To Michael L. “Mikey” Weinstein (with response from Blake Page)

Mickey Mouse:

So, the US Military being Christian is bad?

·        Is the Israeli Military anything other than a religious group? A conscripted military group.

·        The Israeli flag (a country or a religion organization) has the Star of David – a blatantly religious symbol which is highly offensive to Arabs (Muslims).

·        Israel is no different than the Palestinians. Both kill women and children.

·        Israel’s land was stolen from the Palestinians – why wouldn’t they want to fight? Israel continues to take their land.

·        Did the Jews complain when the Christian US Army freed them from the concentration camps? Did they ever attempt to re-pay America from the certain extinction of Judaism in Europe?

·        Israel receives billions of dollars from the US – a predominantly Christian country. Not to mention Apache and Chinook helicopters and F-18’s – all for free. They are designated GOI – Government of Israel – free – the word all Jews covet.

·        The only reason Israel exists is because of the US – the Military threat of a Christian country.

·        Your argument is that being Christian will make the Arabs (on the surface friendly) mad at America. What do you think funding and protecting Israel does for America?

·        Jews are not the chosen people – read past the first 4 books of the Bible. Besides, Jesus was a Jew – the Christ. Who was condemned and killed by Jews. This is another attempt by Jews to kill Christians – oddly in cahoots with Muslims who also hate Christians.

My son is a Firstie (a senior at West Point). He tells me that there are Arab (Muslim) groups, Asian groups mostly without religion, Jewish Groups and a synagogue and agnostic groups. Does the Mossad offer similar freedoms of religion? The Taliban?

I believe in God. I do not, however, believe in organized religion of any kind. The Catholic Church alone is responsible for more than 1 billion deaths. Absolute power corrupts absolutely (i.e. child molestation and cover up and money laundering)

Muslims were recognized as a threat by Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. The Marine Corps (hymn) recognized that at its founding – from the shores of Tripoli…

I support John Adams view of isolationism. Clearly, the religious groups will never (have never) get along.

The US military protects your right (under the Constitution) to voice your discriminatory beliefs in a public forum and earn a living doing it.

I am sure you are thinking I am anti-Semitic remeber Arabs are Semites too. I am PRO-AMERICA.
BTW – You are a .ORG – a non-for-profit like a Religion – I am sure you pull down big $ in a tax free organization…

(name withheld)

 

---

The following is a response to the above email from
MRFF Special Assistant to the President, Blake Page

(name withheld),

Congratulations on your son’s upcoming graduation from USMA.  I’m sure you’re quite proud of all his work.  (if he’s the [withheld] I knew in my time there, he’s a great guy).

All that aside, you seem to be somewhat hostile towards the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and from the content of the bulletted list you’ve provided, the majority of that hostility is from a distaste of Zionists, or perhaps Jewish people.  The MRFF is neither a Zionist organization, nor does it serve any singular religious group more than any other.  In fact, the only ideology which the wonderful volunteer staff of the MRFF is unanimously and passionately aligned with, is that of freedom of conscience outlined in the US constitution.  Our argument is not that “being Christian will make the Arabs…mad at America,” our organization’s argument is quite simply that the United States was designed as a secular government and as such our military should not support one religion above all others.  Our argument is that all servicemen and women ought to be given equal treatment when it comes to provisions for their faith (or lack thereof).

While there are thousands of resources I might direct your attention to at this point which will demonstrate that the military has a long tradition of disregarding the laws of the sole document it was established to defend, I think the history of religion at West Point is appropriate for your edification (since you are so invested in that institution through your child’s education).  Please take a few moments and read this article written by our Senior Research Director, Chris Rodda, and should you doubt the facts brought to bear, do research of your own for verification:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-rodda/religion-in-the-military-_b_2868007.html

Now, with the hope that you did read the article linked above, I would hazard to guess that you still think the MRFF is an “anti-Christian” organization, since we have highlighted recurring instances of Christian supremacy in force.  The simple truth is, that we often find ourselves across the table from militant Christians, because at this time in history, in this government, that is the choice religion which is being given excessive influence over our military.  That is the most common source of discrimination that has driven more than 32,000 members of the military to reach out to us and ask for someone to help them, while their chain of command does not.  That is why there are just over 200 clients of the MRFF at West Point, and nearly 400 at the Air Force Academy.  While I’m sure your son has reported to you that there are “Arab (Muslim) groups, Asian groups mostly without religion, Jewish Groups and a synagogue and agnostic groups” he has not been able to tell you about the instances of cadets being given direct orders to visit a chaplain (an unlawful order which has the invariable result of an officer attempting a conversion), he has probably not told you about instructors opening PMEE classes by telling the group that the lesson will be based on Christian morality (as though Christians have some bizarre monopoly on ethics to the exclusion of morals from non-Christians), he has not told you about a field grade officer telling a classroom full of cadets that if the US Army ever goes to war with Israel desertion is an ethical response as that is the start of the Christian “end times,” he has not told you about officers looking him in the eye and saying that he will never be a good leader until he fills the hole in his heart or being told that there is no place for people with his belief system at the academy.  In fact, the majority of cadets never see this sort of thing, and the majority of cadets are appalled when they hear of such instances.  I have seen all of these happen, I have heard tell of these things and worse.  If the time ever comes where an officer is appointed over your son and tells him that he is spiritually deficient because he has not assimilated to the approved religion of the zeitgeist, you can be assured that myself, and the rest of the MRFF would happily leap to his defense with as much passion as we defend every client we have today.

Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Humanist….it doesn’t matter who we pray to at night, it doesn’t matter where we go on Sunday mornings.  The only qualifying characteristic of a US servicemember is the patch on their shoulder and will in their heart to fight for the country that we mutually love.  When those men and women in uniform need help, they have someone here.

I hope that clears things up for you.  Have a good night, and perhaps I’ll see you in May in Michie Stadium.

Cheers,

Blake A. Page
Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Special Assistant to the President
Director of West Point Affairs