Tag Archives: chris rodda

Mikey Weinstein Targets Military Christmas. Again.

FoxNews reports that last Friday Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s “charity” once again attacked the Air Force for erecting a Nativity scene on an Air Force Base. Two years ago, it was Travis AFB in California. This year, they targeted Shaw AFB, SC:

The MRFF’s Paul Loebe wrote in a statement that since the display was not erected near a chapel, it was illegal.

“It was very sectarian in nature and a direct violation of the U.S. Constitution as well as a blatant violation of Air Force Instruction 1-1, Section 2.11,” he said.

Weinstein presumably called the office of LtGen Richard Harding, The JAG of the Air Force, and getting no relief there, called Shaw AFB via their Command Post.

Most civilians who call an Air Force base will probably be directed to Public Affairs, because it is the job of PA to help military commanders interact with the public and ensure the correct message is conveyed. Weinstein was transferred to the Commander’s office, where an “office assistant” reportedly spoke for the Air Force. The assistant told Weinstein the display was erected by “a volunteer group” and it was being taken down. Loebe was free to interpret this as the Air Force agreeing with the MRFF position:  Read more

Chris Rodda, the Government Funded Piano, and the Torah

A few days ago, Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s MRFF research assistant, Chris Rodda, mocked the purchase of an $88,000 Steinway piano for a Fort Riley chapel in a little-noticed piece at the Huffington Post:

Apparently, military cutbacks don’t apply to church music…

I can’t say that I was surprised to hear about this example of outrageously extravagant spending on a military chapel…

She implied, somewhat obtusely, that the Army wouldn’t need such a piano if there was really religious hostility toward Christians in the US military, as some have asserted. Notwithstanding her presumption that only Christians would use a musical instrument, it is worth a reminder that she represents an organization that claims to be defending “religious freedom” in the US military.  She later said

While the military is cutting back on necessary services it is sparing no expense on chapels and religious programs.

As a supposed advocate for religious liberty, she considers this a bad thing?

In point of fact, Rodda, Weinstein, and Read more

Chris Rodda Pens 3,000-Word Diatribe. TLDR.

Chris Rodda, Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s paid research assistant, writes an occasional article for Weinstein’s MRFF.  Rodda considers herself a history buff, and her writings reflect that.  She is also exceedingly verbose, with many of her articles going on for pages even before she says ‘the reason I’m writing this….’

She recently struck again, in a letter to USAFA Superintendent LtGen Michelle Johnson that was co-signed by Weinstein.  The letter was clearly hers, as it lacked the alliterative vitriol or the acidic hyperbole characteristic of Weinstein’s writing.  (It also contained no gratuitous ellipses or the pastel colored font Weinstein so favors in his emails.)  She wrote it, ostensibly, to rebut a letter written by the ACLJ’s Jay Sekulow and Skip Ash:  Read more

MRFF Changes Narrative on “So Help Me God”

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s discombobulated responses to the Air Force Academy decision to make “so help me God”  optional in the Cadet Honor Oath (he both welcomes it and threatened to sue) may have been his flailing efforts to regain the narrative in a losing effort.  His research assistant, Chris Rodda, seems to indicate the MRFF is trying to point the narrative in a different direction.  In a local news report on the Academy decision (original here):

Air Force Academy cadets are no longer required to say “so help me God” at the end of the Honor Oath. The change was made in response to complaints from a group called the Military Religious Freedom Foundation…

Chris Rodda, of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said…”The people we are battling on this will say that nobody’s forced to say ‘so help me God.’ That actually is not true. The cadets received an email that said that they must say it for their commissioning oath to be legal.”

Rodda’s response is noteworthy because the Cadet Honor Oath has nothing to do with the commissioning oath, and nothing to do with the MSgt’s email.  Whether the MRFF is intentionally trying to alter the debate or if Chris Rodda is incompetently Read more

World War II Vet Recalls Preaching to Japanese

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, repeated in the Stars and Stripes, documents a recent local Honor Flight that had just returned from helping World War II vets see the World War II memorial in Washington, DC. The article highlights Phil Crenshaw, a World War II chaplain’s assistant:

At 91, Crenshaw is the last living chaplain’s assistant from World War II, as determined by Army Sgt. Maj. Stephen Stott. Crenshaw recently served as chaplain on last week’s South Plains Honor Flight.

Crenshaw was called to active duty in 1943. He shipped out to Okinawa to assist Louis Wunneburger, the chaplain there.

The article makes a reference to an earlier Avalanche-Journal article in which Crenshaw recalled a surprise shipment the chaplain received:

One day, a merchant vessel unexpectedly delivered several boxes to Wunneberger. No one knew where they came from or who sent them.

They contained 1,000 New Testaments — all printed in Japanese.  Read more

“So Help Me God”: Weinstein Gets USAFA Poster Pulled in 68 Minutes

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein, outspoken critic of Christians in the US military, once bragged he’d called the Pentagon and had a poster pulled off the wall of an Air Force base chow hall in less than an hour.  Last week, he tried again, and he did it in 68 minutes.

Pam Zubeck, a “journalist” with the Colorado Springs Independent — local to the US Air Force Academy — has long been an ally of Weinstein in his crusade against the Academy.  Last week, she helped his cause when USAFA sent the CSIndy some photos of the USAFA Prep School, one of which was a photo of a poster hanging on a wall.  The picture of the F-100F on static display in front of the Prep School contained the following quote [emphasis added]:

We will not lie, steal [or cheat,]* nor tolerate among us anyone who does.  Furthermore, I resolve to do my duty and to live honorably, so help me God.

USAFA Photo

Zubeck was clearly concerned about Read more

Michael Weinstein Interprets Religious Regulations for Air Force

Michael Weinstein was once jokingly referred to as the new Secretary of the Air Force after his apparent easy access to — and influence of — Air Force leaders was revealed.  It seems Weinstein himself is now trying to fulfill that “role.”

On 19 September Ms. Deborah Lee James, nominee for Secretary of the Air Force, testified at the Senate Armed Services Committee and was asked several questions about military religious freedom by Senator David Vitter (R-La).

As noted in the Air Force Times — not in their news, but in commentator Robert Dorr’s opinion column — Vitter brought up several “documented cases” of restrictions on religious liberty:

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., asked James if it’s acceptable for an airman to have a Bible on his desk or for a chaplain to end a prayer “in Jesus’ name.”…

James told Vitter: “Having a Bible on your desk, that doesn’t seem like it should be banned.”

James’ answer is consistent with what the Air Force has officially said to date.  In May of this year, Air Force spokeswoman LtCol Laura Tingley told blogger William Throckmorton, in response to that same allegation:  Read more

Group Sues US Military for Weinstein Records

Update: Also at OneNewsNow, where Judicial Watch claims Michael Weinstein has had an “adverse affect on religious freedom in the military,” and LifeSiteNews.

Judicial Watch announced it has filed a FOIA lawsuit against the Department of Defense seeking information about its relationship with Michael “Mikey” Weinstein, following his now-infamous meeting with Pentagon officials in April:

Judicial Watch…filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit…against the Department of Defense seeking “all records and communications” between the Pentagon and Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) founder Mikey Weinstein, a controversial activist who has compared evangelicals with the Taliban and al-Qaeda and has called for the court martial of Christian chaplains (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Defense (No. 1:13-cv-01372 )).

Judicial Watch said they  Read more

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