No Snowflake in an Avalanche goes deep inside the world of religious extremism in America s military and political infrastructure from the perspective of Michael L. Mikey Weinstein proud Academy graduate and father of graduates who single-handedly brought to light the Evangelicals utter disregard of the constitutional principle of separation of church and state that is so essential to the nations military mission. Weinsteins war pits him and his small band of fellow graduates, cadets, and concerned citizens of varying religious backgrounds against a program of Christian fundamentalist indoctrination that could transform our fighting men and women into right-thinking warriors more befitting a theocracy than democracy.
No Snowflake in an Avalanche
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More About the Author
MICHAEL L. "Mikey" WEINSTEIN is an attorney, businessman, and former Air Force officer. He was formerly a White House counsel in the Reagan Administration and General Counsel to two-time Presidential candidate and Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot and Perot Systems Corporation. He is founder and president of the four-time Nobel Peace Prize-nominated Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) and author of With God on Our Side: One Man s War Against an Evangelical Coup in America s Military, in which he describes his fight against well documented, coercive Christian Fundamentalism practices by some members rampant in our United States military.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rampant Religious Discrimination, Harassment & Predation in the U.S. Military Exposed
February 14, 2012
By David Miller
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this book for my Kindle as soon as it came out. I couldn't wait to read it until a hard copy arrived. I was blown away by Mikey's last book and knew that this one would catch me up regarding all that has been going on with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and the Weinstein family. From the outset it was clear that this was a real page-turner and it managed to keep me up late two nights in a row. Within the book I read story after story about individuals and groups of individuals that Mikey and the foundation have assisted as they have encountered the juggernaut of Fundamentalist and Dominionist Christian forces within the U.S. Armed Forces and Department of Veterans Affairs. It's clear these Fundamentalist and Dominionist Christian forces will stop at nothing to inflict their beliefs on their subordinates, they will use their positions of power to coerce attendance at religious events, discipline those who refuse to attend Fundamentalist Christian events, will harass, name call (including calling Jews "Christ Killers" and worse), and even resort to violence to coerce submission to Fundamentalist Christianity. And of course not even their fellow Christians are immune from this harassment. As it turns out, approximately 96% of the MRFF's clients are in fact Christians who face discrimination and harassment at the hands of Fundamentalist Christians who do not consider them "Christian enough." The stories in this book will blow you away. It's a frightening reality that Fundamentalist Christianity has essentially already succeeded in turning the United States Military into a literal Christian Crusading force. Mikey Weinstein, along with his family, small staff, volunteers and supporters are fighting a steep uphill battle and the Weinstein family in particular are paying the consequences with constant death threats, attacks on their home (including having their front picture window shot out) and property. At times it seems like Mikey and his tight knit support team are trying to hold back the tsunami of Fundamentalist Christian encroachment on the rights of American military personnel and veterans around the globe all on their own. It's long past due for those who care about the future of our nation to join the fight, and this book is the perfect place to start. I couldn't recommend it more highly.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
"Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." (Genesis 1:26-28)
With the great political awakening of the Christian right, Mikey Weinstein tells us how they have taken their message into the military and openly proselytize and pressure peers and subordinates to accept the "Word of God." The author took on the burden of challenging this practice after his two sons, also cadets at his alma mater, complained about the constant harassment taken against them for being Jews.
Author Weinstein discovered how the Air Force Academy scheduled formations that conflicted with Jewish services to put pressure on Jewish cadets to ignore their religious observations in favor of squadron cohesion. However even Catholics and mainstream Protestants came in for ridicule and harassment for not having accepted Jesus as their Personal Savior, apparently the only avenue to end the unrelenting pressure. Cadets were actively encouraged to view Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ," a movie with anti-Semitic overtones. The Academy seemed to be the perfect swamp for breeding Christian extremism. The surrounding area has dozens of churches and Christian organizations that spread the word.
But Weinstein found that it went beyond the Academy at Colorado Springs and he determined to do something about it by starting the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Other than a lack of funds, he seemed to be the perfect person to do so. A graduate of the Air Force Academy, he went on to earn a law degree and worked in the White House learning how stonewalling and foot dragging is an art form. He also developed contacts.
He found that there is pressure, beatings, disciplinary measures, and destruction of careers that go on in the Jesus' name. Soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen around the world are ostracized for being atheist, Jewish or Muslim, or just mainstream Christians. Worse, the chain of command is part of it, or unwilling to do anything about it other than stalling, stone-walling, denying its existence or just paying lip service and making otherwise puny attempt to rectify situations that violate the Constitution and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
It is evident that the forces arrayed against the Weinsteins are formidable and still able to ruin the career of anyone who protests against the overt proselytizing that goes on at government functions and on government property. Many supporters of Weinstein's MRFF insist on anonymity. His website is peppered with emails and message of imprecatory prayers from "Christians" who see no hypocrisy in Christ's message to love your enemy while praying to the same for the damnation of a fellow soul.
The book has a startling message, one that cannot be ignored as it appears to be a blatant attempt to seize power. However it is over presented and a bit sensational e.g. "Without the intervention of the MMRF, [others] might well have been [found in] an unmarked grave." The second thing that detracts from the book is that the author is supposed to be Mr. Weinstein, but he spoken about in the third person. My third issue is that constant use of the f-word for emphasis to the gravity or unfairness of a story. It may be empathic in speech, but is it really appropriate on the page? It's not the language I expect from an academy graduate and even less so from his wife who also uses it with impunity.
The last chapter is entitled a call to action, and a call to action is what it should make the reader feel impelled to do. We need to support the efforts of this organization, and we need to contact our legislators to investigate this new form of hazing in our armed services.
Those who fight and die for our country need no lessons in what to believe.
With the great political awakening of the Christian right, Mikey Weinstein tells us how they have taken their message into the military and openly proselytize and pressure peers and subordinates to accept the "Word of God." The author took on the burden of challenging this practice after his two sons, also cadets at his alma mater, complained about the constant harassment taken against them for being Jews.
Author Weinstein discovered how the Air Force Academy scheduled formations that conflicted with Jewish services to put pressure on Jewish cadets to ignore their religious observations in favor of squadron cohesion. However even Catholics and mainstream Protestants came in for ridicule and harassment for not having accepted Jesus as their Personal Savior, apparently the only avenue to end the unrelenting pressure. Cadets were actively encouraged to view Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ," a movie with anti-Semitic overtones. The Academy seemed to be the perfect swamp for breeding Christian extremism. The surrounding area has dozens of churches and Christian organizations that spread the word.
But Weinstein found that it went beyond the Academy at Colorado Springs and he determined to do something about it by starting the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Other than a lack of funds, he seemed to be the perfect person to do so. A graduate of the Air Force Academy, he went on to earn a law degree and worked in the White House learning how stonewalling and foot dragging is an art form. He also developed contacts.
He found that there is pressure, beatings, disciplinary measures, and destruction of careers that go on in the Jesus' name. Soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen around the world are ostracized for being atheist, Jewish or Muslim, or just mainstream Christians. Worse, the chain of command is part of it, or unwilling to do anything about it other than stalling, stone-walling, denying its existence or just paying lip service and making otherwise puny attempt to rectify situations that violate the Constitution and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
It is evident that the forces arrayed against the Weinsteins are formidable and still able to ruin the career of anyone who protests against the overt proselytizing that goes on at government functions and on government property. Many supporters of Weinstein's MRFF insist on anonymity. His website is peppered with emails and message of imprecatory prayers from "Christians" who see no hypocrisy in Christ's message to love your enemy while praying to the same for the damnation of a fellow soul.
The book has a startling message, one that cannot be ignored as it appears to be a blatant attempt to seize power. However it is over presented and a bit sensational e.g. "Without the intervention of the MMRF, [others] might well have been [found in] an unmarked grave." The second thing that detracts from the book is that the author is supposed to be Mr. Weinstein, but he spoken about in the third person. My third issue is that constant use of the f-word for emphasis to the gravity or unfairness of a story. It may be empathic in speech, but is it really appropriate on the page? It's not the language I expect from an academy graduate and even less so from his wife who also uses it with impunity.
The last chapter is entitled a call to action, and a call to action is what it should make the reader feel impelled to do. We need to support the efforts of this organization, and we need to contact our legislators to investigate this new form of hazing in our armed services.
Those who fight and die for our country need no lessons in what to believe.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must-read - America is under siege from religious extremists -- from within!
February 23, 2012
By Seamus
Format:Paperback
Mr. Weinstein, an Honor graduate of the USAF Academy, has, with his family, given years of distinguished service to the Republic, including 10 years as a USAF JAG lawyer, where he has served in the Reagan White House as Special Counsel.
Until 2005, he was a very successful top-level corporate businessman and lawyer. Then he found there were problems at the USAF Academy. Originally investigating on behalf of his 2 sons, who were a cadets and were being harassed for their faith.
Initially thinking this was a small local issue, he slowly began to find that there was a large group with great power involved. The more he learned, the more shocked he was, and he eventually was impelled to leave his successful career to fight what he now considers a huge national security threat to the Republic.
Mr. Weinstein has taken on a very unequal battle against a large and well-financed gang of would-be theocrats who follow a very narrow brand of religion, consisting mainly of pre-millennial sects which are part of a movement known variously as Dominionism or Reconstructionism.
These people are planning to take over the military, then overturn the Constitution and Republic ("by ballot or by bullet"), and turn first the nation and then the world into a "Christian" theocracy complete with their warped version of Old Testament "bible-based" laws that would make the most rabid mullah's version of Sharia look tame by comparison.
Those who will not convert to their version of Christianity, and other "sinners" and "transgressors" will be killed by "Biblical" means, such as public stoning or by the sword.
Their list of "capital offenses" includes not keeping a kosher kitchen, wearing a red dress, "blasphemy," "witchcraft," promiscuity, adultery, homosexuality, juvenile delinquency, and many more "criminal" offenses with capital punishment by public stoning or by the sword. (You can't make this stuff up -- this is in their own words!)
This pogrom will be carried out not only on people of non-Christian faiths, atheists, agnostics, but even mainstream Christians not radical enough to meet their standards.
A stunning example of their theology (and ultimate plans for the rest of us) is the statement of US Army chaplain Major James Linzey, who, in a 1999 video, described mainstream Protestant churches as "demonic, dastardly creatures from the pit of hell " that should be "stomped out."
The Chaplaincy of Full Gospel Churches (Major Linzey's Government-approved chaplain accrediting agency) not only didn't pull his accreditation, but supported this egregious violation of his mission and orders as a military chaplain!
For decades, this "American Taliban" (as one writer has called them) have been infiltrating the military and government at all levels, and implementing their will. In the process they have repeatedly violated the very Constitution that gives them the freedom under the First Amendment to do these things!
This is not some tiny fringe group of loonies (although they doubtless are whackos!) -- there may be as many as 20 million, and they are getting stronger by the day. They have already succeeded in gaining control of the USAF Academy and the other military academies are so infected that they may as well shut them down. Many other institutions and posts are in their hands. They have devotees in positions all the way up to flag officers (generals and admirals), and control many important posts and duties, and in many local and state posts up to governor. Several have run (and are currently running) for the Presidency in the current and prior elections.
Many pose as mainstream Christians, and enlist their aid on hot-button issues like abortion and gay marriage -- even while secretly despising mainstream Protestantism which, in the words of one US Army chaplain All laws from the Constitution on down and all legal systems would be replaced with the Dominionist interpretation of Biblical law.
Mr. Weinstein has taken on these people single-handed, and has devoted his entire life, resources, and wealth to the struggle. He has limited his focus to their many egregious violations of the Constitutionally guaranteed religious rights of service men and women, and started the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) in late 2005 to deal with these and other threats to religious and civil liberties. The MRFF currently represent over 27,000 United States armed forces members; 96% of them being practicing Christians facing horrific tyranny for not being "Christian enough". Among many other accolades, the MRFF has received 4 Nobel Peace Prize nominations in the last 3 years (2011-2012).
I advise anyone who is concerned about this burgeoning threat to our Republic to buy and read this book.
Until 2005, he was a very successful top-level corporate businessman and lawyer. Then he found there were problems at the USAF Academy. Originally investigating on behalf of his 2 sons, who were a cadets and were being harassed for their faith.
Initially thinking this was a small local issue, he slowly began to find that there was a large group with great power involved. The more he learned, the more shocked he was, and he eventually was impelled to leave his successful career to fight what he now considers a huge national security threat to the Republic.
Mr. Weinstein has taken on a very unequal battle against a large and well-financed gang of would-be theocrats who follow a very narrow brand of religion, consisting mainly of pre-millennial sects which are part of a movement known variously as Dominionism or Reconstructionism.
These people are planning to take over the military, then overturn the Constitution and Republic ("by ballot or by bullet"), and turn first the nation and then the world into a "Christian" theocracy complete with their warped version of Old Testament "bible-based" laws that would make the most rabid mullah's version of Sharia look tame by comparison.
Those who will not convert to their version of Christianity, and other "sinners" and "transgressors" will be killed by "Biblical" means, such as public stoning or by the sword.
Their list of "capital offenses" includes not keeping a kosher kitchen, wearing a red dress, "blasphemy," "witchcraft," promiscuity, adultery, homosexuality, juvenile delinquency, and many more "criminal" offenses with capital punishment by public stoning or by the sword. (You can't make this stuff up -- this is in their own words!)
This pogrom will be carried out not only on people of non-Christian faiths, atheists, agnostics, but even mainstream Christians not radical enough to meet their standards.
A stunning example of their theology (and ultimate plans for the rest of us) is the statement of US Army chaplain Major James Linzey, who, in a 1999 video, described mainstream Protestant churches as "demonic, dastardly creatures from the pit of hell " that should be "stomped out."
The Chaplaincy of Full Gospel Churches (Major Linzey's Government-approved chaplain accrediting agency) not only didn't pull his accreditation, but supported this egregious violation of his mission and orders as a military chaplain!
For decades, this "American Taliban" (as one writer has called them) have been infiltrating the military and government at all levels, and implementing their will. In the process they have repeatedly violated the very Constitution that gives them the freedom under the First Amendment to do these things!
This is not some tiny fringe group of loonies (although they doubtless are whackos!) -- there may be as many as 20 million, and they are getting stronger by the day. They have already succeeded in gaining control of the USAF Academy and the other military academies are so infected that they may as well shut them down. Many other institutions and posts are in their hands. They have devotees in positions all the way up to flag officers (generals and admirals), and control many important posts and duties, and in many local and state posts up to governor. Several have run (and are currently running) for the Presidency in the current and prior elections.
Many pose as mainstream Christians, and enlist their aid on hot-button issues like abortion and gay marriage -- even while secretly despising mainstream Protestantism which, in the words of one US Army chaplain All laws from the Constitution on down and all legal systems would be replaced with the Dominionist interpretation of Biblical law.
Mr. Weinstein has taken on these people single-handed, and has devoted his entire life, resources, and wealth to the struggle. He has limited his focus to their many egregious violations of the Constitutionally guaranteed religious rights of service men and women, and started the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) in late 2005 to deal with these and other threats to religious and civil liberties. The MRFF currently represent over 27,000 United States armed forces members; 96% of them being practicing Christians facing horrific tyranny for not being "Christian enough". Among many other accolades, the MRFF has received 4 Nobel Peace Prize nominations in the last 3 years (2011-2012).
I advise anyone who is concerned about this burgeoning threat to our Republic to buy and read this book.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not a very professional work
I read this and his other book detailing his issues with USAFA. Both of them are very similiar, and expound on his personal project; namely, The Military Religious Freedom... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jon
5.0 out of 5 stars
An insider look at attacks on our Freedoms
Mikey Weinstein is in a battle. His battle is to protect one of the constitutional freedoms that we as Americans hold dear. Read more
Published 13 months ago by R. Rhodes
2.0 out of 5 stars
While Informative, the Delivery Method is Questionable
I read Snowflake with the intent of getting a better understanding of the religious discrimination that the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has claimed to be rife within the... Read more
Published 14 months ago by J. B. Shi
1.0 out of 5 stars
A missed opportunity.
Weinstein chose to attack Christians in the military yet he provides suspiciously few incidents of any sort of injustice and ignores the Fort Hood incident. Read more
Published 14 months ago by EVELYN LYONS
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very scary and very real threat to our nation
This is an amazing factual must read account of a real existing threat to this nation and our future. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Michael Gross
1.0 out of 5 stars
Is Really Great book.
I have always campaigned for freedom of the troops to practice whatever religion they want. Mr. Weinstein is a true American Hero, and he righty kills these christian fascists in... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Samwise Gamgee
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mikey's work matches independent analysis
The book is a damning indictment of the cowardice of men in leadership, a testament to the courage and sacrifice of those they presume to lead. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Ronald West
5.0 out of 5 stars
Military Might and Fundamentalist Religion is a Toxic Mix
When I joined the military in the late seventies, the Chaplains were by and large mainline Protestants & Catholics who were tolerant of other faiths. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Mark Byron
