Current Events – Free Speech in Jeopardy

The pressure continues to change the definition of marriage between a man and a woman to any combination of two or more people of any gender. However, speak out publicly against the proposed change and be prepared for “all hell to break loose.”

Chick-fil-A Chief Operating Officer Dan Cathy has never sugarcoated his ideals about traditional marriage. In the midst of a national firestorm surrounding gay marriage, Cathy won’t back down from his biblical values. Despite left-wing criticism and pressure, Cathy has reaffirmed his company’s stance and support for traditional family values.

“Guilty as charged,” Cathy told the Family Research Council. “We are very much supportive of the family—the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.

“We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles.”

www.charismanews.com/us/2012/07/22

Cathy rightly expresses his gratitude for living in a country where we can share our values. Unfortunately, public sentiment has moved so far to the left that unless one shares values that adhere to popular opinion, regardless of how that aligns with Biblical standards, Satan attacks with all possible fury.

The opposition to Cathy’s stand supporting the Biblical definition of the family unit has come from a surprising array of sources. The Jim Henson Company has terminated its partnership with Chick-fil-A. (See www.advocate.com/society/media/2012/07/23.) The leaders of several large metropolitan areas have indicated that Chick-fil-A restaurants would not be welcomed in their cities. (Ibid., www.towleroad.com/2012/07/26, and chicagoist.com/2012/07/26 .)

There have been more reasoned responses, such as from former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee:

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is standing up and speaking out for the chicken chain: “Too often, those on the left make corporate statements to show support for same-sex marriage, abortion or profanity, but if Christians affirm traditional values, we’re considered homophobic, fundamentalists, hate-mongers and intolerant.”

www.charismanews.com/us/2012/07/24

One recent blog entry expressed a different perspective from the mainstream response.

One would be hard-pressed to find a better example of Liberal Fascism than the move by liberal politicians to ban Chick-fil-A from their jurisdictions because of the owner’s opinion on gay marriage. blog.heartland.org/2012/07

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind.” I Corinthians 6:9.

“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Leviticus 18:22.