When Chick-fil-A president and chief operating officer Dan Cathy came out in support of traditional marriage as the union of one man and one woman, government officials from three cities said they would ban Chick-fil-A from opening restaurants in their municipalities.
Now, evangelical leaders are rising up to defend Cathy in the face of hate speech from homosexual activists. Charisma News previously reported Gov. Mike Huckabee’s Chick-fil-A Appreciation day, in which he encourages the masses to eat at Chick-fil-A on Aug. 1.
After Huckabee sounded the alarm, evangelicals began answering the call. Billy Graham, the American Family Association, Liberty Counsel, Judge Roy Moore and others are standing with Cathy and Chick-fil-A in the face of vicious attacks from same-sex marriage proponents.
Here’s how it started: As a guest on a syndicated radio talk show, Cathy said he supported the biblical definition of marriage as one man and one woman.
“We are very much supportive of the family—the biblical definition of the family unit,” Cathy said. “We are a family-owned business. …We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that.”
Demanding a public apology, Chicago Alderman Joe Moreno said that he will deny Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant in Chicago’s Logan Square. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino told the Boston Herald that he would block Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant in the “Cradle of Liberty.” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel followed suit.
“To deny business permits or zoning approvals to Chick-fil-A because the president of the privately owned family business expressed his biblical view of natural marriage is outrageous. Any city trying to ban Chick-fil-A will not win this battle,” said Mat Staver, founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel.
As Staver sees it, these government officials ought to be ashamed. For a public official to threaten denial of a right to do business because the president of a private company supports natural marriage is the height of stupidity and intolerance, he argued. Unfortunately, Staver continued, their response is typical of intolerant homosexual activists.
“There is absolutely no evidence that Chick-fil-A has discriminated against anyone. The intolerance displayed by these government officials ought to serve as a wakeup call to the majority of Americans who support the commonsense understanding of natural marriage,” Staver said. “If given the chance, these intolerant officials would silence anyone who supports natural marriage. They have placed extreme ideology over freedom.”
Graham expressed support for the Cathys. Graham said he’s known the family for many years and watched them grow Chick-fil-A into one of the best businesses in America while never compromising their values.
“Each generation faces different issues and challenges, but our standard must always be measured by God’s word,” Graham said. “I appreciate the Cathy family’s public support for God’s definition of marriage. As the son of a dairy farmer who milked many a cow, I plan to ‘Eat Mor Chikin’ and show my support by visiting Chick-fil-A next Wednesday.”
Judge Roy Moore and the Foundation for Moral Law also support Chick-fil-A and the Cathy family for their stand for traditional marriage.
“Marriage between one man and one woman is an institution ordained by God and is the foundation of the family, upon which the future of our nation rests. Like the great majority of the Country, Alabama has recognized in its law that marriage, to be valid, can only occur between one man and one woman,” Moore said.
“At a time when moral values are under attack by a philosophy which contradicts everything upon which our country began, it is encouraging to see Chick-fil-A boldly stand for truth and virtue in our society.”
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