USAFA Cadets and Charitable Christmas Programs

Hi.

Wouldn’t it have been more productive to recommend that the Academy also participate in some Hanukkah and other holiday season projects rather than to disparage the Christmas Child project? If that is what happened. You never know if newspaper accounts are accurate.

By the way, is Mr. Weinstein practicing Conservative, Reform or Orthodox Judaism? Just a curiosity question. Although I am a Christian, I really appreciate such outstanding Jewish commentators as Dennis Prager and Michael Medved. I’m also enjoying Joe Lieberman’s The Gift of Rest. It’s a good book.

And one more thing. Why not just deal with the military members who act like jerks and leave the polite and leave considerate people alone. Right now it seems like the symbol that Christians at USAFA should use duct tape over their mouths as a symbol of their circumstance.

If I bring up faith to another person, and he obviously doesn’t want to discuss it, I change subjects. I think that’s a good rule. Maybe it’s like a guy asking a girl for a date and being rejected. Some of them never get the hint, but others do. All of us need to be considerate of others’ beliefs.

Don’t know if this will get to Mr. Weinstein, but I hope it does.

(name withheld)

Dear (name withheld),

Mikey received and read your email and has asked me to respond on behalf of MRFF. I do not personally know Mikey’s preference in Judaic practices; however, I think I can adequately address your other concerns.

Actually the vast majority of news accounts are both inaccurate and fail to provide all relevant facts regarding the Operation Christmas Child program at the US Air Force Academy. You should be aware that OCC continues unabated at USAFA simply with the lead change as requested by MRFF. A change by the way, requested by MRFF, in order to follow clear direction recently ordered by the Air Force Chief of Staff (http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/09/air-force-schwartz-warns-commanders-on-religious-programs-091611/). Confirmation of this can be seen in this USAFA press release:
Friday, November 4, 2011
Academy responds to cadet community project — Community project will continue, led by Academy Chaplains
http://www.usafa.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123278819

It is very refreshing for me to provide a reply to someone like yourself who is actually seeking clarification from MRFF rather than simply delivering accusations along with a ‘post-conviction sentence’. As a Christian volunteer with MRFF, I have found the easy willingness of many to bear false witness against Mikey or MRFF in this matter to be quite troubling.

Based on your reading list, I believe you would also enjoy Mikey’s book With God On Our Side. Mikey’s book clearly explains why MRFF focuses at the command level rather than at individuals military members in most instances. MRFF does not seek to duct tape anyone’s mouth, we seek to keep the military command structure from issuing either duct tape or megaphones, regardless of individual religious practices.

I greatly appreciate and admire your rule regarding the discussion of faith and its analogy to dating. As such, I feel that MRFF definitely shares your principles in this matter.

Sincerely,
Andy Kasehagen