Tag Archives: Religion

MRFF Sues USAFA over McClary Invitation

Michael Weinstein’s Military Religious Freedom Foundation has reportedly sued the US Air Force Academy over its decision to invite a Christian to a Prayer Luncheon.  In an increasingly common scene, even the Air Force Times was able to accurately summarize the self-contradictory nature of the “religious freedom” group’s actions:

Five Air Force Academy instructors and an advocacy group are suing to stop the school from holding a religious event. (emphasis added)

One Academy faculty member, David Mullin of the Economics Department, is listed by name; four others are listed as “John Doe.”  Counsel appears to be David Lane, of Killmer, Lane & Newman in Denver.  Lane appears to have previously represented Ward Churchill, the “Balloon Boy” parents, and a student suing her school over a canceled William Ayers speech.

Contrary to his prior demands, the complaint indicates Weinstein no longer simply wants US Marine Corps (Ret) Lt Clebe McClary disinvited.  He wants the entire event canceled.

It is contended in this law suit [sic] that for the command structure of the AFA to undertake a purely religious activity such as this is a violation Read more

Military Chaplains: Have Bible, Will Travel

Or, as the case may be, Have Koran, or Vedas…

An Army news article notes the necessary travels of military Chaplains as they travel throughout the combat area in Afghanistan serving the religious and morale needs of those in their care.  There have been a variety of other articles on “fob-hopping,” but this one included an interesting summary of the US military Chaplaincy:

The Chaplain’s Corps has been around since 1775. Following the creation of the infantry as a branch of the Army, the Read more

MRFF Accuses USAFA Speaker of “Illegal” Conduct

Michael Weinstein has faced an onslaught of criticism in the past few days over his demand that the US Air Force Academy rescind Lt Clebe McClary’s invitation to the 10th Air Base Wing’s National Prayer Luncheon.  Several organizations, and even some of his own supporters, are seeing the hypocrisy and extremism in his call for LtGen Gould’s ouster over the religious beliefs of an invited speaker.

Apparently seeing no movement after their initial accusations, Chris Rodda, the MRFF research assistant, has now called McClary’s conduct “illegal:”

Lt. McClary also regularly violates Titles 10 and 18 of U.S. Code by appearing at his speaking engagements, both military and civilian, in a Marine uniform, something that, apparently, not a single military attendee at any of his numerous appearances on military bases has informed him is illegal.

In an unusual move for her, Rodda actually cites the law she claims McClary broke.  Of course, she doesn’t say what part of the hundreds of paragraphs of law within Titles 10 or 18 are at issue.  Here are some that are:  Read more

Weinstein Attacks USAFA Speaker: He’s ‘Wrong Kind of Christian’

Michael Weinstein has written a letter to the USAFA Superintendent, LtGen Michael Gould, “demanding” that an invitation to Lt Clebe McClary (USMC, Ret.) be rescinded.  Lt McClary — an internationally recognized motivational speaker and wounded Vietnam Veteran — has apparently been invited to speak at the 10 February National Prayer Luncheon for the 10th Air Base Wing, the wing that runs the facilities surrounding the Air Force Academy.

Weinstein’s reason?  McClary is the ‘wrong kind of Christian:’  Read more

National Guard Priest Promoted to Brigadier General

Kentucky Army National Guard Chaplain Pat Dolan was promoted to Brigadier General at the beginning of January.  He will serve as the Army National Guard Assistant to the Army Chief of Chaplains, Chaplain (Major General) Douglas Carver.  According to Army Public Affairs, he is the first Roman Catholic Priest to hold the position.

Chaplain (BrigGen) Dolan has been deployed to a variety of locations, including four times to Iraq.

Via the Army Chaplaincy blog.

Fundamentalist Agnostic Wrote Army’s “Spiritual Fitness Test”

Michael Weinstein has been in the media recently claiming that the US Army’s Global Assessment Tool (previously discussed), which helps Soldiers self-assess their emotional, social, family, and spiritual fitness is actually a tool created to enable Christians to take over the military.

[This] imperious fascistic contagion of this fundamentalist Christian tsunami that is sweeping through the military. And this Soldier Fitness test is just the camel’s nose under the tent.

Weinstein is sure fundamentalist Christians are behind the implementation of the Spiritual Fitness test. “There is absolutely no doubt where this is coming from,” he said. “We smell this disgusting stench over and over again.”

Apparently, the “stench,” which Weinstein previously said was like “10,000 rotting swine,” is spreading to non-Christians.  According to the report, the person who oversaw the creation of the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program (there’s not actually an individual “Spiritual Fitness Test”) is agnostic, and even now defends the value of the program:  Read more

Obama Administration Sued for Not Transferring Land, Cross

In an interesting twist to a long-running legal case, the VFW has sued the Executive Branch of the US government for failing to comply with an act of Congress supported by the Supreme Court.

The Mojave Cross has been in dispute for some years.  The privately-erected cross on government land was the subject of a lawsuit, Buono v Salazar.  In 2003 the US Congress transferred the land surrounding the Mojave Cross to the VFW in an attempt to eliminate the issues in conflict.  The 9th Circuit court of appeals said the Mojave Cross was unConstitutional and the land transfer was an invalid attempt to circumvent their ruling.

In April of last year, the US Supreme Court overturned that decision, saying the appeals court “erred.”  SCOTUS remanded the case to the 9th Circuit.

The cross was torn down by vandals shortly after the ruling, and the site remains empty because  Read more

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