"Evangelical Christian airmen at Lackland Air Force Base are facing severe threats and retribution for their religious beliefs and some personnel have been ordered to publicly express their position on gay marriage. 'There is an atmosphere of intimidation at Lackland Air Force Base,' said Steve Branson, the pastor of Village Parkway Baptist Church in San Antonio. 'Gay commanders and officers are pushing their agenda on the airmen. There is a culture of fear in the military and it's gone to a new level with the issue of homosexuality.' Branson tells me at least 80 airmen attended a private meeting at the church where he heard them voice their concerns about religious hostilities at the Air Force base. It was a standing-room only crowd. 'The religious persecution is happening,' the pastor said. 'It's getting bigger every day. Gay and lesbian airmen can talk about their lifestyle, but the rest have to stay completely quiet about what they believe.’... One airman was told that even thinking that homosexuality is a sin is discriminatory. 'A commander told him; don’t you understand discrimination--that your thought process is discrimination?'... Branson said he's getting email and letters from military personnel across the country--telling him their stories of religious persecution--and asking for help. Gen. Jerry Boykin (ret.) told me he's not surprised to hear about the assault on religious liberty within the Armed Forces. 'It reinforces what we've been saying,' Boykin told me. 'There is an orchestrated attack on Christians in the military and at this stage the Air Force is the worst.'" (Fox News, Sept. 30, 2013) Comments are closed.
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