Exactly BUT the owner of this operation contributes large sums to organizations that advocate violent and forceful action against those that do not hold to his poisonous and bigoted position against people with life styles of which he does not approve. Your Jesus would not likely approve of this jerk either As a sign on a KFC said "We sell great chicken; not hate.".

It is actually _not_ illegal to discriminate against someone based on their sexual orientation. Some states have laws protecting against sexual discrimination in the workplace, but if I remember correctly PA is not one of them.

the thing is, anyone can say whatever they want about supporting the Chik Fil A's president on behalf of free speech. When Cranberry residents decided to march their kids to the local fast food chain holding signs that support "traditional" and "straight" marriage _they_ are the ones who have officially begun pushing their views on the public and turned a freedom of speech issue into a display of discrimination and ignorance. _Those_ protesters have turned a stupid fast food restaurant into a national symbol for bigotry and warped Christian values that have 100% absolutely no place in American government. It was a disgusting display, and I know a lot of Cranberry residents were really hurt by it. Those little kids with those signs telling every gay resident in Cranberry that they are deserving of less equality than the straight residents. It certainly made me ashamed to be a member of this community.

Keep your beliefs. That is fine. That kind of small mindedness is a dying breed anyways and has no place in government. Same sex couples will have the right to marry in every state very soon so enjoy that deep fried discrimination while you can.

I don't "love gay men" but I support the right of gay men to love gay men.
Wish I could find my Jesus fish with the Darwin insert. For now all I haveon my car is "Drive now, talk later" and "Somewhere in Texas a village is looking for its idiot".

Really Janet? And how do you make a visual confirmation of a boycott (aka people _not_ going somewhere)?

And you are missing the even bigger picture. People who came out to support "traditional marriage" on Wednesday cannot all congregate at Chik Fil A every day. A boycott is much easier to sustain than a protest.

But if you focus on Chik Fil A, you miss the even bigger picture. Equal marriage rights for gay couples stays in the news. Free advertising? Absolutely. The general public is apathetic (proven in that only 40% of the voting able public actually votes). The issue of equal marriage rights needs this kind of attention in the media to eventually push the issue in Congress.

The result of the free advertising for equal marriage rights is that 1. Obama wins the election and 2. as soon as he does marriage rights are on the agenda. Politicians, especially at the Senate and House of Rep levels are guided by their constituents. If their constituents do not care about marriage rights, then they are certainly not going to push the issue and risk dividing their votes.

Chik Fil A gets a 24 hr cash flush that eventually dwindles to slightly less than their previous cash intake. Equal marriage rights have gotten weeks worth of air time and public attention. It is only a matter of time now.

BUT this free advertising also informed the nation that the creep that runs this chickaflica outfit also donated bags of money to organizations that advocate bigotry and violence against those whose life styles they don't like under a cloak of "Christianity".

James, I am not a Christian but I do know a bit about what that great man, Jesus, said and meant and much of it seems to have escaped some of those who attend church regularly and wave their Bibles around in front of a restaurant owned by a nasty bigot who sells hate as much as he does chicken. I am not LGBT either but I support and do not judge people whose life styles do not happen coincide with mine.

Except if they happen to support traditional marriage then they are selling hate and are bigots. Yeah that does not sound judgmental at all. And I am sure Jesus will be proud of you for being so loving toward others whose lifestyles do not happen to coincide with yours, say like sell chicken... way to go Art...

We can serve the gays water ... how does one know by looking at a person if they are straight, gay or bi? The only way anyone knows is if they tell us. And personally I really do not care what two adults do in the bedroom. I DO CARE however how their attempts to REMAKE society into their image affects me just like you are concerned about Christians making society into their image. SO it is bigotry on one side but not the other? IT Is permissable for one side to be hateful and not the other? It is permissable for one group to be exclusionary but not the other? WHAT IS EQUAL about that? I do know this if a person who practices homosexual activity wishes to marry they can simply find someone of the opposite sex and get married. AND IF THEY want children then find someone of the opposite sex and have children... basically the same way EVERY SINGLE person must do in order to enjoy the benefits of marriage.. which is to produce a family. WHICH would be TRADITIONAL and I know SO OLD FASHIONED that it even predates AMERICA... how archaic.

It says there that they donate to the FRC (Family Research Council). So, the answer is yes, they do give money to hate groups. Thanks for the confirmation, snopes!

Letting all races use the same bathrooms and enjoy the same public bus privileges had the effect of "remaking" society in a negative way, just as giving all adult American citizens the right to marry the person of their choosing will do to society?... this is a straw man argument and as such is specious... No one picks the color of their skin.. however WE ALL CHOOSE whom we like or dislike.. If you are trying to imply that you have absolutely no control over your emotions, thoughts, attitudes, cravings, appetites, and sexual partner then you do not need laws in regards to marriage you need THERAPY. ....Cathy spoke out about his beliefs which just happened to include the fact that homosexuals should not have the right under our laws to be married.. the fact is that under most state laws this is true.. there is no LEGAL right granted to same-sex couples to enter into traditional marriage. SO it is a legal argument as well as a moral argument, a cultural argument, and one SOCIETY as a whole has a right to engage in. ...What I can't understand is how you think it's perfectly acceptable to expect people to not be offended when their basic human rights are questioned by anyone... You mean like questioning someones FAITH, or RELIGION or their FREEDOM of speech rights? Or are you referring to the RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE? Just askin' since you are the CONFIRMED authority on all that is RIGHT.

Being gay is not a choice! YES IT IS.. Why would anyone "choose" to be discriminated against... because they refuse to make better choices? Just sayin'.. When I was in first grade and had a crush on a boy in my class... yeah that works for me since when I was in third grade I had a crush on my teacher and brought her an apple.. too bad she would have been discriminated against for liking me back...When I am young I think like a child but when I am older I put away childish things and behave like an adult.. UNLESS of course I continue my childish ways because I throw a temper tantrum every time I do not get my way.... Again, the CEO of Chick Fil A can think anything and say anything he wants but so can I... and I can cuss at them, call them vile names, vandalize their business by writing obscenities on the building, and generally bully them into submission.... Yeah sounds like a GROWN-UP way to deal with life's inequities... you do not want to be bullied but you bully others, you do not want others to FORCE their view on you but you PARADE around berating anyone who does not think like you do... CAN ANYWAY say hypocrisy?

How dare you suggest that someone's sexual preference is a result of a poor choice?.... but it is... We have to DECIDE whom we will or will not have sex with... if like you say same sex attraction is inherent and you have no control over whom you are attracted to then why are you so picky in whom you have relations with? Wouldn't any member of the same sex work? WHY are you attracted to some of the same sex and not others SINCE YOU HAVE NO CONTROL over your emotions or WHOM you are attracted to.. SINCE you can be descerning in whom you have a relationship with then by your own actions and admissions you PROVE you do have a CHOICE. AND how does this BI SEXUAL thing work? I MEAN if you are attracted to both sexes was that a matter of BIRTH TOO? AND HOW many people is an ADULT bi-sexual allowed to marry since they have an attraction to both sexes shouldn't they...to be fair.. be allowed to marry at least one of each? .....you do not have the mental capacity necessary to argue back with valid points of your own, so you are becoming frustrated and playing the bully and victim card to death...the pot calls the kettle black.. I am not a victim nor do I claim to be.. I am not the one crying FOUL your side is.. I am not the one wanting things MY WAY.. your side is.. and since they can not have it their way they are VICTIMS and what to be NONDISCRIMINATED against... you can not be discriminated if you are not a VICTIM.. I know this is hard for you but TRY REALLY HARD TO THINK...

You are not a victim and neither is the CEO. No one asked him to come out in the media and voice his exclusionary views to the public... Well you are wrong again because someone actually did ask him is views because he was doing an INTERVIEW which means for the unlearned that someone was asking questions and he was giving answers... and then those answers were PUBLISHED making them PUBLIC statements..

Yes but I grew up unlike some others who use their childhood sexual predelections as an excuse to remain irresponsible in adulthood... IT ain't my fault they cry because I can not help it...

Of course your teacher would discriminate against romantic advances from a child....duh. I would certainly hope so!... YES buy why? Who is it to decide that having sex with a child say around 12 years old is WRONG? Some cultures find nothing wrong with this.. THEREFORE if we are going to say ANY and all Sexual attraction is to be accepted especially if WE WERE BORN with this or that predelection then why not adult child sex? WHEN exactly are we responsible for our actions since one side of this argument likes to say their EMOTIONS and PHYSICAL affections are OUT OF THEIR control therefore they can not be held responsible for their CHOICES.. BUT others can be.. why is this? AND who are you to say that MAN BOY love is WRONG? OR man girl love is wrong? OR Adult child relations? I mean if they are old enough to procreate shouldn't they be ALLOWED To start a family? WHO decides such archaic rules anyway? Those darn religious fanatics are the ones who are always so hung-up on sex arn't they? From where I sit Maddie your arguments are wrong headed but since you set yourself up as the TRUE VOICE of what is right and wrong then I guess we all ought to bow to your viewpoint UNCONTESTED since if we disagree we are ignorant or whatever else YOU FEEL justified in calling someone. ALTHOUGH the majority in America are against non-traditional marriage the minority viewpoint has to be right RIGHT? SAYS WHO? YOU? Why is your way right and others are WRONG?

I never said I was right but you, Frederick, are most definitely wrong.... how can this be? How can you say I am wrong if you are not right? Perhaps neither of us are RIGHT.. actually factually speaking you are wrong since there is no such thing as same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania.. it is not recognized and it is illegal and thus it is WRONG... If there was such a thing as same-sex marriage then your argument would be silly because you would be arguing for something that already is. So if you really want to marry someone of the same sex there are 8 states that permit it and it is perfectly legal in those localities.. therefore it if perfectly within your rights and abilities to move to these locations or countries or societies that agree with you. Until such a time as the law is changed to accomodate your position your position is wrong. I did not write the laws.. I am not the one trying to change the laws and yet you say I am the victim... really now... NOW MADDIE since you are so smart could you tell me exactly why two people of the same sex want to marry if PROCREATION is not the reason and biologically they can not produce a family? What is the BIG DEAL anyway? Can't they just live together like so many other ADULTS do and engage in adult recreation in private? Why must they insist on making this a public display?

Looks like we are making progress... okay I had fun for a while but now it is time to put our big boy pants on and be adult about all of this... Let me address your comments first though....if society told you you had to dump the woman you loved because it wasn't socially acceptable, what would you do?... not sure I do not know of any cases of this happening.. unless you are referring to a same-sex couple and then I am not even sure if SOCIETY tells you to dump someone...maybe in some societies this may be true like say INDIA where marriages are ARRANGED or maybe Islamic nations where women are treated as property and if for some reason they confess Christianity they are killed or if they are attracted to the same sex they are killed... But I do not know of any case in the United States so no reason to discuss something that isn't...NEXT you asked...but we can't always help who we love, even the most serious and conservative people sometimes fall in love when its inconvenient or with a person they thought might not be right for them...only to find out they are abusive or not what was advertised... yes that happens everyday of the week so probably it would be better to simply outlaw marriage then it would be easier to dissolve a relationship I mean it doesn't seem fair that you have to go through all that legal stuff to get rid of a defective product you should simply be able to toss it out like the trash they are....to be continued

Toss them out like the trash they are.... this is not possible because of LAWS and the rule of law... We are not free to do just like we please.. our actions affect the rest of society and as a result laws are inacted in order to establish sociatal norms....Don't you understand that if same sex couples do not have legal rights binding their union, that they don't have the right to make decisions for their partner in the hospital if they are dying, they don't have the same insurance rights, etc., etc., that a straight couple have?... actually I understand perfectly.. see your problem is not with me nor is it with CHICKFILA but with the laws of the land... These laws are enacted to protect society from LAWLESSNESS and from people just doing as they see fit... I am not preventing you from doing anything I do not have that power. CHICKFILA can not keep you from marrying who you want... THE COURTS however can and laws are on the books making it illegal to engage in the behavior you wish to engage in.... SO then we say to ourselves WELL THAT AIN"T fair I am going to do it anyway and then if someone says HEY STOP that we will yell DISCRIMINATION.. that all being said now let us get to the root of this shall we... continued

Don't you understand that if same sex couples do not have legal rights binding their union, that they don't have the right to make decisions for their partner in the hospital if they are dying, they don't have the same insurance rights, etc., etc., that a straight couple have?.... I repeat this because this is the real issue... WHY are there certain benefits to marriage? Way is there laws concerning inheritance and paternity and quardianship and ancestry? Wouldn't it be easier to simply eliminate these SPECIAL married only laws thus making everyone EQUAL? HEY being single I SAY YEAH why can't I get a special tax rate? WHY must I pay more in taxes when my neighbor gets a check each year because they have children that is DISCRIMINATORY and should be OUTLAW since it is not treating everyone as EQUAL... the true facts of life is LIFE IS NOT FAIR but there are rules to the game and we all play by the same rules. We only get into trouble when we want to IGNORE the rules or play by a different set of rules. LAWLESSNESS ensues if everyone does what they think is right in their own eyes. I think its stupid that I can not buy a car on SUNDAY but hey the law says they can not be sold on SUNDAY so we live with it. Illegals crash our borders everyday and then they turn around and say HEY we want to be treated like a citizen even though we have not applied for citizenship we just DEMAND it.. YEAH lets rule by FORCE shall we? I think not

Insurance, retirement benefits, spousal health insurance etc etc are all financial considerations. You throw out this remark...If the point of marriage is to have children, its fortunate that we have all of these gay couples who are willing to adopt all of the abandoned and unwanted children that are in this world... THERE are single people who would love to adopt too but that is not permitted WHICH IS UNFAIR... since there are so many UNWANTED CHILDREN in the world.. this argument does not bolster your case since the children are not NATURAL BORN HEIRS of offspring. FAMILIES existed before governments and they are the building blocks to society so CHILDREN AND OFFSPRING do need to be considered in the argument NOT JUST the financial concerns of an ADULT. There are legal ways in which most of the issues you speak about can be handled properly and without the need to redefine marriage an in the process REDEFINE FAMILY. PRIVATE insurance and wills and powers of attorney and other legal forms can handle a majority of the financial stuff but what you are referring to is GOVERNMENT BENEFITS handled by the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT and you want those RULES TO change to include a new class of citizenry that was not envisioned when the law was made. AGAIN your problem is not with me but with the lawmakers.

Now as to why I am personally against the redefinition of marriage to EXCLUDE the natural purpose for maintaining families and it is all about the children. Families growing and contributing to society is a GOOD THING and as such society bestows upon the family special HONOR. God established how children are born and that is by the coming together of a man and a woman in the act of procreation. This is what marriage the vehicle by which FAMILIES are established. A traditional marriage then is on designed by biology and not sociology. NOW to realville.. since marriage has become a construct of societal law rather than a product of NATURAL LAW we are faced with defining what marriage is from a LEGAL perspective rather by natural order. WE exchange the natural order for what is made in our own image or our own thinking of how things ought to be. This leads to chaos since everyone thinks their way is right. I support the NATURAL order as designed by NATURAL law. But I am afraid our courts and lawmakers prefer the social construct and pass laws accordingly. In the end your way will probably win out but that does not make it the right way. I happen to think the God ordered it makes more sense since it produces the results for which it was designed... natural born children. the arguments about race is not even a factor here since they are not equal. YOu can decide to live within the law you just do not want to or feel you have to. That is the bottom line.

Maybe it's the word "marriage" that's making everyone insane... actually most of us do not have a problem with the word marriage nor the institution of marriage which PREDATES America and has been recognized throughout human history as the union of a man and a woman which creates a family unit. It is the NATURAL order. Laws were established acknowledging this BASIC societal construct.. MARRIAGE was not manufactored by some law somewhere it IS THE WAY MEN and WOMEN were created in order to produce progeny. It has not been until recently that there was ever ANY talk about same-sex marriage.. Do we need to call it civil unions?... YES YOU DO... and that is what it is... marriage is ONE MAN one Woman the only people having a problem with that are those who want to try to equate ONE MAN and ONE WOMAN marriage to TWO MEN or TWO Women marriage the two are NOT EQUAL .. yes they both contain two adults but the difference (and it is a BIG difference) is the union between a MAN and a WOMAN produces biological offspring this is not possible with a same-sex union. Therefore they are not EQUAL. SIMILAR but not equal. .....

Every adult in America should have the right to be joined together to the other adult of their choosing as they see fit. That union should carry with it all of the same rights, responsibilities, and privileges that has traditionally gone to unions between men and women. .... every ADULT in America do not have the right to be joined together under current law.. near relatives are not permitted to marry so the EVERY ADULT argument is mute unless you are saying that ANY ADULT meaning incestous relationships should be permitted once they reach adulthood..two people however can enter into civil unions and legally binding agreements it happens all the time. As far as having the same rights and privilledges it is not possible because same-sex couples can not biologically produce offspring and therefore the laws regarding progeny, ancestry, inheritance, custody etc do not apply equally there would need to be NEW LAW written to address the DIFFERENCES of same-sex unions as compared to NORMAL family constructs father mother son and daughter grandparents etc. YOU SEE no matter how hard you want to try to convince people that having sex with someone of the same sex is the same as hetereosexual relations IT IS NOT. ....Under United States law, everyone is equal regardless of religious affiliations yes and under UNITED STATES law a marriage is between a man and a woman. Most of us are fine with that. Only those who wish to remake the FAMILY unit desire to redefine marriage

The various religions in this country do not have to accept these unions if they do not want to, but our government should because it should not be influenced by religious prejudices on the subject.... yeah but you folks keep telling the religious folks that they are BIGOTS and if the federal government decides that same-sex unions are equal to hetereosexual couples then the church will be forced by law to acknowledge them since now we have an entirely new construct of FAMILY. ....but when you tell two adult citizens of the United States of America that they are not permitted to set up a household together in a legally binding marital status, that is discrimination.... ACTUALLY the law does discriminate and does not permit EVERY ADULT to marry whom they wish and there are reasons for this and all of them have to do with PROGENY or REPRODUCTION (children) ...Besides no one is denying two adults from setting up a household but certain pairings are not considered MARRIED under our legal code. You are the ones who do not want to hear that MARRIAGE is between a man and a woman.

Marriage is between one man and one woman...

What about marriages between a man and a woman that do not result in children? ... Marriage is the union of one man and one woman.. CHECK.. the basic ingrediants are presented by which societies continue... the cornerstones of the building blocks of society are present... they can marry...

Do those people love each other or are they committed to each other any less? I really do not know if they love each other or not nor do I know if they are committed to each other or not since love nor commitment are in the definition of marriage... the definition of marriage is one man and one woman... and since they meet this requirement they can marry...since their union CAN and POSSIBLY will produce children it is therefore in the BEST interest of society to SUPPORT and protect this foundational tool for maintaining society.

What about marriages between a man and a woman that do not result in children?... not all marriages produce offspring but MANY do and because they do it is in the interest of society to protect the progeny and since SOLID INTACT families are beneficial to society and the upbringing of the potential offspring it is therefore good public policy to encourage the bonds of marriage for the support and upbringing of potential children... BROKEN homes place added burdens on society to do what parents are supposed to do. Therefore society values TRADITIONAL families.

Are marriages between men and women with adopted children less valid than marriages with natural born children?

A marriage is between a man and a woman.. check the criteria has been met.. families made up of adopted children are subject to bodies of law dealing with the unigueness of adopted and extended families therefore they are not treated the same as families of natural born children therefore they are not EQUAL in that regard.

Why are same-sex couples not treated the same as male female couples? This is really simple but some of us are slow learners. MALE/FEMALE couplings can and most times do result in offspring.. and because this is the basic building block to maintaining a society, societies have found it in its best interest to HONOR MARRIAGE (the union of one man and one woman) since intact homes are in the best interest of society at large. SAME SEX Couples can not produce offspring and therefore they are not EQUAL to male/female couples. LOVE and committment has absolutely nothing to do with what constitutes a marriage it is simply the union of ONE man with ONE woman which has the potential to produce offspring. NOW I trust that the two people getting married actually want to but it is not required. Of course they could be getting married for the FINANCIAL benefits they get that are not given to SINGLE people.

AND FINALLY... There is not a living human being who does not have ONE MOTHER and ONE FATHER.. THERE is not one living human that has two mothers and one father or two fathers and one mother.. there can be two children born at the same time by a single woman from impregnation from several men but each child is the result of ONE MALE and ONE female. And since male/female couplings can and oftentimes do produce offspring it was deemed by society that supporting strong families is in the BEST interest of society at large since ENTACT families are best suited to CARE for their progeny.

It was this SUPPORT for STRONG ENTACT families that Dan Cathy was speaking to and supports. Therefore those who oppose this position must be favoring broken homes and fractored famlies. Which is most likely since the loudest opponents are of the liberal slant and we know how well LIBERAL policies have worked for URBAN families. (note URBAN is not a race it is a locality).. it is funny really that the ONLY marriage liberals go Lady GaGa for are non-traditional. HOW many liberals have you heard EXTOLLING the virtues of TRADITIONAL families in all this Chick-Fil-A broohaha? That's right NONE.

I guess they feel the family is not fractored enough so they need to divide it up even more and redefine what it means to be a FAMILY.

So how could the govt possibly force a church to recognize a same sex marriage?... simple really.. their 503C3 classification can be revoked if they engage in activity that the government deems discriminatory... they will be forced to hire same-sex couples in church run entities if they wish to retain their 501c3 classification.... and that is just off the top of my head.

Ok. Do you have some sort of precedent for this fear? All the 503c3 classification does is grant a nonprofit tax exempt status. The only case I can find is Ocean Grove where their tax exempt status was conditional under the Green Acres Program which encouraged private property owners to make their beach front boardwalks and pavilions public. The tax exempt status was revoked, not on all of their property, but just on a pavilion (not a church) that was supposed to be open to the public under the GA program. Not 503c3.

This was a union ceremony that they refused so really whether or not same sex couples have equal marriage rights under the law does not matter. Discrimination in public (which is different than nonprofit status under 503c3) is illegal regardless. You can't enjoy the status of a public place and discriminate against those who can use it. Obviously.

Read the IRS page. the only way the tax exempt status of a nonprofit gets revoked is if they fail to file their taxes. The situations you refer to remain unchanged regardless of whether or not same sex couples have equal marriage rights. Churches discriminate now against who they will and will not marry.

You are reaching there FA.

Read the IRS page.. written by the fed government and can be amended by that same government. If said government can REWRITE the meaning of marriage then it is not a far stretch to rewrite the IRS code since now there is a NEW CATAGORY of family being created from whole cloth. AND then of course there is OBAMACARE and the CONTRACEPTIVE mandate..

Frederick the tax exempt status of nonprofits has nothing to do with the structure of family, so it _is_ a far stretch to say that the govt will rewrite tax codes to unfairly serve the agenda of this new family structure that already exists anyways.

Based on your logic, the govt can rewrite whatever they want anyways. Maybe they should. Jefferson advocated rewriting the constitution every 19yrs for each new generation as he knew that one perpetual set of laws would not fit the needs of the future.

There is already a new family structure with or without equal marriage rights for gay couples.

I get that you feel threatened by the potential of change, but I assure you that it is a change that will not affect you. Regardless, it is a change that is coming. Same sex couples are going to have equal marriage rights. One of the best things about our federal government is that when laws unfairly discriminate, the voices of the constituents are able to influence our elected officials into changing those laws. It happened in 1920 with suffrage, in the 60s with the civil rights acts, in 1981 when the Supreme Court outlawed state mandates saying that the husband was the "head and master" of both the joint and individual property of his wife, and it will happen with same sex marriage rights.

Regardless, it is a change that is coming. Same sex couples are going to have equal marriage rights.

Yes you are probably right since some would call this progress but acquiesing to the baser elements and desires of humankind is not progress but regress. But since America decided long ago to give God the proverbial middle finger she too shall decline and fall upon the ashheap of ruined nations of the past. But the good news is we will have same-sex marriage.

why do people have such fear of same sex couples/marriage..

Why do people HATE traditional marriage? WHY do people despise entact families where children are actually parented by the parents who birthed them? Why do so many wish to fracture the family even more by redefining what it means to be a FAMILY? those are the questions I would like to see answered.

Chick-fil-A is a joke.... some people I guess never graduated from kindergarden

In that case Walt I assume that after your wife menstruates you force her to take two pigeons to your local priest and have him burn them? Because Leviticus is very clear on that. Do you also make her sleep in a separate bed when she's on her period? Or do you think that times are a-changin on that one?

"the bible says"lol have you ever read the bible it say a lot of really crazy stuff. none of witch is to be taken literally. its a story.

Walt, I was under the impression that this was a conversation about federal and state law, aka government. People who protested at CFA held up signs advocating traditional marriage in a _legal_ setting, ie: they are against equal rights for married same sex couples under the law.

Lets not argue about what the conversation is about. I like that you have said it is a religious conversation. So now I will ask you, Should your religion dictate American law? or (same question really) Should your religion be able to refuse married same sex couples the same rights that straight couples have?

I like my freedom. I don't think my religion should be able to grant one couple rights and deny another couple rights through a secular government that boasts separation of church and state. People are so worried these days about the govt setting a precedent that will eventually encroach on their own rights/freedoms. Well if the govt can deny legal rights to one couple while granting them to another, what rights of _mine_ will the govt be able to deny _me_ based on my class, sexual orientation, sex, ethnicity, etc while granting those rights to someone else? I believe the Bible does say something about an eye for an eye...(ominous ellipsis here).

Should your religion dictate American law? or (same question really) Should your religion be able to refuse married same sex couples the same rights that straight couples have?

No Eric ones religious or non-religious views should not be FORCED upon anyone since this is a representative Republic in which we live. Unfortunately the only viewpoint that is NEVER considered in any legislative process is a Christian viewpoint. If the bible is against it... apparently we are for it. OR better put if per-chance a majority of society happen to hold to a BIBILCAL viewpoint of an issue (whether they are particualarly religious or not) immediately that viewpoint is demonized and rejected since it does not fit with the agenda. Know this of a certainity God is not mocked, we shall reap what we sow, and if we sow to the fleshly desires and baser elements of humankind we shall reap what those desires have wrought. NO matter what position you take on this issue GOD will have the last word and we shall all stand one day before Him to be judged on what we have done in the flesh. SO I want to go on record as supporting what Nature and natures God established as the proper way to build a family and a society and a nation. Choose for yourself whom you will serve but as for me and my house I am going to serve God. Sodomy is immoral and God calls it an ADBOMINATION to a nation. FORGIVE us Lord we know not what we do

GOD for that. GOD will judge us when the time comes, not you, not Frederick, not Chick Fil A, BUT GOD."

And therefore fear God not man for what can man do to you? And have no fear of those who put to death the body, but are not able to put to death the soul. But have fear of him who has power to give soul and body to destruction in hell. Matthew 10:28 (BBE)

The sin of the evil-doer says in his heart, There is no fear of the Lord before his eyes. For he takes comfort in the thought that his sin will not be uncovered and hated. In the words of his mouth are evil and deceit; he has given up being wise and doing good. He gives thought to evil on his bed; he takes a way which is not good; he is not a hater of evil. Psalms 36:1-4 (BBE)

From the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly observed in what he made. As a result, people have no excuse. They knew God but did not praise and thank him for being God. Instead, their thoughts were pointless, and their misguided minds were plunged into darkness. While claiming to be wise, they became fools. They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for statues that looked like mortal humans, birds, animals, and snakes. For this reason God allowed their lusts to control them. As a result, they dishonor their bodies by sexual perversion with each other. These people have exchanged God's truth for a lie.

For this reason God allowed their shameful passions to control them. Their women have exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. Likewise, their men have given up natural sexual relations with women and burn with lust for each other. Men commit indecent acts with men, so they experience among themselves the punishment they deserve for their perversion. And because they thought it was worthless to acknowledge God, God allowed their own immoral minds to control them. So they do these indecent things. Romans 1:26-28 (GW)

Although they know God's judgment that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do these things but also approve of others who do them. Romans 1:32 (GW)

Yes indeed God will judge.

Leviticus 24:16

Whoever utters the name of the Lord must be put to death. The whole community must stone him, whether alien or native. If he utters the name, he must be put to death.

Fred you are so screwed, you just said it a bunch of times. :-O

Lev 15 (GW) “Also tell the Israelites: Those who treat their God with contempt will be punished for their sin.
16 But those who curse the Lord's name must be put to death. The whole congregation must stone them to death. It makes no difference whether they are Israelites or foreigners. Whoever curses the Lord's name must die. Leviticus 24:15-16

If you are going to cite scripture then at least do so properly. You see it is not those who revere God who have to fear God's wrath but those who curse Him.

Disagree, that's another thing, there are dozens of translations of the Bible so anyone can seize upon the translation that they like. You like the one that makes you feel righteous, I like the one that gives you a rock in the melon.

there are dozens of translations of the Bible so anyone can seize upon the translation that they like.

I read and compare 15 different translations. HOW many do you read and compare? None of the translations I read or have on file translate the scripture you posted the way you quoted it. THEREFORE I would like to know which translation you uses so I can add that to my list of comparable scriptures and be able to study it in its entirety. You do notice that I cite the translation along with the verse so ANYONE can if they desire go read it for themselves and COME to their own conclusions as to what it says and means.

You like the one that makes you feel righteous,.. in truth Scripture condemns my sin more than it praises my GOODNESS. Scripture teaches that NO ONE does what is right and therefore we all need help getting it right. As a result I never feel RIGHTEOUS. However since I do happen to believe that GOD IS ALWAYS right I defer to His teaches and try to do things HIS WAY as best I can. And being human I fail but I do not throw stones at God because I mess up.

I like the one that gives you a rock in the melon.. I can feel the love..Thanks for being so tolerant and accepting of other's viewpoints. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us in such a loving and caring way. You truly are the better man. I bow to your supremacy.

Well then Maddie do pray for mercy because God is intolerant of sin...

If we go on sinning after we have learned the truth, no sacrifice can take away our sins. All that is left is a terrifying wait for judgment and a raging fire that will consume God's enemies. If two or three witnesses accused someone of rejecting Moses' Teachings, that person was shown no mercy as he was executed. What do you think a person who shows no respect for the Son of God deserves? That person looks at the blood of the promise (the blood that made him holy) as no different from other people's blood, and he insults the Spirit that God gave us out of his kindness. He deserves a much worse punishment. We know the God who said, “I alone have the right to take revenge. I will pay back.” God also said, “The Lord will judge his people.” Falling into the hands of the living God is a terrifying thing. Hebrews 10:26-31 (GW)

I guess Maddie ran out of valid arguments and has been reduced to name calling and stone throwing and displays of hate, ignorance, rudeness and intolerance. Isn't it amazing how mad people get by simply quoting the bible. WHY IS that if there is no God or if the bible is a book of riddles and jokes? PERHAPS it is actually more than that and really is the word of God able to cut through all the garbage and get to the real HEART of the matter. This whole thread has proven that the opposition to CFA has nothing to do with same-sex marriage but with the fact that Dan Cathy happens to be a Christian. IT IS GOD these people hate and as such they hate anyone who happens to LOVE GOD. SO be it. Let the name of the Lord Jesus be praised.

No I think not. But I am sorry if the scripture offends you.

That is why Scripture says, “I am laying a chosen and precious cornerstone in Zion, and the person who believes in him will never be ashamed.” This honor belongs to those who believe. But to those who don't believe: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, a stone that people trip over, a large rock that people find offensive.” The people tripped over the word because they refused to believe it. Therefore, this is how they ended up. 1 Peter 2:6-8 (GW)

Why am I to be condemned by you just because I think we should love our neighbors and and practice acceptance? And yet you feel condemned. I have not attacked you personally I only responded to your comments with comments of my own. You have an opinion and so do I yet my opinion for some reasons CONDEMNS you? Hmm yours do not condemn me. I do not feel threatened in the least bit. Truth may be harsh and some people may not be able to handle the truth but I never feel threatened by it.

You've twisted what the bible teaches in order to further your own agenda of hate, ignorance about the gay lifestyle, and intolerance.... ACTUALLY no all I did was copy and paste scripture right from the bible. As for as misinterpreting goes does MARK misquoting count as misinterpreting? Does ignoring a whole chapter of the bible count as misrepresenting or twisting scripture to support a position? (Romans Chapter 1)

You've talked about people's adopted children and how one family is not as valid as another's.. DID NOT what I said was there are differing bodies of law regarding the unigueness of an adopted family over a NATURAL BORN family. THEY are similar but they are not EQUAL. (meaning the same as) to be the same as ALL THINGS must be equal and they are not. I did not invalidate I only clarified the differences.

Since I love you Maddie I will leave you with these comforting words;

So those who are believers in Christ Jesus can no longer be condemned. The standards of the Spirit, who gives life through Christ Jesus, have set you free from the standards of sin and death. It is impossible to do what God's standards demand because of the weakness our human nature has. But God sent his Son to have a human nature as sinners have and to pay for sin. That way God condemned sin in our corrupt nature.

Therefore, we, who do not live by our corrupt nature but by our spiritual nature, are able to meet God's standards. Those who live by the corrupt nature have the corrupt nature's attitude. But those who live by the spiritual nature have the spiritual nature's attitude.

The corrupt nature's attitude leads to death. But the spiritual nature's attitude leads to life and peace. This is so because the corrupt nature has a hostile attitude toward God. It refuses to place itself under the authority of God's standards because it can't. Those who are under the control of the corrupt nature can't please God.

But if God's Spirit lives in you, you are under the control of your spiritual nature, not your corrupt nature. Whoever doesn't have the Spirit of Christ doesn't belong to him. Romans 8:1-9 (GW)

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/strong-support-for-gay-marriage-now-exceeds-strong-opposition/
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/08/a-coming-wave-of-gay-marriage-electoral-victories/260787/#
http://www.gallup.com/poll/154529/half-americans-support-legal-gay-marriage.aspx

You are incorrect, but it does not matter what the majority of Americans think bc the majority of Americans do not vote. Women vote more than men, and the older generations vote more than anyone. At most it will be 20 yrs until same sex marriages are legal, but it will probably be much less depending on voter turnout. There is a strong possibility that "TODAY" the majority _does_ support same sex marriage rights. At the very least you can say that it is split, but the majority no longer holds the negative position. Every year this number will slowly increase as the younger generation of voters comes of age and the older die. (Blunt but true...the one issue that young reps and young dems can agree on is same sex marriage rights).

Don't direct any of the religious nonsense my way. I care about public policy and legislation and government. As far as reality is concerned, I harbor no sympathy for this imagined persecution of the white suburban Christian. Not to mention it is pretty ridiculous that you claim in one paragraph that you are persecuted and in the next that you are the majority. Lets keep it real here folks.

Every year this number will slowly increase as the younger generation of voters comes of age and the older die. (Blunt but true...the one issue that young reps and young dems can agree on is same sex marriage rights).

Sad but true. Secularism has become the subject of choice by our liberally run educational institutes. Since the only way liberalism can survive is to silence the voices of opposition, and the strongest voice of opposition to liberalism is the voice of Conservative christians. Therefore they must be SILENCED in the halls of academia. BUT there is hope... HURRAY for home schooling!!! .. another policy opposed by liberals everywhere...liberals are not strong on independent thought they much prefer uniformity of thought.

Frederick a secular government is not a new concept created and championed by our liberal school system.

Jefferson - "In every country and every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot ... they have perverted the purest religion ever preached to man into mystery and jargon, unintelligible to all mankind, and therefore the safer engine for their purpose." ---

John Adams - "The priesthood have, in all ancient nations, nearly monopolized learning. And ever since the Reformation, when or where has existed a Protestant or dissenting sect who would tolerate A FREE INQUIRY? The blackest billingsgate, the most ungentlemanly insolence, the most yahooish brutality, is patiently endured, countenanced, propagated, and applauded. But touch a solemn truth in collision with a dogma of a sect, though capable of the clearest proof, and you will find you have disturbed a nest, and the hornets will swarm about your eyes and hand, and fly into your face and eyes."

James Madison - "Experience witnesseth that ecclesiastical establishments, instead of maintaining the purity and efficacy of religion, have had a contrary operation. During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution."

Each time the issue of same-sex marriage has been placed on the ballot for PUBLIC input (at least 28 times) and for the public to SPEAK to the issue with their votes. The issue was defeated by the PUBLIC speaking at the ballot box. THIS makes those who lost CRY foul and are the ones ANGRY and are HATEFUL because they feel they are not being LISTENED TO or AFFIRMED. Maddie you really do need to get your FACTS right.

Yes you can and others can reject your choice of religion and your practice of it and your teachings in regard to it just like you do to those who practice and teach Christianity. No difference you are being treated the same as you treat others. I can see how passionately you believe in what you believe and that is commendable. But so it the passion and conviction displayed by people like Dan Cathy. I may not agree with his position (in this case I actually do) but I certainly admire him for standing strong on his position dispite the obvious VICIOUS opposition.

you will regret all of your harmful words and hate speech... actually I have no regrets. I mean what I say and say what I mean. I do regret however that America has lost her moral compass and has tossed God out of her midst. I will regret the loss America freedom and her eventual decline to the ash heap of fallen nations. I will regret America coming under the wrath of God and his divine judgment because we simply REFUSE to acknowledge Him as God. Yes all that I will regret but not standing for a SOLID home where Mothers and Fathers love their children who remain faithful to one another and raise their children to be good citizens. I am steadfast against any attempts to further devalue the TRADITIONAL home by redefining it or worse yet completely ignoring its importance to the social welfare of a nation. I will never regret standing opposed to divorce or any other attempts to further fracture the HOME since the results of such actions are devastating to our culture at large and has ruinous effects on children. THAT is what it means to stand up for TRADITIONAL marriage and the TRADITIONAL family and for that I have no regrets.

but we continue to move forward

Many of us do not see PROGRESS or moving forward, but rather we see the current trajectory to be a downward spiral. Many do not believe as you do that America is moving in the right direction but the wrong. And I do not see a closing of this gap but rather a widening of it as we "progress" as a nation. Those who oppose Christian values will only become more embolden as America moves further away from this moral center.

Noted, but I am pretty sure that we have all been talking about the protesting at Chik Fil A, which was not in support of freedom of speech, but against equal marriage rights for same sex couples. And the conversation has pretty much been about that consistently. Dan Cathy blends his religious beliefs with his political. that is wrong and he is getting crapped on for it. Scroll up. This has always been my point. Once again, I care only about legislation and government. I am not a part of the religious conversation.

And Walt. Polls are stupid. We can safely say that the country is split and support is on the rise. My point is only that we can no longer make statements like the majority of America is against equal marriage rights for same sex couples.