The Chick-Fil-A controversy.

Hi! I'm Laura. I'm energetic, I love people, I take a copious amount of sugar with my morning coffee, and I think the vast majority of people are seriously overreacting to this chick-fil-a thing.

For those who don't know, the President and COO of Chick-Fil-A recently was interviewed by the baptist press about what he believes. As near as I can tell, they were just excited to have such a successful person who is helping so many people affiliate himself with the Baptist denomination (I think after all of the recent Westboro debacles, they're desperate for someone to point to and say "Look, not all Baptists are this way!").

In this interview, he happened to mention that he, and most if not all of the other people in charge of the Chick-Fil-A company are against same-sex marriage.

This, the last statement of the interview as shared by the Baptist Press, is what everyone's so upset about. Heaven forbid society take a second to focus on the good things, like how cool it is that the company isn't open on Sunday or the neat fact that they make more money (and thus pay more in rent) working six days a week than anyone else who would occupy the buildings they're in does in seven, or even the awesome PR gold nugget that is the way they've stimulated the economy around them by making so much money and putting it to good works. Nevermind the research they've done, the fact that the people in charge of this company are some of the only corporate executives IN THE WORLD who are still happily married to their fist wives, or the jobs they've provided. No, society says. Let's instead focus on their one little controversial statement, the one where they say that they believe gay marriage is against the principles outlined in the bible.

I've got news for you, society, it is. But so is hating people, any people, for any reason. So you should be happy. Because a person who is willing to publicly admit that he believes gay marriage is unbiblical is also likely to have someone else arrested for harassing you in one of his stores for being gay. He's also more likely than people who don't believe that the bible is against gay marriage to stop you on the street if you look sad and ask what he can pray for you about. He's more likely than most of the people protesting his stores to genuinely care about you, your well being, and your right to choose.

Why?

Well, because all of that's in the bible too. "Love your neighbor as yourself" covers it all. And if that wasn't enough, "Love covers a multitude of sins," and "It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick," and Jesus' decision to hang out around a prostitute despite God's obvious and repeatedly demonstrated special dislike for sexual sins (read the old testament), and Paul saying "There is, therefore, now no condemnation..." should be adequate enough evidence for you.

Bible based Christians believe that homosexuality is wrong. But we'll love your socks off anyway because you're a person regardless of what your sexual preferences are and we love people.

Let me re-say this one more time: As Christians, it is IN OUR NATURE to love. We cannot call ourselves Christians and hate someone at the same time, and I'm sorry that some people do. I'm sorry that some people are hypocrites and they use their beliefs as an excuse to hurt you. But Christians who believe in the Bible and actively seek God like this man does are not going to hurt you. They will love you, they will help you if you need it, they will defend your safety, they will pray fervently for you, and they will teach their children to do the same.

And, just in case that wasn't clear enough: I'm a Christian. I believe that the Bible does speak very plainly about homosexuality. I have several friends who are very dear to me who - for whatever reason I can't pretend to understand, be it choice or nature - are gay. I love them to pieces, I believe they're great people. If I found out they needed help with anything, I would do everything in my power to help them. I go out of my way to cheer them up when they're sad about something. I would do the same for any of my straight friends. They're people. They're generally good people. I don't have to agree with their choices in order to love them and think they're awesome people and want to spend time with them.

So instead of creating such a big stink about that last little statement in this article, let's applaud the executives of Chick-Fil-A. Because, seriously, big corporate executives almost never stay married to their fist wives. Let's realize just how much of an amazing accomplishment that is, for the men and for their wives. Let's point out how much of a testament it is to the strength of the people involved that they're still married despite the inevitable stress associated with being one of the people who runs a company. And let's all stand up, give them a handshake and a hearty pat on the back, and move on with our lives.