Tag Archives: military religious freedom foundation

Military National Prayer Breakfasts

According to a variety of sources, the National Prayer Breakfast is an annual Washington, DC, event for Congressional and Executive leaders that has been ongoing for decades.  President Obama spoke at this year’s event in February.

The tradition has spread across the country, with a variety of other locations holding similar breakfasts, luncheons, or other gatherings.  Members of the Chaplain corps often sponsor Prayer Breakfasts at military installations.  Prayers and speeches are often presented by Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Chaplains, as well as notable personalities.  Though they are non-denominational and inclusive, they are not without controversy.

The 10th Mountain Division held theirs in early March, with noted speaker Bobby Welch invited to address the group.  Welch is a Vietnam Veteran Read more

DoJ Moves to Dismiss Chalker/MRFF Lawsuit

The Obama Administration’s Department of Justice has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Specialist Dustin Chalker and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.  The lawsuit (discussed previously and available here) alleged that Chalker was forced to attend formations that had Christian prayers.  It asked that the Courts direct that the DoD not require Chalker to attend formations at which a prayer was given.

The motion to dismiss contains a variety of strong points (some of which have been mentioned on this site previously).  In particular Read more

MRFF Calls for Chief Chaplain’s Court Martial

According to a variety of reports, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has called for the dismissal of Chaplain (Major General) Douglas Carver, the US Army’s Chief Chaplain.  As noted earlier, Chaplain Carver had called for a day of prayer and fasting among his Chaplaincy corps on April 8th, which coincided with the beginning of Passover celebrations in the Jewish community.

Weinstein claimed he’d received a “tsunami” of complaints against the Day of Prayer, though his MRFF is the only organization to protest.  Weinstein, who is Jewish, said

The fact that this would fall on this same day is not just wrong or bad, but unforgivable, and Carver should be severely disciplined.

By contrast, some responses, by those of both the Jewish and other faiths, expressed support for the Chaplain, noting that Jewish fasts are entirely appropriate on this day.   One post appears to have been written by Chaplain (Col) Jacob Goldstein, the US Army’s “Senior Jewish Chaplain,” Read more

Military Religious Freedom: The Torah in Iraq

The Air Force news published articles and pictures (see below the fold) of a Torah dedication ceremony in Balad, Iraq, on March 23rd, as well as the accompanying adult Bar Mitzvah of an enlisted Airmen.

Contrary to some assertions, such public displays of faith do not demonstrate an institutional favoritism of a religion (in this case, Judaism) by the military or by the government.  Such expressions–even in a region of the world that has elements hostile to both Judaism and America–are not only permitted but also encouraged, just as the free exercise of other faiths is also supported.

Such displays are also wholly permissible in uniform, as these Airmen were.  The Airmen wore yarmulkes Read more

Air Force Investigating Religious Video Message

According to the New York Times, Third Air Force has opened an investigation into an email incident that occurred in January.  Col Kimberly Toney, the 501st Wing Commander, sent out a message that linked to an “inspirational” video.  Complaints arose because of the religious tone of the video and other content on the host site that was reportedly derogatory to the President.  Toney subsequently sent out another email apologizing for the first.

A Master Sergeant who complained to the press and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has said he may join “the [MRFF’s] litigation as a plaintiff” as a result.  Weinstein has called the incident “hideous and almost beyond belief” and a “textbook case” of a

pervasive pattern of constitutional abuse.

As noted at the Religion Clause.

Michael Weinstein on Military & College Ministries

The Stanford Progressive, a “left-leaning” student paper which boasts a circulation of “members of the Stanford community,…student residences and…community centers,” recently interviewed Michael Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.  The interview, laced with profanity and transcription errors, is available here.

To the question, “what are the Officer’s Christian Fellowship and Campus Crusade?”, Weinstein opined:

They are blights on America and a disgusting example of extremist prejudice and bigotry in this country.

In the interview Weinstein clearly discriminates between “evangelical” Christians and “dominionist” Christians.  He says they both have “religious philosophies” that he “[hates],” and they both Read more

New York Times on Religion & the Military

Eric Lichtblau of the New York Times has written an article revisiting the Military Religious Freedom Foundation’s complaints over religious content in Army suicide prevention material, as previously discussed here.

The article mentions that Michael Weinstein was able to meet with Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz.  It is a potential irony that Schwartz, like Weinstein, is Jewish (a fact not missed at his nomination), and that his class of 1973 at the Air Force Academy was replaced by Weinstein’s class of 1977.  Schwartz made no secret of his faith as a cadet and has not indicated that he experienced negative repercussions, while Weinstein claims a disturbing religious discrimination event while a cadet is the motivation behind all he does.

Weinstein reportedly said of the meeting with Schwartz

he [took] it very seriously, [and] he also acknowledged that there is a problem

Weinstein previously called Schwartz a “yes man” unable to “stand up” for what was right:

Because there’s a Jew in there, that’s supposed to make everything fine? It’s not fine. It doesn’t make a difference that he’s there. The reason to me is that he’s a yes man. He’s not going to stand up to do what needs to be done. But we’ll see.

Lichtblau notes that groups that oppose the MRFF fear an overreaction in the opposite direction.

Congressman Advocates for Chaplains’ Prayer

Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC, 3rd District) has introduced a bill that would

ensure that every military chaplain has the prerogative to close a prayer outside of a religious service according to the dictates of the chaplain’s own conscience.

Similar legislation failed previously, though it caused negotiations that ultimately resulted in the rescinsion of military “guidelines” that had restricted the content of Chaplains’ prayers.

Mitch Lewis, an Army Methodist Chaplain, wrote an interesting commentary in November 2007 (and recently revisited) on this very subject, presenting a reasoned view that prayers at military ceremonies Read more

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