Chick-Fil-A fries up controversy

Call me an old man, but I remember the good old days of a certain fast-food chain called Chick-Fil-A. I remember when your biggest concern was whether or not the aforementioned restaurant had a hot batch of waffle fries, and the only controversy in the air was that it was not open on Sundays.

Oh, how I miss those days, the ones when the phrase “let’s go to Chick-Fil-A” did not start a political fire storm amongst your friends and families.

Nowadays, Chick-Fil-A has bigger fish—oops, I mean chicken—to fry.
In a July 16 article for the Christian website Baptist Press, Chick-Fil-A president and chief operation officer Dan Cathy was asked about his organization’s traditional values, specifically their belief on the traditional family setup.

“Guilty as charged,” Cathy replied when asked about his support of traditional marriage. “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.”

And just like that, the anatomy of a debate was created. Within days, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community had voiced their displeasure with the restaurant. Thousands joined in to sign online petitions—some to boycott the fast-food chain, others to support it. Politicians chimed in too. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel remarked that they would not support Chick-Fil-A stores opening in their respective cities. On the contrary, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee organized a “Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day” as a way to show support for Cathy’s forthright opinions.

On that day of appreciation, Aug. 1, Cathy reported that the restaurant had broken its previous record for sales in one day with seven hours still left of business. While no official number was given, the point was, or at least seemed, clear to most of those who attended.

People’s appreciation for freedom of speech, and the occasional chicken sandwich, is still alive and well.

And while debating Cathy’s right to his belief frivolously ignores the fundamentals of the First Amendment, a fair question can be explored. If you supported the event, what was your motive?

Sadly, to the casual bystander, the influx of supporters gave the appearance of an uncaring group of Christians who preferred their sandwich with a side of condemnation.

So while there was undoubtedly a large portion of people there to stand up for our freedom of speech, I cannot help but think that some sinisterly distorted the event’s purpose.

The Huffington Post reported on the prodigious amount of discrimination that happened at numerous locations. In Atlanta, an unnamed employee who was gay stated that he received comments from customers unaware of his orientation expressing their ability to eat in peace and “not support the queers.” In Colorado, an employee reported on how many customers had clearly distorted Cathy’s views and told employees that they were glad that the company hated gays.

To reiterate, Cathy did nothing wrong, Huckabee did nothing wrong, and Huckabee’s idea had good intentions. Those who went with noble intentions performed an honest act, one worth commending in this day and age. However, to the ones who went with the desire to condemn, I say this. In 1 Corinthians 6:9, those who gossip, cheat, lie or steal will not inherit the kingdom of God either. We are told to “put away all malice and hypocrisy” in 1 Peter 2:1. In Matthew 5:16, we are told to “let our light shine before others.”

So while yes, homosexuality is wrong, the bigotry and hate spewed toward those of that lifestyle is just as unacceptable. It shouldn’t take a sandwich to spark a religious movement, nor is a movement a scapegoat for antipathy.

Next time, let’s form a long line of Christians outside of a homeless shelter, a prison or a crisis pregnancy center. You know, something God commanded us to do.

Now that will start some controversy.