Tag Archives: dondi costin

Mikey Weinstein’s MRFF “Charity” Reported to IRS for Potential Impropriety

A few years ago, Chris Rodda, Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s research assistant, made the somewhat comical claim that the outcome of an investigation was irrelevant; rather, the fact an investigation occurred was all that mattered [capitalization original]:

The OUTCOME of the investigation…is irrelevant. It’s the fact that…he CALLED FOR the investigation…

It’s a moronic assertion on its face, but its something upon which the MRFF has relied. If an investigation happened, then they act as though their claims were vindicated — outcome notwithstanding.

Mikey Weinstein, though, very recently took it one step further and is now citing as “evidence” an accusation being reported — not even an investigation, not a resolution, just him reporting something.

Referring to ChristianFighterPilot.com, Weinstein said this site [emphasis added] Read more

Tom Carpenter, Forum on the Military Chaplaincy Blind to own Bigotry

Tom Carpenter of the Forum on the Military Chaplaincy was called out several months ago for his hypocrisy: Carpenter had joined Michael “Mikey” Weinstein in criticizing Air Force Chaplain Dondi Costin for attending an event in uniform, while Tom Carpenter had shared a stage with a uniformed chaplain under similar circumstances just a couple of months prior.

Hypocrisy, though, is often understood to be ‘holding others to a standard to which one does not hold himself.’

A more accurate word for what Tom Carpenter and his FOMC have displayed would be “bigotry” — or “intolerant devotion to one’s own opinions and prejudices,” in one definition.

You see, it wasn’t merely that Carpenter hosted one uniformed chaplain while criticizing another. His actual issue was the religious ideologies of the chaplains and the events they attended. Carpenter and the Forum on the Military Chaplaincy support tolerance for everyone — except those who do not hold the same religious beliefs they do.

And they recently made it quite clear.

Last weekend a pastor asked Read more

Retired Chaplain Norris Burkes Wrong on Gen Costin, Religious Freedom

Retired US Air Force Chaplain Norris Burkes first came to the attention of this site in 2009, when the syndicated chaplain wrote a column about the burning of Afghan-language Bibles by American troops in Afghanistan (a controversy discussed here). In essence, Burkes approved, and noted:

The possession of such religious material violates something the military calls General Order No. 1.

Though he was dismissive of most input, he did finally concede that he was wrong — General Order Number One says no such thing.

Despite the admission, Burkes declined to change the article, and it can still be found on his website, with the unchanged statement that even Burkes admitted was wrong.

Chaplain Burkes recently popped up again, and for some reason he Read more

Air Force Chief of Chaplains Preaches Resilience

The Air Force Chief of Chaplains, Chaplain (MajGen) Dondi Costin, recently visited Osan Air Base, Korea, and spoke on resilience — via the pillar of spiritual fitness:

“Spiritual fitness is you deciding and determining what your purpose and your meaning is in life; what values you have and then living by those values,” said Costin. “All resilience is, is you having the attitudes and behaviors and beliefs and the community around you to make sure you can take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’.”

Though he has been criticized by some activists, Chaplain Read more

US Military Launched Investigation into Content of Chaplain’s Prayer

costin

The US Department of Defense Inspector General recently revealed it had ordered the Air Force to investigate the content of a chaplain’s prayer.

The context was the now well-known complaint by Michael “Mikey” Weinstein against US Air Force Chief of Chaplains (MajGen) Dondi Costin. In response to Weinstein’s complaint, the DoD IG said [emphasis added]:

We asked the Air Force IG to examine both the act of giving the benediction and its content. After conducting interviews and gathering additional facts, the Air Force IG found that Maj Gen Costin’s benediction was a generic, non-sectarian prayer seeking God’s blessing on the event’s honoree…

This is a shocking revelation, particularly in light of who did it. What business does the DoD Inspector General have analyzing the content of a chaplain’s prayer? Under what authority Read more

Mikey Weinstein Still After Chaplain Costin’s Head

costin3Apparently believing US Air Force Chief of Chaplains Gen Dondi Costin’s head needs to go on a pole, Michael “Mikey” Weinstein has continued to demand the US military punish the men and women who appeared in uniform at a chaplains’ event in July.

Weinstein recently received a statement (PDF) from the DoD Inspector General in response to his initial complaint [emphasis added]:

The Air Force IG found no prima facie evidence that Maj Gen Costin endorsed CARL [the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty] by appearing in uniform and performing the benediction, thereby implying Air Force sponsorship of CARL or sanction of a particular cause, or discrediting the Armed Forces…

We [the DoD IG] also concluded Maj Gen Costin’s attendance and benediction did not violate Department of Defense or Air Force standards on endorsement of or participation with a non-federal entity, uniform wear, public speaking, or free exercise of religion.

That covered all the bases, DoD and Air Force, uniform wear to religion — even the US Constitution. Pretty thorough, right?

Since Chaplain Costin wasn’t punished, it still wasn’t good enough for Weinstein, of course, whose Read more

Mikey Weinstein: Court Martial the entire Military in Colorado Springs?

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein recently demanded the court-martial of US troops who attended an awards event hosted by the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, a coalition of chaplain endorsers. The reason Weinstein demanded their court-martial was his bigotry toward the Christian beliefs espoused by the chaplain groups represented. Weinstein essentially admitted as much when he hatefully caricatured and lambasted those Christian beliefs in his attack.

But since “Mikey Doesn’t Like Christians” isn’t actionable by the military, he tried to use an old technique that unintentionally won him a battle many years ago: He claimed the service members violated regulations by “endorsing” the chaplains by virtue of their presence at the event in uniform.

The Air Force rebuffed that claim, and there is no evidence any Read more

Mikey Weinstein to Demand Gay General’s Court-Martial?

In July, Michael “Mikey” Weinstein called for “trial by courts-martial” for a group of officers he claimed violated the Constitution when they appeared in uniform at a Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty awards event. Among the several “accused” was Chaplain (MajGen) Dondi Costin, the Air Force Chief of Chaplains.

In his complaint, Weinstein made it clear that Chaplain Costin’s violation consisted of “his mere participation in this event in uniform.”

Last week, US Air Force Major General Patricia “Trish” Rose was “honored” by the homosexual advocacy group The American Military Partner Association — because she is the “highest ranking openly LGBT service member in the US military.” As pictures from the event show, MajGen Rose participated in the event while in, to use Mikey Weinstein’s terms and formatting, “FULL MILITARY UNIFORM.”

rose2Mikey Weinstein and Chris Rodda accused several military members of violating rules and regulations by appearing in uniform at a non-federal entity’s awards event — and they therefore demanded courts-martial.

Do you think they’ll make a similar demand of Gen Rose?

The answer, of Read more

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