Fox News fully supports the Christian right whine that Christian members of the US military are being persecuted by Satan's minions in the Obama administration and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Yesterday, Peter Hegseth advanced that meme while pimping a Franklin Graham charity. Jesus is very happy.
Yesterday, Koch brothers' tool and Fox friend, Pete Hegseth, reported on this latest Fox "controversy:"Military activists got wrapped up in a controversy, you might say, when an Air Force secretary encouraged Christmas toy donations by forwarding" an e-mail which encouraged Air Force personnel to give "a simple gift" that would give a child "hope and eternal security." He mentioned that legal action might be taken against the sender. The banner framed the "controversy" message: "Christmas Controversy, Toy Donations EMail Leads to Legal Actions."
After introducing his guest, the virulently homophobic wing nut Ron Crews, a retired military chaplain and head of the virulently anti-gay "Chaplains Alliance," Hegseth opined that it "seem absurd" that there would by opposition to an email about "a wonderful project." Crews pontificated about how the Air Force is, once again, "catering" to those who "are perpetually offended" which, in this case, is the "so called" Military Religious Freedom Foundation, an organization which fights against Christian proselytizing in the military and, as such, is on the Fox News (s)hit list.
Crews listed all the terrible complaints that Mikey Weinstein's group has made against sweet, innocent Christians and opined that the "Air Force has better things to do than to cater to someone who seems to be perpetually offended." Christian patriot Hegseth said that the Constitution says "freedom of religion not "freedom from religion" which, when one considers the 1st Amendment's "establishment clause," is a totally bogus assertion and one that the religious right is constantly advancing.
Hegseth wanted to know if the e-mail sender will be punished "for simply forwarding" the mail. Crews said that "she did nothing wrong." He informed us that it is a federally recognized charity which can used as a deduction from federal workers pay and brayed about its awesomeness. He noted that the sender "simply provided information."
Hegseth then zeroed in on the VERY IMPORTANT FOX MESSAGE that Christian soldiers are being persecuted. After noting that "chaplains play an indispensable role," he voiced his concern about how "more and more of these stories show that faith is being threatened in the military." He asked if this is "part of a larger trend and how far is it going." Naturally, Crews agreed. He preached that those in the military "should not be denied their ability to express their religious faith while they're wearing that uniform and willing to die for that faith." Hegseth: "Absolutely, it's part of why they put that uniform on to defend this country and appeal to the support of a higher being when they're in those difficult, dark places."
The Real Story: "Operation Christmas Child" is sends toys and Christian prayer cards to kids around the world and is run by the Islamophobic and homophobic Fox fave Franklin Graham and pimped by Fox News. Neither Hegseth nor Crews mentioned how, "in complete disregard DoD and Air Force regulations" the secretary to a commander at Dover Air Force Base "forwarded an email to the unit's over 400 service members and civilian employees promoting a 'Team FSS GREAT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY!!!!!'!" Nobody mentioned that 14 service members complained about having received this Christian promotion or that the sender has a record of sending out and distributing Christian messages - both of which are against military regulations.
Back in 2011 this "wonderful project" was promoted by the tax supported US Air Force. It's 2015 and those military Jesus haters (read Mikey Weinstein) are at it again, but never fear, Fox & Friends is on it!
Franklin Graham ministries and a boxful of dollar store junk. That’s the ticket. Give us you Mommy and Daddy’s names and sign the nice picture about Jesus being “Your personal Lord and Saviour”.
You’ll never have to die for your sins!
Converting the world one box at a time.