Atlanta Fire Chief Fired for Believing the Bible

On January 6, Kelvin Cochran, fire chief of Atlanta, was fired for publishing a book that contains quotes from the Bible and statements against homosexual behavior and other forms of immorality. Last November, Cochran had been “suspended without pay and ordered to undergo sensitivity training after publishing a book that contains quotes against homosexual behavior and other forms of sexual perversion” (“Atlanta Fire Chief Suspended,” ChristianNews.net, Nov. 26, 2014). The book, Who Told You That You Were Naked, contains lessons that Cochran prepared for men’s Bible study groups. At the press conference to announce Cochran’s firing, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said: “I, too, am a person of very deep religious faith … 1 Corinthians 14:40 says, ‘Let all things be done decently and in order,’ and I want to make very clear in my judgment that was not done here. Chief Cochran’s book … was published in violation of the city’s standards of conduct, which require prior approval of the ethics officer and the board of ethics” (“Fire Chief Loses His Job,” The Blaze, Jan. 8, 2015). Cochran claims that he had verbal permission from Atlanta ethics officer Nina Hickson to write the book and that he had given Reed’s office a copy of the book in January 2014. Regardless, this is religious persecution, and it is probable that Cochran’s firing was pushed by homosexual rights activists who were not satisfied with public reproof and sensitivity training. How ironic that Atlanta has an “ethics officer,” yet they persecute a Christian for quoting the Bible. How amazing that America has arrived at the place where government workers must get approval for their speech even when they are off duty. The Christian’s constitutional liberties are being sacrificed at the altar of homosexual rights, and this is just the beginning of this phenomenon. Yet when we urge churches to have special prayer for the nation, the plea is met with silence. We are glad that hundreds of people gathered at Georgia’s capitol building to protest Cochran’s firing and to leave a petition with the mayor with nearly 50,000 names (“Better Luck Next Times,” Family Research Council, Jan. 13, 2015), but it is earnest prayer that is going to make any real and lasting difference. Persecution has been the order of the day for Bible believers for 2,000 years, and the Lord has given some wonderful promises along that line. If Mr. Cochran knows the Lord, he has nothing to fear. In fact, it is rejoicing time. “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).

(Friday Church News Notes, January 9, 2015, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

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