Come on......it is chicken! Just CHICKEN!

Mr Ward, you clearly disregard the Bible and what it says. You picked out some verses, but have no clue what their context is. Marriage- Genesis 2:20-24. Homosexuality (God despises it, by the way)- Romans 1:18-32 specifically verses 26 & 27.

Wow, I thought the Geneva Patch was an alternative news source not a place for ranting blogs. Your article was not good journalism. Please take time to review your article before you post it and make sure you are making a point, not just rambling. Unless I am mistaken and Geneva Patch is not considered a news source.

Have you actually read the article that appeared in The Baptist Press? Mr. Cathy of Chik-Fil-A said he "supports the traditional family." Here is what he was quoted as saying in the July 16, 2012 article in The Baptist Press: "Some have opposed the company's support of the traditional family. "Well, guilty as charged," said Cathy when asked about the company's position.

"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 operate as a family business ... our restaurants are typically led by families; some are single. We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that," Cathy emphasized."

He never once made an anti-gay or lesbian remark. It is the goal of gays and lesbians to marry. That is a civil issue not a religious one. Take it up with your government.

The First Amendment reads “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

The Chik-fil-a encounter was a great exercise showing the depth of the First Amendment.

This is America...

He has the right to build stores anywhere zoning permits.

His contractors have the right to charge him double.

I have the right to never go there.

did i miss something? who asked you to write another article on this?

However, I do agree with your first amendment comment. Obviously morons are allowed to say what they want or else you would have to find another line of work.

Bible says this and that and the religious right pick and choose what it says like a smorgasbord!
This isn't about the bible, it's about civil rights. If your church doesn't believe in same sex marriage, don't perform them.
Build a Chik-fil-A anywhere you want! I won't go there, but I rarely go to any of the fast food joints in the tri-cities.

Jeff,

Well said. I really appreciated this column. Thank you!

Katherine,

You're welcome!

Jeff

While I have no rooster in the Chick-fil-a fight, I do believe those who bring disdain upon the Bible need to be called out in this life. Hopefully they will change before the next one.

Since you brought up the Bible, every serious Bible scholar (and apparently you claim to be one) knows that there is an old covenant that God made with Israel and a new covenant that fulfilled the old. One purpose of the old was to set the people of Israel apart as distinct from the surrounding pagan nations. With the coming of the new covenant, the laws that set Israel apart were abolished but any law that is moral in nature must remain because God's moral nature never changes. One way to know which laws are moral is to see what is repeated in the New Covenant. Here are some New Testament verses for your revernt study and next column Mr. Ward. And remember, your final grade will come from the one who wrote the laws, not just your bubble of like minded scoffers.

Matthew 19:3-5
Rom 1:26-27
1Co 6:9-11
1Ti 1:8-11

WOW...... I don't think the moron was Mr. Cathy...... but could be that "Democratic mayor" for speaking on behalf of the city of Chicago. Who does he think he is??????

Hope we are getting a Chicken-Fil-A here in Geneva and do not have to read stupid coments from the likes of Jeff Ward.

Ray

Ummmm... well every piece of lituare must be interpreted, including your column. There are those who purposly misinterpret.
There are those whoes world view taints their interpretation (and yours comes through loud and clear).
And there really are those who try to objectively study the text in the original languages. All who do so try to be aware of their presuppositions and world views, but part of the goal of hermenutics is to set those presuppositions aside and get to what the author of the text really meant factoring in context, culture, canon, and history of interpretation. Jeff, can you honestly say you fall into this last group?

It's not the idea that they don't support gay marriage, it's the fact Chick-fil-a has been giving money to anti-gay groups (Take that as you will, they are most likely some kind of groups that try to turn gays straight). People don't like that, but most people aren't going to care where their money goes. It's like the idea of buying "all-american", it can't be done. The food isn't the problem, the CEO isn't the problem, and there is no one else to blame other than the people who tried to force the news story on other people. We don't want to hear about it anymore, if you don't like the company, you don't have to buy from there.

There isn't even a Chick-fil-a within the area yet, and people are refusing to go there. I would definitely go there, because I don't care if a tiny percentage of my money goes to "bad groups". Might as well never buy anything at all, because we don't know where any of that money goes.

A Chick-fil-A in Batavia! Sweet! Finally a place my family and I can go to enjoy artery clogging proccessed fast food without the fear of my children being converted by homosexuals.

Genesis 14: 6-8

"Then the lord giveth chicken, waffle-cut fires, and peach shakes to man, and it tasted awesome"

jeff,
I think you do a great job, I was replying to Brian Smith's Bible rant. the log in the eye was not for you....Many of us are so tired of the Bible thumpers who make judgments for their god. There is so much hate in this world and in particular in the hearts of those that tout the Bible. How in the world can they say they are followers of their savior? Hate, segregation, judgment, and a closed mind are the very things he was persecuted for. They indeed have turned many of us away from their religions which is a huge sin in their sacred book.

I would like to recommend this article. I think that there are some excellent points here about issues that are a bit deeper than a chicken sandwich.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/conor-gaughan/chick-fil-a-homophobia_b_1711566.html?utm_hp_ref=tw&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008

Yes, Jeff, you are an "opinion" columnist. Not at all an informed-opinion columnist when it comes to biblical teaching, but that is your right as an American. Lucky you.

And thank you for being up-front about your disdain for Christianity. I'm sure you've been exposed to opportunities throughout your life to gain a clearer understanding of Bible teachings, so there'd be no point in my seeking to correct your gross misreadings of the Word.

There is one thing I think you ought to remember: when you seek to bolster your pre-conceptions by pointing out individual Christians' imperfections -- rather than focusing on the perfection of our Savior, you have missed the entire point.

I hope you do come to see the truth before it is too late.

Max,

Though I appreciate your concern, it's way too late for me. As that great philosopher Billy Joel once sang, "I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints, the sinners are much more fun!"

Jeff

"...inserting your nose into other people's bedrooms...?"

This is really where you think the issue lies, Jeff? If so, you'd better stick to School Board issues, or anything for which you can be intellectually as well as physically present.

Much ado about nothing. I believe the majority owner of Caribou Coffee is the Bank of Islam. If that bothers you, buy your coffee at Starbucks.
If you don't like Chick-Fil-A's owner stance on gay marriage, don't buy the product.
Move on.

@Jeff

Republican + religion + government + sex = oxymoron.

What else have you got -- other than name-calling and mis-direction?

Personally I will never step foot in a place that openly donates to anti-gay charities. As one poster said if you dont want to support something you dont like dont shop anywhere. I found an article the other day from an employee that made me snicker. Its a closeted gay employee and their feelings on the whole issue at hand.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/08/02/a-gay-chick-fil-a-employee-speaks-out.html
The absolute best part of the article was this paragraph,,
"I remember thinking, under stress, “I hope they choke.” That’s not true. Even though I did my best to make the salads and wraps extra-gay, I don’t want to harm the customers. (Otherwise I may have been moved to spit on their food. I didn’t, because that’s going too far.) The only thing that kept me going without screaming or storming off was simply knowing that I’m right. These people won’t choke on their food—I wouldn’t wish that, just as I wouldn’t wish anyone go hungry—but they will end up hurting. It’s going to be a long fall from the saddles of their high horses, once we do have equal marriage rights. Their descendants will be ashamed of them, just as I’m ashamed of my grandparents’ support of segregation. When their children and grandchildren ask, “How was it possible to be Christian and oppose equal rights?” their own words will choke them. They don’t need food to do it for them."

Tolerance cuts both ways.

Jeff,

I don't know why you continue to get caught up in discussions about the Bible's relevance to questions such as these.

The Bible is a collection of ancient texts. We do not know exactly who wrote many of them nor much about the circumstances that prompted their authorship. We do not have original texts but rather copies of copies of copies, many of which have been altered over the centuries.

There is no proof (as in "scientific proof") that these texts reflect the word of a supreme being any more than there is proof that the Qur'an, the Vedas, the Tipitaka or any other holy text or tradition do.

The acceptance of any of these as the dictate of a supreme being, beings, or presence is based upon faith, not fact. And that is perfectly acceptable. Anyone should have the right to believe in and practice any religion that he or she chooses (as long as it does not harm other people).

But to attempt to use a "free" government such as ours to enforce the particular beliefs of any religion on everyone is inappropriate.

Therefore, for example, those who wish to pass laws that prohibit access to contraception simply because their particular religious sect believes it is sinful are way out of line in our democracy. They have every right to express their views but not to attempt to pass laws.

The homosexual issue is the same. We may, as a nation, pass legislation regarding this issue based on the will of the people, but not on the teachings of any religion.

It all boils down to free speech and the freedom we have been given. Everyone has the right to express their thoughts and beliefs. No one is being forced to buy anything from Chic fil A. If you don't agree with a company because of who or what they support, you have the choice to not spend your money there. It is no different than me choosing not to shop at a local store (whose name has a red bullseye attached to it) because they contribute money to the homosexual agenda.

Dee,

Maybe The Department of Fish and Wildlife might object?

C

Come ON!! This whole thing is NOT about Gay rights. Those of you who bash on the church or religion are just using this as an excuse.I believe we should do it like in the UK
http://www.civilpartnershipinfo.co.uk/
Civil "marriage" for those who want to be recognized in the church. and civil partnerships for those who don't. solves the problem right?
NO. because the Pro gay marriage folks aren't concerned about equal rights under the law, they want to change and attack christianity...while ignoring the same beliefs in Islam, Judaism, and in almost every black church. THAT"s why so many came out (pun) to support Chick-fil-A. People are attacking Christianity!

No Mike,

We are attacking the lack of equal rights resulting from the bigotry that prevents civil marriage in most states, a stance supported by many churches and conservative politicians.

Both have poured tons of money and much effort into campaigns to outlaw any form of legal union between same sex couples.

The churches (Christian, Muslim, et al) are being attacked for their bigotry and their political activities.

And, if anyone needs a Biblical quote that will easily cover and answer how we should approach all this try Matthew 22:37-40.

Yes, and read it again and again. It is Jesus speaking and it means just what it says.

BTW, Jeff,

Your quoting Deuteronomy is very interesting. Makes me wonder... If this was so important as to be included by the author it would seem that it must have happened pretty often. The punishment, cutting off her hand, is just another example of how terrified men are of angry women (justifiable fear, I believe).

EV Cannon. Who are you? My new hero? Jeff, pay attention to this man!

Competing sources of propaganda attempt to lead us away from a fundamental issue.

The government, in attempting to do some social engineering, uses the tax code to provide benefits to some people which they do not allow to others. This is wrong. The whole notion of rewarding personal relationship choices by special tax benefits deserves to be struck down by the Supreme Court, and I continue to be surprised that no effective challenge has been made. The desire of same-sex couples to avoid being taxed at a higher rate is a legitimate one.

There is also nothing in the Constitution that justifies deductions for children, yet because the government apparently feels that to be childless is somehow unAmerican, it subsidizes reproduction.

When a Christian organization comes out in support of equal treatment for all citizens under our tax laws, I'll believe that they respect both biblical teachings AND the founding principles of the USA. It's not easy to be both a good Christian and a good American, but I believe it is possible. Being consistent would be an excellent beginning.

Why does everyone try to save everyone else! I believe in traditional marriage but I also feel who has the right to control another persons life? You want to be gay? I don't care let them be married! !! Worry about your own soul getting to heaven and let them worry about theirs! If the bible said we should not love the opposite sex you wouldn't change my mind! As for CFA, who cares what they support with their money, the government takes my money in turn forcing me to pay for many things I do not condone, ie: abortion! Long story short, I guess everyone should stop shopping or paying taxes because someone might spend that money on something you don't like!

Well, it seems we care more about this Chicken stuff than we do about our taxes.

Chick-Fil-a has a pretty strong and public belief tradition. They are not open on Sunday for example. Why? They believe Sunday is central to worship and family values. If you want chicken on Sunday, you can get it somewhere else.

If you don't like their high regard for the traditional family, you can get your chicken some where else as well. McDonalds and Burger King love when people become fixated on this stuff.

Companies do give out samples. They are looking to put their products in potential consumers' hands. They wouldn't do it if it didn't work one of the place that always worked is "Official Samples" search online

If you want chicken on Sunday ,cook it at home.

I find it a little ridiculous that we boycott Chick-fil-a because the owner prefers traditional marriage, when in in the middle east, Muslims actually kill homosexuals... and will we stop buying gas from them? Of course not; we tolerate their intolerance. Why do we not tolerate the somewhat intolerant religion that shaped America, and instead tolerate the radically intolerant religion that's threatening to destroy America?
Furthermore, I can't believe how uninformed Jeff Ward is. Homosexuality is mentioned in the Bible on more than one occasion. And I wish people would stop citing Biblical rules from Leviticus to try to make Christianity seem ridiculous; the whole point of those rules is that they're stupid. They're impossible to follow. That’s the point of Christianity, to be freed from having to follow those ridiculous laws.
Someone needs to inform Ward to that it's usually a good idea to get your facts straight, before posting articles online.

To those claiming to be "Christians" posting here, Please get over yourselves!!! Since when did God ask for your help???? What he did ask us to do was share the Gospel The Good news of what Jesus has accomplished for us on the cross, and with his resurrection. And to Love God and Love our Neighbor as ourselves. Wouldn't doing this have been a better use of time, instead of advocating Chick-fil
-a. and being judgemental??? If I want a chicken sandwich, I will have a chicken sandwich wherever I want. The chicken Sandwich didn't have anything to do with this !!!!!

-

Thank goodness for free speech so that I may tell Jeff Ward...yeah...YOU, dude...that your comments are the epitome of ASININE...
Your values or lack thereof, are NOT mine!
I came to this article because I wanted to find out when the Batavia Chick-fil-A will open and this popped up when I googled with NO date at all...just a long rant of a proud secular man!
When will it open? That's what I want to know. Can you please let me know something useful?

Brian,

We are not "bashing Christianity". We are arguing against hate, bigotry, unfairness, and injustice. When some people use quotes from the Christian Bible to support and justify their intolerance we will argue against that also.

Gays, per se, are not the issue. The same disagreements have sprung up concerning slavery, civil rights, women's rights and a host of other issues.

Instead of accusing "liberals" of church bashing perhaps you might consider accusing "conservatives" of misusing the Bible for their own purposes. since you can "cherry pick" some passage from it to support almost any idea.

Again I would like to refer everyone in this discussion to Matthew 22:37-40. Whenever I have a question about what it means to be a Christian I go to that for an answer. I don't always like that answer but then, in any moral decision, the most difficult thing to do is usually the right thing to do.

Brian,

There is “cherry picking” random and sometime relatively peripheral passages in order to “prove” a particular point of view and then there are, according to Jesus, the two most important laws, upon which everything else is based.

But, as I have said before in this discussion, the real point is that it is counter to the intent of our democracy to pass laws that are based upon a particular group’s religious beliefs alone.

Many people who state an opposition to homosexuality identify themselves as “conservative Christians”. I did not create that designation.

Any person can hold any belief that he or she wishes in America but when that person acts on that belief to the detriment of others a line is crossed that makes that action unacceptable.

It has been widely reported that the president of this company has contributed a considerable amount of money to “anti-gay” causes. I believe that crosses the line from belief to active discrimination.

At any rate, I have not condemned the man or his belief. I have simply stated that I will not patronize his restaurant because there is a chance that a part of any money that I spend there will go to support a cause with which I disagree.

And I do oppose any action that discriminates against any group because of race, religion, creed, gender, or sexual orientation.

It’s time that we get past this tendency in America.

"It has been widely reported that the president of this company has contributed a considerable amount of money to “anti-gay” causes. I believe that crosses the line from belief to active discrimination." So pro-family, or pro-marriage is now anti-gay. I think if they want to have civil unions that's fine although I do not support the gay life style. My personal belief is that it is harmful to society. If I donate to causes that seek to educate why this is harmful, or to share my opinion is that anti-gay? Even if you find it anti-gay that does not make it hate speach.