Faith Driven Consumer launches petition campaign asking Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed to apologize for discriminating against Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran -- fired simply for expressing his protected religious convictions -- and reinstate him immediately

Contact: Matthew Faraci, Faith Driven Consumer, 919-645-0771, matthew@faithdrivenconsumer.com

RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 8, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ -- Faith Driven Consumer™ -- the advocacy organization representing 41 million Christian consumers who spend $2 trillion annually, has earned national recognition for its successful efforts advocating for tolerance and equality for people of faith. Last year, the group's #IStandWithPhil campaign led the grassroots movement that returned Phil Robertson to Duck Dynasty, its #FlipThisDecision campaign compelled SunTrust bank to reverse a decision to fire the Benham brothers for expressing their religious beliefs, and its #HoustonWeHaveAProblem effort resulted in an apology by Houston's mayor for discriminating against a group of area pastors and a withdrawal of subpoenas that had been issued against them.

The group is now turning its attention to the City of Atlanta, where Mayor Kasim Reed has just fired the city's highly respected fire chief, Kelvin Cochran -- a former senior Obama administration official -- for expressing his protected religious convictions. The new ExtinguishIntolerance.com campaign calls for Mayor Reed to immediately reinstate Chief Cochran, to apologize for discrimination and bigotry against him, and to take immediate measures to ensure that people of faith in Atlanta will be not be singled out and punished simply for expressing their religious beliefs.

Chris Stone, founder of Faith Driven Consumer, has just issued the following statement:

"The Mayor of Atlanta -- a man who has publicly advocated for a more welcoming city regardless of orientation or beliefs -- terminated the city's fire chief specifically because he expressed his religious beliefs. Mayor Reed's act of intolerance and discrimination represents the absolute height of hypocrisy -- he is clearly choosing to protect the freedoms of one community in Atlanta while discriminating against the rights of another.

"People of faith in Atlanta have been sent a clear message -- unless you agree with the mayor and his point of view, you could be subject to persecution. Concerned citizens aware of similar actions taking place in other parts of the world where human rights are not respected, but are stunned to learn this is happening not only in America, but also in the very city that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born and raised.

"We are calling on Mayor Reed to immediately reinstate Chief Cochran, to apologize for his actions, and to take specific steps to ensure that no person of faith in Atlanta will be singled out by his administration simply due to the expression of their religious convictions. The people of Atlanta and America will not stand for intolerance, inequality, and flagrant bigotry. We are demanding Equal Application of Equal Protection for all people -- including people of faith."