Friday Afternoon, April 15, 2022
FAR-RIGHT SITE "THE BLAZE" COVERS
MRFF'S VICTORY GETTING EASTER BIBLE
DISPLAY REMOVED FROM VA FACILITY;
MISREPRESENTS MRFF AS "ATHEIST GROUP"


The Blaze, covering MRFF's recent victory in getting a prominently placed Easter display of Bibles and other Christian books removed from the Patriot Store at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical
Center in Albuquerque, NM, at the request of ten employees and
patients, libelously labels MRFF an "atheist group" and an
"atheist activist group," despite contradictorily noting that
seven of the ten employees and patients who
complained about the display are Christians!
UPDATE AND VICTORY:
In response to a "Cease & Desist" letter (see letter below) sent
by MRFF to the managing editor of The Blaze regarding its misrepresentation of MRFF, The Blaze has changed its description of MRFF from "atheist activist group" to
"secular activist group," posting the following editor's note:

"Editor's note: The original version of this story referred to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation as an 'atheist activist group. The description has been changed to 'secular activist group' to more accurately portray their mission."

And the managing editor emailing to MRFF:

“The wording has been changed per your request.
Hope you have a wonderful day!"
Photo credit: Military Religious Freedom Foundation
THE BLAZE
COVERS MRFF

Bibles removed from Easter display at
veterans medical center gift shop after
atheist group objects to them

By: Dave Urbanski

Thursday, April 14, 2022

(Article summary by MRFF)

The Blaze, covering MRFF's recent victory in getting a prominently placed Easter display of Bibles and other Christian books removed from the Patriot Store at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque, NM, at the request of ten employees and patients, libelously labels MRFF an "atheist group" and an "atheist activist group," despite contradictorily noting that seven of the ten employees and patients who complained about the display are Christians!

The article also covers the American Center for Law & Justice's (ACLJ) response of sending an 8-page letter to the interim director of the facility "to demand that the display of Christian literature be returned forthwith to the gift shop."
MRFF has sent the following "Cease & Desist" letter to The Blaze regarding its libelous misrepresentation of MRFF as an "atheist group" and "atheist activist group"

Leon Wolf, Managing Editor
BlazeMedia / News
 
RE: Cease & Desist Demand Regarding Knowingly False and Intentionally Defamatory Statements
 
Mr. Wolf,
 
You are hereby put on notice that statements contained in the online article by Dave Urbanski posted on April 14, 2022 (https://www.theblaze.com/news/bibles-removed-from-easter-display-at-veterans-medical-center-gift-shop-after-atheist-group-objects-to-them) entitled ‘Bibles removed from Easter display at veterans medical center gift shop after atheist group objects to them’ contains knowingly false and intentionally defamatory statements regarding the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (hereinafter MRFF). These damaging statements about MRFF and its clients, staff, and volunteers include:
 
-Referring to MRFF as an “atheist group” in the title of the article.
-Referring to MRFF as an “an atheist activist group” in the opening sentence to the article.
 
While Mr. Urbanski attempts journalism by alluding to some form of ‘research’ regarding MRFF’s history, he conveniently ignores MRFF’s clearly stated goals and religious makeup:
 
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) is dedicated to ensuring that all members of the United States Armed Forces fully receive the Constitutional guarantee of religious freedom to which they and all Americans are entitled by virtue of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Over 78,000 active duty, veteran, and civilian personnel of the United States Armed Forces, including individuals involved in High School JROTC around the nation, have come to our foundation for redress and assistance in resolving or alerting the public to their civil rights grievances, with hundreds more contacting MRFF each day. 95% of them are Christians themselves.
 
This easily accessible statement by MRFF regarding our mission as a civil rights foundation and religious demographic of our clientele was ignored by Mr. Urbanski due to lazy journalism, lack of journalistic ethics, and/or conflict with the inflammatory intent of Mr. Urbanki’s piece. Mr. Urbanski’s piece clearly rises to defamation as 1) a false statement purporting to be fact; 2) publication or communication of that statement to a third person; 3) fault amounting to at least negligence; and 4) damages, or some harm caused to the person or entity who is the subject of the statement.
 
While we very proudly serve atheist clients and have atheist staff and volunteers, it should be noted that of our almost 80,000 clients and approximately 750 staff/volunteers include the following religious demographics:
 
-MRFF clients include sailors, soldiers, marines, airmen, guardians, coast guardsmen (Active/Reserve/Veteran). We have clients in all 17 national security agencies as well as clients in junior ROTC as well as cadets at OCS/OTS, ROTC and all of the United States’ military academies        
-of the 95% Christian MRFF clientele, approximately 75% identify as Protestant denominations and 25% Roman Catholic.
-approximately 84% of MRFF staff/volunteers identify themselves as Christian.
-MRFF represents slightly over 18% of all Muslim Americans in the U.S. military, other minority faith and non-faith military members, and over 1,000 LGBTQ military members.
-The California Council of Churches IMPACT Group is MRFF’s oldest and largest endorsing agency representing 5500 individual churches in California, covering 21 different denominations and 1.2 million protestants members.
 
On behalf of MRFF clients/volunteers/staff, I demand an immediate retraction and correction to Mr. Urbanski’s defamatory mischaracterization of MRFF its clients, staff, and/or volunteers. As a devout Christian staff member of MRFF who has been directly defamed by your publication, your immediate action regarding this situation is demanded and expected.
 
Sincerely,

Andy Kasehagen, Grants & Database Administrator
Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF)
EIN: 20-3967302 (501c3 since 4/21/2006)
website:  www.mrff.org
 
Cc: Randall G. Mathis, Esq., MRFF Legal Counsel
Michael L. Weinstein, Esq., MRFF President/Founder 
Background on MRFF's victory in getting the Easter display of Bibles and other Christian books removed
from the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center
MRFF's Inbox
A trio of exceptional emails of appreciation
from three MRFF supporters
"Your tireless efforts"

I feel like I have to take a moment to thank you for your single minded efforts to keep our military from becoming a cult training camp. When I see injustice and violations of the spirit of our Constitution and Bill of Rights I feel my outrage and desire to set things right rise up.

But I tire of the constant efforts of the right to impose their beliefs on others and the constant chipping away at what should have set our government apart from the rest of the world in that we are free to choose our own paths regarding religion. 

Just like white folk (I’m white) seem to believe the world belongs exclusively to them, the cancer of christianity likewise believes that the world and everything in it belongs to them. ( While having been raised in a fundamentalist christian church, I have been an atheist for 30 years.)

We need people like you with your zeal to safeguard members of our armed forces from the constant efforts to indoctrinate its members into ANY belief system.

I just wanted to say thank you. From my heart thank you.
"Very Responsive and Supportive! Many thanks."

Dear Mr. Weinstein and MRFF,

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my email, as well as making yourself available for further discussion on a Thursday evening. I’m so impressed with the responsiveness and the work that MRFF is doing. I’ll be following up with further reading on your website and Facebook page. You have really inspired me to take a more active role in advocating for religious freedom. Being connected to the military, it often seems that we are surrounded by religious conservatives, who flaunt their religion, and all the presumed preferential influence they feel entitled to, everywhere we go.

It can be intimidating. It’s hard to know where to look for support and encouragement, when we feel we are the minority. In reality, the work of advocating for religious freedom is important for all. It’s imperative to maintain the Separation of Church and State, at every level of government. No one serving their country should feel they are less than because they are not a particular religion, or because they choose to not align with any religion at all.

I see progress at our installation, West Point, the United States Military Academy, in New York, and I know that the next generation of leaders who are currently being trained at USMA will benefit from a military that is more free from religious influence and pressure, be it the social climate, or even the Chain of Command. 

Thank you again for your time, and the work you are doing.

(name withheld)
"Re: Very Responsive and Supportive! Many thanks."

Brother, You deserve so much respect for the way you respond immediately to those who need MRFF support. The work you do is urgently needed but I think your efforts have already improved the situation in many areas. Thanks to you, the beautiful Bonnie and all the MRFF.

(name withheld)
"No Subject"

You people are idiots. You may be offended by the Bible now but one day soon you will wish you would have passed them out instead of having them removed.
 
(name withheld)

To see responses from MRFF Board Member John Compere,
MRFF Advisory Board Members James T. Currie and
Martin France, and MRFF supporter Mike Challman:
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