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 Evangelist Billy Graham said he "appreciates" Chick-fil-A for speaking out against gay marriage and "never compromising" its Christian values. 
 
 Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy has been under attack since he said his company is "guilty as charged" for supporting biblical values and traditional marriage. 
 
 Social media has lit up with reaction to the ordeal, with some customers -- and companies -- deciding to nix ties with Chick-fil-A. 
 
 "I want to express my support for my good friends Truett Cathy and his son Dan Cathy, and for their strong stand for the Christian faith," Graham said in a press release Thursday. 
 
 "Each generation faces different issues and challenges, but our standard must always be measured by God's word," he continued. "I appreciate the Cathy family's public support for God's definition of marriage." 
 
 Graham went on to commend Chick-fil-A for its company vision and customer service. 
 
 "It's easy to see why Chick-fil-A has become so popular across America," he said. 
 
 Meanwhile, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has deemed Wednesday, Aug. 1 "National Chic-fil-A Appreciation Day." Graham said he plans to show his support by visiting Chick-fil-A that day. 
 
 Franklin Graham also applauded the chicken giant for having the "courage" to take a "bold stand" against same-sex marriage. 
 
 "In the words of the bold, biblical prophet Daniel who refused to bow to the evil culture of his day: 'The people who know their God will display strength and take action,'" Franklin Graham said. 
 
 Join the #ISupportChickfilA Twitter campaign. Tweet us @CBNNews your reason for supporting Chick-fil-A. 

 Robert Macpherson/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images 
 
 The furor over Chick-fil-A’s stance on same-sex marriage continued to grow Thursday as thousands of people on both sides of the debate took to Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms to voice their disdain or support for the fast-food chain. 
 
 Protesters also showed up at the company’s food trucks on Thursday and the Rev. Billy Graham waded into the discussion, thanking the owners of the fast-food chain for speaking out against same-sex marriage and “never compromising” the company’s Christian values. 
 
 As my colleague Kim Severson writes, a chicken sandwich “is fast becoming the culinary symbol of one of the country’s major social issues.” 
 
 Some people were baffled by the level of passion that surrounded much of the talk of chicken sandwiches. 
 
 Can someone please tell me why people are boycotting Chick Fil A? — KING KADY (@KINGKadyCakes) 26 Jul 12 
 
 Ms. Severson explains that there have been small protests in past years at Chick-fil-A’s restaurants, prompted by the millions of dollars in donations that the chain’s owners have made to organizations fighting same-sex marriage. 
 
 But now the chain, which is based in Atlanta, is facing a nationwide boycott of its 1,600 restaurants, plans for a same-sex kiss-in on Aug. 3 organized on Facebook and threats by some city officials to block the opening of new stores since the company’s president Dan T. Cathy said in an interview this month that Chick-fil-A supported “the biblical definition of the family unit.” 
 
 Led by Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, conservatives are fighting back, defending the food chain. Last weekend, Mr. Huckabee declared Aug. 1 Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day. 
 
 He reported on Thursday that the movement was gaining support. 
 
 Rick Santorum, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination, also jumped in on the discussion, posting on Twitter that he not only supports Mr. Huckabee’s efforts but brought his children to Chick-fil-A on Wednesday. 
 
 I’m joining @GovMikeHuckabee to support @ChickFilA Aug 1. Stand w us! RSVP now: http://t.co/52Yqmu7B #chickfila Pls RT — Rick Santorum (@RickSantorum) 25 Jul 12 
 
 With two of my boys, Enjoying chick-in-strips and an awesome peach shake at Chick-fil-A. See you here next Wednesday! — Rick Santorum (@RickSantorum) 25 Jul 12 
 
 Three older kids @sarah_santorum @dansantorum @johnsantorum just joined us at Chick-fil-A. They like Chick-fil-A sauce on everything! — Rick Santorum (@RickSantorum) 25 Jul 12 
 
 In a statement, Mr. Graham said he appreciated the Cathy family’s public support for “God’s definition of marriage.” 
 
 “I also appreciate Gov. Mike Huckabee’s leadership and for encouraging Americans to support Chick-fil-A on Aug. 1,” Mr. Graham 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 next Wednesday.” 
 
 On Facebook, the Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas put out a statement in support of Chick-fil-A on his Facebook page. 
 
 Beyond politicians and religious leaders, conservatives took up Chick-fil-A’s defense, posting on Twitter in droves, urging people to support the restaurants and, in some cases, including images of themselves with sandwiches. 
 
 Give Chick-fil-a Your business. Support with your $$ to show Libs who the majority is n this nation. #tcot — di kele (@Pudingtane) 26 Jul 12 
 
 Or, as in this post, a photo of distributing chicken sandwiches to the homeless. 
 
 RT @Gunnerguy1911: Support Chick-fil-A and help the feed the homeless ——-> http://t.co/rP1fyL0U #DisruptTheNarrative. #TeaParty — kris (@Kriskxx) 26 Jul 12 
 
 In response to the criticizing of Chick-fil-A by city officials in Chicago, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, saying the company did not share the same values as the people of Chicago, this Twitter user directed his message to the mayor and a City Council member. 
 
 @Alderman_Moreno @RahmEmanuel At Chick-Fil-A on Chicago Avenue. Place is rocking. Stop by. #ChickFilA #tcot http://t.co/ST7FUGbH — Bad Mayo (@Bad_Mayo) 26 Jul 12 
 
 On the other side of the debate, people shared photos of protests at the food trucks — and warnings that those chicken sandwiches contain a lot of fat and cholesterol. 
 
 HRC protested Chick-fil-A’s new food truck in Washington, D.C. today. Here’s a great photo. http://t.co/thZvjTaL — The Advocate (@TheAdvocateMag) 26 Jul 12 
 
 Love conquers hate. Stand with @hrc against chick-fil-a. Sign the pledge: http://t.co/Gy04q7CT http://t.co/FOD4tGGC — HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) 26 Jul 12 
 
 Do not support chick-fil-a! They are against gay marriage. 
 
 Every dollar you spend there goes towards anti-gay social activist organizations — Jerry (@jboxer123) 26 Jul 12 
 
 Then, this advice: 

 I stand with Chick-fil-A. 
 
 Chick-fil-A is privately owned by the Cathy family. The company president, Dan Cathy, drew the wrath of gay rights advocates and supporters when he made recent statements that some have alleged are anti-gay. 
 
 Cathy told Baptist Press that the company was unapologetically in favor of traditional marriage. 
 
 “Guilty as charged,” he said. “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.” 
 
 In a separate interview on the Ken Coleman Show — Cathy suggested that the nation could face God’s wrath over the redefinition of marriage. 
 
 “I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage,’” Cathy said. “I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we would have the audacity to try to redefine what marriage is all about.” 

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– What will you tell your children when they ask you what you were doing during the Great Chicken Wars of 2012? Since the conservative Christian Chick-fil-A franchise has been pecked at by liberal politicians, protesters, and even the Muppets for opposing gay marriage, now conservatives lending their support to the chicken chain, reports the New York Times. In addition to Mike Huckabee, who declared Aug. 1 "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day"—187,000 RSVPs so far—now tweets and messages of support are pouring in from the likes of Rick Santorum; Rev. Roger Oldham, spokesman for the Southern Baptist Convention; and even Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas. Evangelist Billy Graham has waded into the debate, too, saying he "appreciates" Chick-fil-A for not compromising its values, according to CBN News. "I want to express my support for my good friends Truett Cathy and his son Dan Cathy, and for their strong stand for the Christian faith," wrote Graham in a statement. (It turns out the US is not the only country that gets political about its chicken...)