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Support Grows for Air Force Colonel Suspended Over Religious Beliefs on Marriage
Daily Signal ^ | 12/7/17 | Tony Perkins

Posted on 12/08/2017 4:36:07 AM PST by markomalley

When Heather Wilson was picked to be secretary of the Air Force, she told the Senate: “Air Force policy must continue to ensure that all airmen are able to choose to practice their particular religion.” Now, she has a chance to prove it.

On Wednesday, the Family Research Council’s Lt. General Jerry Boykin and Travis Weber gave Wilson 77,024 reasons to reconsider the action taken against Col. Leland Bohannon.

A distinguished combat pilot, Bohannon has served his country for more than 20 years. In May, the reputation he’d built in the Air Force came crashing down when his superiors decided that the colonel’s decision not to sign a “certificate of appreciation” for a same-sex spouse was enough to suspend him from duty.

Never mind that Bohannon had requested a religious accommodation. Or that he’d consulted the command chaplain and a staff judge advocate. Leaders seemed determined to make an example of the dad of five, grounding him and snuffing out any chance of promotion. Eight senators were outraged, demanding that Air Force leaders intervene. Then, more than 77,000 of you piled on, urging justice for Bohannon and others like him.

Wednesday, Boykin and Weber delivered those petitions on behalf of the Family Research Council and our friends at the American Family Association—along with a letter signed by 31 religious advocacy groups.

“In his Executive Order Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty issued earlier this year,” the organizations write, “President Trump stated that ‘it shall be the policy of the executive branch to vigorously enforce Federal law’s robust protections for religious freedom,’ and that people should be ‘free to practice their faith without fear of discrimination or retaliation by the Federal Government.’ Yet despite his impressive decades-long career with the Air Force, Col. Bohannon’s life and service are about to be derailed by the violation of this fundamental principle.”

Not only is there no right to a certificate of spousal appreciation, an accommodation should easily have been granted here … If the Air Force policy reflected the view of [Department of Justice] on this issue, those in Col. Bohannon’s situation would have no need to be concerned for their religious liberty in the first place, and we urge the Air Force to bring its policies into line with the understanding of the DOJ in this area … In addition to correcting Air Force policy to ensure this does not happen again, we respectfully request that you reverse the complaint against Col. Bohannon and remove any unfavorable materials related to this complaint from his record.

As far as Boykin is concerned, “We not only delivered petitions, we delivered a message: We will not back down from defending the religious liberty of those in the military. The action taken against Colonel Bohannon is unacceptable, and Air Force policy must be corrected to ensure this does not happen again.”

Thanks to tens of thousands of you, Secretary Wilson may be motivated to do just that.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Government
KEYWORDS: airforce; bohannon; homosexual; homosexualagenda; homosexuals

1 posted on 12/08/2017 4:36:08 AM PST by markomalley
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To: markomalley

Sure looks like activists in the “gay” set wanted to strong arm everybody.

I am not sure everyone or even a majority in the “gay” set even wanted this. But they are susceptible to being led around by the nose. Kind of like how in Islam when the fundies rumble the passive masses follow.

These are at most “friends with benefits.” With the benefits dubious. I believe in reaching out to the “gay” crowd to show them a better way, but not by pretending their current way is just peachy.


2 posted on 12/08/2017 4:47:04 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Tryin' hard to win the No-Bull Prize.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

I am so tired and disgusted that the word “gay” has been forced on American society by militant homosexual activists.

Homosexuals are homosexual, not “gay!” And there is nothing gay about being homosexual!

The English language is specific: call homosexuals “homosexual,” America!

</rant>

[Rant not aimed at you, HiTech Redneck - aimed at people who try to pick up turds by the clean end!]


3 posted on 12/08/2017 4:53:35 AM PST by Taxman (Replace the income tax with the FAIRtax and abolish the IRS!)
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To: Taxman

It’s a cheap pretense alright.

And if Christendom weren’t so scared of getting spiritual cooties from the “gay” set, it might not have such a terrible job getting gospel to look better than the “gay” pretense.

People who do this kind of crap are trying to put a dirty band aid over a big soul hole. Only the love that God bestows to the willing can fill such a hole.


4 posted on 12/08/2017 4:59:49 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Tryin' hard to win the No-Bull Prize.)
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To: markomalley

If I recall correctly,many years ago when I was in the military,it was spelled out in no uncertain terms that any “gay” activity was considered a court-martial offense. Of course,back then the military’s prime consideration was the defense of our nation.


5 posted on 12/08/2017 6:45:52 AM PST by oldtech
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To: oldtech

I lived in Columbus Ga when Clinton came out with the don’t ask don’t tell policy. Lots of grumbling and fumbling on how to implement this.
The best response was from a Colonel in the Rangers. His statement to his top sergeants was this. While there might be some Rangers who were gay, there would be no gay Rangers. His meaning was that when your sexual preferences came before the unit, you were out, but as long as you were a Ranger first then he didn’t give a damn about what you did on saturday night. I know common sense is hard to come by these days, but we’ve got a lot of taxpayer money invested in a pilot. What a waste.


6 posted on 12/08/2017 7:08:57 AM PST by Waverunner (I'd like to welcome our new overlords, say hello to my little friend)
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To: Taxman

Did you ever think they use the word ‘gay’ as a euphemism because they are afraid of being identified truly as homosexual(s)?

It is they who are the homophobes.


7 posted on 12/08/2017 7:45:30 AM PST by spankalib
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To: markomalley

Yet another disaster created by the Supreme Court’s unconstitutional and idiotic ruling on gay “marriage”.

We have known what “marriage” is for thousands of years and just because some subset of 9 judges decided to redefine it in order to foist the liberal/homosexual agenda on a society that doesn’t want it doesn’t mean that the definition of marriage has actually changed. We all know what a real marriage is.


8 posted on 12/08/2017 9:22:52 AM PST by generally ( Don't be stupid. We have politicians for that.)
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To: spankalib

Orwell’s “1984” treatment of words with “euphemistic” meanings is well and truly upon us!

Somehow, we are led to believe that using the word “gay” when we are referring to homosexuals makes homosexuality “OK.”

NOT A CHANCE!

And, you are right re: homosexuals having a phobia: is “heterophobic” a word we can use to cast aspersions on homosexuals?

FRom Merriam Webster https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heterophobia: heterophobia: irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against heterosexual people.

Let us fight fire with fire!


9 posted on 12/08/2017 9:30:40 AM PST by Taxman (Replace the income tax with the FAIRtax and abolish the IRS!)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

“It’s a cheap pretense alright.” Well said!

There is no band aid large enough to cover the HUGE “soul hole” that defines the character (or the lack thereof) of those who are homosexual activists and supporters!


10 posted on 12/08/2017 9:34:46 AM PST by Taxman (Replace the income tax with the FAIRtax and abolish the IRS!)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

Fallible and uninspired men individuals who are psychotically detached from morality have assumed dominion...

Meanwhile, in reality land:

XX + XX = FAIL

XY + XY = FAIL

XX + XY = Human



11 posted on 12/11/2017 7:50:59 AM PST by HLPhat ("TO SECURE THESE RIGHTS" -- Government with any other purpose is not American.)
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To: markomalley

I against being forced to promote a gay lifestyle but that’s not what happened here. This colonel picked a weird place to draw a line in the sand—signing a certificate for a somebody retiring. It’s not like he was being asked to participate in the guy’s wedding or even have anything remotely to do with it.

The fact is, this colonel treated one of his airmen different because of his personal views on something legal that the guy did. That is a leadership fail. Nobody’s asking him to promote the gay lifestyle. All things considered, I’ll bet this colonel feels pretty stupid for white-knighting this issue on a guy that has retired into civilian life. He let his personal views impinge on doing his job, that is a big leadership fail.


12 posted on 12/12/2017 9:47:33 PM PST by Excuse_My_Bellicosity (Liberalism is a social disease.)
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