Military Religious Freedom Foundation

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) is an advocacy group dedicated to upholding the religious freedom of US military service personnel. It was founded in 2006 by retired US Air Force officer and military attorney Michael Weinstein, as a reaction to the worrying trend of Christian Dominionist proselytizing within the United States armed forces, something both of his sons had experienced at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.[1]

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Activities

The MRFF provides counseling and, sometimes, legal assistance to members of the US armed forces suffering from religious discrimination, restrictions on their religious freedoms or unwanted proselytization.[2] Additionally, it is engaged in raising general awareness about the activities of Christian fundamentalists within the US military, exposing violations of the separation of church and state, and fighting such developments through lawsuits brought against the Department of Defense or subordinate institutions.[3] Notably, the MRFF exposed the case of a US military supplier, Trijicon Inc. providing illuminated rifle scopes inscribed with coded references to New Testament passages (mostly to do with lights shining in darkness) and successfully pressured them to stop this practice.[4] According to its own website, the MRFF has been contacted by over 18,000 members of the US military since its inception, the vast majority of them Christians themselves.[5]

Victories
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In one case, compelling religious observation was found to constitute hazing and the Major General responsible was shifted sideways to a job with no subordinates in a different service.[6]

Hate

The right in the United States likes to bash the MRFF and its head, Mikey Weinstein. Among their oft-repeated false accusations is that the MRFF and Weinstein are anti-Christian (note the conflation of opposition to Christianity with opposition to the particular Christian doctrine of dominionism and the behavior of dominionists) or that they bully Christian servicemen and servicewomen. In fact, most of the personnel they represent are Christians bullied by Christians from other sects.

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References
  1. No Dominion: The Lonely, Dangerous Fight Against Christian Supremacists Inside the Armed Forces, thruthout.org
  2. MRFF: Our Mission
  3. MRFF: Current lawsuits
  4. http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/us-military-weapons-inscribed-secret-jesus-bible-codes/story?id=9575794
  5. MRFF: About us
  6. Breaking Spells: Maj. Gen. James E. Chambers Hazes Soldiers in his Command August 20, 2010
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