Category Archives: Government and Religion

Complaints Over Military Interviews in Religious Video

The Kansas City Star, which has increasingly become an outlet for press releases from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, noted that Weinstein’s MRFF has complained of a broadcast by the Trinity Broadcasting Network that contains military content.  The 2-hour video, the “Red, White and Blue Spectacular” hosted by Christian music singer Carman, was filmed in 2003 and rebroadcast in 2005 as a military-focused independence celebration.  The video is scheduled to be rebroadcast this year.

The primary complaint was an interview with then-Major General Van Antwerp, who was also then-President of the Officers’ Christian Fellowship.  Carman was also given a tour of an Aegis cruiser and an interview with the uniformed Pentagon Chaplain.

Weinstein, who calls this a “repeat” of the “putrescent disgrace” of the Christian Embassy filming Read more

New Chief’s Religion his First Issue

Blogs and news articles have highlighted the fact that General Norton Schwartz (official bio), the current selection to replace outgoing Air Force Chief of Staff General Michael Moseley, is Jewish.  They emphasize that he is inheriting a service with “issues” involving evangelical Christians.  The Forward notes that Michael Weinstein, who has sued the Defense Department for alleged Christian bias, has already asked to meet the General, even though he has yet to be confirmed by the Senate.

Regrettably, the unnecessary focus on religion distracts from what many in the Air Force find more interesting: the fact that the new Chief of Staff will be the first non-fighter/bomber pilot to lead the Air Force in its history.  (An official list of all Chiefs of Staff can be viewed here.)

The Military and the National Day of Prayer

As previously noted, the National Day of Prayer is May 1st, by virtue of Presidential declaration and in accordance with US law.  According to the Christian Science Monitor, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has complained that the NDP “task force” (associated with Focus on the Family) has coordinated with military bases and Chaplains for the observance.  Using his oft-repeated hyperbolic and alliterative talking points, Weinstein promised

that the Military Religious Freedom Foundation fully [intended] to include this despicable collusion in [their] current Federal litigation against the Department of Defense as yet another stunning example of a pernicious and pervasive pattern and practice of unconstitutional rape [of] religious liberties…

Jason Leopold, a former journalist and frequent voice for the MRFF, took issue with the fact that coordinators for the task force were required to sign a statement that ‘confirmed their commitment to Christ.’ Read more

Weinstein Speaks, Cadets Listen…Impatiently

If ever Michael Weinstein needed proof that cadets could not be brainwashed by religious propaganda, it was his own presence at the Air Force Academy Wednesday afternoon that provided it.

Weinstein was invited to speak at the Academy after he complained about the speakers at February’s Academy Assembly, the topic of which was “Dismantling Terrorism.”

Unlike any of the previous speakers, however, Weinstein made no claim to have any authority on the ongoing war on terrorism.  Instead, Weinstein has made a name for himself, and the “foundation” he created, by repeatedly suing the US military for its alleged support of Christianity.  Weinstein’s Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), formed just a few years ago, has sued the Air Force Academy for Christian favoritism (the suit was dismissed), more recently sued the Secretary of Defense on behalf of a Kansas soldier (notably, after running ads seeking plaintiffs), and even threatened to add the Academy Assembly incident to his current lawsuit.

Weinstein did not even suggest he would offer a “balancing” perspective on Islam or global terrorism, which is what other advocacy groups had called for.  Instead, he said he wanted to “deprogram” the cadets from the content they heard in February.  While the point of the Academy Assembly was terrorism, Weinstein very evidently made Christianity the topic of his MRFF symposium. Read more

Chad Hennings Addresses Pentagon Airmen

According to AF.mil, Chad Hennings–an Air Force Academy graduate, former A-10 pilot, and former defensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys–recently spoke to airmen at the Pentagon on the Air Force’s “Wingman Day.”

Hennings, now retired, has his own website and motivational speaking career.  While his faith doesn’t come across as a pivotal factor on his website, he is fairly well known for his Christianity.  He also founded Wingmen Ministries.

Weinstein Re-files Lawsuit

The AP has released an article describing how Weinstein dropped his lawsuit against the Army (discussed in previous posts 1, 2) so he could re-file it, adding an allegation that Specialist Jeremy Hall, his plaintiff, has been passed over for promotion as a result of the ongoing lawsuit.  The text of the new suit is not yet available.  As noted in the previous commentary, the lawsuit previously listed virtually every Christian ministry to the military as illegal entities, and continued to cite “Constitutional violations” about units that no longer existed.

As reported on the Religion Clause.

New Air Force Slogan: “Above All”

According to a press release, the Air Force has replaced its “No one comes close” with “Above all” for its future recruiting efforts.

No word yet on when Weinstein’s Military Religious Freedom Foundation will sue the Air Force for using the title of a popular evangelical Christian worship song as its new slogan.

(Above All, written by Lenny LeBlanc and Paul Baloche, was popularized by Michael W. Smith’s 2001 Worship CD.  Weinstein’s 2005 lawsuit accusing the Air Force of advancing Christianity was dismissed.  He is currently using a lawsuit against the Army to accuse the Secretary of Defense of allowing the entire American military to become a vehicle for Christianity.)

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