Soldiers at Fort Riley, Kansas conducting land navigation and map reading training at the outdoor Christian chapel overlooking the base.
MRFF has received a number of complaints about training events in which this highly conspicuous cross was an unavoidable location, such as runs and marches that had the cross as their destination.
Separation of Church and Military
Thursday October 30, 2008
Lawyer wages war against evangelism
in the armed forces
By Marisa Demarco
Eric Williams
At home with Mikey Weinstein, founder of the
Military Religious Freedom Foundation,
and his protection
His Albuquerque home has become a bunker. Flood lights, attack dogs, loaded weapons. The evening before Father's Day, someone painted a swastika and a cross on Mikey Weinstein's Albuquerque home. The Weinsteins are Jewish.
It’s just one more threat in a deluge. They started when Weinstein began suing the military for violating the religious freedoms of its members. He says fundamentalist, evangelical Christian values are being imposed on military men and women, violating the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights.
Ma'ariv One of Israel's Leading Daily Newspapers (translated from the original Hebrew)
Click the above images to view the original Hebrew-language article
The Base of Anti-Semitism
Tuesday October 28, 2008
By Tzach Yoked
NOTE: The following is a rough translation from
the Hebrew language newspaper, Ma’ariv.
Jewish Private Michael Handman has been hospitalized for already one month after he was brutally beaten by his fellow American soldiers. Family members tell Ma’ariv about their serious racial threats that preceded this and reveal: anti-Semitism is rampant on the bases.
VETERANS URGE CANDIDATES TO STOP USING RELIGIOUS TEST
October 30, 2008
Washington, DC - Two national military and veterans organizations
denounced a controversial negative television advertisement airing in
North Carolina because it creates an unconstitutional "religious test"
for candidates.
Veterans for Common Sense (VCS) and the Military Religious Freedom
Foundation (MRFF) called on all candidates to issue an immediate "cease fire" on negative ads using and/or exploiting religion.
Jews For Racial & Economic Justice
12th Annual Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer
Risk-Taker Awards
Thursday, November 20th, 6-9pm
Congregation B'nai Jeshurun
257 West 88th Street
New York City
This year JFREJ will be honoring Ann Cook, Deborah Meier, Mikey Weinstein & Families for Freedom
Past Risk-Taker honorees have included Allen Ginsberg, Michael Ratner, Amy Goodman, Naomi Klein, Rev. James Forbes, Art Speigelman, Grace Paley, Debbie Almontaser, the Brennan Center for Justice, and Domestic Workers United, to name a few.
Thanks for trying to "protect" people from religion. It is a waste of time, effort, and money, though, because RELIGION is just codified WORLDVIEW. Everyone has a worldview. You are preaching yours from many "pulpits" across the land and selling your "scripture" in many bookstores. You are enjoying some success as a "religious" leader, wagging your finger in public against the "sins" of those with whom you disagree. They rally to you because they already share your worldview or have adopted your worldview after hearing you "preach."
When a politician appeals to his or her audience on the basis of shared religious beliefs, he or she is merely identifying the aspects of divergence in worldview between candidates that the audience should understand as part of a meaningful choice. And they DO have a choice. As you well know, preaching worldview and preventing a person from exercising their own free will are two different things. Even in a police state or prison camp, individuals retain their heart's freedom to choose.
Seeking to silence "heretics" who disagree with you is adopting the most pernicious aspect of organized religion, Mikey. I thought you were against that sort of thing. Yet, here you are, attempting to manipulate the ignorant with your own brand of religious intolerance. You should be ashamed of yourself.
[name withheld]
Colorado Springs (and, no, I don't go to church...)
And a reply from MRFF's
Colorado Springs Chapter President:
November 2, 2008
Hi [withheld],
My name is Richard Baker and I'm with the MRFF in Colorado Springs. I saw your recent note to Mikey and I hope you don't mind me butting in here.
I must say yours is a reasoned approach to the ages old dust up between the believer and the non-believer. And if that was what MRFF and Mikey Weinstein were all about, you would be spot on in your assessment.
Once again I find myself writing to you, to tell you that you have my support in the fight to get back to governing as the constitution is written.
I viewed the commercial in question, and was deeply offended by it.
Senator Dole should be charged with the violation of the Constitution that she swore to protect.
More and more politicians are falling into lock-step with this kind of rabid, forced prostheletizing.
I spent 20 yrs, 7 months on active duty in the US Navy, trying to keep this country free from totalitarianism, and spend a great deal of time in my VA supplied wheelchair, because it is difficult to walk very far most of the time.
I am NOT complaining about this.
It was a price worth paying for this nation.
Now we are being attacked from within, and you, sir, and your associates are on the front lines.
Sir, to you I say, HOOYAH! Go for the throat on these scum bags!
I am proud of you for standing up for the rights of others.
You may quote me, and publish my full name when I say that this nation cannot long endure without citizens like you, who are willing to put it all on the line for this nation.
I am, and remain,
Reverend George A Basore, Sr.
AQ1 USN Retired
October 31, 2008
It is too bad that you didn't provide a forwarding address to Dole's campaign because I am so tired of these Right Wingers who think they are so much better than everyone else. I used to respect Dole, as a woman, but she has stooped to the lowest level of extremism to retain a seat in the senate which can't be worth sacrificing her morals and self-esteem. We do not need people like her in politics anymore and I hope Hagan trumps her on Tues.
[name withheld]
October 14, 2008
Posted to MRFF Discussion Forum by: FrustratedArmyWife
Post subject: If moving doesn't make it hard enough...
I am writing to thank you for all of your efforts and to share my story. While I often feel as if I am the only one who feels this way, I know there must be others.
We are a “New” Military Family. As you all know, with that comes, excitement, fears, disappointment, stress and meeting a lot of new people. One of the things I was most excited about was living in new places and meeting new people. (I grew up in New England) Not only was I excited about it, but my daughter was also excited. Sadly, it hasn’t always been a positive thing for us. Our first move happened to be to the Deep South.
The constitutional violations occurring in our military are so numerous and widespread that we can't possibly find all of them ourselves. MRFF counts on its supporters and volunteers -- the indispensable "eyes and ears" who alert us to everything from the most egregious of constitutional violations to articles we might be interested in.
So, keep the emails coming, and never think that anything is too insignificant or assume that we might already know about it. You never know -- you might have stumbled into the next bombshell of a story and not even realize it.
Our fight is against those with passion. We need yours.
In our fight in the media and the courts, your assistance is vital to the success of our mission. We have had offers of assistance from many excellent attorneys nationwide, but we are continuously looking for others in all areas of the country.
If you'd like to offer your legal services to MRFF, please contact us at [email protected].
We look forward to hearing from you.
JOIN THE DEBATE
Message From
Mikey Weinstein MRFF President
Greetings MRFF supporters!
We are the little engine that could...
In the past month we've been all over major media, representing and effectively helping a Jewish Army Soldier who was the victim of an anti-semitic assault. At the same time, we are representing a Serviceman whose case will likely reach the Supreme Court and have the potential to have a monumental impact on fortifying the separation of Church and State. I am continually amazed at what we are able to do together.
Please pay close attention to your mail boxes, as our annual appeal will be on its way soon. We try our best to not burden you with frequent appeals, and instead focus on the amazing, real change we are effecting in our Armed Services. As you know, however, your support is absolutely vital to the continuation of our mission. Please consider supporting us with a fully tax-deductible one-time or ongoing contribution.
Additionally, I want to bring your attention to our all new MRFF store, featuring a fantastic new line of patriotic products. The proceeds from every item you purchase go directly toward supporting MRFF's mission of ensuring the constitutionally-guaranteed separation of church and state in our United States military.
And as a final thought: It's vital that you exercise your right to vote; after all, it's one of our fundamental rights that our honorable servicemen and servicewomen put their lives on the line to defend. Please be sure to get out and VOTE tomorrow!
Your Eternal Ally,
Mikey
CONSTANTINE'S SWORD DVD
ON SALE NOW!
BUY A DVD AND HELP SUPPORT MRFF! A portion of each purchase will be donated to the foundation.
"[Sharlet] has managed to infiltrate the most influential and secretive fundamentalist network in America, and ground his reporting in the most astute and original explanation of fundamentalism I’ve
ever read. . . . Indispensable."
- Hanna Rosin,
former religion reporter
for the Washington Post
"In Justice: Inside the Scandal
That Rocked the Bush Administration"
by David Iglesias
