Re: Activist wants ‘unconstitutional’ Christian bookstore off this base
From: (name withheld)
Date: September 10, 2023 at 10:06:57 AM PDT
To: [email protected]
Subject: Activist wants ‘unconstitutional’ Christian bookstore off this base
There is only one God – and he knows who you are
Get a life and do something good instead of woke shit
(name withheld)
Response from MRFF Founder and President Mikey Weinstein
Date: September 10, 2023 at 10:15:36 AM PDT
To: (name withheld)
Subject:Re: Activist wants ‘unconstitutional’ Christian bookstore off this base
Our clients are pretty happy with what we’re doing now little fellow…
Response from MRFF Advisory Board Member James Currie
Dear (name withheld),
I have been asked by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) to respond to your recent email, which would come across to any reasonable person as a threat that you are invoking from a deity that you don’t control. There are so many things wrong with your little two-line missive.
First of all, how do you know what your god knows? Does he/she communicate directly with you? If you actually believe they do, then you are probably suffering from a treatable form of psychosis, and my personal, non-medical suggestion, is that you obtain psychological help, and do so quickly.
Second, the position taken by MRFF as to whether a Christian bookstore should be operating from within a military exchange has nothing to do with anyone’s personal religious beliefs and everything to do with the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which forbids “respecting an establishment of religion.” That’s what this is all about: an establishment of religion. Maybe you do not understand it, but US military forces have chaplaincies which are organized and regulated by the military services. They serve the spiritual needs of the military servicemembers because doing so enhances the preparedness of these forces. Having a so-called “Christian bookstore” operating under the auspices of the military exchange system is not part of these chaplaincies and has no right to operate there. I pose this question to you, Mr. Boyd. How would you respond if instead of a Christian bookstore, it were a Satanic bookstore that had opened in this exchange? Would you be so favorable toward such a development? Would you think that Satan—presumably you believe that Satan exists—also “knows who you are” and presumably has the power to do something bad to you? My guess is that you would not be so sanguine if such were to occur.
MRFF exists to defend the religious freedom of belief of everyone serving in the US military. MRFF does not care whether you are Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, any other religion or no religion. What it stands for and what it defends every day of the year is the right of every servicemember to be free from proselytizing on the part of their military superiors, and such freedom applies to freedom from religious propaganda bombarding them from officially-endorsed venues like exchanges. That’s what this is about, and insults and poorly-worded threats from individuals like you will not deter MRFF from carrying out its stated mission.
Col. James T. Currie, USA (Ret.), Ph.D.
Board of Advisors, Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Response from MRFF Board Member John Compere
On Sep 10, 2023, at 4:06 PM, John Compere wrote:
Your asinine, acrimonious and arrogant attack against an American military veteran you do not even know reflects only on yourself and reveals only your own ignorance regarding the United States Constitution prohibition against the endorsement of any religion on American military bases except in military chapels.
Intelligent believers learn very early to respect someone who sincerely speaks about God (preaching) or someone who sincerely speaks to God (praying) but not someone who sanctimoniously speaks for God because only God can speak for God.
Matthew 6:1 & 7:1&2, Luke 6:37, and Romans 2:1 are recommended for your reading and reflection.
Brigadier General John Compere, US Army (Retired)
Disabled American Veteran (Vietnam Era)
Board Member, Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Response from MRFF Advisory Board Member Mike Farrell
On Sep 10, 2023, at 6:14 PM, Mike wrote:
Hi Mr. (name withheld)
Mikey gets a lot of email from people who don’t or won’t understand what the purpose and value of the work of the MRFF is. Sometimes, when they’re particularly obscene or mean or stupid he shares them with me.
I guess in your case, the arrogance and self-satisfaction, combined with the utter ignorance you display, made it noteworthy for him.
For me, the fact that you were apparently so wounded by something we’ve said or done that you were moved to parade your fear and weakness in such an obvious way is simply pathetic.
Mike Farrell
(MRFF Board of Advisors)
Response from MRFF Advisory Board Member Martin France
On Sep 10, 2023, at 10:10 PM, Martin France wrote:
Dear (name withheld), thanks for your kind, eloquent note. We at the MRFF always appreciate well-reasoned counterarguments to the issues with which we engage. Sadly, yours isn’t one of them.
While you may be convinced that there is only one god, billions of others (supposedly created in your god’s image) would disagree profoundly. In fact, many millions have never even heard of your god. My reading (and I’ve read your favorite religious text cover-to-cover) suggests, nay commands, that they will all be condemned to some sort of eternal torture in reward for their ignorance or denial. So much for a merciful deity…
But I digress. (name withheld), let’s focus on the main issue here. We live in the US of A, a land whose government and the civil rights of its citizens are defined in the US Constitution. That document doesn’t mention your god or any other deity. It does, however, state quite clearly that the government shall make no law establishing any religion as an official state belief, not should it show preference for one religion over another or no religion at all. It also states that there can be no religious test for those holding public office or government position. You see, our Constitution doesn’t recognize (nor does it deny) your one god.
What does that mean for a military PX? It means that there can’t be, on government property, a commercial business that serves only one religious view. Likewise, even the base/post chapel must be accessible to all religions and even open to the non-religious. I know because I’ve tested that and spent some non-religious time in base chapels. Sometimes, I even participated in what some would call sinful behavior there. It was fun, though, and not illegal, so the government couldn’t do anything to me.
I know the above is a lot to think about, but please try.
Now, as for the “woke” thing… please tell me how you define the term. Here’s my personal definition:
Adj., the characteristic of showing empathy for fellow humans regardless of their race, sex, religion, identity, background, or personal and private preferences; also the trait of recognizing that others may not have enjoyed the same levels of privilege and opportunity and that such disadvantage should be remedied so that all have an equal opportunity to pursue life, liberty, happiness, and really good craft beer.
I try to be woke. I would take someone calling me woke as a compliment. So, thanks, (name withheld)!
If you think “woke” is “shit” then I can only conclude that you don’t like craft beer and don’t treat your fellow human as your one god commands–that you aren’t merciful, forgiving, or willing to love thine enemy or walk a mile in another human’s preferred footwear. Not very Christian of you, (name withheld). You can take solace in the fact, though, that I personally forgive you and know that you can change, grow, learn, and ultimately become more human, Christ-like, and woke. If that’s the case, then I’ll gladly buy you a craft beer to enjoy when/if we can ever arrange a meeting.
Until then, dearest (name withheld), stay woke, my friend!
Sincerely,
Marty France
Brigadier General, USAFA (Retired)
MRFF Advisory Board Member
Response from MRFF Advisory Board Member Marty France
On Sep 13, 2023, at 12:05 AM, Martin France <[email protected]> wrote:
Hey, Donald! Any response? Pussy got your tongue? What say you, Mr “One True God”? Cheers, Marty
Recent Posts
- September 20, 2023 | 2 comments
Wiser minds than myself have responded to the letter writer. But I have a few words to add –
One question. When in Exodus 20:3-5 God the Father says one shall have no gods before him, no graven images, no idols, nothing how does that align with your defending a store selling graven images?
Also, your claim that there is only one deity is shot to pieces by your own holy book. Right there in the verse I cited.
Woke means you do your homework. Our letter writer is still asleep!
Name Withheld is yet another coward who hides behind anonymity on the web to promote theocracy and smear anyone who stands up for civility, equal rights, and religious freedom as “woke.” Not a flattering reflection on Name Withheld’s own religious beliefs, is it?
“There is only one God and he knows who you are,” which implies, He also knows who YOU are!
Remember that passage in the Bible that says, “it’s easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for you to get into Heaven!” Might want to get those synapses tuned up! I hear breathing pure Helium for 20 minutes helps!
By “woke shit,” I assume you’re referring to the things your Christian Savior did? I hear he’s already here! That’s right, the 2nd Coming already occurred but he’s in hiding, afraid the MAGA cultists will string him up. You know, “Hang Jesus Christ,…..Hang Jesus Christ!” He saw all those crosses around everyone’s neck and thought better of announcing his arrival! “Damn, what’s up with all these crosses? They trying to tell me something?”
I talked to him the other day. If you must know, he’s in Tenerife! I won’t tell you exactly where (although not much threat of a MAGA moron visiting Tenerife – I’ll give you a hint – the initials of the hotel are “Woke Hotel”). He shaved his beard by the way, you wouldn’t recognize him. He’s very dark-skinned anyway but he’s even darker now – yeah, completely unrecognizable, you’d think he was African! I told him he needs to get in the water, walking on it might blow his cover. Also told him not to do any of that woke Jesus shit like healing people. That word would get around! You know, just chill until he can make Trump’s trials happen, get the conviction, lock him up, then make the big reveal once the cultists settle down a bit.
Oh, I should mention, he doesn’t like you speaking for him. He said something about at least having a GED.
Gotta run, looking over my “woke” calendar!
Anybody who uses the dopey expression “woke” make it clear that he or she is taking his or her cues from somebody whose entire existence is devoted to getting as many people as they can to believe what they want them to believe, with the ultimate goal having nothing to do with religion, or abortion or COVID vaccines, but merely to harvest as many votes as possible so that a certain political party can serve its true masters: the rich and corporations, for whom they will effect endless tax cuts. And in return for this tireless service to the rich and corporations, those same politicians will be rewarded in the short term with campaign cash — to keep them in office so that they can keep looking out for the interests of those rich — and in the long term, after they retire, with lucrative consultancies, lobby jobs, seats on corporate boards of directors and deals with conservative publishers to write books they know no one will ever read.
It’s because ALL politics, and every issue is, at its most fundamental level, about nothing but MONEY.
Using woke as an insult is tantamount to referring to one’s self a complete blithering idiot.