Mikey Weinstein Strikes Again — against Christians of course!
By Sonny Hernandez
On Feb 3, 2017, the Air Force Times reported a “wing commander’s prayer breakfast invite spark[ed] [an] IG complaint,” which was a result of a third party complaint filed by Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) to the 42nd Air Base Wing (ABW) inspector general (IG).
The complaint was allegedly filed after several people at Maxwell Air Force Base contacted the MRFF after the 42nd ABW commander used his commander’s box to invite everyone in the wing to a National Prayer Breakfast. Weinstein claims the invite constituted a clear violation of Air Force Instruction (AFI) 1-1, paragraph 2.12 (Balance of Free Exercise of Religion and Establishment Clause).
The complaint filed against the 42nd ABW Commander does not prove his words and actions constituted a violation of AFI 1-1, as he did not endorse, refute, or extend preferential treatment toward any faith, belief or absence of belief. The complaint filed against the 42nd ABW commander only proves Weinstein and those alleging constitutional malfeasance do not like the Christian faith.
It’s important to note Weinstein’s complaint mentions nothing substantive about any communiqué from the 42nd ABW commander’s invitation that elevates Christianity above all other world religions. A National Prayer Breakfast is a historical and interfaith event that Airmen are not mandated to attend — it is voluntary. In addition, the Air Force (via the office of the Air Force Judge Advocate General) has published “The Military Commander and the Law,” which reiterates that the 42nd ABW commander did nothing wrong with inviting a chaplain to pray — regardless if a chaplain is distinctively Christian:
If a chaplain is asked to pray at an official event, the choice of prayer is in the discretion of the chaplain as long as the prayer does not state or imply any Air Force endorsement of a specific religion. (p281)
It’s also ironic that 40 people contacted the MRFF to initiate the complaint against the 42nd ABW commander’s invitation to attend a National Prayer Breakfast, which was not a direct order, but simply an invite to attend if they so choose. Why would these 40 people want to complain about a historical event they are not mandated to attend? I would argue that Weinstein, or someone who hates Bible-believing Christians as much as he does, would go to such an extent.
The Air Force Times describes one of the MRFF’s disgruntled clients as an atheist who was a former Airman and is now an Air Force civilian on base. The atheist described the 42nd ABW commander’s invitation as “terrible for morale,” and also complained that:
“The National Prayer Breakfast is very Christian-focused,” said the civilian, who did not want to be identified due to fear of reprisals. “I mean they might let a Muslim say a prayer or a Jewish rabbi, but Maj. Gen. Dondi Costin [Air Force chief of chaplains] is going to be there giving his Christian perspective. It’s all Christian, Christian, Christian.”
The complaint from the atheist is clearly contradicting and unconstitutional. They imply it is acceptable for a Muslim or a Jewish rabbi to pray, but if a Christian prays (Air Force Chief of Chaplains Dondi Costin) it is terrible for morale. How is it not “terrible for morale” for Christians to know that bigots like this atheist are okay with other world religions praying, but not Christians?
Philosophically speaking, this atheist does not have an absolute standard of truth to measure morale, nor is this atheist able to account for simple logic since everything is relativistic and arbitrary in their atheistic worldview. How can this atheist account for logic when the laws of logic are conceptual, universal, and invariant, and an atheist’s worldview believes that people are accidents, matter in motion, that formed as a result of a chemical reaction that happened by chance over a billion years ago? I am not implying that this atheist does not know logic — I am implying that this atheist cannot account for it. As a result, the atheist borrows from the Christian worldview to make a complaint about morale, and attacks the Christian worldview with it.
The 42nd Air Base Wing IG should not weary when anti-Christians complain or when people like Weinstein call them with threats of litigation to adopt his presuppositions. This is why the 42 ABW IG should contact their staff judge advocate, as I am sure they have, and ignore Weinstein, by not dignifying his possible motive of making a sizeable income to do what he does best—getting rich by attacking Christians!
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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The little atheist shows his thin-skin, once again.