Tag Archives: ronald reagan

Mikey Weinstein’s MRFF Uses Fake Quotes. Chris Rodda Doesn’t Seem to Mind.

Christine “Chris” Rodda, the longsuffering and underpaid MRFF research assistant of Michael “Mikey” Weinstein, once fancied herself a historian. For a short while, she almost achieved internet fame in her “debunking” of those who tried to use allegedly historic quotes from allegedly famous people to promote their case of, in Rodda’s words, Christian nationalism or some such conspiracy.

The lengths to which she would go were impressive — literally, thousands of words to refute single quotations, in some cases.

Yet, it appears Rodda is willing to let her own group get away with a little bit of that same “fake news.”

John Compere, who tries to remind everyone he is a retired BGen and “disabled American veteran (Vietnam)”, also likes to use quotes, presumably because he thinks it makes his attacks on liberty sound more legitimate — particularly if they come from heroes of conservativism and Christians. He particularly likes Ronald Reagan (previously discussed), whom he rips out of context to make an anti-MRFF quote sound like Reagan would have been pals with Mikey.

Rodda apparently hasn’t schooled Compere there, as he continues to use the quote.

Compere also likes this quote from George Washington (here, for example):

“It has been suggested that [the military chaplaincy] has a tendency to introduce religious disputes into the Army, which above all things should be avoided, and in many instances would compel men to a mode of Worship which they do not profess.”- First Commander-in-Chief George Washington

This quote should raise flags for Read more

The President: Politics, Morality, Religion are Inseparable

We poison our society when we remove its theological underpinnings…Those who believe must be free to speak of and act on their belief, to apply moral teaching to public questions…

Without God, there is no virtue…Without God, we’re mired in the material…Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure.

If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

President Ronald Reagan’s Remarks at an Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast in Dallas, Texas
August 23, 1984

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, very much. And, Read more

Jeff Sessions Criticized for same Christian Beliefs as Ronald Reagan

I do believe that we are a nation that, without God, there is no truth, and it’s all about power, ideology, advancement, agenda, not doing the public service.

The quote above by President-elect Donald Trump’s Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions is a statement of the obvious to millions of Christians, yet is being touted as proof Sessions is unqualified for government service.

In a widely distributed piece at The Daily Beast, author Jay Michaelson cites the above under the headline “Jeff Sessions Said ‘Secularists’ Are Unfit for Government,” and questioned Sessions’ fitness for the office:

[Sessions’] comments raise questions as to which set of “truths,” religious or secular, would motivate his Justice Department’s decisions on which laws to prosecute, which liberties to protect, and which interpretations of legal and constitutional texts to adopt.

That’s moronic for two reasons.

The first is the obvious “truth” that Read more

Update: Mikey Weinstein Demands Retraction of Exposé

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein has demanded (PDF) an immediate retraction of Mark Stricherz’s article, claiming Stricherz

stated, or quite deliberately inferred that Mr. Weinstein did not work in the Reagan White House, that the examples of anti-Semitic emails…were somehow fabricated and that his salary with the Foundation has somehow been set in contravention of appropriate legal guidelines.

Weinstein’s argument falls flat right out of the gate.

First, Stricherz didn’t state or infer Weinstein didn’t work at the White House. He examined the strength of Weinstein’s own claims about what he did at the White House, citing a former legal counsel in the White House who said Read more

Article Exposes Mikey Weinstein “Stretching” the Truth

Mark Stricherz at aleteia (tagline: “Seekers of the Truth”) wrote a lengthy exposé on Michael “Mikey” Weinstein and his self-founded charity, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, entitled “Meet “Mikey” Weinstein, the Questionable Critic of the Pentagon’s Religious Policy.”  (It was repeated at Newsmax as “Man Leads Effort to Scrub God From Military.”)  While some of the article is a mere statement of Weinstein’s positions or status, Stricherz does an excellent job of revealing Weinstein’s reliance on hyperbole and showmanship (even Weinstein’s wife admits he goes “overboard“) — something that undermines Weinstein’s credibility in a meaningful way.

For example, Stricherz starts off with Weinstein’s opening statement to November’s congressional hearing, in which

Weinstein made an opening statement in the familiar manner of those who testify before Congress.

It was a fairly droll narration of a prepared statement. But that’s not how Weinstein portrayed it later [emphasis added]:  Read more

Presidential Thanksgiving Day Proclamation

“By the President of the United States of America

“A Proclamation

“Perhaps no custom reveals our character as a Nation so clearly as our celebration of Thanksgiving Day. Rooted deeply in our Judeo-Christian heritage, the practice of offering thanksgiving underscores our unshakeable belief in God as the foundation of our Nation and our firm reliance upon Him from Whom all blessings flow. Both as individuals and as a people, we join with the Psalmist in song and praise: “Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good.’

“One of the most inspiring portrayals of American history is that of George Washington on his knees in the snow at Valley Forge. That moving image personifies and testifies to our Founders’ dependence upon Divine Providence during the darkest hours of our Revolutionary struggle. It was then — when our mettle as a Nation was tested most severely — that the Sovereign and Judge of nations heard our plea and came to our assistance in the form of aid from France. Thereupon General Washington immediately called for a special day of thanksgiving among his troops.

“Eleven years later, President Washington, at the request of the Congress, first proclaimed November 26, 1789, as Thanksgiving Day. In his Read more

President Addresses Jerry Falwell’s Baptist Fundamentalism

If you’ve never heard President Ronald Reagan’s address to the Baptist Fundamentalism conference in April of 1984, it’s worth 20 minutes of your time.  Reagan reads Jewish Navy Chaplain Arnold Resnicoff’s report from the Beirut barracks bombing the year prior.  Reagan’s reactions, as well as his handling of hecklers as he reads, is fascinating.

It’s a real pleasure to be with so many who firmly believe that the answers to the world’s problems can be found in the Word of God.

– President Ronald Reagan

Think a US President would address a 20,000 strong Baptist audience today and say that on TV?

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Military Opinions, Politics Meet Again in Syria

There are regulatory restrictions on what members of the US military are allowed to say and do when it comes to politics.  With that in mind, there have been interesting displays from people in the US military (or claiming to be) over the proposed strikes on Syria.

For example, who would have thought a Soldier would publicly say this [emphasis added]:

“As a soldier, I understand that before any military action, our nation must have a clear tactical objective, a realistic strategy, the necessary resources to execute that strategy — including the support of the American people — and an exit plan.  The proposed military action against Syria fails to meet any of these criteria.”

That was Read more