NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- In Rock Hill, S.C., Wednesday, customers were waiting 75 minutes for a Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich, when they could have driven down the road to McDonald's and been in and out in five minutes.

"We feel it's important to stand with Mr. Cathy and his First Amendment right and his freedom of religion to express whatever views he believes." --SWBTS' Thomas White

It surely seemed strange to at least a few observers, but the folks in Rock Hill -- and at jam-packed Chick-fil-A restaurants across the country -- were making a statement, standing up for a chain that has been criticized by media members, politicians and activist groups because of Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy's support for the biblical definition of marriage.

"Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day," as organizer Mike Huckabee called it, may have been more successful than even he envisioned. More than 625,000 people had signed up on Facebook to participate, and it seemed that each one came -- and brought a friend.

In Clarksville, Ind., the parking lot was packed, and cars were parked in the adjacent Lowe's lot. In Kansas City, Kan., a line of at least 50 people stretched outside the doors. In Nashville, Tenn., a long line -- also at least 50 people -- waited outside the doors. And in Chicago, Ill., where local politicians had spoken against the restaurant, dozens waited outside the doors, waiting just to get inside. In some Chick-fil-As, the number of people in line was in the hundreds.

In some locations, police were on location to direct traffic, with cars backed up on main roads. Churches, too, were getting involved. In Salisbury, N.C., Cornerstone Church cancelled its Wednesday evening services so members could support the restaurant, the Salisbury Post reported. But at Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn. -- as well as at a host of other congregations -- church officials were ordering Chick-fil-A food to serve at their weekly Wednesday evening meal.

For most if not all day Wednesday, #chickfila was trending on Twitter. Some people even were pledging to eat at the restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Read More