A religious freedom rally on Jan. 13 was held in Atlanta to support Kelvin Cochran, who was fired because of his faith in Jesus Christ
Franklin Graham urged Christians to attend the Standing for Our Faith Rally at the Georgia State Capitol on Tuesday on behalf of former Atlanta fire chief Kelvin Cochran, who was fired because of his faith in Jesus Christ.
Cochran was suspended and then fired because of a book he wrote for a men’s Bible study group at his Baptist church.
“Cochran … was persecuted and denied his career because of his privately held religious beliefs,” Graham said in a statement released last week. “This is true discrimination.”
Franklin Graham Statement on Cochran Firing
The latest target of politically correct bullying against Bible believing Christians is Atlanta’s former fire chief Kelvin Cochran. That’s right, I said “former.” Cochran was fired Tuesday because of a small passage—less than half a page—in a book he wrote for his church’s Bible study group.
The book on biblical morality simply restates God’s position put forth in His Word, the Bible. From Cochran’s book: “Uncleanness—whatever is opposite of purity; including sodomy, homosexuality, lesbianism, pederasty, bestiality, all other forms of sexual perversion.”
I personally know Chief Cochran. He served as chairman of my Crusade in Shreveport in 2005. He is a fearless man of great faith.
Because Cochran expressed his biblical belief on sexual purity in general, not only homosexuality, an openly gay city council member went on a rampage to discredit this upstanding servant of the community. Cochran didn’t discriminate against anyone, he didn’t persecute anyone for homosexuality or create a hostile work environment. Instead he was persecuted and denied his career because of his privately held religious beliefs. This is true discrimination.
The LGBT community wants us to be afraid of expressing our Christian beliefs. They want us to cower in the face of their threats to the livelihoods of believers. But we shouldn’t back down!
“I’m not discouraged and I’m not downtrodden,” Cochran said. “This is a God thing and He’s going to do great things and He will vindicate me publicly.”
Let the Atlanta Mayor’s office know that this discrimination is unacceptable and should not continue—404-330-6100 or on Twitter @Kasimreed.
Read more about the situation in Fox News’ Todd Starnes article.
If you’d like to read Cochran’s testimony from Decision magazine, click here.
