Tag Archives: chris rodda

Group Criticizes “Debunked” Attacks on Military Religious Freedom

People for the American Way, a politically left-wing/liberal organization, recently criticized a Family Research Council email that cited attacks on military religious freedom. PFAW’s complaint was that the stories FRC’s President Tony Perkins cited were, in their words, “easily debunked.”

As evidence, they linked to other online articles that did not debunk FRC’s stories.

For example, PFAW linked to an Americans United article that claimed Army Chaplain (Capt) Joe Lawhorn was not, in fact, sanctioned for discussion of his faith. But he indisputably was given paperwork for mentioning his faith, and the AU article doesn’t actually “debunk” the claim — it only criticizes the claim, without detracting from those facts.

PFAW similarly linked to another left-wing site that criticized Navy Chaplain Wes Modder, who was nearly run out of the Navy. The linked article cited the Navy commander’s initial accusations as fact — and neither that site nor PFAW bothered to mention that the Navy ultimately denied the attempt to kick Chaplain Modder out. In oversimplified terms, the complaint was invalidated. The linked article also quoted Read more

Mikey Weinstein Lies about Religious Freedom and Blood in the Streets

One of Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s favorite refrains is there would be “blood in the streets” if another religion did what Christian “fundamentalists” get away with in the US military. That his dramatic statement is an irrelevant logical fallacy matters not; it appeals to emotion and energizes his acolytes to call for the government to restrict the religious freedom of Christians in the US military, the Constitution notwithstanding.

Recently, in castigating USAF Major Steve Lewis’ display of a Bible, Weinstein verbosely said [capitalization original, emphasis added]:

Can you even IMAGINE the limitless, overflowing blood in the streets which would immediately occur if, say, another USAF official chose to similarly display, just as Major Steve Lewis presently exhibits his open and yellow-highlighted Christian bible in the very center of his official USAF desk, other sectarian, theological texts such as The Satanic Bible, the Islamic Quran, the Hindu Shruti, the Sikh Adi Granth and the Atheist movementʼs leading texts…?

There wouldn’t just be “blood in the streets.” It would be there “immediately,” and it would be “limitless and overflowing.”  All if another religious US troop dared to put out a religious text or symbol.

Weinstein’s fallacious implication reflects the research style of his assistant, Chris Rodda — meaning his argument is unsupported by evidence and it relies on assumptions and convenient omissions.

Why, for example, do you think Mikey Weinstein declined Read more

A Tale of Two Chaplains: The Hypocrisy of Mikey Weinstein and Tom Carpenter

Mikey Weinstein’s MRFF and Tom Carpenter’s Forum on the Military Chaplaincy
advocate “Do as I say… not as I do.”

Last week, the Forum on the Military Chaplaincy’s hypocrisy was on full display. Tom Carpenter, a homosexual lawyer and former US Marine fighter pilot, co-chairs the Forum and seems to be its primary voice. Carpenter berated the religious expression of Air Force Chaplain Sonny Hernandez and called him unfit to serve — while the Forum Carpenter simultaneously leads says it supports a military chaplaincy with “free and diverse religious expression.”

It seems Carpenter and his Forum only support diversity of religious expression when they agree with the content of that expression.

Last week Carpenter also seemed to join with Michael “Mikey” Weinstein — a Forum ally — in criticizing military chaplains who attended an awards event hosted by the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, a group of chaplain endorsers that advocates for religious liberty within the military. The Forum re-posted reports on the MRFF’s accusations with the ominous statement that the “Air Force [is] in hot water again,” and didn’t contravene one of its own who agreed with Weinstein’s acerbic calls for punishing the chaplains. When others defended the chaplains, Carpenter weighed in by saying they were “clueless” about the rules and regulations regarding wear of the uniform. Carpenter clearly felt Chaplain (MajGen) Dondi Costin and the other chaplains in attendance were in the wrong.

So why didn’t Carpenter feel so strongly about his own event?

In early April, the Forum on the Military Chaplaincy hosted Read more

Precedent? Bible-Quoting Court-Martialed Marine’s Conviction Upheld

Monifa Sterling was court-martialed by the US Marine Corps for a variety of charges. One was failure to obey an order, when she refused after being told to remove three print-outs of a paraphrased Bible verse from her desk.

With the help of the First Liberty Institute, Sterling appealed to the highest military court, the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, on the basis that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act protected her religious exercise. (Despite some ignorant mockery from Mikey Weinstein’s Chris Rodda, the remaining charges for which she was convicted were not appealed, meaning her Bad Conduct Discharge wasn’t going to change.)

In a 4-1 ruling (PDF), the court upheld her conviction on that charge.

One interesting result was the court seemed unanimous in its “reject[ion]” of the logic used by the lower court, the US Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals, which said (PDF) the order to remove the signs was  Read more

Response to Chris Rodda: MRFF Misfits & Yellow Journalism

by Sonny Hernandez

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) is an infamous, anti-God advocacy group that conspicuously and recurrently bombasts Bible-believing Christians in the Armed Forces. The MRFF is led by Michael “Mikey” Weinstein, a failed lawyer, whose track record in court has resulted in an embarrassing amount of victories: zero. However, Weinstein has made a wealthy career out of fundraising that involves legal threats against anyone who affirms conservative orthodoxy in the Armed Forces. Weinstein’s desperate attempts to raise funds include: inciting hostility toward Bible-believing Christians by reviling them as a constitutional threat, and by subtly or transparently sending fallacious letters to commanders to ostracize their subordinates.

The MRFF produces articles that do contend for religious liberty, just not those who hold to sincerely held theological convictions about the inerrancy of Scripture (which is why the MRFF appellation is preposterous). This can be seen through the writings of Chris Rodda, a Read more

Chris Rodda, MRFF Attack Military Chaplains — For Being Christian

Executive Summary: In their personal complaints about military chaplains, Mikey Weinstein and his MRFF clearly demonstrate their antagonism toward religious beliefs — particularly, Christian beliefs — they don’t like. This again supports the position that correspondence from the MRFF should be viewed with the skeptical eye that such complaints are motivated by an intolerant and discriminatory viewpoint inconsistent with the military’s support of diversity and religious freedom.

roddaprofChris Rodda, the research assistant for Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s MRFF, is nothing if not predictable. Yesterday she posted an extraordinarily long essay railing against US military chaplains, largely centered around Mikey Weinstein’s attack on chaplains and endorsers at the end of July, an attack that was roundly rebutted by the ACLJ.  (While it’s not worth the read, Rodda’s novella can be found here.)

However, part way through Rodda digressed from her presumed thesis, as she often does, to personally attack another Air Force officer unrelated to that event: Chaplain Sonny Hernandez.

Rodda revealed the MRFF has for months been harassing Air Force Chief of Chaplains (MajGen) Dondi Costin, complaining about Chaplain Hernandez. The MRFF has claimed [emphasis added]  Read more

Deployed Chapels and Chaplains a Beacon of Light

An article from the Iowa Army National Guard described the value of the US military providing religious support for its troops:

A single, unassuming shelter stands out. On the surface, it looks just like the rest, except for one small detail – a small, navy blue flag, with a single white cross in the center.

Many Soldiers walk by this tent without a second thought. However, to a Soldier of faith, it’s a beacon of light in an otherwise dreary environment.

This flag is a cue to Soldiers of Task Force Ironman, Iowa Army National Guard that they have a place to practice their religion. Even in this unforgiving terrain, far from home, they’re offered a reminder they’re not alone.

Chapels and chaplains have occasionally been criticized by some for bringing religion to troops downrange — even in combat. What those critics frequently Read more

The Bible Stays: US Marines Tell Mikey Weinstein to Pound Sand

In early July Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s MRFF lodged a complaint with US Marine Corps’ Camp Hansen (one of seven Marine Corps camps on Okinawa), alleging that the presence of a Bible on a POW/MIA remembrance table constituted a “blatant violation of the Constitution.” This complaint followed the MRFF-inspired removal of Bibles from similar displays at four VA facilities and Wright-Patterson AFB (a removal which prompted Chaplain Sonny Hernandez to “replace” it by distributing Bibles to local Airmen).

The Marines, however, were not so forthcoming.

In an undated letter (PDF) just released by the MRFF, Camp Commander Brian Howlett told the MRFF the display would stay just like it is, thank you very much:  Read more

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