Ala. Pastor Claims Great Flood Shows God's Anger at Gay Marriage
An Alabama church pastor, defending chain-food restaurant Chick-fil-A in its decision to support the traditional definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, has pointed to the biblical Great Flood as an example of what could happen if society embraces same-sex marriage.
"One society in history that first offered marriage certificates to same-sex couples you think would be Sodom and Gomorrah, or Rome or Greece – but it was actually the society just prior the Flood," said Pastor Aaron Fruh of Knollwood Church in Mobile, Ala., during a phone interview on the program "Nothing But the Truth".
"In the Mishneh, which is the rabbinical interpretation of the Torah, in Jewish theology, they say that's why God brought the flood, because civilization was destroying itself – there would be no more procreation, there would be no more husband and wives having children and furthering society," Fruh added.
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The Alabama pastor was adamant that his biblical example held water and continued:
"And so I challenge anyone to look up any society in human history that tried that experiment and lived to tell about it. They have all been destroyed – because as Dan Cathy said, we are shaking our first in the face of God. So when it comes to civilization and society, God knew that the people of the Earth were going to destroy themselves through same-sex marriage, and that is why he brought the Flood."
Pastor Fruh is a frequent guest on "Nothing But the Truth," which is affiliated with American Family Radio and the American Family Association. According to Knollwood Church's website, the minister earned his M.A. in educational ministries from Wheaton College and his bachelor's degree from Bethany University in Santa Cruz, Calif.
Gay activists around the country have been campaigning hard against Chick-fil-A and its president Dan Cathy, a Christian, over their support for the traditional definition of marriage.
"There are consequences for one's actions, statements and beliefs. Because of this man's (Cathy's) ignorance, I will deny Chick-fil-A a permit to open a restaurant in my ward," said Chicago Alderman Joe Moreno in an article for the Chicago Tribune last Thursday.
"Well, guilty as charged," Cathy has said about his support of heterosexual marriage. "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."
Activists have held protests at several Chick-fil-A restaurants across the country and have urged a boycott of their food products, but some pastors in the U.S. have urged their congregations to defend the fast food chain by supporting them financially.
"Let's go to Chick-fil-A this Wednesday to support religious freedom in America,'" evangelical minister Robert Jeffress asked of his congregants this past Sunday at First Baptist Church of Dallas.
"This is not about bashing gays. That is not what this is about. This is about Americans and Christians standing up and saying 'enough is enough,'" Jeffress added.
Other prominent Christian figures, like former Arkansas governor and 2008 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and evangelist Billy Graham, have also expressed their support for Cathy and the restaurant.
