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Chick-fil-A Dubbed ‘Hate Mongers’ After President Says They Oppose Gay Marriage

Jul. 19, 2012 12:31pm Madeleine Morgenstern

Image source: Baptist Press

The president of the popular fast food chain Chick-fil-A has ignited a social media firestorm after saying his company opposes gay marriage.

“Guilty as charged,” Dan Cathy told the Baptist Press when asked about the Atlanta-based company’s support of the traditional family unit.

“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,” he said in the interview, posted Monday.

While Cathy’s comments are in line with Chick-fil-A’s history of espousing Christian values — its 1,600 chicken restaurants are closed Sundays — his remarks touched off a wave of anger on the company’s Facebook page.

“Disappointed in a company that believes in upholding the bible- except for ‘all men are equal in God’s eyes’. No longer a fan- and will no longer eat in your restaurants. Leave judgement to God and God alone,” read a post by Beth Hutter.

“Hate mongers! Never again! Not another $ from me,” Duke Richards wrote.

“One customer lost,” Nick Dialfredi posted simply.

But others rallied behind the company, writing messages in support of Cathy’s comments.

“Thank you Chick-Fil-A for standing up for family values! I will stand with you and support you by eating in your restaurants!” Tonia Sullivan Mahaffey posted.

Jennifer Wyatt Burgum wrote, “I love your food AND your values!”

Another supporter posted, “Thank you for all that you stand for and support. My family will in turn support your business wholeheartedly!”

In a statement to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Chick-fil-A spokesman Don Perry said the company does not want to debate the issue of same-sex marriage.

“The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect — regardless of belief, creed and sexual orientation,” the statement said. “We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 restaurants run by independent Owner/Operators. Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.”

According to the Journal Constitution, the company also came under fire from gay rights groups last year after an independent operator in Pennsylvania supplied food to a group working to defeat pro-same-sex marriage measures.

Cathy acknowledged to the Baptist Press the company’s position was bound to be unpopular with some people, and possibly lose some customers.

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

One of those customers appears to be actor Ed Helms, known for his roles on NBC’s “The Office” and in “The Hangover.” Helms tweeted Wednesday, “Chick-Fil-A doesn’t like gay people? So lame. Hate to think what they do to the gay chickens! Lost a loyal fan.”

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Comments (1113)

Jayms
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:44pm
Nice! I’m glad he’s making a stand for his values. He doesn’t like gay marriage and that’s cool – this is America – what would we be if we didn’t make a stand for our beliefs?

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SECUREOURBORDERSNOW
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:43pm
Amen to the family unit. Chick-Fil-A is on the menu tonight.

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ThePostman
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:39pm
PETA hates meat-eating gays. Vegans do too.

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Wolfgang the Gray
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:38pm
I support Chick-Fil-A 100% in their right to have their own opinion and support the views of Christianity. I also support them with my money because their food is AWESOME! In fact, I’m going to take my family there this Saturday and give them my business and tell their manager that I support their stand 100%.

Anyone who doesn’t like that can go take a long walk off a short pier. This is still America and I have the right to free speech, the right to spend what and where I want, and stand up for the beliefs of my religion! Oh, don’t forget the right to have the best tasting chicken sandwich on the whole planet!

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elosogrande
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:37pm
I don’t think they said they hated gay people. They just said that they don’t support or believe in gay marriage. If you read the postings it appears that the hateful speech seeming to be coming from the pro-gay marriage side, not those hateful Baptists. Why is that?

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- James83940
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:41pm
  that’s the way it is in this country. it’s hateful speech if you uphold and announce you support traditional biblical values, but NOT hateful speech if you jump to erroneous conclusions and try to skew someone’s comments to fit an agenda and then say mean, hateful, disgusting things about them or their families. No that isn’t hateful speech, because you are a liberal.
  
  what a shame this country as become.
  
  Report this comment
James83940
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:37pm
So many dumb people in this country who jump to conclusions and accept outright misnomers.

Mr. Cathy didn’t say Chik-fil-a HATES gay people. He said Chik-fil-A supports traditional marriage values. You can hate the sin and still love the sinner.

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- momrules
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 2:49pm
  But he did not say he SUPPORTS homosexuals and gay marriage. To the homosexual mind that is the same thing as wishing them all dead.
  
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Midwestgirl1116
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:37pm
I LOVE Chick-fil-a. Always go to their restaurants when I am in Texas.

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Deibido
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:34pm
Cry, cry cry… blah, blah, blah… Sit down and shut-up, each your chicken sandwich. Go to McDonald’s or Burger King if you don’t like it…. you can get all the politically correct and thug-a-licious food you want, right? Bye, bye if your really that stupid? I think I’ll eat at Chick-fil-a five days a week now!

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libh8er
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:33pm
I haven’t been to one of their restaurants before…. but, now I will make a weekly visit.

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TLMOON2112
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:33pm
If I were advising Mr Cathy I would have said to answer the question, “no” with this explanation. Its hard to oppose something that doesnt exist. There is no such thing as “gay marriage”. 2 gay people cannot be “married”. They can be in a relationship, a sick relationship at that, but “marriage” is 1 man and 1 woman so the “gay marriage” label is an oxymoron….it simply doesnt exist and the answer to the question would be “no, I dont oppose something that doesnt exist”.

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BoonevillePhil
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:33pm
Chick-Fil-A will see their business explode because they are a VICTIM of the Christian-hating bigots.

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- James83940
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:37pm
  yep. i hope so.
  
  Report this comment
- COFemale
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:56pm
  The one in my neighborhood, even when it isn’t lunch time, is jam packed with people. Sometimes it is hard to find a seat. They won’t be hurting for business. In fact, it will probably be harder to find a seat after this.
  
  Report this comment
AnAmericanToo
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:30pm
I wish that Mr. Cathy has NOT stated that he views ‘…are bound to make some people unhappy” but rather stated “I believe that communities and customers will respect us for having the courage to state our values. We are living in a society these days where so many people and companies stand for nothing.”

Not every business wants to be another “Target” nor another “Macey’s Dept. Store” where they will do anything for a dollar. (See: Target selling Che’ t-shirts (pulled under protest by customers), Target selling homosexual t-shirts and cards; Macey’s firing Christian woman in Texas for not allowing a male customer to use the women’s dressing room because he claimed to be transgender) Some businesses opt to function with different values. In social terms — this might be called DIVERSITY.

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Americanfortruth58
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:25pm
If Obama were a Christian as he says he is then why doesn’t he know and understand Jude 1:7?

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scootervanneuter
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:25pm
For some reason I’m suddenly hungry for Chick-Fil-A today – MMmmmm

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Seabass82
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:24pm
Eat-mor-chikin

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ravendoe
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:24pm
“Chick-Fil-A doesn’t like gay people?”

Chick-Fil-A did not say they don’t like gay people, they said they do not agree with the belief of gays being able to marry each other, based on the word of the Lord.

Jesus said to love everyone, why is it so hard for people to understand you can disagree and can still be capable of loving someone? Just because someone is unwilling to accept love that is offered to them doesn’t change the fact that it was love. When a person only accepts love on their own terms, it just makes them hypocritical because that means they become the judge.

Proverbs 16:2
All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.

Luke 6:32
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those that love them.

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TROLLMONGER
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:23pm
You gotta love all of the right wing christian hypocrites defending a company for excluding a group of people just bc of their sexual orientation. If this was a company that excluded religeous people you beckbots would be all up in arms about it. Double standard much?!?!?! Ahh yes!!!

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- ravendoe
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:42pm
  This is where you have misunderstood. CFA is not excluding gays because of their sexual orientation. They choose to exclude themselves based on the fact Chick-Fil-A has an opinion that differs from their own. CFA said they do not agree with their belief in same sex marriage. No where did it say CFA hates gays.
  
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- riseandshine
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:43pm
  They’re excluding people?….I guessed I missed that.
  
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- phillyatheist
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 2:16pm
  Christians get off on bigotry and hating non-Christian thinking. it’s no wonder they are rallying around this story. eat more chickin’, b/c they too hate the gay! more hate is more better. very Christian.
  
  i’ll stay Atheist, thank you very much.
  
  Report this comment
- momrules
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 2:56pm
  Homosexuals are quite welcome from what I understand.Mr. Cathy respects all people but does not support homosexual marriage. If you or any homosexual goes into one of his restaurants and keep your lifestyle where it should be, out of the public realm, you will be treated with respect.
  
  Is that too much to ask?
  
  Report this comment
- The_Cabrito_Goat
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 2:56pm
  Disagreement = hate
  
  Uh huh….
  
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- DLV
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 7:21pm
  Honestly, Philly will you ever stop spouting off nonsense against Christians? No, didn’t think so.
  
  Continue with your lies…
  
  Report this comment
- binge_thinker
  Posted on July 20, 2012 at 12:35am
  @ philly
  
  Because you are an insane, bigoted, hate filled liberal, you missed the clearly stated point. How does an issue of such small impact become the top social issue of the day? Liberal Propaganda for a liberal purpose being propagated by liars like you.
  
  Report this comment
Americanfortruth58
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:23pm
Thank you Chick-fil-A for standing strong. I don’t want us to become a Sodom and Gomorrah who serve as an example of the hell we will face for this perversion. Jude 1:7

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texasderek
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:22pm
I am going to buy TWO Chick-Fil-A meals this evening…. and go home to my wife of 33 years….and say a blessing over it before I eat it.
And… The homosexual community can kiss my grits !!!

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TROLLMONGER
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:22pm
Owned by a bunch of bible thumping fascists. Their food is just as bland as their minds, too. Ick!!…LOL!

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- Git-R-Done
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 4:57pm
  Since when do you Marxists have minds? LOL
  
  And I doubt that Chick-Fil-A will miss you.
  
  Report this comment
DiamondDog
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:21pm
The same people whining about Chic-Fil-A have known about their policies for years. It is nothing new and I bet it does not cost them one penny in revenue because these people were already eating elsewhere.

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EdtheK
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:21pm
“One of those customers appears to be actor Ed Helms, known for his roles on NBC’s “The Office” and in “The Hangover.” Helms tweeted Wednesday, “Chick-Fil-A doesn’t like gay people? So lame. Hate to think what they do to the gay chickens! Lost a loyal fan.”…
I would think that if there were any “gay” chickens they would be turned into tasty meals just like all the other chickens.
Funny thing though, I do not think there is such a thing as a lesbian chicken, egg laying, yes, gay no.
When I used to live down south I loved Chick-Fil-A, wish I had them up north here..

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golfer8805
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:21pm
Chic-fil-a hates the same people I hate! Yay, I will eat there more often to show them that I support their hate!

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- phillyatheist
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 2:17pm
  exactly. hate is glory to the Lord! Christians are becoming more like the Westboro Baptist Church by the day.
  
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- golfer8805
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 2:40pm
  Its scary how easily they can hate an entire group of people simply because they are told to. Im still waiting to hear a good reason why I should care about someone else’s sexual habits.
  
  Report this comment
- phillyatheist
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 2:49pm
  GOLFER – i suspect it’s because they are on a mission to save souls. oddly enough, many so called Christians practice perverse sexual acts that i or you might find extremely off kilter. do i care? not a lick.
  
  also, studies have been done that show that the most religious states in the country download the most porn. any chance some of this is lesbian porn? lol.
  
  Report this comment
- Git-R-Done
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 4:58pm
  Phillyatheist – Any proof to back your claims, pinko?
  
  Report this comment
- DLV
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 7:23pm
  No, Git R done, philly is just in his own little fantasy world. Sssshhh don’t spoil it for him. It’s fascinating to read….
  
  Report this comment
- davidroneal07
  Posted on July 22, 2012 at 4:37am
  phillyatheist- i see where your getting your idea of a Christian from the westboro baptist church!!!!!! Just to let you know us Christians disagree with their beliefs!!!!! and the things they say!!!!!! I hope golfer8805 isn’t one of your examples of Christian because from the stuff he wrote he’s not acting like one….golfer8805 Again where does it say anything about Chick-fil-A hating homosexuals???????
  
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Listen_then_think
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:19pm
Bravo and amen Chickfila! I will try to eat there more.

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ferggie
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:17pm
Congrats on sticking up for your values. If the gay community doesn’t like it then they can shop somewhere else. To all the gays out there bitch!n@, We DO NOT HAVE TO ACCEPT YOUR BELIEF AND WAY OF LIFE. You don’t like that then tough SH!! Why should 97% of the population have to bow to the 3%?

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- golfer8805
  Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:25pm
  My holy book says that I can’t eat pork, therefore no one should be able to eat pork. Perfect logic.
  
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