I implore You sir

Dear Mr. Weinstein

I was reading the how and why you wanted to stop the military Luncheon because of the seperation of Church and State, I’m fully aware that you get your fair share of Hate mail, please believe me when I tell you that this is not a “Hate letter” in any way, shape or form.

Mr Weinstein, I respect what you’re doing and I applaud you for it as well and I applaud you for your service to our country and I too am a retired Military person. but Sir, I implore you, please allow them to pray, our country at this time is in a world of shit, and we really need God right now, if it was any other time, I wouldn’t be writing this letter, but right now with things being as they are nation wide, please I implore you sir, allow them to pray, and then God willing, after we get out of this mess, if you still want to go with the seperation of church and state and all that..Fine, knock yourself out.. but not right now, I know that basically I’m a nobody, but I’m Imploring you, Please allow them to Pray.

With my most Humble Respects,

<name withheld>

(This exchange continues below with a response from MRFF ally / California Church IMPACT Director of Public Policy Elizabeth Sholes)

Dear <name withheld>

First- I apologize for not knowing your rank. I’m not well versed in what your status would have been, as indicated by your email “crewchief”, so please forgive my ignorance. But let me assure you that neither we nor Mr. Weinstein nor MRFF think you’re a “nobody”! You are a very significant “somebody” with a very kind heart.

I am very touched by your plea. We do, indeed, need prayers for our nation, for the world, for justice and good judgment in our times. We represent 1.5 million mainline Protestants whose congregations do that at least every Sunday. We know all too well how badly we need that guidance and frequent reminders that we are called to be the best we can be always.

That said, we join MRFF in opposing Lt. Clebe McClary’s presence at this prayer luncheon because such prayers are NOT his intent. He has made clear from his own lips and writings that his sole function in life is conversion of everyone he meets, especially in the military, to his singular interpretation of Christianity. His world view is to make us all follow his narrow perspective, Dominionist Christianity, and to permit no other.

A bit of my background – I am descended from people who came on the Mayflower seeking religious freedom. They achieved that – for themselves and themselves alone. I am deeply ashamed of their treatment of Quakers and especially of Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson whose “Divine Light” views of faith were so abhorrent to the Puritans that Williams and Hutchinson were kicked out of Massachusetts Bay Colony! They went on to found the American Baptist tradition (one of our member denominations) that was banned in MA. It was true of other colonies as well; you had “freedom of religion” only so long as it was the “true” religion of the majority – or even he controlling minority – in any given colony. That is what prompted the separation of church and state. That is what protects us all – our right to worship as WE choose, not as we are TOLD.

Prayers for peace and decency and justice in our world do not require a forum. Personal prayers are the foundation of religious freedom.

I am not making light of this in my delight at a favorite bumper sticker: “As long as there are pop quizzes, there WILL be prayer in schools!” What children, cadets, citizens choose to pray is their right without reservation. What is wrong is using an institution – the military – to give a forum for conversion and to tell any person that what they believe is wrong. We have no room in America for creating more Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinsons who cannot belong because they are seen as “insufficiently Christian” or the “wrong religion”.

Lt. McClary has no goal that is consistent with YOUR request that we have prayers for our benighted world. His goal is to ignore the prayers of the people and demand they pray as he sees fit, as his perspective requires. That is entirely unacceptable. The taxpayer supported institution of the US Air Force Academy cannot do justice to your desire – that we have prayers for the nation and the world – if he is given a forum that denigrates you, all our youth whom we have sent there, our beloved religious diversity, our freedom of conscience. If Lt. McClary were not so openly engaged in conversion and committed to only one exclusive view of faith, this would not be happening. But he took his stand – his choice – so we must take ours. In defense of ALL our denominations and their children present at the USAFA, we must oppose his presence.

But we will join YOU in praying for a better world. Upon that you, we, and MRFF can all agree.

Blessings to you-

Elizabeth Sholes
Director of Public Policy
California Council of Churches/California Church IMPACT

Dear <name withheld>

It just occurred to me that you might have NO idea why I wrote to you instead of MRFF responding! We are their largest ally, and the largest faith organization in support of MRFF’s principles of religious freedom. Sorry for any confusion! Mr. Weinstein asked me to say that he is just swamped with various legal issues and could not reply so asked me to since your request was so in concert with our concerns.

I hope that clears up any puzzle. I’d be nonplussed to get a reply from someone I never heard of! I should have said who I am first thing. I do apologize for that omission!!

Warmest regards-

Elizabeth Sholes
Director of Public Policy
California Council of Churches/California Church IMPACT

Dear Ms. Sholes,

Thank you for your kind words, and I’m sorry, if I got it wrong, Believe me when I say that we really do need prayer right now, I know that you’re in agreement on that, I speak because this last weekend I got into a debate which turned into an arguement over the Internet with a young man, and I was wrong for even allowing this to get that far.

The Man is a College Professor, and he’s an athestist, he teaches Logic, but the point of it is, that I should’ve never allowed it to get that far, and that’s one reason why I say that we really need prayer right now. by the way, later on I offered a letter of apology, I pray that God will reveal himself to him.

I have to also admit that I’m truly impressed that you’re from California, and you’re a God fearing person, I’m truly impressed, most Californians I’ve met living here In Oregon weren’t, maybe there’s hope after all, but thank you again for your kind words

In regards to my Rank, well, I served in three branches of the Military, I was a which means that I worked on and around them, I spent 23 years, 10 months and 24 days but I won’t see a retirement pension until I’m 60 which is about 5 years off for me.

but Thank you again

Sincerely
(name withheld)