Update: In an asinine announcement, Mikey Weinstein is now “demanding” that the Marine base erect six more signs, one each to Allah, Yahweh, Odin, Vishnu, goddess, and “there is no god.”

• It’s telling that Weinstein, who describes himself as a Jewish agnostic, demanded “Yahweh” when practicing Jews make a point of not using the names of God — meaning many Jewish personnel would find that sign offensive.
• Further, there is the obvious point that “Allah” is simply Arabic for “God,” making that sign simply a different language of the same text.  (Why not ask for other languages?)
• Finally, the statement “there is no god” finds no resemblance with the current sign, which makes no exclusive statement.

Of course, all that ignores the fact the military’s decision to allow the presence of one does not require them to erect others.  Weinstein’s “demand” is infantile and ignorant, but it seems to have gotten him the attention he wants.

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A variety of news organizations are now reporting that Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s Military Religious Freedom Foundation is demanding the removal of a sign on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, as provided by the MRFF:

The offending sign simply reads

God bless the military, their families and the civilians who work with them.

While Weinstein referred to this as the “latest breach,” it turns out it wasn’t late at all: The base says the sign has been up since just after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, which likely means Weinstein timed his complaint about this “latest breach” to suit his purposes.  Speaking for Weinstein, his “special assistant,” former West Point cadet Blake Page, said the sign was a “brazen violation”

of the No Establishment clause of the constitution, as it sends the clear message that your installation gives preference to those who hold religious beliefs over those who do not, and those who prefer a monotheistic, intervening god over other deities or theologies.

Of course, reasonable people don’t see a sign that says “God bless” as a religious preference, but the complaint is in line with those groups who want to scrub any semblence of religious reference from the public square.

With no offense intended to its creator, the sign isn’t exactly the nicest thing in the world, anyway. It appears to be little more than a few sheets of plywood and hand stenciled letters. It wouldn’t be too surprising if, in retrospect, the sign was erected without the right “permits” or typhoon protection required of the area, meaning it may come down anyway.

That said, it is notable that this sign is the sword upon which Weinstein sent Page to fall, as even some MRFF supporters have rolled their eyes and called the complaint “petty.”

God bless the military, their families, and the civilians that work with them.

Also at FoxNews (under “Outrageous”), BizPac Review, World Magazine, The Daily Caller, The Washington Times, Christian Today, WND, the Independent Journal, and TheBlaze.

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