Tag Archives: mikey weinstein

Lord Knows: Mikey Weinstein Threatens Suit over God-talk

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein is the sole paid employee of a self-founded “charity” that claims to protect religious freedom in the US military. In fact, though, Weinstein pays himself more than a quarter million dollars per year while doing nothing more than attacking anything remotely approaching an expression of or an association with Christianity.

One of his most recent targets was sentries at Robins AFB who dared to say “have a blessed day” to those entering the base.

Because we can’t have people wishing others well, apparently. (Weinstein laughably asserted this was an attempt by the gate guards to convert people to Christianity.)

Then, Weinstein targeted a Wing Commander who Read more

Navy Cancels Some Boot Camp Chapel Services

In early April, the Navy commander of Recruit Training Command at Great Lakes — the basic training site for all incoming Sailors — told civilian volunteers they were no longer permitted to conduct religious services for recruits.

On the orders of Capt. Doug Pfeifle, the commanding officer of RTC, civilian volunteers for seven minority religious communities have been asked to stop conducting services.

An RTC official who spoke on background said the volunteers were asked to leave in accordance with Navy guidance, which stipulates that a uniformed chaplain or a religiously accredited military member should conduct the service before the service pursues other avenues.

Viewed optimistically, it appears to be a sincere action poorly executed or communicated. It seems the volunteer system had “gotten away from” the RTC leadership, and they found themselves unable to justify the program under Navy guidelines. It seems the RTC program was suffering from some logistical issues, including a formal way to control who could and could not conduct recruit services.

To be clear, the US military is not Read more

Homosexual “Christian Embassy” Unlikely to Face Criticism

A few years ago, Michael “Mikey” Weinstein filed a complaint about a promotional video for Christian Embassy, a ministry that seeks to serve senior level government officials, including military leaders. The gist of the “problem” was that uniformed military officers appeared in the video speaking positively about the role of Christian Embassy in their lives.

The result was an investigation by the Inspector General that determined the officers improperly implied military endorsement of Christian Embassy because they appeared on camera, in uniform, and spoke highly of the organization.

While Weinstein was disappointed that his primary complaint had been ignored (he claimed the officers were illegally promoting religion, and the IG disagreed), he was pleased that they’d been found ‘guilty’ of something. He and his assistant Chris Rodda would continue to cite this case and the ‘wear of the uniform/endorsement’ mantra for the next several years. Each time, they made the case that a Christian could not speak of his faith in uniform, because to do so was to imply government endorsement.

In the intervening years, another organization has arisen that has discovered the power of the military uniform.

The American Military Partner Association (AMPA) has used uniformed military members to advocate for legislation as well as “endorse” Read more

Soldier Tried to Join ISIS, but Only Christians are Threats

Last month, the Los Angeles Times (repeated at the Stars and Stripes) noted that an Illinois National Guard Soldier was arrested in the Chicago airport as he attempted to leave the country to join ISIS:

Hasan [Edmonds] told the [undercover] agent he had been a member of the U.S. Army National Guard for three years, and had converted to Islam at some point during that time, according to the criminal complaint.

…The cousins met with a second undercover FBI agent and discussed an assault on the base where Hasan Edmonds had been training, the complaint said.

The article notes this isn’t the first time a Read more

Linell Letendre Named USAFA Law Department Head (Video)

USAF LtCol Linell Letendre has been named as a new permanent professor to “lead the law department” for the US Air Force Academy:

“Lt. Col. Letendre’s selection for permanent professor indicates the trust placed in her by those who lead our nation,” said Brig. Gen. Andrew Armacost, the Academy’s dean of the faculty. “Her impeccable record of service and dedication to education will strengthen the Academy and nation as we strive to develop leaders of character.”

Ordinarily such a staffing decision hardly rates notice, much less an official press release, but the status of permanent professor at a military academy requires Senate approval and bestows a permanent rank of Colonel, making it somewhat notable.

Potentially more notable, however, are LtCol Letendre’s unique qualifications. Far from being an unknown JAG, Letendre has become a veritable “go to” legal officer in cases involving religion or homosexuality (or both).
LtCol Linell Letendre
In 2007, she and retired US Army Major David Fitzkee (also a USAFA law professor) co-authored a paper in the Air Force Law Review entitled “Religion in the Military: Navigating the Channel Between the Religion Clauses“. This paper was called a “definitive work” on the subject. As noted previously, Fitzkee wrote an abridged and updated version of this same article in 2012, and both works contained strong positive and strong negative statements on regarding military religious freedom.

Their paper was subsequently published again in Attitudes Aren’t Free, a collection put together by then-LtCol James Parco (an avowed supporter of Michael “Mikey” Weinstein and frequent critic of Christians in the US Air Force).

Letendre was also the legal advisor to US Army General Carter Ham while he was co-chair of the controversial Comprehensive Review Working Group tasked to assess the impact of repealing the policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Letendre’s advice Read more

Jewish Troops Celebrate Passover in Afghanistan

Passover Seder in Afghanistan
US troops stationed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, were recently given the opportunity to celebrate Passover:

Deployed Jewish service members in Afghanistan continue to celebrate their traditions by observing holidays, adhering to dietary laws, and practicing their faith…

The celebration was led by a chaplain from nearby Bagram AB, Army Chaplain (Capt) Karyn Berger, is one of only two female Rabbis in the US Army.

The article notes that Navy LtCmdr Mahmoud Ahmed, who is Muslim, also attended the Jewish Seder.

The US military Read more

Air Force Closes Door on Mikey Weinstein

The American Family Association recently highlighted the prior story about the Air Force re-issuing its Weinstein Guidance — essentially slamming the door on activist Michael “Mikey” Weinstein.

Notably, Weinstein himself seems to have provided evidence the door really was shut — across the Air Force.

On Monday, 23 March, Weinstein distributed an “open letter” demanding that Col Mark Slocum — commander of the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB, NC — stop saying his Airmen were “doing the Lord’s work over there.”

Yes, Mikey Weinstein really had a problem with that euphemism, claiming Col Slocum’s use of “this unlawful phrase” placed him

in violation of [his] oath to the United States Constitution and USAF Instructions…

Weinstein demanded a reply, post haste:  Read more

Critics Falsify Congressman’s “So Help Me God” Bill

Several critics — primarily on the liberal-leaning, anti-religious freedom side — have laid into US Congressman Sam Johnson (R-Tx) for his “Preserve and Protect God in Military Oaths Act of 2015” — and it is abundantly clear that none of them actually read the proposed bill.

Most of the critics portrayed the act as some version of requiring enlisting military members to “pledge to God” during their military oaths — something that recalls issues with the US Air Force and Air Force Academy in 2013. One employee of the Air Force Academy summed up much of the criticism when he tweeted to the Congressman (thick with irony):

What part of “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion” did you miss, sir?

You are in Congress. You are sponsoring a bill to establish Christianity as a state religion. Have you READ the Constitution?

— Phoenix Blue (@Phoenix_Blue) March 23, 2015

Similarly, an astonishingly ignorant Michael “Mikey” Weinstein claimed Read more

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