Tag Archives: Government

“Freedom” Group Takes Threatening Stance Against Troops

Michael Weinstein’s Military Religious Freedom Foundation publicly prides itself on its self-proclaimed “defense of the Constitution,” but its recent response to a critic defies its own description.

A detractor emailed the MRFF defending the “christian concert coming to FT Bragg [sic],” previously discussed here.  The MRFF published the message, as it frequently does, and its response was telling.

Rick Baker, an MRFF “regional coordinator,” said  Read more

Quaker Loses Challenge to Tax Support for Military

The government’s use of tax monies from its citizens is frequently an issue for debate, even on non-religious topics.  The discussion can become more significant when people question whether the government’s use of their money is “moral,” and if they should therefore not pay taxes.

In an interesting federal district court case, Moore-Backman v. United States, the complaint of Quaker Christopher Moore-Backman that his tax support of the military “burdens his religious exercise in violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act” was dismissed.

As noted by Howard Friedman, the court’s conclusion was somewhat broadly stated:

The court concluded that there was no free exercise or RFRA violation because under relevant case law the Government is not required to conduct its own internal affairs in a way that comports with an individual’s religious beliefs.

Some Government Prayers Bring Lawsuits, Others Ignored

The city of Lancaster, California, has been criticized by the ACLU and sued by the Jewish Defense League for “sectarian Christian prayers” at city meetings.  In an interesting contrast, it does not appear either the ACLU or the JDL have said anything about the city of Vacaville doing the same thing in Sanskrit:

Acclaimed Hindu leader Rajan Zed will deliver invocation from Sanskrit scriptures before Vacaville City Council on [July 27th]. After Sanskrit delivery, he then will read the English translation of the prayer.

Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism Read more

Weinstein Threatens Another Suit Over Military Symbols

Previous articles have noted Michael Weinstein’s biased complaint about a red cross on the emblem of a military hospital in Fort Carson.

As reported by the Colorado Springs Gazette, Weinstein apparently had a personal audience with Fort Carson post commander MajGen David Perkins recently.  Weinstein indicated the General basically told him to pound sand, though the military only confirmed Read more

Afghans, Free Speech, and Religious Freedom

Afghan nationals recently enjoyed their exercise of free speech when they burned the Pope in effigy.  Apparently, the Pope (whose effigy had green shirt and tie with jean shorts, and who had to be identified to the press) is somehow responsible for the actions of the two aid groups recently accused of proselytizing.

As asinine as their accusations are, they are certainly free to make them, with at least some thanks to US and NATO forces that have helped secure their country.  (Arguably, the Taliban may have also permitted, or even required, such an anti-US rally.)  The disturbing part is the Afghan’s total lack of comprehension of religious freedom:

“We are demonstrating to express our disgust towards the activities of Christians trying to covert Afghans,” student Abdul Karim told AFP.

“We want the government of Afghanistan to find those people, try them and punish them. We want both the converted and those who have converted them to be brought to justice and punished,” he said. (emphasis added)

And yes, American military forces are supporting a foreign government under which Mr. Karim’s demands are actually actionable.

Christian Officer Encourages Political Action

At a Memorial Day event in “Nashville’s most patriotic church” attended by thousands, including Mike Huckabee, LtCol (ret) Courtney Rodgers gave a stirring motivation to those in the congregation about how they can honor the sacrifice of the men and women in the military who serve them: 

We take an oath that binds us to the ideological foundation of this nation – to the ideals of freedom within our constitution.  We leave our families for months, maybe even years, so that you may never have to bow before any earthly king or dictator.  We fight to protect your God-given rights…  Read more

Christian Aid Groups Suspended in Afghanistan

Several sites have already documented the decision by the Afghan government to “suspend” the activities of two Christian aid groups after allegations of “proselytizing.”

US-based Church World Service and Norwegian Church Aid will not be allowed to operate while the allegations, aired Sunday on Afghan television, are investigated, said Mohammad Hashim Mayar, the deputy director of the Afghan government office that oversees nongovernment organizations, known as NGOs. 

Mayar said officials did not have any evidence of proselytizing beyond the television report…

Proselytizing is illegal in Afghanistan, as it is in many Muslim countries. It is a hot-button issue for many Afghans sensitive to the influence of the scores of foreign aid groups operating in the country to help it recover from decades of war.

CWS and NCA both denied the allegations.  For CWS, it was the first time Read more

Franklin Graham Prays at Pentagon

As promised, Franklin Graham prayed outside of the Pentagon yesterday before joining other National Day of Prayer events in the Capitol area.

At least one organization that opposed Graham’s invitation applauded the “religious freedom” that allowed Graham to pray on the sidewalk:

Rev. Franklin Graham may not have had all the bunting and military brass of an official Pentagon event backing him, but he managed to pray today anyway, and in what I consider a more suitable venue: impromptu on the sidewalk. There, any American of any faith can pray, without needing an invitation, without appearing to speak for the government, and without compromising their prophetic voice. Religious freedom is alive and well in America.

They are not the only ones to presume that Graham’s presence would be “speaking for the government,” and they are also not the only ones to forget the “religious freedom” of the men and women in the military Read more

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