If you have not heard about all the hoopla recently surrounding Chick-fil-A, where have you been? JK, but not really. It's a bit insane. There are huge protests and Chick-fil-A Appreciation events going on, and it's all over a single issue. Gay marriage. Now, regardless of where you stand on this issue, this whole thing is a bit insane if you ask me! Here is the quote that started it all:
“we’re 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. And I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude that thinks we have the audacity to redefine what marriage is all about.”
"We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit,"
Cathay was making comments regarding his and his companies beliefs and foundations. They operate based on Biblical principles. He was also speaking his personal beliefs and convictions, and in fact nothing that he said was discriminatory. The man was answering questions, and his conviction and belief and honest answer is that he supports traditional, Biblical marriage. What's the problem with that?
The other issue is that Chick-fil-A donates large sums of money to "recognized hate groups." By "recognized hate groups," what is meant is organizations that actively oppose gay marriage and support traditional marriage and laws/constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage.
In response to all of this, Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said, "While they may have been in neutral, kicking this fight into overdrive now allows fair-minded consumers to make up their own minds whether they want to support an openly discriminatory company,"
OK...seriously, "an openly discriminatory company?" Really? How are they being discriminatory? Because they are based on Biblical principles and therefore support organizations that align with those principles? Because the President is pro-family and supports traditional marriage? Ummm these things are not discriminatory. Discrimination would be if they refused to employee or serve or cater for members of the LGBT community, but they don't. "The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect -- regardless of belief, creed and sexual orientation." If you have ever been to one, the service is impeccable! Their food is good, but their customer service is beyond great, and I have never been asked whether or not I was gay before being served.
If you have strong convictions that gay marriage should be legal throughout the nation, then I fully support your ability and right to boycott Chick-fil-A by not eating there, not giving your money to them and encouraging others to do the same. That's good, and in fact, I believe it is what you should do if an organization has founding principles or actions that go against your personal convictions. However, Cathay's quotes/beliefs/convictions and the company's support of organizations that aligns with its founding principles does not make it "an openly discriminatory company" and any organization that opposes or even actively fights against gay marriage is not a "hate group."
If you oppose gay marriage, good for you, stand up for your convictions, fight for them, support organizations that support the things you do, but do so in love.
If you support gay marriage, good for you, stand up for your convictions, fight for them, support organizations that support the things you do, and don't give money to those that don't.
Regardless, though, remember something:
"Our culture has accepted two huge lies: the first is that if you disagree with someone's lifestyle, you must fear them or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don't have to compromise convictions to be compassionate." - Rick Warren
I am a huge proponent of passion, letting passion for your convictions flood you and determine your actions, but you cannot have passion completely devoid of logic. Just because you disagree with or strongly oppose an organization/movement/ideology, etc... does not mean that you hate it/them, it does not make you discriminatory, it does not make you a hate group, and those who oppose you are not evil.
Wednesday there was a huge Appreciation Day for Chick-fil-A. Today there is a huge "kiss in" planned in protest of Chick-fil-A. To me it all just seems a bit ridiculous. I mean, there is so much craziness in the world today, do we really need to be fighting over a company that serves chicken?
In the end, stand up for your convictions, but do so in love, and remember, love does not equal agreement and acceptance, and disagreement or rejection does not equal hate.
Jesus ate with (and some of His closest followers were) tax collectors(thieves), prostitutes, and other criminals/vagabonds along with doctors and religious leaders. He held mixed company, He loved everyone, but He never compromised, and He never accepted as ok, what was, in fact, sin and opposite to His law. The same needs to hold true today. We need to hold unswervingly to the hope we have in Christ. We need to love all as Christ loves all. We need to speak the Truth in LOVE!
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