Chick-Fil-A's CEO admits he SUPPORTS the Biblical definition of Family!!!
UPDATE PAGE 74: LGBT files class action law suit against Chick-fil-A.
UPDATE: Restaurant signs supposedly generated by KFC and Micky D's are fakes. Made and generated from a web-site. Google it, or snopes it.
See Page 54 for current update...7-27-12 "LGBT pay patrons not to go into Chick-fil-A at small protest yesterday in L.A."
See Page 51 for more current updates as of 7-26-12
UPDATE #1: The reporter who conducted the original interview with Cathy is now saying that Cathy’s remarks have been distorted in the press. Many of those reports spin Cathy’s remarks in a negative direction calling Chick-fil-a “anti-gay.” The reporter says that the term “anti-gay” never came up in the interview. “[Cathy] never even brought up that subject. Everything he stated was on the positive side … He never stated anything negative.” Read about it here.
CARY, N.C. (BP) -- Dan Cathy oversees one of the country's most successful businesses. As president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, Cathy leads a business with 1,608 restaurants that had sales of more than $4 billion dollars last year. They sell chicken and train employees to focus on values rooted in the Bible.
His father, S. Truett Cathy started the business in 1946, when he and his brother, Ben, opened an Atlanta diner known as The Dwarf Grill (later renamed The Dwarf House). In 1967, his father opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Atlanta. Today, Chick-fil-A is the second largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in the United States based on annual system-wide sales.
Dan Cathy's success has not erased the biblical values he learned as a child in a Baptist church. He is a warm, common man who is deeply committed to being a faithful Christian witness. And he is fully involved in New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Ga. He drives Chick-fil-A's efforts to provide genuine hospitality, ensuring that customers have an exceptional dining experience in a Chick-fil-A restaurant. Based on Matthew 5:41, Cathy is on a mission to provide customers with "second-mile" service -- exceeding even the highest expectations of a typical fast-food restaurant.
"We don't claim to be a Christian business," Cathy told the Biblical Recorder in a recent visit to North Carolina. He attended a business leadership conference many years ago where he heard Christian businessman Fred Roach say, "There is no such thing as a Christian business."
"That got my attention," Cathy said. Roach went on to say, "Christ never died for a corporation. He died for you and me."
"In that spirit ... [Christianity] is about a personal relationship. Companies are not lost or saved, but certainly individuals are," Cathy added.
"But as an organization we can operate on biblical principles. So that is what we claim to be. [We are] based on biblical principles, asking God and pleading with God to give us wisdom on decisions we make about people and the programs and partnerships we have. And He has blessed us."
Rather than leading from his corporate office in Atlanta, Cathy chooses to spend the majority of his time traveling to the chain's growing family of restaurants and interacting with Chick-fil-A's committed team members. His actions stem from a belief that working in the field provides a clearer understanding of the needs of Chick-fil-A customers. Leading from the front line also enables him personally to convey his servant spirit to the chain's 61,000-plus employees.
Cathy believes strongly that Christians are missionaries in the workplace. "Jesus had a lot of things to say about people who work and live in the business community," he said. His goal in the workplace is "to take biblical truth and put skin on it. ... We're talking about how our performance in the workplace should be the focus of how we build respect, rapport and relationships with others that opens the gateway to interest people in knowing God.
"All throughout the New Testament there is an evangelism strategy related to our performance in the workplace. ... Our work should be an act of worship. Our work should be our mission field. As long as we are stateside, let's don't think we have to go on mission trips by getting a passport. ... If you're obedient to God you are going to be evangelistic in the quality of the work you do, using that as a portal to share [Christ]," he said.
When asked if Chick-fil-A's success is attributed to biblical values, Cathy quickly said, "I think they're inseparable. God wants to give us wisdom to make good decisions and choices." Quoting James 1:5, he spoke of how often he asks God for wisdom.
"Frequently Jesus challenged us to just ask ... we're simply not asking as often as we should. We need to be more faithful to depend on a God who does love us and wants to have a relationship with us, and wants to give us the desires of our hearts."
There is another success story attributed to Cathy's organization. They have a positive influence in the world of Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Southeastern Conference (SEC) football.
There was a time when the Atlanta college football bowl game, which is now named after Chick-fil-A, was called the Peach Bowl. The annual bowl features teams from the ACC and the SEC. It struggled for a long time. Then 15 years ago the Chick-fil-A organization got involved. It was rebranded as the Chick-fil-A Bowl and has been incredibly successful with 15 consecutive sellouts.
"We are the only bowl that has an invocation. It's in our agreement that if Chick-fil-A is associated in this, there's going to be an invocation. Also, we don't have our bowl on Sunday, either," Cathy said.
In 2008 Chick-fil-A began sponsoring a Chick-fil-A Kickoff game matching two of the nation's top teams and hosted on the first weekend of the season in the same stadium (Georgia Dome) as the Chick-fil-A Bowl. This year Chick-fil-A will host two kickoff games, one on Friday and one on Saturday.
"That's never been done before," he said.
The pair of Chick-fil-A Kickoff games is expected to generate more than $60 million in economic impact. The bowl website describes the event as "a college football celebration of epic proportions."
When questioned about Chick-Fil-A's "Closed on Sunday" policy Cathy responded, "It was not an issue in 1946 when we opened up our first restaurant. But as living standards changed and lifestyles changed, people came to be more active on Sundays."
The policy has not changed over the years as malls began changing their policies by opening on Sundays.
"We've always put in our lease that we will be closed on Sundays," Cathy said. "We've had a track record that we were generating more business in six days than the other tenants were generating in seven [days]."
"While developers had no identity whatsoever with our corporate purpose to 'glorify God and be a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and have a positive influence on all that come in contact with Chick-fil-A,' they did identify with the rent checks that we wrote to the mall, that were based on our sales.
"So, they would make an exception for Chick-fil-A when they wouldn't make an exception for anybody else, simply because they knew we would pay them more in rent than any other tenant would that was open even seven days a week."
The company invests in Christian growth and ministry through its WinShape Foundation (WinShape.com). The name comes from the idea of shaping people to be winners.
It began as a college scholarship and expanded to a foster care program, an international ministry, and a conference and retreat center modeled after the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove.
"That morphed into a marriage program in conjunction with national marriage ministries," Cathy added.
Some have opposed the company's support of the traditional family. "Well, guilty as charged," said Cathy when asked about the company's position.
"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.
"We operate as a family business ... our restaurants are typically led by families; some are single. We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that," Cathy emphasized.
"We intend to stay the course," he said. "We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles."
I still think this is a diversion (and hopefully not an intentional one) from the real issue: funding anti-gay activist groups.
I don't care if he's still on his first marriage and working on acquiring his 11th wife (as in the Bible)... I care that he is using company funds to support active ongoing discrimination against citizens of his country, based on a distiction that is none of his (or anyone else's) business.
Quoting LadyByrdNest:
Quoting momtoabackc:
Quoting LadyByrdNest:
Quoting momtoabackc:
Quoting LadyByrdNest:
Quoting momtoabackc:
Quoting Euphoric:This guy is entitled to his beliefs, but he's a complete idiot and hypocrite. Family values? Doesn't the bible teach people to not be judgemental? Everybody on earth sins. He is targeting only one type of sin. Shame on him for his ignorance.
Do you seriously think he only has views on this? I'm sure he has opinions on other things he views as sin. Just because this particular one is the topic of this conversation he had doesn't mean it's the only "sin" he has an opinion of.
You are correct. He's been outspoken about hetero sex as well out of wedlock...etc..
Exactly. His comments actually involved a bit about being married to their first wives. I am married for the second time. I certainly don't feel "targeted" by his comment. I'm just not that arrogant or ignorant to twist such a comment into being an attack on me. lol
I know right? I'm surprised not more people jumped all over that one, saying...
"Look, the nerve of that guy insinuating that because he and other corporations heads are still married to their first wives, somehow makes him superior to us who are on our 2nd, and 3rd marriages...what a jerk!!!"
I'm serious! I really was expecting to hear that from someone lol!!!
Yeah I was too. lol
Give it time....it could still happen lol!!!
Quoting grandmab125:
Quoting Friday:
Quoting grandmab125:
Yeah, I know what a legal precedent is. All court decisions can be considered as setting legal precendent, and they are used in other cases all of the time. Still, try as hard as you might, there is nothing in the SC dicision about gay marriage. Since this was a case of a black and a white married couple, the legal precedent phrase was probably used in reference to this case being a "legal precedent" in all interracial marriages...not just between blacks and whites. I'm sure the SC uses that phrase in all of their decisions, since they are the highest court in the land.
No it doesn't mention gay marriage just marriage. Which in this country is a civil contract that doesn't require any religious ceremony or blessing to give benefits. How is it acceptable to prevent people from entering into a civil contract based on the religious beliefs of some?
Funny, every attorney I've ever talked to about this would disagree with you. Claiming marriage is a civil right creates the precedent for future cases where marriage is denied to consenting adults. Not just interracial or inter-religious. At least according to the legal professionals I know.
Give it time. Marriage has been redefined repeatedly over the years, it'll happen again. Hopefully in my lifetime.
No, you have that wrong. Marriage, whether it's in a church, a court house, by a justice of the peace...anyone who is by gov't definition legally authorized to perform a marriage, is a "legal" contract, only dissolveable through divorce. Some states have decided to allow gay unions, as in a civil contract. It will be interesting to see what a judge decides when two people want to dissolve their civil union....since there are no precedents for it, and it's not a legal contract. Civil unions basically cover things like making medical decisions for your partner, being included under your partner's medical plan, etc. But the geniuses that came up with the idea of civil unions...and they are not recognized everywhere....never came up with solutions to things like, who gets the kids, the house, the money, etc. States, do however, have laws on what is what in a state licensed performed marriage.
As for lawyers agreeing with you. Of course they do. Most of them are liberal slime balls and will agree with anything that comes down the pike to make a buck.
Whatever.
Are you capable of having a conversation w/o bashing Dems/Libs every other sentence?
Nevermind, I don't care.
Have a nice day.
"The problem with the world today is there are too many stupid people.....and no one to eat em!"
~Carlos Mencia
Quoting shadenn766:choices...either buy the chicken...or dont...that simple...move on
Quoting Friday:
Quoting shadenn766:
the man has the right to like or dislike whatever he wants...he has choices just like everybody else
why is it that when you dont agree with the majority ...you're bashed and protested against...smh
Of course he does and we can choose not to support his company. Easy.
You mean like how the (way less than a)Million Moms boycotted JCP because they hired Ellen Degeneres as their spokesperson?
That's what I said.
Thank God......it's Friday!!!
People get it. You are horrified by ff.
But it does taste better
Quoting LntLckrsCmQut:How is it better, when they are using the same ingredients?
Quoting Tanya93:
It is better than other fast food.
Quoting LntLckrsCmQut:They use the same ingredients that countless other fast food places use, so I'm not sure how it's *better*. And, I need a hobby because I quoted you, in a debate group? Hmmmm. I thought that's what a debate group was about!!
Quoting katzmeow726:
I said better, not.best. If you eat fast food, then you shouldn't expect top quality. I am well aware of what is in their food.
Smh...you need a.hobby
Quoting LntLckrsCmQut:Better ingredients? lol Just a few of those so called *better ingredients) and this is in a regular chicken sandwich. Below these ingredients are the facts about their *better* peanut oil.
Chicken (100% natural whole breast filet, seasoning [salt, monosodium
glutamate, sugar, spices, paprika], seasoned coater [enriched bleached
flour {bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine
mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid}, sugar, salt, monosodium
glutamate, nonfat milk, leavening {baking soda, sodium aluminum
phosphate, monocalcium phosphate}, spice, soybean oil, color {paprika}],
milk wash [water, whole powdered egg and nonfat milk solids], peanut
oil [fully refined peanut oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to
preserve freshness and dimethylpolysiloxane an anti-foaming agent
added]), bun (enriched flour [wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin,
reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, riboflavin {Vitamin B2},
folic acid], water, high fructose corn syrup, yeast, contains 2% or
less of each of the following: liquid yeast, soybean oil, nonfat milk,
salt, wheat gluten, soy flour, dough conditioners [may contain one or
more of the following: mono- and diglycerides, calcium and sodium
stearoyl lactylates, calcium peroxide], soy flour, amylase, yeast
nutrients [monocalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate],
calcium propionate added to retard spoilage, soy lecithin, cornstarch,
butter oil [soybean oil, palm kernel oil, soy lecithin, natural and
artificial flavor, TBHQ and citric acid added as preservatives, and
artificial color]), pickle (cucumbers, water, vinegar, salt, lactic
acid, calcium chloride, alum, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate
[preservatives], natural flavors, polysorbate 80, yellow 5, blue 1).Our peanut oil is a high-temperature, heat-processed, fully refined
peanut oil (refined, bleached and deodorized). This means the proteins
in the oil are stripped out during the processing.
Quoting momtoabackc:You may want to fact check those articles then because I'm pretty sure he has never said this "sin" (in his opinion) is not ok but all others are. lol In fact, I don't think he has ever said anything deorgatory toward this "sin" (his view) but rather simply stated his view of "traditional family". In fact, his view of "traditional family" means ONE husband/wife....not divorce and second marriages. That doesn't offend me (I'm married for a second time). I don't care. His view on "traditional marriage" doesn't change my relationship with my husband.
That's true but his financial support of anti-gay groups can and does help affect same sex couples ability to legally wed and receive the benefits that you and I take for granted.
Thank God......it's Friday!!!
I understand all of this and more. This guy is taking a lot of flack for his comments.
But alas, we are getting to the point in our society where those who are homophobic are being treated like overt racist folks.
I was just pointing out that the Bible is full of different kinds of marriages. Most of them now illegal in the modern world.
We are free to say what we wish as long as it is not physically threatening. He is free to be a bigot. I'm free to call him a bigot. He can make any statement he wishes. But he and others like him should be prepared for the consequences it brings. Homophobic people can say whatever they please. Others will always be there to criticize their bigotry.
Quoting momtoabackc:It really doesn't matter. The point is he (and ALL of us) are free to choose what "marriage" means to us based on this or any other book or based on whatever the heck we want to base it on.
Likewise we all have the right to associate with, not associate with, publicly support/not support, patronize/not patronize others according to our feelings on their views etc.
My choice or your choice or anyone else's choice to not support his company is just as much our right as it is his right to donate to focus on the family - a company who a small fraction of what they do supports legislation against gay marriage.
He didn't spew any hate, he doesn't discriminate against customers or employees for sexual orientation and he didn't even say anything hateful. He said he supports (his view of) traditional marriage. I don't see the big deal. He's entitled to that view and we are all entitled to disagree. We don't even have to agree with where in the Bible he concludes what "traditional family" is.
Quoting mehamil1:There's actually 8 different ways to go about it according to that book of yours.
Here’s a summary:
Polygynous Marriage
Probably the most common form of marriage in the bible, it is where a man has more than one wife.
Levirate Marriage
When a woman was widowed without a son, it became the responsibility of the brother-in-law or a close male relative to take her in and impregnate her. If the resulting child was a son, he would be considered the heir of her late husband. See Ruth, and the story of Onan (Gen. 38:6-10).
A man, a woman and her property — a female slave
The famous “handmaiden” sketch, as preformed by Abraham (Gen. 16:1-6) and Jacob (Gen. 30:4-5).
A man, one or more wives, and some concubines
The definition of a concubine varies from culture to culture, but they tended to be live-in mistresses. Concubines were tied to their “husband,” but had a lower status than a wife. Their children were not usually heirs, so they were safe outlets for sex without risking the line of succession. To see how badly a concubine could be treated, see the famous story of the Levite and his concubine (Judges 19:1-30).
A male soldier and a female prisoner of war
Women could be taken as booty from a successful campaign and forced to become wives or concubines. Deuteronomy 21:11-14 describes the process.
A male rapist and his victim
Deuteronomy 22:28-29 describes how an unmarried woman who had been raped must marry her attacker.
A male and female slave
A female slave could be married to a male slave without consent, presumably to produce more slaves.
and of course …
Monogamous, heterosexual marriage
What you might think of as the standard form of marriage, provided you think of arranged marriages as the standard. Also remember that inter-faith or cross-ethnic marriage were forbidden for large chunks of biblical history.
The important thing to realize here is that none of these models are described as better than any other. All appear to have been accepted.
So there you go. The next time someone says that we need to stick with biblical marriage in this country, you can ask them which of the eight kinds they would prefer, and why.
Quoting AdellesMom:
The Bible very much so defines what a familial unit should be. The Biblical definition is a man and a woman, where the man is the head of the household and provides for his family. There's much more to it too.
Where, in my entire statement did you se me write "I hate Christians"? I didn't. Because I don't. I may not practice Christianity, but my religion lets me respect people who don't follow my beliefs. On the other hand, many a right-wing evangilical has told me that I'm damned to hell, am less of a human, and am hateful in the eyes of their god. Presbyterians haven't told me this.
The next time you decide to attack someone for their position, please use the entire quote, I don't like they type of cherry-picking you have obviously learned from watching Faux news and that idiot Pat Robertson. My statement in full was:
It seems the OP is splitting hairs. Chik-fila is and always has been a business run by the Christian right. For this reason alone, I refuse to eat there. It's my money and I will choose to support businesses that espouse values that I like. Just as it's this CEO's right to run his own business into the ground becuase he supports "Biblical Marriage" which we all know is the Right Wing's code phrase for intolerance of anything other than the (now) traditional nuclear family.
If he really supported Biblical marriage, he would, in fact, support polygamy and the use of concubines.
Quoting LadyByrdNest:Oh so you just hate Christians? Well, I do have to give you credit for having "balls" to say so. Thus far just you and one other person here are haters of Christians (that have admitted it). Hope you don't own any lions that you keep in a deep pit, or live near me...lol!!!!
Quoting tambrathegreat:It seems the OP is splitting hairs. Chik-fila is and always has been a business run by the Christian right. For this reason alone, I refuse to eat there.
lol I'm not horrified by fast food. I was merely pointing out that CFA doesn't have better ingredients because they use the same crap every other fast food place uses. I don't care who eats ff. That's their choice, but don't pretend that it's better, when it isn't. You may think it tastes better, but that isn't what I was discussing.
Quoting Tanya93:
Because it tastes better.
People get it. You are horrified by ff.
But it does taste better
Quoting LntLckrsCmQut:How is it better, when they are using the same ingredients?
Quoting Tanya93:
It is better than other fast food.
Quoting LntLckrsCmQut:They use the same ingredients that countless other fast food places use, so I'm not sure how it's *better*. And, I need a hobby because I quoted you, in a debate group? Hmmmm. I thought that's what a debate group was about!!
Quoting katzmeow726:
I said better, not.best. If you eat fast food, then you shouldn't expect top quality. I am well aware of what is in their food.
Smh...you need a.hobby
OK...let's address these concerns, though they already have been...let's update it.....
The majority of CFA donations were made to companies that are not Anti-SSM.
There were some smaller donations made such as a 1,000 here and there, and 12,000 to FOTF.
Now, the groups where the donations were substantially smaller, are groups that have a division of their organization that has made it known they are opposed to SSM. Yet Mr. Cathy is a very powerful philanthropist, and can specify where he wishes his funds to go, and they must go to that cause, that mission. Mr. Cathy does not fund anti-gay or anti-gay marriage. He funds Pro-Biblical-Traditional-Marriage and Families period!
Now, you're probably saying ...."But he's still donating to an organization that is spending some of their money ( not HIS money) on harmful, unfair, practices."
And so are the rest of us, every day! Every time we get on the computer, turn on the lights, take a shower, shop at Wal-Mart, cook on the stove or use the microwave...etc.
Quoting LindaClement:I still think this is a diversion (and hopefully not an intentional one) from the real issue: funding anti-gay activist groups.
I don't care if he's still on his first marriage and working on acquiring his 11th wife (as in the Bible)... I care that he is using company funds to support active ongoing discrimination against citizens of his country, based on a distiction that is none of his (or anyone else's) business.
I didn't quote you...those were my words! And here is the correct quote. If you're going to quote me please use the entire quote and correctly as well....
"Oh so you just hate Christians?"
And where is the attack??? You do know the difference between a statement and a question right??
BTW....the remainder of your quote was useless. It did not help your cause whatsoever. You stated that you do not go to CFA for one reason and one reason alone....because they are a Christian business period! That makes you ant-Christian period!
Quoting tambrathegreat:Where, in my entire statement did you se me write "I hate Christians"? I didn't. Because I don't. I may not practice Christianity, but my religion lets me respect people who don't follow my beliefs. You sure about that lol????On the other hand, many a right-wing evangilical has told me that I'm damned to hell, am less of a human, and am hateful in the eyes of their god. And chick-fil-A told you this as well? Or are you just being prejudiced, stereotyping and bigoted?? Presbyterians haven't told me this.
The next time you decide to attack someone for their position, please use the entire quote, I don't like they type of cherry-picking you have obviously learned from watching Faux news GMA only baby!!and that idiot Pat Robertson. Oh yeah....that sounds like real respect to me LMBO!!!! My statement in full was:
It seems the OP is splitting hairs. Chik-fil-A is and always has been a business run by the Christian right. For this reason alone, I refuse to eat there. Oh, so you just hate Christian businesses???It's my money and I will choose to support businesses that espouse values that I like. Just as it's this CEO's right to run his own business into the ground becuase he supports "Biblical Marriage" which we all know is the Right Wing's code phrase for intolerance of anything other than the (now) traditional nuclear family.
If he really supported Biblical marriage, he would, in fact, support polygamy and the use of concubines.
Quoting LadyByrdNest:Oh so you just hate Christians? Well, I do have to give you credit for having "balls" to say so. Thus far just you and one other person here are haters of Christians (that have admitted it). Hope you don't own any lions that you keep in a deep pit, or live near me...lol!!!!
Quoting tambrathegreat:It seems the OP is splitting hairs. Chik-fila is and always has been a business run by the Christian right. For this reason alone, I refuse to eat there.
Holder to investigate....Holder
- LadyByrdNest
on Jul. 24, 2012 at 9:12 PM