Air Force Veteran Punished For Not Supporting Gay Marriage

A Christian Air Force Veteran was removed from his position at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas after refusing to support homosexual marriage. Senior Master Sgt. Phillip Monk  was asked by his commanding officer to affirm gay marriage and alleges he was subsequently punished for failing to do so. The conflict erupted after the openly-gay officer wanted to punish an Air Force chaplain for disagreeing with homosexuality.

According to reports:

“I was relieved of my position because I don’t agree with my commander’s position on gay marriage,” Senior Master Sgt. Phillip Monk told Fox News. “We’ve been told that if you publicly say that homosexuality is wrong, you are in violation of Air Force policy.”

“In one of our first meetings, she was talking about her promotion and she mentioned something about a benediction,” Monk told Fox News. “She said she wanted a chaplain but objected to one particular chaplain that she called a bigot because he preached that homosexuality is a sin.”

“She then said, ‘I don’t know what kind of people actually believe that kind of crap,’” Monk said, recalling the meeting. “I knew I was going to have a rough time in this unit and I would have to be very careful what I said.”

That moment came when Monk was called in to advise the commander on a disciplinary matter involving an Air Force instructor accused of making comments objecting to gay marriage.

The instructor was investigated and the members of his trainees were asked if the instructor had slandered homosexuals and whether he created a hostile work environment.

Monk said he quickly determined the instructor meant no harm by his public comments – comparing the United States with the fall of the Roman Empire.

“He said in spite of our differences, we can’t let that happen to the United States,” Monk said. “He then used homosexual marriage as an example – saying that he didn’t believe in it – but it doesn’t matter because he was going to train them the same way.” (source).

The commanding officer that she wanted to “lop the head off of the chaplain” for his beliefs. Monk, who was advising the officer on appropriate discipline, refused to express his own personal beliefs on gay marriage when pressed by the commanding officer. He was then told if he was not “on the same page” with his commanding officer on the issue of homosexuality, he would have to find another place to work. Monk opted to go on leave of absence, which his commanding officer granted.

Jesus Christ affirmed that marriage by Biblical definition is between a man and a woman:

And [Jesus]  answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. – Matthew 19:4-6.

More and more the Biblical view on marriage is being silenced. In this instance, it was not about a vote on gay marriage or a political stance. Merely expressing the Bible’s view was a punishable offense, even for a chaplain. And in Monk’s case, he did not even give an opinion on gay marriage, but was punished for his silence. This is yet another example of the growing hostility to the God of the Bible and the Bible itself. The Liberty Institute, a legal advocacy group is representing Sgt. Monk in the event there are further disciplinary proceedings against him.

“Are we going to have a ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy for Christians so we don’t get harassed for our beliefs?” attorney Hiram Sasser asked Fox News. “Here’s a guy who wants to have his religious liberty and serve in the military. He shouldn’t have to believe in gay marriage in order to serve.”

A spokesperson for Lackland Air Force Base public affairs told Fox News Monk was not punished and that he was simply at the end of his assignment.

“They did have a disagreement, but supposedly, they agreed to disagree,” the spokesperson told Fox News. “But the wing commander said there was no punishment. (source).

Pray for Sgt. Monk and the other soldiers who are being forced to hide their views and beliefs.  And for all believers to stand for God’s Word in the face of persecution. While the times are growing harsher for Bible-believing Christians, it is nothing that the love and forgiveness found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ cannot change.

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.

A news report on the case is below: