffersons, Paines, and Douglasses
Please surrender to Christ before it is too late. He is the Only Way. (John 14:6)
No thanks (not sarcasm)
An eternity in hell awaits Jews like you and your MRFF who refuse. (Matthew 13:42)
But wow, all of the really fun and interesting people will be there. I suppose you call heaven a place where folks like Jerry Falwell, Jr. go. You can have it. (Be careful if you see him there, though. He likes to watch)
Remember that Jesus Christ loves you and the MRFF.
I’ll try. But, since I’m not religious, I don’t think that’ll matter too much to me.
This message is from a Proud Christian and Army Officer’s wife and mother who will remain anonymous
Again, thanks for your service. Please read this document. It SHOULD tell you about what your husband SHOULD be doing on the job.
Sincerely,
M France, PhD
Brigadier General, USAF (Retired)
MRFF Advisory Board Member
Response from MRFF Advisory Board Member Mike Farrell:
Hello Mr. Weinstein,
HELLO MS. SMITH (OR WHATEVER YOUR NAME REALLY IS)
MIKEY IS VERY BUSY PROTECTING THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OF THE WOMEN AND MEN IN THE MILITARY, SO I SOMETIMES RESPOND FOR HIM TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO ARE SO CONFUSED ABOUT THE MRFF.
Just wondering what your organization the MRFF is really all about?
IT’S PRETTY SIMPLE, ACTUALLY. YOU MIGHT READ OUR MISSION STATEMENT INSTEAD OF LEAPING TO MISTAKEN CONCLUSIONS, AS YOU’VE DONE HERE. THE MRFF IS PROTECTING THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OF THE WOMEN AND MEN IN THE MILITARY BY SEEING THAT CARE IS TAKEN TO PROTECT THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE, AS IS REQUIRED BY LAW AND MILITARY REGULATION.
My husband is in the Army and we are very much blessed by the Grace of our Savior in our home and our lives.
HOW NICE FOR YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND.
We have never seen Jesus pushed on anyone during our time in the service.
THAT’S SURPRISING. BUT IT MIGHT HELP IF YOU WERE TO DEFINE YOUR TERMS, AS WE GET REPORTS OF INAPPROPRIATE CHRISTIAN PROSELYTIZING RATHER OFTEN.
We do try to share the Free Gift of Christ’s Salvation with as many other soldiers and their families as we can but we never force anyone to come to Christ.
AGAIN, DEFINING TERMS IS IMPORTANT.
FOR YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND TO “SHARE THE FREE GIFT OF CHRIST’S SALVATION WITH AS MANY OTHER SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES AS (YOU) CAN”, AS YOU PUT IT, MAY NOT SEEM LIKE INAPPROPRIATE PROSELYTIZING TO YOU, BUT IT MAY SEEM VERY MUCH LIKE THAT TO THOSE WITH WHOM YOU “SHARE.”
AND OF COURSE YOU WOULD “NEVER FORCE ANYONE TO COME TO CHRIST.” I DOUBT CHRIST HIMSELF WOULD EVEN APPRECIATE THAT. BUT LEANING HARD ON PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT THE JOY YOU MAY HAVE FOUND IN YOUR PERSONAL DEVOTION TO YOUR CONCEPT OF CHRIST MAY MAKE THE RECIPIENT OF YOUR ATTENTION UNCOMFORTABLE.
IF YOUR HUSBAND, FOR EXAMPLE, HAPPENED TO BE AN OFFICER, IT MIGHT BE VERY HARD FOR SOMEONE OF INFERIOR RANK OR POSITION TO EXPRESS DISCOMFORT OR, HEAVEN FORFEND, DISAGREEMENT.
Why does the MRFF attack only Christians?
IT DOESN’T. WHATEVER GAVE YOU THAT IDEA?
We have more Christians in the Army than all of the other religions combined.
INDEED. AND OVER 95% OF THE STAFF, SUPPORTERS AND CLIENTS OF THE MRFF ARE IN FACT CHRISTIANS. THEY’RE JUST NOT THE KIND OF CHRISTIANS WHO FEEL AN URGENT NEED TO “SHARE THE FREE GIFT OF CHRIST’S SALVATION WITH AS MANY OTHER SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES AS (THEY) CAN.”
Also as a Jew don’t you think that your peoples’ heritage already has a bad enough history record of attacking Christians?
NO MA’AM. IN FACT I THINK YOU HAVE THAT BACKWARD. THE HISTORIC RECORD CONTINUES, IF YOU’LL THINK ABOUT IT, AND IT DEMONSTRATES A SHAMEFULLY VIOLENT AND INESCAPABLY HORRIFYING ACCOUNT OF CHRISTIANS – OR THOSE WHO CLAIMED TO BE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST – ASSAULTING, TORTURING AND MURDERING MILLIONS OF JEWS AS WELL AS THOSE OF OTHER NON-CHRISTIAN BELIEF SYSTEMS
You and the MRFF are only making the Jewish reputation even worse with your constant attacks.
WELL, AS SAID, YOUR BELIEF THAT THE JEWISH “REPUTATION” IS BAD SPEAKS TO A SERIOUS LACK OF INFORMATION AND UNDERSTANDING ON YOUR PART. BUT AS FAR AS THE “CONSTANT ATTACKS” YOU MENTION, NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. THE MRFF HAS NO QUARREL WITH ANY BELIEF SYSTEM. AS POINTED OUT ABOVE, MOST OF THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH US ARE CHRISTIANS, AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT WE CONTEND WITH IS NOT CHRISTIANITY BUT RATHER THOSE CHRISTIAN ZEALOTS WHOSE URGENT AND APPARENTLY ALL-CONSUMING NEED TO ‘SPREAD THE WORD’ CAUSES THEM TO FLAUNT THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS REGARDING RELIGIOUS PROSELYTIZING AND VIOLATE THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
So your wife writes books about the so called bad letters you get?
YES, BONNIE HAS WRITTEN BOOKS ABOUT THE MRFF EXPERIENCE THAT EXPOSE TO THE PUBLIC THE KIND OF UGLY, IGNORANT, VILE, VITRIOLIC, OBSCENE AND OFTEN THREATENING MESSAGES THAT COME OUR WAY. TOO MANY, I’M SAD TO SAY, FROM PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS CHRISTIANS.
Maybe you all should realize that you deserve a lot of the blame yourselves.
HOW IS IT THAT THAT MIGHT BE THE CASE? DEFENDING THE CONSTITUTION DESERVES BLAME? DEFENDING THE RIGHT OF PEOPLE TO BELIEVE AS THEY CHOOSE IS WRONG.? ARE YOU FROM AMERICA?
Please find something more worthwhile to do and leave us Christians alone.
BY “US CHRISTIANS,” ARE YOU ASSOCIATING YOURSELF WITH THE VILE BIGOTS WHO ATTACK US? THE ANTI-SEMITES? WITH THOSE WHO BELIEVE THEIR VERSION OF CHRISTIANITY IS THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE RELIGION AND EVERYONE WHO DOESN’T BELIEVE AS THEY DO IS CONDEMNED TO HELL?
Jesus Christ would welcome hateful sinners such as you and the MRFF.
THE JESUS CHRIST I KNOW WOULD CHASE YOU OUT OF THE TEMPLE FOR JUDGING US TO BE “HATEFUL SINNERS.” AFTER DISPLAYING YOUR UTTER IGNORANCE AND YOUR PATHETIC WILLINGNESS TO THINK YOURSELF SUPERIOR TO OTHERS, I’M SURPRISED YOU STILL CLAIM AN AFFINITY TO CHRIST.
If you would but bend the knee and confess Him as your only Savior. (Romans 14:11)
YOU, MADAM, ARE A BLIGHT ON THE NAME OF CHRISTIANITY.
Even the torturer of Christians Saul of Tarsus bent the knee and became St. Paul.
You and your MRFF are modern day Sauls.
Please surrender to Christ before it is too late. He is the Only Way. (John 14:6)
An eternity in hell awaits Jews like you and your MRFF who refuse. (Matthew 13:42)
Remember that Jesus Christ loves you and the MRFF.
This message is from a Proud Christian and Army Officer’s wife and mother who will remain anonymous
ANONYMITY IS THE HIDING PLACE FOR BIGOTS. NO ONE CAN BLAME YOU FOR REFUSING TO PUT YOUR NAME TO SUCH COWARDLY ANTI-CHRISTIAN TRIPE. BUT JESUS KNOWS, DOESN’T HE?
MIKE FARRELL
(MRFF BOARD OF ADVISORS)
Response from MRFF Board Member John Compere:
Thank you for your husband’s military service & your support of his service.
Please be advised the Military Religious Freedom Foundation is composed of over 80% Christians & the only non-profit civil rights organization solely dedicated to protecting the constitutional right of our military men & women to determine, enjoy & practice their own religious or non-religious beliefs free from interference by those who do not respect their right to religious freedom. We have represented over 70,000 military members (95% are Christians) who requested our protection. For this pro-bono religious freedom advocacy, the Foundation has been officially nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 7 times.
For your information, the US Constitution, American law & US Armed Forces regulations prohibit our secular military, as part of our secular government, from officially endorsing or promoting a religion. Even Jesus separated government & religion (Matthew 22:21;Mark 12:17).
The military mission is to defend our nation against its enemies (not promote religion). The military service oath is to bear true faith & allegiance to the US Constitution (not to religion). Military chapels are provided for those who want religious worship & military chaplains are available for those who want religious instruction.
Your self-righteous sermonizing is morally misdirected & would be more righteously redirected at those who disregard our laws & disrespect the right of our military men & women to freedom of religion.
Most Sincerely,
Brigadier General John Compere, US Army (Retired)
Disabled American Veteran (Vietnam Era)
Board Member, Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Response from a MRFF Supporter:
Hello, Ms. Smith. I recently received a copy of your email to the MRFF. This is a reply I hope you will find thoughtful, polite, and useful.
I note with high interest that you chose to remain anonymous. I can’t help but wonder why that is. It suggests that you are in some way ashamed of what you wrote. Is there something about normal, civil interaction with those of differing viewpoints that you fear? Do your Christian beliefs not give you confidence to interact with others in a conventional way?
Although I served in the military, I am NOT currently a member. I support MRFF with a modest contribution because I support the work it is doing.
Some of your statements are not merely totally ignorant, but anti-Semitic as well. Is expressing ignorance and hatred about Jews your idea of appropriate behavior for a Christian? I am not aware of any mainstream Christians of any denomination–Lutheran, Episcopalian, Catholic, Methodist, etc–who have ever made statements like yours.
That suggests to me that although you call yourself a Christian, your brand of Christianity is, shall we say, extreme or peculiar?
Based on your comments to MRFF, it does NOT appear to me that you have taken the most elementary steps, namely, checking out MRFF’s home page, and perhaps as well doing some research in military media, such as Army Times, and other conservative media. If you had, you would have learned a few very important things.
For example:
1. You would have learned that virtually every action that MRFF has taken has been on behalf of ACTIVE CHRISTIANS who were offended by chaplains and others requiring others to listen to them. And that those who contacted MRFF did so because they feared retribution by superiors if their names became known.
2. you would have learned that MRFF’s goals and purpose is to protect active duty service members from being forced to listen to proselytizing by others.
3. you would have learned that in an overwhelming number of times that MRFF has sent complaints to military superiors about inappropriate behavior by “Christian” chaplains, superiors have instructed them to cease the activities that members found offensive.
4. Where did you get the idea that MRFF “attacks” others? MRFF attacks no one. Rather, it PROTECTS service members from being forced to listen to ideas they find offensive.
Do you think your husband would find it offensive to be forced to listen to a Muslim chaplain? A Buddhist chaplain? If you think he would find it offensive, then you understand what MRFF does, and why and how it does it.
At this moment I am too busy to respond to every point you made. However, my understanding of the ideas Christians say they honor is that they try to avoid “bearing false witness”. If you are serious about your Christianity, may I suggest that you would benefit by actually doing some serious investigation of the allegations you make against MRFF, so that you do not again bear false witness against MRFF?
Thank you.
Response from MRFF Supporter
Dear Ms. (name withheld):Wonder no more. MRFF is really all about religious freedom, exactly as the name says. They actually follow God’s decision to give us free will. When a commanding officer decides that he knows better than God and that he should force our fine military men and women to worship the way that he sees fit, that is when Mr. Weinstein steps in.Just because you have never seen it does not mean that it does not happen.I have shared my faith with Mr. Weinstein several times over the past 50+ years, but I am not his commanding officer. As long as your husband is not a superior officer to the people with whom you are sharing, and your sharing is not during official time, what you do is probably legal.I know that Mr. Weinstein is fervent in his belief of the importance of the separation of church and state, but I don’t believe that he has ever attacked anyone. I am a life-long Christian, the daughter of a chaplain who is now in the arms of our Lord, and Mr. Weinstein has been a dear friend for decades. He has never had a problem with my faith. When we disagree about anything, we still love each other, just as God wants us to.He knows that there are many Christians in the military as many of them are his clients.The Jews are God’s chosen people. He has a different covenant with them than He has with us. Jesus was a Jew who was killed by church leaders drunk with power.Many years ago, Mr. Weinstein started forwarding the hate mail to me. I was aghast that people who call themselves Christians could be so horrible. I was embarrassed, but Mr. Weinstein assured me that he understood that those people don’t realize what it really is to be a Christian. Putting the blame on him is like blaming the victims of rape.Our government has become so corrupt in so many ways that I wish we had more watchdogs like Mr. Weinstein. If he is bothering you, my guess is that you are violating the separation of church and state. Stop doing that, and he will leave you alone.
Of course Jesus welcomes all hateful sinners, just as He forgives those who write the hate mail if they confess their sin. Saul of Tarsus hunted down Christians and tortured and killed them. Mr. Weinstein steps in when he is asked to or he sees the law being broken, so not the same. I’ve told him that Jesus loves him, and he lets me pray for him. I hope that you and your friends will also pray for him.Kathy L,A proud Christian and Air Force BRAT
Subject: You all bring this hate on yourselves
Date: August 31, 2020 at 9:19:51 AM MDT
To: Information Weinstein <[email protected]>
Hello Mr. Weinstein,
Just wondering what your organization the MRFF is really all about?
I am sure with just a few key strokes, you could easily access the MRFF Mission Statement without having to be led to the water to drink
My husband is in the Army and we are very much blessed by the Grace of our Savior in our home and our lives.
And your First Amendment rights are fully protected while you are in the military. Say “Thank you” to our Founding Fathers who were capable of independent thought.
We have never seen Jesus pushed on anyone during our time in the service.
You and your husband should get out more and take the blinders off. Where was your husband when I was coerced/forced to claim a particular statement on my “dog tags” when I was all of 17 years old? I still have them, by the way.
We do try to share the Free Gift of Christ’s Salvation with as many other soldiers and their families as we can but we never force anyone to come to Christ.
Please enjoy your freedom to that that outside of official military assemblies, duty times and gatherings and we will all live in harmony!
Why does the MRFF attack only Christians?
Because they tend to feel like they are picked on and have a big chip on their shoulder? No, in reality, what if you were cognizant of the role the MRFF and what it endures daily for many more military members of Christian faith than any other? Perhaps opening the mind a bit may help you understand. From my limited understanding, most complaints that are filed with the MRFF are actually from Christian members. I am sure MRFF will correct me if I am wrong.
We have more Christians in the Army than all of the other religions combined.
So? Pretty sure the Constitution is in place to ensure minorities, whether racial or religious or of any other discriminating aspect, is there to protect the rights of ALL US citizens. Yes? And let’s not forget that pesky clause in the United States Constitution that prohibits ANY RELIGIOUS TEST. Somehow people conveniently forget about that part.
“The No Religious Test Clause of the United States Constitution is a clause within Article VI, Clause 3. By its plain terms, no federal officeholder or employee can be required to adhere to or accept any particular religion or doctrine as a prerequisite to holding a federal office or a federal government job. It immediately follows a clause requiring all federal office holders to take an oath or affirmation to support the Constitution.” Yes, an internet attribution, but feel free to look it up yourself.
Oh yes, one more point. The United States of America has 3 branches of government with the Judicial branch in place to make sure “majority rule” does not usurp the legal rights of minority factions. Sometimes the brilliance of our Founding Fathers really perturbs the “majority rule dolts”.
Also as a Jew don’t you think that your peoples’ heritage already has a bad enough history record of attacking Christians?
Wow, how deficient your education has been. Let’s see, the medieval collectives and villages of Jews throughout Europe provided excellent sword slaughtering practice (look up the pogroms) by the brave young knights (Brave, Brave, Brave Sir Robin!) on their Crusades. Yes, history has long condoned killing and slaughtering of the Jews. As a young man stationed in Europe, I can remember the horror and disgust of the films at the Dachau Concentration Camp. I remember people saying how there were no singing birds around the camp as late as 1981. I have not been back since then. Oh, incidentally, most of the Christians were defeated in battle, but let’s not argue truth. I can vividly remember my German landlady panicking when “Gypsies” invaded the small German village I lived in while stationed with the military. Good thing she did not have a sword! It is so easy to lead an ignorant people – Napoleon was as Master at the technique.
Most notably, you ignore the Nostra Aetate. But that may be a bit advanced for your closed mind.
You and the MRFF are only making the Jewish reputation even worse with your constant attacks.
I beg to differ with you. In my opinion, the MRFF is wholly defensive, responding to illegal attacks by others who cannot comprehend the scope and significance of the Constitution of the United States and the brilliance of our Founding Fathers. Oh, in case you missed it the first time, I reiterate the necessity of a complete understanding of the Nostra Aetate, trust me, it can really help you out of your “well of ignorance”.
So your wife writes books about the so called bad letters you get?
Yes, she does. I have copies of them all. They are hilarious in exposing the bigotry and monumental stupidity of the persons who send email and letters to the MRFF. And, quite effectively, lays out a clear case that they can’t spell very well either. Let’s not get into sentence structure!
Maybe you all should realize that you deserve a lot of the blame yourselves.
Nope. Not at all. Zero blame. The MRFF can read the Founding Father’s documents very well and practices solely within the bounds. I will admit that sometimes Mr. Weinstein uses harsh language but occasionally people need to be slapped with a wet glove.
Please find something more worthwhile to do and leave us Christians alone.
No problem, as soon as you quit tampering with the Constitution.
Jesus Christ would welcome hateful sinners such as you and the MRFF.
Ummm… you do know that Jesus was a Jew, right?
If you would but bend the knee and confess Him as your only Savior. (Romans 14:11)
Personally, after seeing various NBA, NFL, NHL members “take a knee”, I find its significance to be less than compelling. I would much rather salute the Flag.
Even the torturer of Christians Saul of Tarsus bent the knee and became St. Paul.
Yeah, that is a really interesting back story to see how good ol’ Saul figured out how he could get people to give him food, lodging, money, etc based on his “awakening”. So feel free to explain “Prosperity Religion”. Oh, wait, over 2,000 sects of Christianity – umm, perhaps you could tell me the one true religion? Sometimes I chuckle and think of good ol’ Saul as the original “used car salesman”
You and your MRFF are modern day Sauls.
On that charge, I am going to have to kind of side with you. Since the common perception is that the Jews tend to be uniquely qualified to organize and collectively gain from the ignorance of others – yeah, maybe. Doesn’t that make you feel a bit inferior?
Please surrender to Christ before it is too late. He is the Only Way. (John 14:6)
Don’t hold your breath. Still waiting for that lightning bolt… hello? Is this microphone on? tap-tap-tap”
An eternity in hell awaits Jews like you and your MRFF who refuse. (Matthew 13:42)
Yes, yes, blah, blah, blah… again, don’t hold your breath. The troublesome aspect of quoting scripture is you have to ignore the ugly aspects, throwing daughters out to be raped, cutting off thousands of foreskins of the Philistines… wasn’t it Samuel Clements (Mark Twain) that said a minor should ever be exposed to the bible because of the extreme pornography and violence?
Remember that Jesus Christ loves you and the MRFF.
I could insert a comment here, but because of the sanctity of the 1st Amendment, feel free to say what you will!!
This message is from a Proud Christian and Army Officer’s wife and mother who will remain anonymous
Good for you! Shout it out! Just not at Commander’s Calls, etc. I will protect your right to do such (actually, according to the Oath I took, I HAVE protected your rights). Mikey will probably keep my identity anonymous also, although, I have no issue with being “outed”
Lest there be any confusion: I am NOT of the Jewish faith, I was raised in a Christian faith family and at some point I comfortably came to the same point of view and realization that Douglas Adams (famous H2G2 author), who proclaimed that he was particularly proud that he was born in Cambridge, England in 1952 and his initials were D.N.A., unashamedly supported.
I speak here only as a very long term supporter of the MRFF, have never used their service, sometimes disagree with particular methods BUT they are the ONLY group that is in a position with the strength to protect ALL citizens of the United States in ALL branches of the Military with all forms and fashions of belief, lifestyle and tradition in accordance with the relevant military service regulations. As such, I am obligated to do as much as I can to help the MRFF.
This is just my personal observation and opinion of religious and other forms of discrimination that were prevalent while I was in the military and in no way reflects the complete and actual MRFF philosophy.
MSM, AFCM, NDSM, AFGCM, AFLSM – and the list goes on
Response from MRFF supporter and former U.S. Air Force and Air Force Academy chaplain, Rabbi Joel R. Schwartzman (Col., USAF-Ret.)
Response from MRFF Supporter
Please let me call you Susan It is just a hunch as most who write the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) use false emails.
I have known Mikey Weinstein for over forty years and am writing as an individual, not a representative of his foundation. Neither he nor the foundation are anti-Christian. The MRFF provides a service to by protecting all religious freedom. It may surprise you that many are Christians.
The arguments in your email are hard to follow.
Let’s begin with a statement mid-way in your email. “… as a Jew don’t you think that your peoples’ heritage already has a bad enough history record of attacking Christians?” This is a very revealing sentence that implies a strong bias on your part. Please, tell me what you mean about Jewish heritage. You infer this is bad. Please explain Jewish attacks upon Christians. Physical attacks – rhetorical – examples?
You state neither you nor your husband have “ever seen Jesus pushed on anyone.” Susan, I have been associated with the US military as a cadet, officer, and civil servant since 1975. I can assure you that Christianity is projected into the military and often without consequences to the offending person. There is also a very strong bias favoring Christianity over other belief systems. The military must be religiously – or any belief system – neutral by law, regulation, and in order to maintain good order. I invite you to continue reading MRFF’s website for examples. Let me know if you wish a list of personally-observed evidence of these lines being crossed.
You quote the Christian New Testament three times, once threatening Mikey and all non-Christians with eternal Hell. You call others sinners. Are these not examples of pushing Christianity upon others? Who are you to judge others so severely? Where is the academic logic of using one source — your personal book of faith — to advocate your point? A wise person reads from more than one book and is courting failure by using a source others may not find credible.
To the Army Officer Spouse that authored the anti-semitic email to Mr. Weinstein,As an Army Officer Spouse that serves as the liaison for Fort Sill for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, I was very disturbed when I saw a scathing email sent to the MRFF by a “Proud Christian and Army Officer’s wife and mother”. The attempt for you to remain anonymous sends the message that you may realize that your written words about making “the jewish reputation even worse with your constant attacks” are unbecoming of an officer’s “spouse”. The idea that you believe that those of the Jewish faith have a negative “reputation”, as you imply, is proof enough of your anti-semitic views.I, however, am not afraid to speak out against you while using my real name and position as an officer’s spouse and would like the chance to respond to your grossly ignorant accusations. While the thesis of the entire email seemed to be contradictory, the message within it from the “Officer’s Wife” perspective was the most concerning.
While I am personally a Secular Humanist, the idea seems lost on you, that just because the majority of Service Member’s identify as Christian means that their needs and wants should overshadow those of the minority. As an officer’s wife I find myself constantly seeking out the service members that may be in the minority or may be at another disadvantage, be it religious beliefs, race, marital or financial status, etc.. and continually trying to check in, listen to their experience and make sure that every aspect of their lives are being treated fairly and justly when it comes to military life.
Admittedly, I have not always been successful in this endeavor and have made mistakes along the way. The one that sticks out the most, involves the planning for a spouses’ luncheon in which I was in charge of in which the only main dish included pork. It was not something I initially identified as a problem, but thankfully a Jewish spouse who spoke up on the spouses’ board as well was able to identify the spouses’ club might want to offer a chicken option as well. Quickly realizing that my planning of the luncheon may exclude some with differing religious beliefs that I, I changed the menu and was able to ensure that spouses’ were able to have options for lunch that allowed them to participate in our luncheon. Looking back, that particular spouses’ club board year was the most successful I have ever been a part of: it also had the most diverse board. I don’t believe we could have done so if diversity was not valued and we did not openly talk about our differences and try to create the most inclusive atmosphere possible for all of our members.Recently, the lack of diversity in the military in regards to sex and race has made it into the national news. It has been recognized that institutions that value diversity are more apt to succeed, and I believe that religious diversity within the force is also an aspect that needs to be considered when trying to strengthen the force. When Army Spouses, such as you send such foul emails that showcase how they obviously value their own religious standpoints over others, they are sending the message that they are the only ones correct in regards to their religious faiths and no else’s opinions, needs or wants are of value. I fear that this dissuades spouses’ of minority from speaking up at times when attitudes such as yours are viewed as the most prevalent in the military community. I wanted to only serve BBQ pork at that luncheon and did not want to deal with the added headache of a more complicated catering order, but in the end the Jewish spouse needed a non-pork option to be able to participate AND follow her religious beliefs/teachings. Instead of holding strong on my viewpoint and trying to convince her to eat pork, I simply accommodated the request and valued her input. This allowed us in the end to build a more cohesive community: one that respected our diverse group of military spouses.
It is also very troubling when I see Army Spouses, such as yourself, speak as if you represent our officer spouse peer group and/or all of those from their religious denomination. In the original email you indicate, “just leave us Christian’s alone”. Are you speaking for every Christian? Thankfully not, as the majority of the MRFF’s clients identify with the Christian faith. It is my hope that other military spousesthat are looking for help when their religious rights are being violated, do not believe that all military officers spouseswill not react with such disrespect and hostility to others’ viewpoints. I am ashamed that another military officer spouse could write such vile things to Mr. Weinstein: telling him to “to bend a knee” and accept Christ as their savior” is exactly the opposite of the kindness and acceptance we should model as military officer spouses.I can guarantee as an Officer’s Spouse and Fort Sill’s liaison to the MRFF, this is not how I handle situations when a member of any faith comes to me when seeking a resolution to a problem. I treat all individuals with respect in regards to their beliefs and work my hardest as a representative of the MRFF to aid them in resolution. I believe this is how military officer spouses should respond to anyone that reaches out to them for help. By simply respecting those in need’s viewpoints, religious views, and differing backgrounds, I believe helps bring cohesion to all members of our military community.That is really what the MRFF is all about— not attacking Christians (or any other religion or non-faith tradition) as you do when you speak of the “jewish reputation”.Sarah KlineA Non-Anonymous, Proud Military Officer’s wife and mother who actively promotes religious freedom as the MRFF representative from Fort Sill, OK
Dear Kathy L.
May I give you a quick biblical and Jewish history lesson. You said this above “The Jews are God’s chosen people. He has a different covenant with them than He has with us. Jesus was a Jew who was killed by church leaders drunk with power.” Yes the Jews are God’s chosen people, but that has nothing to do with their eternal salvation. Also, can you show me a verse of two, in context, where it says that God has a different covenant for them than the Gentiles? Oh wasn’t it Jesus when speaking to His Jewish disciples and followers said “I am the way, the truth the life, no man comes to the Father but through Me” John 14:6 Also, it was Peter the Jew and John the Jew speaking before a Jewish council when they said “and there is salvation in one one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
Also Kathy L. you stated above that Jesus was a Jew who was killed by church leaders drunk with power.” Actually, Jesus was not killed by church leaders since the church did not come into existence until 100 years later. Jesus was killed by his fellow Jews-the ruling Jewish leaders of his day, the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees.
Addendum reply to Kathy L. from above. Dear Ms. Kathy L. you stated this above “Saul of Tarsus hunted down Christians and tortured and killed them.” Maybe you should re-read the book of Acts again and you will find out that Saul/Paul did not hunt down Christians, because there were no Christians around at that time. Saul/Paul first of all was Jewish and secondly he was hunting down fellow Jews who believed that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel, in essence he was attacking and killing Jewish followers of Jesus at that time.
You sign off my saying that you are a “proud Christian” but I guess not proud enough to really know what the bible says and teaches. There are many today who think they are Christians but are not really saved and born again by the Holy Spirit, and when they come before Christ after they die, He will say to them “depart from Me for I never knew you” and will cast them into outer darkness. I would say search your heart and soul and do you have the Holy Spirit residing inside you, otherwise, Christ may says those words to you which I would hate for you to hear!
The poop gonna hit the propeller. I’m a long time poster here, but not lately. Late one night I called Mikey to suggest he was needed in Washington. I’m an atheist, and I am severely persecuted because of what I perceive is my right to describe my beliefs where others can see them, as do religions and do religious persons. I don’t protest what any believe, any religion is fine with me, that’s not the problem’. The problem is I don’t have a place at the table, I am forbidden to state my beliefs. I keep asking why is it I am persecuted for only asking that my beliefs can be given equal weight. How bad can it be? one may ask? I contend I was thrown in jail on a set up… is how bad. Because I merely openly want to state my belief, ‘there are no gods, none has ever been proven.’