{"id":43533,"date":"2018-08-14T00:30:11","date_gmt":"2018-08-14T03:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/?p=43533"},"modified":"2021-04-01T13:44:48","modified_gmt":"2021-04-01T16:44:48","slug":"mikey-weinstein-targets-af-gen-john-teichert-over-christianity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/14\/mikey-weinstein-targets-af-gen-john-teichert-over-christianity\/","title":{"rendered":"Mikey Weinstein Targets AF Gen John Teichert over Christianity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Update<\/strong><\/span>: Covered by Todd Starnes<\/a>, who apparently received a visit from Gen Teichert while Starnes was in the hospital.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s latest target in his war against Christians in the US military — despite his repeated assurances he is not<\/em> attacking Christians — is US Air Force BGen E. John Teichert.<\/p>\n

Until last month, BGen Teichert was the commander of the 11th Wing and Joint Base Andrews in the Washington, DC, area — home to the presidential fleet of aircraft, among other things. He recently took command<\/a> of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards AFB, CA.<\/p>\n

Though it is difficult to tell exactly, it seems Mikey Weinstein is trying to accuse BGen Teichert of using his rank and position to convert people to Christianity, though it took a tortured, cynical, and twisted series of steps to come to that conclusion.<\/p>\n

The difficulty is poorly laid out in the 22-page letter [PDF<\/a>] written by MRFF attorney Donald Rehkopf that manages to be simultaneously so vague as to be unintelligible while so bigoted as to be laughable.<\/p>\n

The letter demands an investigation into BGen Teichert’s “conduct” — though it never describes any actual<\/em> conduct to be investigated (rather, it is heavy on insinuation and implication).<\/p>\n

For example,\u00a0a full six pages into the letter, Rehkopf finally tries to give an example of something\u00a0by noting that if you start at a website and click through several links, you end up on a church website with a picture of BGen Teichert. Conclusion? [emphasis added]<\/p>\n

That is at the beginning of the interview article dated 1 May 2014, with then Colonel Teichert, which violates virtually every provision of AFI 1-1<\/strong>, to include not having valid disclaimers…<\/p>\n

MRFF suggests that one does not need a \u201ccrystal ball\u201d to see that now Brig Gen Teichert is using both his military rank as well as his position and status as an Air Force officer to aggressively promote his brand of religion<\/strong> \u2013 clearly giving the appearance if not outright impression that he, in his official status, is endorsing if not outright proselytizing his particular brand of politico-religion.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Apparently Weinstein and Rehkopf used a Magic 8 ball, not a crystal ball, to come up with these accusations. Reading through the interview<\/a>, which is actually a\u00a0list of questions and answers, “suggests” no such thing. In the four-year old article, then-Col Teichert gives his military data only in a biographical sense, and he describes his ministry in strictly theological terms.<\/p>\n

We’ve been down this road\u00a0before<\/a>, and Weinstein has failed before<\/a>.\u00a0 There’s nothing wrong with a military officer being associated with his faith.<\/p>\n

And to the disclaimer point — why even bring it up? If the content is “illegal,” as Mikey Weinstein would have you believe, a disclaimer would be meaningless.\u00a0 The MRFF conveniently ignores one disclaimer that is<\/em> on the site:<\/p>\n

This is not a political group or an advocacy group \u2013 it is a group united by a common concern regarding the way our nation has drifted away from the Lord. It is a call for Christians to exercise their citizenship responsibilities to pray for our nation and its leaders, and to pray that the Lord will change our national heart so that He can change our national direction.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That summary undermines the very core of the MRFF complaint, which is why they avoided mentioning it.<\/p>\n

The source website for the MRFF complaints is one called “prayatlunch.us<\/a>,” which contains exhortations to pray for the nation and other topics “at lunch.” Mikey Weinstein says BGen Teichert should be “doing time behind\u00a0prison bars” because of this website — yet, notably, the site very carefully avoids even the appearance of impropriety.<\/p>\n

For example, no where on the site is there a name other than “John.” There are no military uniforms, nor indication of branch of military service.<\/p>\n

Rehkopf references the picture of a General’s star on a website as proof of BGen Teichert’s “direct violation” of Air Force regulations, but it is only a picture of a shoulder — a picture nowhere proscribed by US military policies. It is no different than\u00a0a stock photo.<\/p>\n

Weinstein’s argument relies heavily on BGen Teichert coercing people through a website, which is why Rehkopf goes to great lengths to try to connect him to that site.\u00a0 Notably, even one of the media articles headlined that BGen Teichert was “<\/strong>secretly<\/strong> running an online ministry<\/a>.” Clearly, not everyone agrees with Weinstein’s conclusion that BGen Teichert used his rank and position to do anything,<\/em> because if it was “secret,” nothing is attributed — there is no rank and position<\/em>, and Weinstein’s accusations fail.<\/p>\n

Rehkopf also claims it was a “clear violation of AFI 1-1” for BGen Teichert to say, at his change of command:<\/p>\n

I first want to thank my Lord and Savior…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Except… it’s not any<\/em> kind of violation — much less a “clear” one — of anything.<\/em> Mikey may not like<\/em> it, but that does not make it wrong. (Contrast that response with what would have happened had the Gen promoted homosexuality instead…)<\/p>\n

Rehkopf then goes to town on the content<\/strong> of the PLUS website, questioning its veracity and religious tenets — but never once explaining why it is actionable<\/em> by the US military. In fact, he didn’t even try,<\/em> saying simply [emphasis added]:<\/p>\n

MRFF points this out simply to demonstrate that Brig Gen Teichert\u2019s many religious rants<\/strong> simply have no historical basis<\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A statement not having a “historical basis” does not violate a military regulation, making the entire MRFF diatribe an irrelevant demonstration of their bigotry. The MRFF is admitting it is targeting the religious content<\/em> of the site because of its beliefs, nothing more.<\/p>\n

Finally, Rehkopf attacks a “prayer list” from the site with a\u00a0hilarious list of point-by-point “violations” [the first line is the\u00a0prayer list<\/strong>, second MRFF “analysis<\/em>“]:<\/p>\n