Right to pray and speak

Dear MRFF,

I find your stand pretentious, childish and idiotic. I have the right to pray and speak as I see fit and I’ll be darned if you are going to take that away. Find some other group to harass, say George Soros and his bought and paid for congress..

(name withheld)

Dear (name withheld),

As a proud Christian (Episcopalian in fact) volunteer for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), I am always amazed by the opening statements contained in the ‘hate mail’ we receive. MRFF stands for Religious Freedom in the United States Military. We have even attempted to express this simple and straightforward stand within the title of our organization in case you missed it. Extending this stand to your personal feelings of victimization, MRFF strongly encourages and truly hopes you continue to pray and speak as you see fit, as long as it is not on the taxpayer’s dime or under the assumption of government support. Our constitutional guarantee in this country is for our individual and collective ability to pray and speak as we see fit. However, neither you nor I (or any assembled groups we belong to) are granted a constitutional guarantee that the government supports or endorses our prayer or our speech.

For purposes of a rational discussion and response, I’ll assume the following:
1) Your letter was generated in response to MRFF’s stand regarding the religious display at Travis AFB; and
2) You are a supporter of the Constitutional protection of other people’s rights to pray and speak as they see fit as well as yours; and
3) You support the sworn oath of military members to protect and defend our Constitutional protections.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;…”
Within the military, the free exercise of religion is accommodated by the Chaplaincy. MRFF’s stand is that religious displays within the military belong within this very well funded accommodation. The military steps over the line from accommodation to establishment/support of a religion when it allows preferential religious displays such as the case at the Travis AFB main gate. At what point, was the decision made that only Christianity and Judaism would be displayed? Did I happen to miss the Travis AFB religious holiday displays for Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Shintos, Sikhs, etc.? If I did miss mention of the Travis AFB main gate displays for Mawlid an Nabi on February 15th or the Krishna Janmashtami on August 22nd, I truly do apologize for my unforgiveable ignorance as I am sure your support of those displays in the interest of prayer and speech freedoms would have been just as strong.

In the Interfaith Calendar of Religious Holidays for 2011 (http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/Fullyeararchive2011.htm) there are 186 days pertaining to 185 observances. When any arm of government chooses such a small sample from this calendar for recognition, the line from religious accommodation to religious support has clearly been crossed. Rather than suggesting that Travis AFB provide accommodation for religious displays at its main gate year round for the entire Interfaith Calendar (a daunting and expensive task for any military unit), MRFF has taken the reasonable and measured stand of requesting the relocation of religious displays to its existing location for religious accommodation, the Base Chapel.

Your consideration and understanding of MRFF’s position is greatly appreciated. If, on the other hand and in the interests of our shared constitutional protections that are a shining beacon throughout the world, you would like to initiate an effort for main gate displays at all of our military installations, I can’t speak for MRFF on this one, but I would support you 100 percent. Please keep me informed of your efforts should you chose to undertake this endeavor.

Sincerely,
Andy Kasehagen

Andy
I find your use of the statement “preferential religious displays such as the case at the Travis AFB main gate” to be a fallacious premise in your argument. If that is preferential treatment, then how can you begin to explain the presence of churches, synagogues, mosques, whatever, using military facilities builty and supported for meetings and gatherings of our troops and their families. That is a more direct use of taxpayer funds supporting religion, than putting a display on the grass at a gate.

In short lets find a way to coexist. With the number of differing philosophies out there I am certain that you can find some other way to express yourself than to waste the time of our military forces.

(name withheld)

Dear (name withheld),

Although you accuse me of forwarding a fallacious premise, you have fully supported my argument by referencing “churches, synagogues, mosques, WHATEVER (emphasis added) using military facilities”. My premise stands…
When are the other religious holiday displays scheduled? Did I miss them?
Again, please keep me apprised of your efforts in this endeavor, I fully support them in my efforts to coexist.

Wasting the time of our military forces does seem to be the crux of the matter. Why are they spending their time and our money to expand religious efforts outside of the well funded Chaplaincy and Base Chapel?

I defend both my Christian faith and my Constitution equally and proudly. I don’t feel the need to defend one at the expense of the other.

Thanks for your consideration,
Andy