Tag Archives: military religious freedom foundation

Weinstein Calls on Military to Ban Christian Group

The Colorado Springs Independent, which previously reported on both Michael Weinstein’s declaration of “war” on the Air Force Academy and his letter to the Secretary of Defense, apparently obtained access to three cadets to discuss the religious climate at USAFA.

The members of the Cadet Interfaith Council had little negative to say: speaking of religious mistreatment, a Jewish cadet says “not much of that goes on these days;” a Buddhist has “not experienced any discrimination due to his faith.”  The Protestant of the three agrees.

All agree with a cadet’s statement that

Right now, I think it might be getting blown out of proportion.

(It is worth noting these cadets were likely provided by the Academy for the purpose of the interview.  Given the opportunity, Weinstein could likely produce cadets supporting his point of view.)

Superintendent LtGen Michael Gould is also quoted, and the article offers an intriguing look at religious “complaints” over the past two years.  Ironically, there Read more

Warning: “Freedom” Group Says This Site Contains “Outright Lies”

Michael Weinstein, head of his own non-profit Military Religious Freedom Foundation, says ChristianFighterPilot.com is a “Christian supremacist” site containing “outright lies” and “falsehoods.”

This most recent attack finds its source in a letter written by Weinstein and addressed to the Secretary of Defense — and copied to everyone from the Joint Chiefs to President Obama.  In it, Weinstein says a “catalyst” to a complaint from an Air Force Academy cadet was:

The inclusion by the Air Force Academy Public Affairs Office in the daily Academy-wide “Falcon Clips” email of a sectarian Christian-themed blog post…

The “Falcon Clips” are a compilation of public references to goings-on at the Air Force Academy.  They are emailed out daily, and, according to these reports, included a reference to “Bat Signal Busted, Weinstein Declares War Back On.”  It would appear Weinstein Read more

“Freedom” Group Takes Threatening Stance Against Troops

Michael Weinstein’s Military Religious Freedom Foundation publicly prides itself on its self-proclaimed “defense of the Constitution,” but its recent response to a critic defies its own description.

A detractor emailed the MRFF defending the “christian concert coming to FT Bragg [sic],” previously discussed here.  The MRFF published the message, as it frequently does, and its response was telling.

Rick Baker, an MRFF “regional coordinator,” said  Read more

Group Demands Army Cancel “Evangelistic Event”

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State has called for the US Army to cancel a Chaplaincy event at Fort Bragg, NC.  The event is Rock the Fort, which is associated with Billy Graham’s Evangelistic Association.  According to the BGEA website:

When evangelist Josh Holland gets up to speak at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C., this Saturday, he plans to honor the soldiers who are present, thanking them for their sacrifice and what they do to ensure our nation’s freedom.

“I also want to talk about the truest kind of freedom, which is found in a relationship with Christ and in freedom from sin,” Holland said during a phone interview this week.

The AU takes issue:  Read more

Mormon Chaplain Serves USAFA Cadets

An Air Force Academy press release notes the service of Chaplain (Capt) Zebulon Beck, one of only nine active duty Air Force Mormon Chaplains, who will minister to “more than 100 Mormon cadets.”

An interesting part of the article is the reference to the “mandatory two-year mission” of Mormons:

As is the case with other Mormons of similar age, many cadets interrupt their studies for the mandatory two-year mission. Those who do so often come back changed people.  Read more

Bat Signal Busted, Weinstein Declares War Back On

After what was supposedly an amiable interlude, Michael Weinstein and his self-founded Military Religious Freedom Foundation are now officially back at “war” with the US Air Force Academy.  The reason?  The Air Force beat Weinstein to the press.

The Colorado Springs Independent reports the Air Force Academy issued a press release critical of an as yet unpublicized MRFF accusation that the Academy was allowing a private group to ‘improperly proselytize’ in public facilities.  The reported press release, which is unsigned, undated, and available only on some local news sites, was unusual in its initiative, as well as its subtle criticisms of Weinstein and his MRFF:  Read more

US Soldier Calls Training “Propaganda Against Islam”

SPC Zachari Klawonn, who has previously voiced vague complaints of mistreatment in the military because of his Islamic faith, recently gave an interview to the Arabic language channel of al Jazeera.  The segment was reportedly titled “The Right In America Declared War On Islam Inside and Outside America.”  In the interview, Klawonn has nothing positive to say about the US military — even as he wore the uniform on-screen:

Interviewer: …How can you be talking about suffering when the military establishment claims that it is the most open toward minorities toward women, and toward all those who suffer in society in general?

Zachari Klawonn: …The reality is that there is a sense of Islamophobia and there is a big misunderstanding of the Islamic faith and that contributes to people’s negative notions coming into the military.  Also the training we get and the information we are subject to constitutes propaganda against Islam.

He also demurred, again, when asked to specify how he had been mistreated:

Interviewer: …Can you give us some examples of the harassment you are talking about, which you experienced personally?

Zachari Klawonn: Sure, I received numerous disrespectful comments and even harassment to my personal property from an array of soldiers, even in some instances from the command itself.

Interestingly, according to CNSNews, Klawonn “informed” his commander Read more

“Freedom” Groups Object to Prayers on Navy Ships

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has protested the tradition of evening prayers onboard US Navy ships, saying they

violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment because military personnel are being coerced to participate in religious exercises…

These officially sanctioned prayers compel service members of varying beliefs and non-belief to listen to and participate in religious exercises…

While it purported to condemn all prayer, the FRFF intentionally highlighted Christianity, even citing the frequently-used and inaccurately attributed concept that

Jesus condemned as hypocrisy public prayer…

If nothing else, the FRFF appears to be intellectually consistent, since demanding an end to the prayers achieves their end of freedom “from” exposure to religious thought.  On the other hand, such consistency is lacking for the MRFF, who also Read more

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