Dear Chick Fil A: I Love You, But…

Chick Fil A.

You’re sick to death of hearing about it.  I am too.  BELIEVE ME, I am too.  Two days ago, I vowed I would not weigh in.   Yesterday I realized I had no choice, if for no other reason than to preserve my own sanity and get it off my chest, if not off my news feed.

I am a huge proponent of respecting other people’s right to have their own opinions, and to voice those opinions as they see fit.  Let me just start there.  One of the things that has bothered me about this from the start (and there are so very many things that bother me about it) is that those of us who don’t agree with Dan Cathy’s stance are getting accused of not respecting his right to free speech.   Of course he has the right to speak.  Is anyone actually saying he doesn’t?  That’s an honest question…  I’ve read so many ugly words coming from both sides that at some point I started tuning them out.

Another one I’m seeing a lot of is a graphic that says:  “‘I disagree’ is not equal to ‘I hate you.'”  Absolutely.  Merely disagreeing, and harboring hatred are two entirely different things.

Here’s the problem…

I’m of the opinion (and remember, Dan Cathy gets to have an opinion.  I get to have an opinion.  We all get to have an opinion) I’m of the opinion that the Bible is not nearly as black and white on the issue of homosexuality as most of my fellow Christians would have you believe.  Setting that conversation completely aside, let’s say for the sake of argument that homosexuality is wrong.  There still remains the fact that the Bible is exceedingly clear on one thing.  We are called to LOVE. 

Of course, of course!  Love the sinner, hate the sin. 

No.  No, no, no.  Love the sinner (and we’re all sinners).  Period.   I believe that that “Love the sinner, hate the sin” admonishment is one of the most hurtful and damaging phrases ever to be uttered.  If we’re actively hating something about someone else, we believe they should change.   We’re making our love conditional, and half-hearted at best.   In essence we’re saying, “I love you, but…” Can any good come after that ‘but’?   To truly and completely love, we just have to LOVE.   With no strings, and no conditions.  Think homosexuality is a sin?  So is pride.  So is arrogance.  So is gossip.  So is judgement.

Love anyway.

Chick Fil A donates money – millions of dollars worth of money – to organizations whose whole reason for existence is to fight against, and ostracize, gay individuals… including groups that link homosexuality to pedophilia, groups that feel homosexuality should be outlawed, groups that think homosexuals should be exported from our country, and groups that believe homosexuality is something that can be “prayed away.”  One of these groups is the Family Research Council, which has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.  I ask you, implore you, in all sincerity …. if you were homosexual, or your child or your best friend or your brother were homosexual, would any of the above groups (or the organizations such as Chick Fil A that support them) make you feel particularly loved?

I’ll be honest:  I’ve never eaten at Chick Fil A, mainly because I just don’t eat that kind of food.  And I’m certainly not going to start now, not because I simply disagree (I want to be really clear about that) but because just as it’s their right to financially support blatantly anti-gay organizations, it’s my right not to.  And yes, I’m aware that I’m likely supporting other such organizations without even knowing about it…. but when you know better, you do better.   I want my dollars to support groups that promote love, not more division.

I have seen so much righteous indignation, name-calling, and judgment from both sides of the issue.   I’ve seen well-meaning Christians proudly boasting about their support of a company that they may or may not realize gives money to a known hate group; and I’ve seen detractors casually throwing out words like bigots, and homophobes, and haters.

I’ve seen people telling Dan Cathy in no uncertain terms where to go and how to get there.  And that’s clearly not the answer here either.

These are real people … people with failings and shortcomings to be sure … but real people, who are so much more than a cause or a principle or a religious or political crusade.  And as I’ve thought about it, and pulled it apart, and boiled it down, I’ve realized that my responsibility here is no more and no less than to love.  Simply.  Fully.  Unconditionally.

And man, it’s simple in premise but not always easy in practice.  It’s hard to love people sometimes.  Sadly, often sometimes, my fellow Christians are the hardest of all.  But I honestly do want to love like Jesus loved.  I don’t ever want to fall back on “loving the sinner and hating the sin.”  I don’t want to put conditions on my love.  I don’t want to be a hypocrite.  So I will say to Dan Cathy and to others who support groups that aim to oppress, disparage, and ostracize others,  “I love you”.

And then I’ll just stop talking.

(Visited 138 times, 1 visits today)

68 Comments

Filed under acceptance, bible, faith, hot topics, hypocrisy, kindness, life, perspective, rant, respect

68 Responses to Dear Chick Fil A: I Love You, But…

  1. Jayne

    AWESOME! ’nuff said!

  2. Tara Roddick

    Perfectly expressed. I love you.

  3. Gigililimom

    It is a beautiful post for a beautiful morning. Though some of my friends may see this if they follow your link on my Facebook page, I am not ready to say there that this particular issue hits close to home for me as I am one of the ones who does have a daughter who, though not homosexual, is bisexual. And who has a girlfriend who is pretty and smart and wonderful. I hate thinking of them growing up in the world we live in right now. I hate that I feel like “Christians” are the ones they have to be wary of the most. I wish I could assure them that all Christians believe as you do.

    • pathlesstaken

      Aw, this makes me so sad.  I too hate knowing how much prejudice they will face, and that so many Christians are at the heart of it.  🙁   

  4. I just wanted to tell you that I think you spoke beautifully and in a way that everyone can understand. 

    I also believe that love should come first, and it seems that those who are hardest to love, need it the most.
    Thank you for sharing your opinion!
    Dawn
    (A pansexual woman in a hetero-marriage, atheist, and friend of Mariellen.)

  5. Wow… Sometimes all people need is a new perspective and you’ve given that in a truly brilliant way 🙂 I agree, who are we to judge anyone?

    While homosexuality is not a life choice I would make for myself, I do have friends who have… famaily even… Am I to love them any less becuase who they have chosen to love is looked upon as a sin???? I think not

  6. I think more christians need to read this and remember it

    I’M A CHRISTIAN By Maya Angelou

    When I say… “I am a Christian”
    I’m not shouting “I’m clean livin.”
    I’m whispering “I was lost,”
    Now I’m found and forgiven.

    When I say…”I am a Christian”
    I don’t speak of this with pride.
    I’m confessing that I stumble
    and need CHRIST to be my guide.

    When I say… “I am a Christian”
    I’m not trying to be strong.
    I’m professing that I’m weak
    and need HIS strength to carry on.

    When I say… “I am a Christian”
    I’m not bragging of success.
    I’m admitting I have failed
    and need God to clean my mess.

    When I say… “I am a Christian”
    I’m not claiming to be perfect,
    My flaws are far too visible
    but, God believes I am worth it.

    When I say… “I am a Christian”
    I still feel the sting of pain,
    I have my share of heartaches
    So I call upon His name.

    When I say… “I am a Christian”
    I’m not holier than thou,
    I’m just a simple sinner
    who received God’s good grace, somehow.

  7. Anna

    This was very well written and expresses my view. Thank you for stating it so eloquently.

    Anna

  8. Kooper Caldwell

    Again someone who only reads what they want to in the Bible.  Yes, the Bible is about love, love for his people that he created, love for those who follow him and so on. But The Bible also talks about hate, and if you do a word search on it, it probably meets or excedes the times it talks about love. the Bible says that God hates with a perfect Hatred. That is something that is very hard for us to do at times, but it’s possible. God talks about destroying nations, wiping out a whole race, and of course what happens to those he is going to punish for enternity. Go back and read Revelation is you want to see a little more. Too many times people with just enough knowledge of the Bible make statements to make everyone look bad.

    • Tam

      Yes, it’s *them* making everyone look bad. Wow.

    • Where does it ever say God hates with a perfect hatred????? I have been going to church and loving God my whole life, and I read the Bible through completely every year, and I have never read that or heard that except from those nutty Westboro Baptist folks. Are you one of them? My jaw just literally dropped to the floor.

    •  Kooper, do you have a reference for “God hates with a perfect hatred?”  David says in one of his psalms that he hates God’s enemies with a perfect hatred, but I don’t know of anywhere that says God hates like that. 

      But assuming it did, I would say that God’s hatred is ‘perfect’ because it comes from His love.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 or 6 that to be perfect like our Father in heaven, we should love our enemies, pray for them and do good to those who do wrong to us.

      If God ‘hates’ anyone, His hatred is not like ours, because His ways are higher than ours.   God’s counts as “enemies” the ones who hurt their fellow men instead of loving, who are oppressors of the weak, who turn a blind eye to injustice, who are prideful and scornful towards others, who are hypocrites, etc.   Unlike us, he is also ready to forgive any enemy of His who repents of his ways and is willing to do what is right.

      As David writes so often in his psalms, God’s mercy lasts forever.  He will punish His enemies forever, until He destroys every root of selfish, prideful evil in them … at which point they will no longer be enemies, will they?  They will have become recipients of His mercy, as Paul explains in Romans, particularly in chapters 9-11.  All are bound to disobedience so that they can receive God’s mercy. 

    • Pam

       Wow, you couldn’t write a respectful reply with your point of view without insulting a lovely woman who is doing a beautiful job of emulating Jesus? “Again someone who only reads what they want to in the Bible.”   “Too many times people with just enough knowledge of the Bible make statements to make everyone look bad.”

      • Dee

        Gimme a break.  She IS a hypocrite… and she is NOT emulating Jesus.  The fact that she said she didn’t want to be a hypocrite so she closed by saying, “I love you” to Mr. Cathy, is just her being a smart-alleck.  The entire article reeks of her own positive opinion toward homosexuality while obviously disagreeing with Mr. Cathy.  YET, she preached that to love Mr. Cathy she must embrace what he believes and practices (um, yeah, remember that?  how she disagrees and doesn’t want to “fall back” on the sin versus sinner analogy?).  I guess when she said, “I love you,” she really meant that she loves what he’s doing also.  Jen just demonstrated true hypocricy… do you REALLY love Mr. Cathy?  “Simply?”  “Fully?” “Unconditionally?”  Somehow I doubt it.  Thanks, Jen, for demonstrating precisely how you can indeed love the sinner and not the sin.  You hypocrite.

        • pathlesstaken

          You sound very angry, so I hope that attacking me has made you feel better.

          • Dee

            So you’re sarcastic, but who’s counting?  And, thank you… but you’re off base.  Actually no, I’m not angry, bitter, or even hateful. I’m PASSIONATE, as we all should be.  But so long as we’re on that topic of ‘having brains’ (in a previous post), you should be mindful that just because you have a forum with which to express your opinion, in doing so you’ve given the rest of us a forum as well so don’t patronize those of us who use ‘our’ brains and challenge you to think a little more about the contradictions you express.

            That being said,  you still avoided the issue. 

          • pathlesstaken

            Yes, I’m sarcastic.  But that response was not.  I really DO hope you feel better after telling me – and everyone else- how hypocritical I am.  You seemed to need to get it off your chest.  You’ve made it very clear that you’ve made your mind up about me, so I can’t imagine that responding any further would make a bit of difference.

          • Dee

            What I did, Jen, was call you out on hypocritically telling Mr. Cathy that you love him when you previously made it quite clear that you didn’t “love” what he was doing.  But your entire issue was that we can’t have both… love the sinner, not the sin. 

            I haven’t criticized you for your sarcasm.  I criticized you for doing precisely what you said you set out NOT to do… be a hypocrite.  You PROVED that a) you believe homosexuality to be a sin, otherwise wouldn’t have used it as an example and b) that you can indeed “love” –or say you do, anyway– someone without loving him or what he stands for. 

            Admit it, Jen!  You contradicted yourself and you just don’t like being called out on it.  If that makes me sound angry, then “guilty as charged.”

          • Dee

            (2 of 2) Oh, and uh… don’t take it personally, Jen.  You said I “made it very clear that [I’ve] made up [my] mind about you…”

            Actually, I just disagree with the way you portrayed your point of view in the article.  I love you… just not what you wrote.

        • Pam

          Wow. I am saddened that you are so angry that you feel the need to be vicious. I pray that you find peace.

    • mich1916

      Kooper,
       God has the capacity for perfect hatred as you put it because he has perfect understanding and perfect love. As his children we are striving  to be as he is, we do not have perfect understanding yet.  We have not overcome all things or taken upon us the sins of the world, so we are certainly not capable of perfect hate yet. God’s role(among many) is that of judge,  he can wipe out nations and punishments for eternities, his earned that right ! HIs children are dependent on him for mercy and forgiveness. It’s our role to love and forgive, because until we have left this world and our own judgement is complete, we are all sinners!

  9. Beautifully and LOVINGLY expressed. Brava!

  10. Joevarro

    I was surprised when I did a word study on the difference between “abomination” and “sin”. There IS a difference, I think people would be surprised 🙂  That doesn’t make anything right, but maybe would get people to align thier priorities better…….

  11. Shauna

    I was a born again Christian in my teen years, but eventually moved away from it when I realized that the Christians I knew were the meanest most judgmental people I knew . (including myself as a teen).  I love your viewpoint here, and  know that the world needs more Christians like you! Thank you for what you write and who you are in the world! Love is the answer. 

    • Pam

      I am sorry for your experience, but I am not surprised. This is one of the saddest things that I hear, when people are pushed away by those who label themselves as Christians, but clearly don’t really understand what that means.  I hope your heart heals & you can see the love of Jesus & his followers for you.

  12. Sandy B

    Well said. 

  13. Indigoizs

    Jen.
    A thoroughly thoughtful piece you have written. I personally cannot think of my self as a christian in the same ways these days due to the fact that I do not follow the thought that we are sinners. I believe we have erred in our thinking taking a pathway of fear and not love. I cannot believe that God would know anything but love. Thank you for trying to speak in a balanced thoughtful loving way.

  14. Paladin

    A Christian should hate sin though. God hates sin!

    Excusing homosexuality because it it politically the popular thing to do is not right. If something is wrong, you should not be afraid to say so.

    As a follower of Jesus Christ, I am a major sinner. When I sin, I hate the sins I have commited and I ask for forgiveness. I don’t hate myself, and neither does Jesus. He forgives me and still loves me. I will be the first to point out my own faults before anyone elses.

     To me, it is very easy to hate the sin, but love the sinner. The bible says nothing good can come from embracing sin. Please correct me and show me in the Bible where it says otherwise.

    • pathlesstaken

      But I never said to “embrace” sin?  As for excusing homosexuality because it is the “popular” thing to do…..  My personal beliefs (when it comes to many, many things) are extremely UNpopular, particularly among my Christian family and friends.  Hence the name, The Path Less Taken.  🙂  But I don’t have to answer to them;  just to God. 

      • Dee

        I can love my friends who are doing things I don’t like and consider sinful.  It isn’t up to you, the country, or popular vote to determine what I believe to be sinful.  That being said, your opinion of the “sin versus sinner” analogy is the same as saying I can’t “love” a person without “loving” what they’re doing … in fact, you said I was trying to change them (which isn’t always a bad thing) and being conditional about my love if I love the person yet hate their sinful behavior!  Jesus loved sinners so much that he went right into the places where they were so as to be with them… and does that in spirit today.  But even He is on a quest to make a heart anew… isn’t that TO CHANGE?  He NEVER stated, implied, or demonstrated that I can’t love my brethren in an agape way while dis-liking their sin.

        If you don’t believe homosexuality to be sinful, then just say so.  Don’t hide behind this whole thing about sin versus sinner.  If you don’t believe homosexuality to be sinful then what does it matter how you interpret “love the sinner, not the sin,” anyway?  You wouldn’t use homosexuality as your basis of debating sin if you didn’t believe it to be so.  If I believe homosexuality to be sinful, that doesn’t mean I can’t love a homosexual “unconditionally.”  Gah… get your story straight.  I’m not sure you know what you believe.  (But that’s better than talking out of both sides of your mouth.)

      • Wait… what?  I don’t remember ever being asked about my opinions?!

  15. Amy L

    To use the Southern Poverty Law Center as your basis for “hate groups” is sad.  Have you seen the whole list?  They are as far to the left as anyone can get so they are not mainstream at all.  Focus on the Family, American Family Association and Concerned Women for American are also on their list just because they disagree with the SPLC on homosexuality.   Homosexuality is a choice for those individuals that choose that lifestyle.  There are consequences to all of our choices.  I personally have made some very bad choices in my life and have paid big time for them.  As a Christian, I believe that God is sad with all sin and we all have sinned.  I personally try not to judge others, but some judgement may be good for the person being judged – it may help them change their behavior. 

    We should be able to lovingly tell people where they are wrong in their behavior.

    • pathlesstaken

      And that’s where we fundamentally disagree.  I don’t believe someone “chooses” to be gay any more than I chose to be straight.

    • pathlesstaken

      As for the Southern Poverty Law Center, whether you think it’s sad or too far left or not mainstream enough … doesn’t change the fact that they HAVE recognized it as a hate group. 

    • Becauseitssmarter

      When exactly did you choose to be heterosexual in your life?  There may be reprecussions, but there has been nothing loving about how homosexuals have been told they’re “wrong” in this country. 

  16. thanks Jen for a great post~! I agree 100%

  17. Cardenie

    I agree with the bottom-line sentiment in your post…loving and accepting people unconditionally…it’s what I strive to daily. But I think the cause of why some Christians treat people not-so-nice is being overlooked. The fact that the bible can be used to support/justify both wonderful and hateful things should be a clue to its arbitrary nature. It seems like you’re not acknowledging the real basis people have for their hateful behavior/speech, as if it is coming out of left field, when it comes directly from the bible. 

    I think it’s great when people see that yeah, that part in the bible isn’t so good and doesn’t match our modern reality and doesn’t engender respect for people, so I’ll leave that part alone and accept this part that is good. But not every religious person thinks like that. Again, I think there is no recognition that the people that are spewing hate towards particular groups (now and in the past) are just trying to be consistent with what they believe is a book written by god, to be followed for all times. For them, leaving certain parts to the stone age, such as being indifferent to gay marriage/relationships, s a grave sin against their god. 

    • pathlesstaken

      No, I don’t think that it’s coming out of left field, and I get that people are just trying to follow the Bible (or at least their interpretation of it)  I love God, and I love the Bible, but I think that people forget that we were given working, thinking, brains for a reason… and that everything always needs to be measured against our own sense of reason, and goodness, and common sense.  

  18. Joannck1

    All individuals should be allowed to worship and believe as they choose.  But whatever you believe should be your beliefs and to respect others is something of all religions.  Who is to stay which religious thoughts are right and which are wrong.  Be it Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or whatever, everyone has the “God given” right to believe as he or she sees fit.  If you think marriage should be between a man and woman, believe that.  Don’t marry someone of the same sex.  But please, don’t expect others to live by YOUR beliefs and rules.  With all the hate and anger in the world, why contribute even more?  

  19. I’ve been torn about this subject of Chick Fil A as well. My family and I are Christian but I understand the fact that the people of America have the right to be whatever religion they want or dont want. Too many Christians have been telling others how God views marriage stated from the Bible. It says in the Bible not everyone will accept this faith, not everyone will accept Christ. We as Christians need to respect other viewpoints, opinions, religions, and all walks of life. We are not to be “cookie cutters” of the same product. I love diversity in America it is what makes us so unique from other countries. We do need to express love, acceptance and respect. I didn’t go there on Wednesday because I didnt want to be seen or judged as a hypocrite. I didn’t want to be a part of that mess that is causing political and religious division. I ate Chinese food instead, to me that showed respect for diversity and acceptance a whole lot better.

  20. I’m from Australia so the only thing I have heard of this is from what my american friends post on facebook.  I expected to come and read much of the same that I have already read but was pleasantly surprised to read a new angle, and such a Christ-like angle.  Yes let’s love. Period. Through love we will show God’s true glory and true character, not through hatred.  A God of hate is not one I know, and thankfully one I have never encountered in my own journey with him.

  21. Dee

    Whether I believe homosexuality to be a sin or not, this article simply confuses the issue and, quite frankly, insults me.  Loving the sinner and hating the sin is “putting conditions” on my love?  Hmmmmm.  No.

    What if that sin was drug abuse?  What if that sin was pedophilia?  What if that sin was domestic violence?  Let’s not use a controversial, politically-charge topic such a homosexuality to try and persuade people by guilting or shaming them into believing it is incomprehensible to (for example) love my brother but hate that he is a rapist!  Do I want him to change?  ABSOLUTELY! Wishing, hoping, and praying for someone to change a sin (i.e. behavior, action– the verb) DOES NOT mean that I put a condition on my love! 

    Regardless of what we define as sin, we should ALL be in agreement that your criticism of applying this analogy really has nothing to do with the heart of the homosexuality debate. We absolutely CAN love the sinner (the noun) and hate, despise, loathe the sin (the verb, the action, the behavior)… and are EXPECTED TO.  When people in our country can’t even agree as to whether homosexuality is a sin or not, how dare you criticize people who practice loving people without necessarily loving what they do!  I certainly don’t mind that my parents love me and treat me without conditions DESPITE the fact that I married someone without their blessing.  In fact, if I were a homosexual, I would hope and pray that someone might love me despite how they feel about the way I choose to live my life! 

    I can’t believe someone is short-sighted enough to preach (and write about it!) loving the sinner AND the sin (which is really what you’re saying, Jen, when you say that it is impossible to truly love if you hate the sin), otherwise I’m putting conditions on my love and I long to change them.  That’s just absurd.  I can love the brother who was created in God’s image, WHILE HATING the fact that he murdered someone’s child!  I’m called to do it the same as I am to love my sister who gossips.  God didn’t rank sin.  But don’t use homosexuality as the basis for your criticism of the “sin versus sinner” analogy becasue, ironically, for that to hold water you’d have to admit homosexuality to be a sin first.  Without even realizing it, you’ve lumped homosexuality into the category of sin itself. 

    • Becauseitssmarter

       No one said “love the sin” other than you that I’ve seen.  They’ve said it’s not your place to judge in the place of God.  If some one has committed a crime such as domestic violence or rape, then they will face a criminal court.  But yes, Jesus Christ would recommend you love even your most vile of enemies.  That is what being a Christian is about.  No one ever said it was easy.

      • Dee

        I’m sorry, becauseitssmarter, but nowhere did I use the words, “love the sin” and especially not in the context in which you imply… I did not refer to Jen as having said that.   In case you missed the big picture of that article, you’re being told that you can’t love a person while hating their sinful nature at the same time.  We must  “simply love” because hating one’s sin would mean we seek to change the person or put conditions on our love.  That’s just ridiculous. 

    • Carey Schwenzer

      People misapply the Bible all the time. Jesus showed conditional love in the Bible. He did expect people to change….leave their life of sin and follow Him. And He loved them. The woman who was about to be stoned for adultery was told to “go and sin no more.” Jesus saw a repentant heart. His love was conditional upon her being sorry for the life of sin she led (past tense). He expected/requested she sin no more. This is different than the kind of love everyone thinks the Bible exemplifies. I would like to see one example someone could give me where Jesus loved a sinner who arrogantly decided he/she was going to continue living a life of sin.

      • pathlesstaken

        And before he told the adulterer to sin no more, he told the rest of the people around her to “let he who is without sin throw the first stone.” 

      • Tandemonimom

        >>  would like to see one example someone could give me where Jesus loved a sinner who arrogantly decided he/she was going to continue living a life of sin. <<

        Praying "Father forgive them" for the people who were nailing him to the cross comes to mind.

  22. Becauseitssmarter

    Thank you for your post. You’ve said what many have been trying to say and done it with grace.

    “We are forbidden to usurp God’s place as judge, or to pass unjust and uncharitable and needless judgments.”

  23. Jenn,  I’ve been reading your blog for a long time and I just wanted to tell you how wonderful this post was and what a wonderful example you are to your children, your community and your faith.  I am not religious at all ( perhaps spiritual more in an agnostic or buddhist sense and my husband is an atheist) but I follow your blog for its terrific approach to parenting and family life. And i fully respect and admire others devotion to their faith. You have hit the nail on the head with what bothers me about so many professed Christians who hold hate, prejudice and judgement in their hearts and demonstrate these examples for their children. How do you expect to get into heaven hating and acting against the basic human rights of other people???  To take an ancient text like the Bible and to interpret in a manner it may have not been intended, and apply to modern life is misguided. Gay and lesbian people who are consenting adults and share their lives with other consenting adults deserve all the  civil rights, respect and pursuit of happiness as anyone else. Mr. Cathy is entitled to his opinion, but crosses the line of acceptability when his company donates millions to known hate organizations. This is no different that the efforts at segregation  of schools, lunch counters and other infringements to the civil rights of minorities in the  1960’s . The hatred of gays is driven by teh same fear, intolerance and hate. But it will change over time just as issues of race has. Time will bear this out . In the meantime, keep up the terrific posts and be very proud that you are setting an example of love for your children. Its really all we need. 

  24. I’m so tired of hearing about whether or not we should spend $6 on a chicken sandwich that is one step below mediocre I could punch someone.  That having been said you summed up my thoughts better than anything else I’ve read.  Thanks.

  25. Jen, the Southern Poverty Law Center lumps the FRC with the likes of the KKK and other hate groups. They are themselves a pretty radical organization. Please don’t let them be your hate compass. Also, though Cathy’s remarks are centered on the Bible, that’s not the entirety of the argument. It’s not just because someone said homosexuality is a sin. The greater issue is the uniquely Biblical wisdom that the society should maintain a distinction of the sexes, in their roles in the family at least and roles in society at best. It’s not about sinful acts, it’s about an ideal standard for the honrorific given to a committed man and woman. Matrimony is, afterall, a vocation and not a right.

    • pathlesstaken

      The thing is though, no matter what you or I anyone thinks about the SPLC, and whether or not the FRC *is* actually a hate group, they are still willingly donating funds to these groups that exist to spread contempt towards a certain group of individuals.   Regardless how you feel about homosexuality or the Bible, that’s just not a very nice thing to do.

  26. Abe

    Jen- a friend directed me to your page. I am curious–does the God of your Bible send people to hell?  It seems confusing to love people all the way down the road to hell without telling them that God does have lines and crossing them in any way (see James 2:10) makes us guilty of all.  So stealing a pack of gum is the same as murder–either one gets you the death sentence unless you have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ.Seeing people in sin and doing nothing to direct them to God and His saving grace–now that seems more like hate.
    The biggest part of your problem is you are not reading the whole Bible.  Many places homosexuality is condemned as wrong.  NOWHERE is it excused. But if you don’t see it as wrong then you can justify around it and claim we need to love. you need to look at what God says and accept His definition. 
    And before you dismiss it all–this is a terribly hard topic for me.  My brother is a gay man.  He preached a lot of God is love, acceptance, tollerance…. but according to the Bible I have my brother is at odds with God and the Bible with his lifestyle. He has reformulated God to be accepting and loving and not hold homosexuality against him because it is love. But we don’t get to remake God and God’s rules and God’s Words. To try and ammend them to suit your purpose of ‘love’ is to make yourself as God and if you have read Genesis that is what started all the problems…..

  27. Evansessence

    Just for clarification: The Bible is very clear on the topic of homosexuality.  Leviticus 20:13: “And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” God puts a very high price on sexual immorality, the world tries to make it ok. Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed in Genesis because of their sin and unwillingness to repent and turn to God. One of those sins being homosexuality. I just find it so funny how Chick-fil-a is being so harshly criticized for their stance on marriage being between one man and one woman and yet many American’s purchase products and services from companies that support and help fund anti-American terrorist groups. One example of this is many of the oil companies that purchase oil from countries who are anti-American. We choose to live in the dark about where many of our products come from and attack a wholesome American company that invests in the great Country. Where is the justice here. Dan Cathy is not plotting to take down America nor is he funding terroristic groups. American’s need to open their eyes to real threats to our freedom and stop trying to destroy an American company that gives money to loyal employees to help them further their education and gives many American’s a much needed job. Also, many people call themselves christians but there is a difference in true Christianity. Just because you go to a christian church or do good things does not make you a Christian. True Christians have gotten a bad name because there are many people out there who call themselves Christians and do not live by the standards set forth by the Lord. Please do not judge all Christians by the miss guided comments and actions of so called christians. GOD BLESS AMERICA AND GOD BLESS CHICK-FIL-A

    • pathlesstaken

       http://www.thegodarticle.com/7/post/2011/10/clobbering-biblical-gay-bashing.html

      • Evansessence

        You see, I am not trying to play God. I am not saying that I or anyone else is better or worse. I was just simply responding to the comment in the story that the Bible is not clear on Homosexuality. It is. I am also just stating that people need to stop trying to bash an American company that has it’s own stance on the subject and start taking a closer look at the companies that they are blindly supporting. There are many out there that are taking our money and  supporting terror groups that plot against us. Everyone is going to chose their stance on Homosexuality but I think the most important thing here it to stop and take a look at where our money (and lots of it) is going. I personally love my country and the fact that we have so  many liberties. I would like to keep it that way and not fund terrorist groups that plot to take us down. That was the purpose of my comment.

        Oh and to also say, most of the people who label themselves as christians are not.

  28. Cardenie

    I think there is a difference between fully accepting a person and respecting their lifestyle choices versus tolerating what you deem to be wrong and not making a fuss about it (but harboring hopes they will change). And I think its pretty obvious that when Jen talks about accepting choices, she does not mean the choice to kill or rape someone. Come on folks.

    However, I also think Dee and others brought up some valid points. The Bible is clear on its stance regarding homosexuality. Now one can most certainly choose to ignore those texts and do their own thing. But trying to rationalize or place a different spin on these versus is intellectually dishonest in my opinion. And in full disclosure, I am an atheist and regard the stories of the Bible in the same manner as Greek myths.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.