A Bible Lesson On Traditional Marriage For Our Friends At Chick-fil-A

By now you are probably well aware of an American restaurant chain, Chick-fil-A and their stance against same-sex marriage. Dan Cathy is President and Chief Operating Officer of the chain which has 1,608 restaurants and had sales of more than $4 billion dollars last year.

Earlier this month, Cathy told The Baptist Press that "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."

This move against same-sex marriage comes after several campaigns in support of the institution by companies ranging from JC Penney and OREO cookies.  Former Republican Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee is organizing a "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day" for August 1st, and the stir-up has even brought 93-year-old evangelist Billy Graham out of his quiet retirement. The elder Graham usually leaves commentary for his son Franklin, but in a statement from his Montreat, North Carolina home, Billy said, “As the son of a dairy farmer who milked many a cow, I plan to ‘Eat Mor Chikin’ and show my support by visiting Chick-fil-A.”

The only problem with those who say that there is a traditional Biblical view of marriage is that they seem not to have read much about what the Bible says about marriage:

• In the verse most often quoted in support of male-female marriage, we read about Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:24-25 that: "Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed." However, as we read on, wives were subordinate to their husbands, interfaith marriages were forbidden, and a bride who could not prove her virginity were stoned to death. (One has to wonder if Chick-fil-A is planning a "Prove Your Virginity Day.")
• Genesis 38 states that if a woman's husband dies and she has borne no children, she has to marry her husbands brother and have kids with him.
• The Bible also talks about men having extra-marital affairs. Abraham had 2 concubines, Gideon and Jacob each had one, and then there's good ole Solomon, with 300 concubines. (I see a "Bring Your Mistress To Chick-fil-A And Receive Free Ice Cream" Day)
• Polygamy was also allowed in the Bible (shout out to the fundamentalist Mormons). Lamech and Jacob had two wives each, David and Gideon had an indeterminate amount, and here we go again, good ole Solomon had 700 wives.
• In the first of two very disturbing facts, under Moses' command, Israelites were to kill every Midianite man, woman and child, except for the virgin girls...who were then forced to marry their captors.
• Finally, according to Deuteronomy 22, a virgin who is raped must marry her rapist.

So please, Mr. Cathy, President of Chick-fil-A, tell me again what the traditional view of marriage is according to the Bible. It seems to me that the Bible talks a lot more about love than it does about your narrow view of marriage.

Equal marriage for all!