[Darris McNeely] Who would ever think that a chicken sandwich could be controversial? Well, it has been. In the United Kingdom, they're shutting down the last and the only Chick-fil-A franchise. Let me read to you a headline that came out of the New York Times, it says that, "Just days after Chick-fil-A's first restaurant in the United Kingdom opened amid protests by activists from the company's opposition to same-sex marriage, the chain, the Chick-fil-A chain, said it will close the site in six months."

So if you go to the United Kingdom, you're not gonna be able to get a Chick-fil-A sandwich. It's a sad situation because it's a sad commentary on the culture wars that we are involved with and what has happened here by shutting down the last one in the United Kingdom is not unlike what has happened in the United States even though we haven't shut down the Chick-fil-A franchise in the United States, they have been prevented from opening up additional outlets in places, certain cities like New York City, as well as certain airports, all because this particular franchise has supported, openly, faith-based organizations and traditional values, and frankly, their view of the Bible, and this runs counter to the culture of many who are promoting same-sex marriage, LGBTQ issues and gender issues and identity matters in our culture today. And Chick-fil-A has become the kind of the poster boy to attack on this situation.

It is a difficult matter to deal with. We've seen this happen in the United States, and it makes you wonder where it will go from this point.

I look at a scripture, it reminded me when I read about this in the United Kingdom, because of a lot of other issues that that nation and America deals with as well. It reminded me of a scripture in the book of Hosea 7 beginning in verse 8 where it talks about the attitude of the people of God and the particular tribe of Ephraim and their inability to really discern their state, their moral condition. And God says about Ephraim in Hosea 7, "He has mixed himself among the people." Ephraim, it says, "Is a cake not turned." And what he's showing is that they're in decline, they have some very serious problems.

Talking about the ancient nation of Ephraim. It says, "Strangers have devoured his strength and he knows it not. Yes, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knows not." In other words, their time has passed. They are in a state of transition and change from which it's going to be hard to come back. And it concludes by saying, "And the pride of Israel testifies to his face and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him for all of this."

Interesting words to the ancient nation of Israel, and particularly the tribe of Ephraim within the nation of Israel. Those words could apply to Great Britain today. A cake not turned, gray hairs there, their strength devoured. The situation with such cultural clashes that is closing down a franchise like Chick-fil-A because of these cultural differences and issues is a sign of the times to understand and to realize, if it's chicken sandwiches today, what will it be tomorrow? That's something for us all to think about.

That's BT Daily. Join us next time.