Tag Archives: MRFF

MRFF Allies Target Troops’ Religious Freedoms — Out of Spite

It’s one thing to disagree with another person’s ideology.  It is quite another to participate in an event for the sole purpose of denying others access to that same support and religious liberty.

Advocates for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation recently bantered about attending a Strong Bonds marriage enrichment seminar not to strengthen their marriages, but solely to take surreptitious video of the illegal “indoctrination.”  It seems they are openly attempting to gather “physical evidence” for Michael Weinstein’s “war” on religious liberty in the US military:

According to his Facebook account that’s US Soldier Daron Williams telling Army spouse Katie Aerumnous to ‘record the prayer so you can file a complaint’ — about a voluntary event she would be choosing to attend — with the sole goal of denying future Read more

Weinstein USAFA Protest Attracts Dozens, Multiple Bodyguards

Last Friday Michael Weinstein sponsored a protest/picketing a few miles from one of the US Air Force Academy entrance gates.  Ostensibly, the objective was to make USAFA pull down a link to a website Weinstein had called “homophobic” and “misogynistic.”  This protest and the accompanying billboard (now a trend) were apparently the “action” he had ominously threatened.

The protest misfired on several counts, though the most entertaining by far was Read more

Even in a Down Economy, Michael Weinstein Gets a Pay Raise

In 2010, Michael Weinstein took a small hit to the salary he pays himself from “charitable donations” to his Military Religious Freedom Foundation.  He appears to have made up for that in 2011, the most recent year for which his financial data has become available.  (Weinstein, who keeps the books himself, didn’t report his 2011 finances until November 2012.)

In 2011, the MRFF increased its income by more than $150,000 (which included a $15,800 grant from the United Way of New Mexico, $110,000 in cash from the Rockefeller Family Fund, and $20,000 from the Aspen Community Foundation).  Weinstein’s compensation increased by just under $35,000, or about a quarter of the new donations, to just over $250,000 after taxes.  That brings Weinstein’s pay to just over 36% of everything donated to his “charity.”  Despite forlorn (and misleading) cries by his “research director,” Chris Rodda, that Read more

Michael Weinstein Says Christians Worse than Neo-Nazis

If you’re not the “right kind” of Christian while you serve in the US military, it seems Michael Weinstein — frequent critic of religious freedom in the US military — really doesn’t like you so much — and he apparently wants the government to come after you [formatting original]:

The forced imposition of fundamentalist Christianity throughout our American armed forces is the perpetual “flavor of the day,” and has been for decades [sic]…

[There is] continual, systemic proselytizing among United States military personnel. This brainwashing results in widespread, brutal stigmatizing of those opposed or indifferent to fundamentalist Christian doctrine–a savage trampling of their Constitutional rights!…

How…does allowing this utterly reprehensible nonsense to continue not produce a greater threat than the handful of neo-Nazis still Read more

Military Holds National Prayer Events Around Globe

The US military held National Prayer events at bases around the world, demonstrating the value it places on troops’ practice of faith and encouraging their free exercise:

At an “undisclosed location:”

More than 200 service members deployed to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing came together for a barbecue and fellowship sponsored by the chapel community in observance of the National Prayer Breakfast…

In Georgia:

Hundreds of Fort Stewart soldiers and Family Members gathered…for the annual National Day of Prayer Breakfast…

The word servant comes from the Greek word Diakonos Read more

Military Atheist Petition Breaks 20,000 Signatures

It took about 16 months, but a WhiteHouse.gov petition by MRFF activist Dustin Chalker finally crossed 20,000 signatures.

As discussed previously, the petition — “End the Military’s Discrimination against Non-Religious Service Members” — claims the US military forces troops to participate in “religious rituals.”  As you may recall, Chalker is the same person who made the ridiculous assertion that being present — just respectfully standing silent — while others pray is the same thing as participating in that prayer.

Under current rules, a survey has to Read more

Homosexual Army Soldier Campaigns for Marriage Inequality

US Army Reservist Major Stephen Snyder-Hill made waves when he “came out” to the world by asking the Republican Presidential candidates if they would work to “circumvent the progress” of the repeal of DADT.  His question was booed by some in the audience.  Now, Snyder is co-chairing a political “steering committee” to change the status of marriage in Ohio:

Leaders of pro-gay-marriage group FreedomOhio said Friday that Columbus resident Stephen Snyder-Hill will help lead outreach efforts…FreedomOhio wants to overturn the 2004 state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

Snyder’s position is notable because he is constantly referred to as the “gay soldier” and by his military rank and branch of service — while he simultaneously advocates for a political cause.  DoDD 1344.10, which governs the political activities Read more

Answering Michael Weinstein: Why It Matters

An advocate of Michael Weinstein’s MRFF recently said [emphasis added]:

Consider the fact…General Mark A. Welsh III, Chief of Staff, United States Air Force, responded personally and immediately to Mikey Weinstein.

If the issue were not legitimate…I rather doubt General Walsh [sic] would have bothered. Of course, that’s why he’s a general…

Rightly or wrongly, when Michael Weinstein is given special access to military leaders, it appears to grant credibility to his cause.

Treat him like everybody else — the “little people” who are forced to use normal channels — and Weinstein loses his ability to grandstand, and with it, the wind from his sails.  He doesn’t have the patience for such treatment, and he sulks away.

Just ask USAFA.

Actually, it looks like somebody did…

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