Response to Chris Rodda: MRFF Misfits & Yellow Journalism
by Sonny Hernandez
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) is an infamous, anti-God advocacy group that conspicuously and recurrently bombasts Bible-believing Christians in the Armed Forces. The MRFF is led by Michael “Mikey” Weinstein, a failed lawyer, whose track record in court has resulted in an embarrassing amount of victories: zero. However, Weinstein has made a wealthy career out of fundraising that involves legal threats against anyone who affirms conservative orthodoxy in the Armed Forces. Weinstein’s desperate attempts to raise funds include: inciting hostility toward Bible-believing Christians by reviling them as a constitutional threat, and by subtly or transparently sending fallacious letters to commanders to ostracize their subordinates.
The MRFF produces articles that do contend for religious liberty, just not those who hold to sincerely held theological convictions about the inerrancy of Scripture (which is why the MRFF appellation is preposterous). This can be seen through the writings of Chris Rodda, a Senior Research Director for the MRFF. Recently, Rodda produced an article on the Huffington Post entitled “Air Force Chief of Chaplains Openly Blesses Blatantly Anti-LGBT Event“. In this article, Rodda fails to articulate all of her claims with integrity, prudence, & facts, but rather ignorance, perversion, and fiction.
In my opinion, Rodda is inaccurate when she claims that the Chaplains Alliance for Religious Liberty (CALL) was “formed for the clear purpose of opposing the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT).” Rather, it was the International Council of Evangelical Chaplain Endorsers (ICECE) that denounced the DADT ban, and it was the ICECE that assisted with the formation of CALL. CALL did not form until several months after the DADT ban was removed, which is why Rodda’s article is fallacious, and not factual. This should not be surprising especially since Rodda and the MRFF are homosexual advocates who promote equality, but execrate anyone who opposes them, and demand tolerance for their convictions, while threatening those who disagree.
It is also disconcerting to read about a self-professing Christian supporting an anti-God advocacy group like the MRFF. According to Rodda, MRFF advisory board member Quentin Collins (Retired Army Chaplain), who is described as a born again, spirit filled Christian, has written three times to the Air Force Chief of Chaplains about his concerns regarding my theological convictions. If Chaplain Collins was really born again and spirit filled, why would he be supporting an anti-God advocacy group (MRFF) that conspicuously berates born again, spirit filled, Bible-believing Christians? If Chaplain Collins would read his Bible, he would see that spirit filled, born again Christians do not devote themselves to devilish foundations, which is why I would encourage Chaplain Collins to examine himself (2 Corinthians 13:5), repent (Luke 13:3), and believe in the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) to see if he is really saved (2 Corinthians 5:17), or else (Matthew 7:23)!
According to the MRFF website: “Colonel Collins, is a staunch supporter of a Military Member, Veteran or their Family being afforded the opportunity to practice their religion, or no religion of their choice.” If Chaplain Collins is a staunch supporter of a military member to practice their religion, why does he discreetly write to the Air Force Chief of Chaplains that my beliefs are “dangerous,” “wrong,” “extremely repugnant,” and “virulent bigotry?” In my opinion, it is because Collins does not embrace the constitution nor is he contrite, but cowardly and corrupt.
Here is my message to Chaplain Collins: if you call yourself a born again, spirit filled Christian and also a supporter of the MRFF, you are contradicting yourself, the same way it would be contradicting to call yourself an American soldier and a member of the Taliban, which makes no sense since both are diametrically opposed to one another. Historical facts can prove this point, as George Bush made it clear that, “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists,” and most importantly, Christ said, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Matthew 12:30).
If Rodda and Collins want to research my theological convictions, they should also research the Free Speech Clause (to include religious speech), which safeguards a Bible-believing military chaplains right to represent their endorsing agency according to their faith tenets which includes: confronting sin (Galatians 6:1), heralding Scripture (2 Timothy 4:1-4), exposing false gospels (Galatians 1:8-10), rebuking false teachers (Ephesians 5:11), calling atheism false (Romans 1:20), and remaining subservient to Scripture as the only inerrant source of truth (Proverbs 30:5-6), which are all doctrinal convictions that the constitution safeguards, and Rodda scorns.
The Constitution not only protects the rights of conservative, Bible-believing chaplains to represent their faith denominations, it also protects the rights of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines to believe the same way, which is important since the role of the chaplain is to provide spiritual care and the opportunity for Airmen, their families, and other authorized personnel to exercise their constitutional right to the free exercise of religion.
May God use this article for His glory, so that others will not follow the MRFF’s greed, lies, and anti-Christian practices, as Chaplains Collins and many others have:
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. (Ephesians 5:1-7)
BIO:
Chaplain (Capt) Sonny Hernandez is a US Air Force Reserve Chaplain assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. In April 2015, he was selected as the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Individual Mobilization Augmentee Company Grade Officer of the Year, and in May 2016, he was selected as 445th Airlift Wing CGO of the Quarter, first quarter. Hernandez earned a Doctorate from Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The opinions expressed here are solely his and do not necessarily represent the views of any government, military, or religious organization. Sonny Hernandez wrote this article as a civilian on his own time on an issue of public interest.
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