The Week in Quotes (March 23 – 29)

Here are some of the week’s most notable quotes culled from news reports from across Texas, and beyond.

Anti-gay activist Scott Lively’s peculiar response to Chick-Fil-A CEO Dan Cathy, who in a recent interview expressed regret for getting the fast food company involved in the same-sex marriage debate and vowed never to do so again.

There are varying theological views about what the Mark of the Beast is, or will be, and which ones among us will face that choice of taking or rejecting it. Nevertheless, it stands as a symbol to all Christians everywhere as the choice for or against Christ when the sword is on your neck and to choose Christ means to die saved, or live condemned to hell. The stress test of pressure from “gay” bullies is not life or death, but it is an indicator of whether you have the faith and courage to choose Him over the things of this world. In my mind’s eye I used to see the Mark of the Beast as a black dot on the back of the hand. Now it looks more like a Chik Fil A sandwich. I’ll never buy another one, and I hope you won’t either.

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State Board of Education member Ruben Cortez, advocating for the addition of a Mexican-American studies elective course for Texas schools.

We have a course in floral design that is approved by the Texas Board of Education. Not every school in Texas offers it, but they can. So I don’t understand why a floral design course makes more sense than Mexican-American Studies.

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TFN President Kathy Miller and Sara Hutchinson of Catholics for Choice, writing in opposition to Hobby Lobby’s and Conestoga Wood’s challenge to the contraception mandate.

There also shouldn’t be a religious test to work as a craft-store clerk, cabinetry maker, cemetery groundskeeper or nursing home attendant — or to have access to basic health care like birth control and family planning services.

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U.S. District Judge Bernard A. Friedman, citing the testimony of University of Texas sociologist Mark Regnerus. Friedman overturned Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage on Friday.

The Court finds Regnerus’s testimony entirely unbelievable and not worthy of serious consideration.

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Larry Bethune, senior pastor at University Baptist Church in Austin and a TFN board member, writing in support of marriage equality.

We recognize Christians disagree, as they do on other topics, over what the Bible says about homosexuality and what constitutes a Christian life. Given that scholars and pastors disagree, the Bible is clearly not so clear on this issue as some claim! Notwithstanding this religious dispute, why should the religious liberty and civil rights of my congregants — gay and straight — be disregarded? Our reading of the scripture not only allows, but requires that we support the spiritual equality of our gay families and work for the justice of marriage equality under civil law.

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Janet Mefferd, complaining that the Neil deGrasse Tyson reboot of “Cosmos” does not give equal time to creationists.

Boy, but when you have so many scientists who simply do not accept Darwinian evolution, it seems to me that that might be something to throw in there. You know, the old, ‘some scientists say this, others disagree and think this,’ but that’s not even allowed.

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Creationist Ray Comfort, arguing that Cosmos host and astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson, misrepresented the Bible.

You know, the word ‘science,’ it’s kind of a magical word. ‘I believe in science.’ It just means knowledge, that’s all it means. There’s different areas of science, different areas of knowledge. When you say the Bible is not a science book, you’re saying it’s not a knowledge book? It tells us how God created the Earth!

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World Vision President Richard Stearns, announcing that the organization would permit gay Christians in legal same-sex marriages to work for the charity, a policy change that was reversed 48 hours later.

Changing the employee conduct policy to allow someone in a same-sex marriage who is a professed believer in Jesus Christ to work for us makes our policy more consistent with our practice on other divisive issues. It also allows us to treat all of our employees the same way: abstinence outside of marriage, and fidelity within marriage.

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Jill C. Morrison and the Rev. Harry F. Knox, of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, writing that Hobby Lobby’s argument in challenging the contraception mandate should alarm people of faith.

Extending the religious exemption to corporations would make a mockery of our cherished First Amendment rights. It would also, to our shame, mark another ruinous chapter in the long and dishonorable campaign to deprive poor and working-class women of control over their own most intimate and important decisions.

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Stephen Colbert, agreeing in an interview with President Jimmy Carter that from the 36,000 verses in the Bible, a person can easily find justifications for their specific views.

That’s what’s great about America: that our freedom of religion allows me to interpret the Bible exactly how it fits my worldview already.

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TFN President Kathy Miller, on the challenge to the contraception mandate now under consideration by the Supreme Court.

This radical view would subject all workers, regardless of their own deeply held personal beliefs, to their boss’s religious dictates.

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U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, arguing that corporations like Hobby Lobby should be able to legally practice religion.

This is a Justice Department that has indicted corporations for forming intent to commit a crime. [I]f you can as a corporation through your directors and officers, form the intent to commit a crime, then you can certainly, through your officers and directors form an intent to have religious beliefs.

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