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Chick-Fil-A (restaurant chain) Controversy

Bluerang1

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Chick-fil-A's gay marriage stance causing a social storm

The fact that Chick-fil-A is a company that espouses Christian values is no secret. The fact that its 1,600 fast-food chicken restaurants across the country are closed on Sundays has long been testament to that.
But the comments of company President Dan Cathy about gay marriage to Baptist Press on Monday have ignited a social media wildfire.
"Guilty as charged," Cathy said when asked about his company's support of the traditional family unit as opposed to gay 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," Cathy is quoted as saying.
Strong feelings of support and disagreement have followed, making Chick-fil-A the top Google trend on Thursday morning as the company's Facebook and Twitter pages were burning up with arguments.
"Hate mongers! Never again! Not another $ from me," Duke Richards wrote on Facebook.
"Goodbye Chikkk-fil-a! your food was delicious, but I can no longer eat nuggets filled with hate!" read a post by Blake Brown.
Eatocracy: Fast food with a side of faith
"I am truly ashamed of the recent admittance from Mr Cathy about your bigoted company practices. I hate the fact that my money was used for this. I will never support your company (and) will make sure anyone I know does not either," Mikell Kirbis wrote on Facebook. "While I'm not a Christian I know that hate is not in God's plan nor (is) ignorantly picking sections of the Bible to brandish. Good bye and I hope either you change your ways or close down."
But the support for the company was just as vehement.
"Just wanted to say I'm proud that you stand firm in your beliefs. You knew the risks, and still took the plunge. May God bless this company with abundance. Never back down!" said a Facebook post from David Jones.
"Thank you for standing up for what you believe. The truth is not hate. It's just the truth," wrote Sharon R Boyd.
"I love the values that this restaurant stands for and will support it every dang chance I get! Pay no attention to the morons spewing hate!" read a post from Raymond Joy.
Does religion influence what you buy? Share your view on CNN iReport.

Twitter comments were also divided.
Miss 'Merica @MissMerica
I personally admire Chick-fil-A for really backing their beliefs. It's so rare that you find people in the business world that will do that.

19 Jul 12

​

Danforth France @danforthfrance
Chick-fil-A has tarnished the fried chicken industry's once-sterling reputation for never being bigoted, historically, in any way.

19 Jul 12

​


Chucky McDaniel @ChuckyMcDaniel
People who are bashing Chick-fil-a for their Christian stances need to find more important things to complain about.

19 Jul 12

​

In a statement to CNN on Wednesday, the company said it would stick by its principles, but it tried to withdraw from the heated social media debate over them.
"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," said a statement from Don Perry, the company's vice president of corporate public relations.
The Human Rights Campaign, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy group, said Wednesday that Cathy's comments gave consumers a clear choice.
"It's strange to say, but it's good to see Chick-fil-A finally admit to their anti-LGBT policies," Michael Cole-Schwartz, the organization's director of communications, told CNN. "Now fair-minded consumers can make up their own minds whether they want to support an openly discriminatory company or take their business elsewhere. As the country moves toward inclusion, Chick-fil-A has staked out a decidedly stuck-in-the-past mentality."
Polling shows increasing support for gay marriage in the United States. A CNN/ORC Poll conducted in late May found 54% of respondents favoring the legal recognition of gay marriage with 42% opposed. The poll had a sampling error of 3%.
Click to expand...


http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/...sy-shines-light-on-restaurants-christian-dna/Source

tl;dr Owner of fast food chain, as a Christian, doesn't support gay marriage.

I mean really? They do not discriminate against anyone so I don't see why this was blown up. Especially in Chicago where a restaurant was not allowed to operate.

Now I know why they don't open on Sundays.
 
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NarutoActor

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I say good for the owner, he should be allowed to say and serve who ever he wants.

Chicago on the other hand, should not have banned said business, that is an infringement on their 1st amendment freedom of speech.
 
droomph

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I'm fine with him not supporting gay marriage as long as he doesn't force his beliefs on someone else. I'm actually glad that he stood up for his beliefs like the LGBT community does to their side.

If we tell him being gay is right, and force it on him, we're just as guilty as the Christians who did force their beliefs on the Prop 8 law and so on.
 

Starsprite

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The family's beliefs are the family's beliefs. Saying that it's the stance of the company is a bit off-putting, I must admit, but they have every right to make that decision (I assume they decided on this, just from the titles of most of the articles. correct me if I'm wrong) and also to live with any backlash that may come from it. I don't think the company needs to be run out of town, but they also don't deserve any special protection. Give them the same exact treatment they got before.

Seriously though, if they treat everybody fairly and equally then I see no problem. I don't agree with their stance either, but boycotting them will probably do nothing to change their opinions. If anything, it would probably harden them.

Whatever. I'm a vegetarian anyways.
 
Sydian

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tbqh, I am TIIIIIREEEEEDDDDDDDD of seeing all this crap on Facebook. You get on, and you see "Chic-Fil-A are gay hating poops" "I'm so proud of Chic-Fil-A standing up for what they believe in" "I'm not eating at Chic-Fil-A" SHUT. UP. I am just tired of seeing it anywhere. You believe what you believe, and that's fine if he doesn't agree with gay marriage. You can't win them all.

The real controversy is that the money they make apparently goes to anti-gay programs and organizations that contribute to gay teen suicides? First things first, I would think most of their money would go into maintaining their locations, keeping food and drink in stock, as well as dishes, bags, etc and other cookings supplies. The last thing they should worry about is donating to something like that. Second, how does an organization cause suicide? Do they pay gay teens to kill themselves? I don't mean to sound ignorant about this part of the deal, but I'm having a hard time believing it or making sense out of it, honestly. So if someone would like to explain this to me, it would be very appreciated, cause it's just not something I'm understanding.

But yeah, back to the company leader not believing in gay marriage...who really cares? The fact that the place already had established religious ways about it should have implied that it was a high possibility, if not a given. Though saying that it is the company's belief isn't right, unless he polled everyone that works in Chic-Fil-A in some way about their beliefs on the matter. Unless he did that, then he cannot speak on behalf of that many people.
 
Nihilego

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Am I missing something here? While I think gay marriage is perfectly ok, I understand that not everyone agrees and I think it's thoroughly ridiculous that people will refuse to eat there because the owner simply holds a different belief. If this is really all it is, then honestly the people protesting are just making themselves look bad in my eyes. I mean, "nuggets full of hate"? "I hope you change your ways or close down"? Really? What's so hard about accepting that some people think differently? The owner wasn't imposing his views on anyone - he was giving a statement about his stance on gay marriage - and this is what it gets him? Surely there's something more controversial than just... "this person disagrees with gay marriage" going on here.

I'm certain at this point that I've misread the article tbh. Someone help?
 
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Zoachu

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I think it's wrong to be against gay marriage, one of my best friends is gay and has a boyfriend. I mean but seriously who cares what Chick-Fil-A thinks... It's a CHRISTIAN family. While I am a LaVeyan Satanist but it's not like I believe in all Satanist values, I just don't understand what's up with all this... I think it's just wrong to blow this up.
WHO
THE
FORK
CARES
IF
YOU'RE
AGAINST
GAY MARRIAGE???
-______________________________-
 

Charicific

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So...? People are actually dumb enough to hate and bash a restaurant for their religious stand? This means that the offenders are indirectly criticizing the owner's religion, not stand. Since when do people have the sense to boycott someone with an opinion? I don't remember the owner to claim force on his belief did he? All they claimed is they don't find same-sex marriage right...which is their Christian faith. So what went wrong here? It's the same, Christians not supporting same-sex marriage as they did before. What's wrong!

It really pissed me off how people state that the owners are the one's who are discriminant and offensive...while it's obvious it's the exact opposite.

This whole same-sex marriage issue is getting sick honestly, I'm no Christian, but yet, same-sex marriage seems not right to me. Never did I prevent it though and never did I offend gays....I just socialize perfectly normal with them as civilized human beings....

People are taking it too far, for an excuse they claim to be "freedom" or "love", I find that to be hypocritical. Just end this issue by either letting these gays live as they want or banish their acts...
 

NarutoActor

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Livewire said:
Don't like Chick-fil-A being bigoted homophobes? Don't eat there. Don't like gay marriage? Don't get gay married.
Click to expand...
I don't think homophobes is the correct word to use. Phobes, meaning fear, and I do not think the owner is scared of them.

This statement assumes that a persons actions only affects the person who makes that action. But as we all know a persons actions effect more then just themselves, it effects society, and everyone around them.

Take for instance the owner of Chick-fil-A, he made an action, stating his belief on an interview, and it effected other people whether it be emotionally, mentally, or economically he effected someone. He could have easily just declined the question.
 
Livewire

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NarutoActor said:
I don't think homophobes is the correct word to use. Phobes, meaning fear, and I do not think the owner is scared of them.

This statement assumes that a persons actions only affects the person who makes that action. But as we all know a persons actions effect more then just themselves, it effects society, and everyone around them.

Take for instance the owner of Chick-fil-A, he made an action, stating his belief on an interview, and it effected other people whether it be emotionally, mentally, or economically he effected someone. He could have easily just declined the question.
Click to expand...

"Homophobe" in the context of this story is the correct term. Please don't try to lecture other people.

Razor Leaf said:

I'm certain at this point that I've misread the article tbh. Someone help?
Click to expand...

I was hoping we could avoid making this thread because it's all over the news and Twitter, Facebook and I knew it wouldn't be made correctly.

Chick-Fil-A's CEO said this:

I think we're inviting God's judgment when we shake our fist at him, you know? "We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage."

And I pray on God's mercy on our generation, that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we would have the audacity to try and redefine what marriage is all about."
Click to expand...

Then:

Part of the controversy has to do with the disagreement and disillusion of a Toy deal Chick-Fil-A had with the Jim Henson Company.

Following the comments, the Henson Co. (The company of the creator of the Muppets) severed their partnership.

tumblr_m7oi71yXqG1r0l6mao1_500.jpg


To which Chick-Fil-A responded with:

tumblr_m7oi71yXqG1r0l6mao2_500.jpg



Not to mention, Chick-Fil-A donates a large amount of their money to politicians & causes that keep Gay marriage illegal.
 

NarutoActor

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Chick-fil-A, can find a different toy distributor, one that isn't so closed minded.

Sounds perfectly fine, people donate to lobbyist, and congressman all the time, to have their beliefs pushed for.
 
Bela

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NarutoActor said:
Chick-fil-A, can find a different toy distributor, one that isn't so closed minded.

Sounds perfectly fine, people donate to lobbyist, and congressman all the time, to have their beliefs pushed for.
Click to expand...

If a toy distributor ends its collaboration with a company that is close minded and has its CEO state his disdain for those with a different lifestyle, that makes the toy distributor close minded? wtf?

The mental gymnastics you have to do to argue that people who disavow public displays of bigotry are committing bigotry themselves--the Muppets creators are ending their collaborative efforts with a company whose CEO has made it clear in public what his views are--a company that spends tons of money in lobbying efforts to pass anti-gay legislation.

You can believe whatever you wish. When you take the next step and try to foist your beliefs onto others, that's when you've gone too far. I and others would leave you alone with your Christian beliefs if you weren't so set on making gay marriage illegal. Your religion has no place in government. This isn't an issue of my political beliefs vs. yours, this is you blatantly ignoring the establishment clause of the Constitution. And it's funny, because so many Christians would lose their minds if it were a different religion trying to impose its beliefs onto others through the government. Imagine if Islam were to do the same thing, and have women forced to wear the hijab in the US. Well it's their beliefs and you've decided the establishment clause doesn't mean dick right? The hypocrisy is astounding.

And lastly, let's not forget that the Bible has much more to say about other 'abominations.' How about the parts of the Bible that say you can't eat shellfish? Why is gay marriage the thing you focus on? This cherry-picking demonstrates the hate and ignorance Christians display toward their fellow man--how very Christlike! Yes, you ignore the parts that talk about shellfish because that's just ridiculous. We shouldn't determine what is right and wrong from some Bronze Age mythology, something you're able to easily see if it is on any other issue besides gay marriage.

bigots.
 
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NarutoActor

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There are closed minded, because they never considered the fact that they might be wrong, they can not accept any different view points, which is close mindedness.

I never once said I was christian, there can be made secular arguments against gay marriage. Homosexuality falls under rational court classifications, and as such it is perfectly legal to treat them differently, and for good reason. In this economy giving a tax break to people, who seek to obtain a unorthodox marriage is not beneficial.

I could give you more arguments but I would rather just make a thread with a long list of my arguments with proof, and statistics.
 
Bela

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NarutoActor said:
There are closed minded, because they never considered the fact that they might be wrong, they can not accept any different view points, which is close mindedness.
Click to expand...

I agree, that's why Dan Cathy said what he did! Oh you meant Jim Henson Co. again... wtf. I'm not gonna be able to penetrate the ignorance here.

NarutoActor said:
I never once said I was christian, there can be made secular arguments against gay marriage. Homosexuality falls under rational court classifications, and as such it is perfectly legal to treat them differently, and for good reason. In this economy giving a tax break to people, who seek to obtain a unorthodox marriage is not beneficial.
Click to expand...

So too does gender. Should we extrapolate that this means we should treat men and woman differently, or give one a tax break but not the other? Throwing legal classifications my way isn't going to justify your position--you're just telling me what the law is, as if this is not subject to change.

'Not beneficial' in what sense? You're starting to sound really sketchy.

And LOL we cannot give tax breaks to gay couples because that would hurt the economy? Give me a (tax) break. How about the tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy? I'm pretty sure their tax relief is what is truly putting a strain on the economy. There is nothing materially different about gay couples that would justify this. They are two individuals who enter into an agreement to share property--the sex of the individuals in this agreement should not matter.

If you're just going to generate a bunch of spurious economic arguments for why discriminating against one kind of marriage over another is valid, you're not going to succeed. The increase in marriage license fees because more people are entering into legally recognized marriages serves as a counter-example of how homosexuals getting married would be beneficial to the state.

NarutoActor said:
I could give you more arguments but I would rather just make a thread with a long list of my arguments with proof, and statistics.
Click to expand...
You could post them here, but I have a feeling you won't because it's probably a bunch of nonsense. =)

One last thing on the Chik Fil A discussion: Corporations getting into the business of bringing attention to themselves for their stance on societal issues is something I don't really like--whether you're for or against something. That's why I really didn't like it when Oreo did that pride promo--if Nabisco really cared about gay marriage, it should go lobby Congress to make it legal. It was just a clever marketing ploy to sell more oreos.
 
Esper

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This is why it's okay to be upset with Chick-Fil-A:

Businesses give money to politicians at all levels of government. That's a fact of life. Anti-gay politicians are what is keeping same-sex marriage from being legal in the U.S. If a business is giving money to anti-gay politicians it is helping to keep same-sex marriage illegal. Because same-sex marriage should, as a right, be legal a business that helps to support keeping it illegal is infringing on people's rights.

NarutoActor said:
Homosexuality falls under rational court classifications, and as such it is perfectly legal to treat them differently, and for good reason. In this economy giving a tax break to people, who seek to obtain a unorthodox marriage is not beneficial.
Click to expand...
You're saying it's legal to discriminate against gay people? While that might be true to various degrees in some parts of the US, you can't possibly believe that's enough of an excuse? It seems like your argument is that by letting gay people marry we're not going to get as much tax money from them because they can file their taxes jointly or something. Am I reading you correct? Because if you're saying it's "beneficial" to keep gay people from getting married so the government can get more money from them than they would if they could marry that is a very problematic justification that could easily slip into a really bad place.
 

Bluerang1

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Bela said:
And lastly, let's not forget that the Bible has much more to say about other 'abominations.' How about the parts of the Bible that say you can't eat shellfish? Why is gay marriage the thing you focus on? This cherry-picking demonstrates the hate and ignorance Christians display toward their fellow man--how very Christlike! Yes, you ignore the parts that talk about shellfish because that's just ridiculous. We shouldn't determine what is right and wrong from some Bronze Age mythology, something you're able to easily see if it is on any other issue besides gay marriage.

bigots.
Click to expand...

People love using this argument. Jesus said disregard the laws of the past, ie Old Testament, which include shellfish, pork, circumcision etc. He said, repent, be baptized and live a good life by loving others. Jesus also said that homosexuality is a sin. I checked to make sure. By not discriminating, the CEO Cathy is not hating so can show love to homosexuals as people, but not support the lifestyle according to his belief.

I still think the Chicago is still completely wrong to ban Chick-Fil-A. he should be sued.
 
PokéSwimmer

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Bluerang1 said:
People love using this argument. Jesus said disregard the laws of the past, ie Old Testament, which include shellfish, pork, circumcision etc. He said, repent, be baptized and live a good life by loving others. Jesus also said that homosexuality is a sin. I checked to make sure. By not discriminating, the CEO Cathy is not hating so can show love to homosexuals as people, but not support the lifestyle according to his belief.

I still think the Chicago is still completely wrong to ban Chick-Fil-A. he should be sued.
Click to expand...

The statement in bold is blatantly wrong. Jesus never said such a thing in the bible. Still, some christians try to make the argument that he implied it, though they twist the rhetoric a bit.

Personally, I believe people are right to be ticked off at Chick-Fil-A. By donating money to the continued discrimination of homosexuals, they are trying to impose their own religious beliefs on others. Regardless of your own religious beliefs, this is simply an Un-American thing to do.
 

Bluerang1

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PokéSwimmer said:
The statement in bold is blatantly wrong. Jesus never said such a thing in the bible. Still, some christians try to make the argument that he implied it, though they twist the rhetoric a bit.

Personally, I believe people are right to be ticked off at Chick-Fil-A. By donating money to the continued discrimination of homosexuals, they are trying to impose their own religious beliefs on others. Regardless of your own religious beliefs, this is simply an Un-American thing to do.
Click to expand...

Perhaps it wasn't Jesus then.

"God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men." (Romans 1:26-27)
Click to expand...

But really this is an argument for another day.

If you don't like the copmany don't go there, but do not stop them from making more franchises. It's people pleasing at its best.
 
Livewire

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Bluerang1 said:
People love using this argument. Jesus said disregard the laws of the past, ie Old Testament, which include shellfish, pork, circumcision etc. He said, repent, be baptized and live a good life by loving others. Jesus also said that homosexuality is a sin. I checked to make sure. By not discriminating, the CEO Cathy is not hating so can show love to homosexuals as people, but not support the lifestyle according to his belief.

I still think the Chicago is still completely wrong to ban Chick-Fil-A. he should be sued.
Click to expand...

No, Jesus said love your neighbor and treat others as you would like to be treated. Nice try.
 
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