Atlanta's Fire Chief Fired for Espousing Christian Beliefs

The mayor of Atlanta Kasim Reed announced today the firing of the city's fire chief for the crime of being a Christian, according to news reports.

It seems the fire chief, Kelvin Cochran, wrote a book for his Bible study group in which he espoused actual Christian beliefs. How dare he?

But his firing doesn't infringe on religious freedom at all, so says the mayor. "This is not about religious freedom, this is not about free speech" the mayor reportedly said. "Judgement is the basis of the problem." So there you have it. If you're fired for being a Christian it's not because you're a Christian it's because you displayed bad judgment in being a Christian. You get the difference, right?

So, in the 160 plus page book there's two references to homosexuality. He wrote:

“Uncleanness – whatever is opposite of purity; including sodomy, homosexuality, lesbianism, pederasty, bestiality, all other forms of sexual perversion.”

He also wrote,

“Naked men refuse to give in, so they pursue sexual fulfillment through multiple partners, with the opposite sex, the same sex, and sex outside of marriage and many other vile, vulgar and inappropriate ways which defile their body – temple and dishonor God.”

Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran said that he had previously obtained permission to lend his name and title to the book called "Who Told You That You Were Naked?" But when a gay councilman got wind of the book, things went downhill. Fast.

Last November the mayor posted a public condemnation of the fire chief on his official Facebook page and suspended him. “I profoundly disagree with and am deeply disturbed by the sentiments expressed in the paperback regarding the LGBT community,” the mayor wrote. “I will not tolerate discrimination of any kind within my administration.”

He added that Cochran's words were "inconsistent with the Administration’s work to make Atlanta a more welcoming city for all of her citizens -- regardless of their sexual orientation, gender, race and religious beliefs." Yup. In order to make Atlanta a "more welcoming city" for all religious beliefs, any Christians who espouse Christian teaching will be terminated. See, you're feeling all welcomey already, right?

Then the gay city councilman called for an investigation into Cochran. And now he's out. In the name of tolerance and all.

You have to wonder if the fire chief had written an anti-Christian book would the mayor have fired him. I'm betting no.