I noticed on Twitter the picture at right of Heavenly Pizza in Searcy.


I spoke with Brandon Riley, manager of the pizza restaurant, who said it was posted in response to the U.S. Supreme Court rulings invalidating the Defense of Marriage Act and clearing the way for same-sex marriage in California. If you didn’t know, the verse in question says (New International Version):

If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

Kill gay people? A number of people read the sign that way. Riley said that’s not at all what the restaurant meant. It was merely “standing for God,” he said.


The restaurant received a lot of objections. It defended the message on Facebook.

We as a company don’t support same sex marriage, but we still care for everyone and would do anything to help. We posted a Bold Verse out of God’s word, something that as a nation we have forgotten. As a nation we have taken God out of schools, we have taken prayer out of school and the work place, and now we take another one of God’s law and throw it away. We will stand bold in honoring God’s word in and out of the work place. If you were upset with this verse, remember its God’s word, we will all stand before him in judgement.

Riley said the restaurant did remove the citation, however, and replaced it with a citation of Ephesians 6: 10-18, which says, in part, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”