Chick-fil-A support for traditional marriage
August 1 declared Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day to show support for traditional marriage
Pegasus News ^ | July 29, 2012 | J.J. Smith
Posted on July 30, 2012 2:31:52 PM PDT by NYer
After the Mayors of Boston and Chicago and elected officials in other cities vowed to block efforts to open Chick-fil-A restaurants in their cities because the company’s president told reporters that he supported the traditional definition of marriage, thousands of Christians are mobilizing efforts nationwide to support Chick-fil-A – led by Fox News Channel host and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
Huckabee has declared August 1 “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.”
“Let’s affirm a business that operates on Christian principles and whose executives are willing to take a stand for the Godly values we espouse by simply showing up and eating at Chick-fil-A on Wednesday, August 1,” said the former Republican Presidential candidate.
Huckabee said the company has come under attack from militant homosexuals and is being “smeared by vicious hate speech and intolerant bigotry from the left.”
“The militant homosexual advocates have launched an all out assault on Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A,” he said. “The attempts to hurt or destroy Chick-fil-A are nothing short of economic bullying.”
What do the Rockwall Chick-fil-A franchise owners Tim and Melissa Moseley think about the controversy and how Appreciation Day will affect their location at 2835 Ridge Road in conservative, traditional, family-oriented Rockwall? Unfortunately they are currently on vacation and couldn't be reached for comment.
But Chick-fil-A did issue a corporate statement regarding the protests from Donald Perry, vice president Corporate Public Relations:
Chick-fil-A is a family-owned and family-led company serving the communities in which it operates. From the day Truett Cathy started the company, he began applying biblically-based principles to managing his business. For example, we believe that closing on Sundays, operating debt-free and devoting a percentage of our profits back to our communities are what make us a stronger company and Chick-fil-A family.
The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect – regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender. We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 Restaurants run by independent Owner/Operators. Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.
Our mission is simple: to serve great food, provide genuine hospitality and have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.
Rockwall City Council member and Lake Pointe Church member Michelle Smith supports the effort and publicly questioned whether such attacks by the gay lobby are right on her Facebook page July 25. She referred to an editorial on TheAtlantic.com entitled “In Defense of Eating at Chick-fil-A”: “This is about the right of a private business to operate as it wishes," she said. "Do we really want a country where people won’t do commerce with those who have beliefs different than their own?”
“This country was founded on freedom of religion, not freedom from religion,” she added. “I strongly support the first amendment right to free speech.”
Chick-fil-A is privately owned by the Cathy family. The company president, Dan Cathy, angered gay rights advocates and supporters when he made recent statements that some have alleged are anti-gay.
Cathy told Baptist Press that the company was unapologetically in favor of traditional marriage.
“Guilty as charged,” he said. “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.”
In a separate interview on the Ken Coleman Show, Cathy suggested that the nation could face God’s wrath over the redefinition of marriage.
“I think we are 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,’” hesaid. “I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we would have the audacity to try to redefine what marriage is all about.”
Boston Mayor Tom Menino was the first to state that the Atlanta-based company would not be welcome in his city.
“You can’t have a business in the City of Boston that discriminates against a population,” he told the Boston Globe. “We’re an open city. We’re a city that’s at the forefront of inclusion.”
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel also condemned the fast-food chain, vowing his support for Alderman Proco Moreno’s announcement that he would block construction of a Chick-fil-A restaurant in his district.
“Chick-fil-A values are not Chicago values,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel in a statement to the Chicago Tribune. “They disrespect our fellow neighbors and residents.”
“If you are discriminating against a segment of the community, I don’t want you in the First Ward,” he told the newspaper.
Mountain View California, a bedroom community of San Francisco, has temporarily blocked the chicken chain from opening there after a homosexual couple spearheaded an effort to launch a zoning challenge.
Threats to ban Chick-fil-A have drawn fire from editorial pages across the nation.
The Los Angeles Times condemned the decision, calling it far more troubling than Chick-fil-A’s support of traditional marriage.
“Public officials have a responsibility to carry out their ministerial tasks fairly and evenhandedly – and to uphold the principle of free speech – whether or not they like a business executive’s social or political stances,” the Times opined.
The Boston Globe wondered “which part of the First Amendment does Menino not understand? A business owner’s political or religious beliefs should not be a test for the worthiness of his or her application for a business license.”
Donald Wildmon, the founder of the American Family Association, is backing Huckabee’s efforts saying he hoped it would generate the largest one-day sales in the company’s history.
“I have been incensed at the vitriolic assaults on the Chick-fil-A company,” Wildmon wrote in an email. “It’s a great American story that is being smeared by vicious hate speech and intolerant bigotry from the left.”
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, was especially disturbed by the actions of Boston’s mayor.
“This is really outrageous when you see this is the train that follows same sex marriage,” Perkins told Fox News. “This idea of the loss of religious freedom – the freedom of speech — and it’s on perfect display in Boston with the intolerance of this mayor.”
Perkins noted that Americans have overwhelmingly endorsed the traditional definition of marriage – 32 times in 32 states.
“Chick-fil-A is in the mainstream,” he said. “The mayor of Boston is in the minority.”
So how was all that food? LOL It was nice to know that there are so many people who still have conservative views. We were in line for over an hour, and it was sooo worth it! Freedom of speech is what we're all supporting. It's not all about Chik-fil-A. I'm glad we really proved a point to such a small slice of the pie! The ten gay protestors outside of Chik-fil-A last night didn't look too happy!
Quoting LIFO:So how was all that food? LOL It was nice to know that there are so many people who still have conservative views. We were in line for over an hour, and it was sooo worth it! Freedom of speech is what we're all supporting. It's not all about Chik-fil-A. I'm glad we really proved a point to such a small slice of the pie! The ten gay protestors outside of Chik-fil-A last night didn't look too happy!
Really? Protestors? WOW!!!
We had the cutest gay couple in line with us....here they are.....btw they were there for the same reason I was ......Equal rights for ALL baby!
So keeping your mouth shut or bias to yourself is rude? Well that explains you. You are a few truck loads of crazy if you believe half the crap you try to sell on here. SMH at the level of whack-a-doo that you are... willful ignorance to the max you are...WOW!
Quoting LadyByrdNest:So he should have been rude and when asked the question...just go silent? lol!!!
Quoting glitterteaz:He could say A or I am not here to speak about the gay community or any other political issues. If you wanna talk chicken great if not this interview is over. That pretty much drops the subject. If you do not get this I do not know what to tell you as you apparently do not grasp simple english. He did not have to say anything period he instead jeopardized the companies bottom line and started a war with the gay community. The gay community started this firestorm not just with Mr. Cathy but cute little Anderson Cooper about a month ago. It's what they do!! They go to and fro looking for those they can chastise, even their own!!! It's a joke, but they are being revealed now for what they are. You've arrived too late teaz....the game.....she's over....."Equality for All" won! And the blinders and scales were removed from many a once bigoted-intolerant-hating eye!!! Pro-Traditional Biblical Marriage tore the other side a new one, while at the same time handing them their old one as a souvenir!!!! LOL!!:) He is adult and a business CEO he should know when to shut his mouth..
Quoting LadyByrdNest:Tell me this.....
If he had been a gay business owner, and in the last few moments of the interview that had been 95% about his business work ethic, was asked by a reporter, .."What do you say to those who say you are gay, support gay-marriage and all things homosexual".
How should this person respond.....
A. "I'd like to keep my personal life well, personal"
B. "Yes...guilty as charged.....I believe in love, all kinds of love period. I'm not ashamed!"
Quoting glitterteaz:He should of said no comment I am not here to talk about that how would you like to talk about our great chicken or the cute cows that advertist our product. Which is what the business is. He should of said I would like to keep this on a professional level so shame on you. There was many things he should have said and none of it is lying it is called business ethics. You can be true to your ethics without having diareah of the mouth. He wanted to run his mouth and the public spoke up. Fact is business 101 says no religious discussion or polotics in business UNLESS that is your business. This fools business is chicken as such it should of stayed that way. No one is ammune to consequences for their free speech. Fact the guy broke the rule (no religion no politics) the business suffered for the comments. One day of success will not save a business everyday. As I stated before I do not want to know about your shitty personal opinions tell me about how good your chicken is. THAT is where he went wrong.
Quoting LadyByrdNest:Learn? lol!! The guy had been doing a fine job of keeping his opinions to himself, for 66 years in fact. Until a reporter asked him "how do respond to those who say you are pro-traditional-Biblical marriage?".......should he have lied? Or said "I take the 5th"? If so, why, why should he have to lie about who and what he is? We tell gays to come clean, we encourage them not to lie about "who" they are. So why should Mr. Cathy?
Quoting glitterteaz:How about a day for... Learn to keep your opinions to yourself and sell freaking chicken. But, on a side note KFC is kicken some chicken in those buckets! I will have a bucket of extra crispy and wedges please!!!
Quoting LIFO:So how was all that food? LOL It was nice to know that there are so many people who still have conservative views. We were in line for over an hour, and it was sooo worth it! Freedom of speech is what we're all supporting. It's not all about Chik-fil-A. I'm glad we really proved a point to such a small slice of the pie! The ten gay protestors outside of Chik-fil-A last night didn't look too happy!
Yes...it is.... especially when you have been having a conversation
with a Christian reporter, who has been kind, respectful and courteous
through 95% of the interview.
He asks you a harmless question..."What do you say to those who accuse you of being Pro-Traditional Biblical Marriage?".....he replies "I'm guilty as charged".
Responding to your critics, answering an innocent question,
and defending your self with tact, is never rude teaz, never.
It's the polite thing to do.
Quoting glitterteaz:So keeping your mouth shut or bias to yourself is rude?
Quoting aMarieT:so....
let me ask a couple of silly questions here..
has Chick-fil-a ever refused service to anyone based on their perceived sexuality?
has Chick-fil-a ever refused employment to any one based on their perceived sexuality?
No? We don't know?
It amazes me that the so called tolerant progressives are only tolerant toward one set of beliefs. I am amazed that the so called open minded set are the first ones to start blathering on about hate and ignorance when confronted with a view that differs from theirs.
That, in and of itself, it hateful and ignorant. Not to mention close minded.
Way to be open minded and tolerant.
by the way, I support marriage equality, and I will still eat at Chick-fil-a
Can we stop talking about it now? It happened, it's over and done with. In HD there's a great pic of a family proudly holding their chick fil a from yesterday, which than goes into detail about how all the gadgets (the Iphone, blackberry whatever that took the pic) the service( att or whoever) the credit card that could have been used to pay for the meal, and the vehicle driven were, much more than likely from companies that support pro equality legislation. Hypocrisy is everywhere, and being on the wrong side of history makes it that much harder to avoid.
Quoting TCgirlatheart:
How did you support freedom of speech by eating fast food?
Quoting LIFO:So how was all that food? LOL It was nice to know that there are so many people who still have conservative views. We were in line for over an hour, and it was sooo worth it! Freedom of speech is what we're all supporting. It's not all about Chik-fil-A. I'm glad we really proved a point to such a small slice of the pie! The ten gay protestors outside of Chik-fil-A last night didn't look too happy!
and what "generation" are you?
- LadyByrdNest
on Jul. 31, 2012 at 12:03 PM