Tag Archives: military religious freedom foundation

Hindu C-17 Pilot on Faith and the Falcons

LtCol Ravi Chaudhary has an interesting article on his experiences as a Hindu cadet at the US Air Force Academy many years ago: 

As one of the few Hindu cadets at USAFA in 1989, the Academy was very accommodating to my spiritual needs. USAFA Chaplains even dusted off a small “all faiths” room in the Cadet Chapel to ensure I had every opportunity to practice my faith. This gesture made all the difference and supported my spiritual development during my Doolie year.

Events like these dot the spiritual landscape at USAFA, and serve as a unifying force for the entire Cadet Wing. At lunch time, the entire student body sits down to eat together and each member is given a moment of silence for individual prayer prior to the meal — a sign of Read more

Atheists Stretch for Something to be Offended By

During the Christmas season it is not unusual to hear the controversy over whether “Merry Christmas” is being intentionally censored or avoided.  Regardless of your political or religious persuasion, there are some ridiculous examples of scornful “Merry Christmas” retorts to what may be sincere well wishes expressed in the “wrong” words of “Happy Holidays.”  Some have rightly said that some Merry Christmas-ers are just looking for something to get twisted over.

Likewise, atheists now have their own manufactured cause célèbre.

The Global Assessment Tool (GAT) Soldier Fitness Tracker (SFT) is part of the Army’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness initiative.  It is designed to help Soldiers self-assess their Emotional, Social, Family, and Spiritual resiliency.  Atheists have taken umbrage at the “Spiritual” section, Read more

Happy New Year from ChristianFighterPilot.com

Have a productive and joyful 2011.

The Top 10 articles from God and Country in 2010:

  1.  Christian Fighter Pilot Takes Command of US Marine Corps
  2.  Weinstein Threatens to Sue ChristianFighterPilot.com
  3.  Chaplain Dale Goetz Killed in Combat
  4.  Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: The Military Christian’s Perspective
  5.  Academy Official Fears “Brainwashed” Christians
  6.  Weinstein Loses Bat-Signal, Declares War ‘back on’
  7.  Weinstein Defines Religions, Assigns Followers
  8.  There are No Atheists in Foxholes
  9.  Trijicon Gun Sights and “Secret Bible Codes”
10.  USAFA Pagan Circle has Christian History

Marine General’s Faith at Issue

Websites belittling Commandant of the Marine Corps General James Amos are increasingly referring to his religion — some in an “off-hand” manner, others directly, as if it has something to do with current issues.

Interestingly, the “source” for General Amos’ faith is listed as this site.  The June 2010 article on his nomination for Commandant noted his speech at the 2009 National Day of Prayer.  Since then, that article has been cited in a variety of sources, including the ever reliable Wikipedia, as proof Amos is “born again.”  In fact, a web search for Amos’ faith reveals only two sources: this site, and a more recent derogatory citation by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation’s Chris Rodda, with an uncredited copy of a personal photograph of the same event she likely learned about through this site.

Ultimately, however, Amos’ faith is irrelevant.  It would be folly to assert Read more

USAFA, Cadets for Christ Victims of Weinstein’s Hypocrisy

Chris Rodda, research assistant for Michael Weinstein’s Military Religious Freedom Foundation, recently guest-posted the MRFF’s latest salvo against “Cadets for Christ,” an Air Force Academy Christian cadet group Weinstein wants banned.  The self-described Research Director can’t even get basic facts correct.

The MRFF apparently has copies of emails sent from Don and Anna Warrick asking the recipients to send letters of support for Cadets for Christ to the Chaplains at USAFA.  The USAFA Chaplains had indicated they had received letters both supporting and criticizing the group.  Rodda summarizesRead more

USAFA Religious Respect Meeting Brings Varied Faiths Together

As previously noted, the US Air Force Academy held a “religious respect” conference to work on the “religious tolerance” training program for cadets.  According to the official Academy release on the event, the attendees included Christian, Jewish, atheist, pagan, and “interfaith” representatives.

While Jason Torpy did attend, Michael Weinstein pouted that he was not invited to the “propaganda” event.  Weinstein, of course, is not a faith group representative as the other participants are; he also didn’t explain why he wanted to be party to a meeting with a school with whom he is “at war.”

Photos of the event, as well as the invited attendees, can be seen at the event website.

Also noted at the local Colorado Springs Gazette.

USAFA Faculty Underwriting Attacks on USAFA?

Michael Weinstein and his self-founded MRFF have occasionally cried foul at the participation by US Air Force Academy members in groups sponsored by off-base organizations.  The most recent was a small Bible study going by the name Cadets for Christ.  Officers’ Christian Fellowship, Campus Crusade, and the entire SPIRE system have also been criticized.

Weinstein appears to have his own inroads to the Academy, however.  He routinely publicizes information privy only to those at USAFA, and he cites “hundreds” of staff and cadets as party to his complaints.  In fact, just yesterday Weinstein cited an “anonymous” USAFA faculty member to support his latest charge against USAFA.  (Weinstein complained the MRFF wasn’t invited to the USAFA “religious respect” conference — while simultaneously calling that same conference “propaganda.”)

Some of the people he cites are not without influence.  A few who have made themselves known after leaving USAFA:  Read more

Michael Weinstein Opposes Bible, Supports Koran in Military

Michael Weinstein has repeatedly demonstrated an animosity toward the association of the US military with the Christian Bible.  In 2009, his Military Religious Freedom Foundation opposed a Chaplain bringing Swahili Bibles to Iraq, despite the fact they were requested by third country nationals supporting the US military effort.  The “religious freedom” organization opposed support for the religious freedom of US allies.

In 2007, Weinstein highly publicized a cropped photograph of a US Army trainee posing with his M-16 and his Bible — alongside a similarly photographed Hamas suicide bomber.  (The photos can be seen here; the original article was written by Jason Leopold, currently an editor for TruthOut, for which Weinstein is a board member and fundraiser.)  Weinstein’s MRFF is quoted saying “fundamentalist Christianity” in the US military “is starting to mirror Islamic fundamentalism.”  (Tellingly, he never made similar statements about photos of Jewish Soldiers and their weapons, some of which can be seen here.)

Weinstein’s most recent complaint is Read more

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