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February 4th, 2011
05:09 PM ET
Chick-fil-A controversy shines light on restaurant's Christian DNABy Dan Gilgoff, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor The ongoing Chick-fil-A flap - which has gay rights groups blasting the restaurant chain for donating food to an anti-gay marriage group - may be a fleeting controversy for a privately held company that is more accustomed to fiercely loyal patrons and generally positive press coverage. But Lake Lambert, author of the book Spirituality Inc., says the flap may be a sign of more turbulence ahead for Chick-fil-A as it attempts to hold onto its conservative Christian business culture while expanding its chain beyond the Bible Belt. “If you have a faith-based corporate identity and you want to function in the national marketplace, you’re going to continue to encounter resistance to those values because not everybody is going to share them,” says Lambert. “The only other option is some sort of secular identity and that’s not where Chick-fil-A is going.” Lambert says Chick-fil-A is the most visible example of an American corporation trying to foster a specifically Christian identity. The company is privately held and family-run, making that task somewhat easier. Lambert says Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy signed what Cathy describes as a “covenant” with his children when they took over the company, to help preserve its Christian DNA. The current controversy erupted when some college campus and gay rights groups blasted the restaurant chain for donating free food to a Pennsylvania organization opposed to gay marriage. The Human Rights Campaign, a major gay rights group, launched a letter writing campaign to the company, while the Indiana University South Bend went so far as to temporarily suspend Chick-fil-A service in its campus dining facilities. The fallout provoked Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy to defend his company in a Facebook video and in a written statement. “In recent weeks, we have been accused of being anti-gay,” Cathy said in a written statement last Saturday. “We have no agenda against anyone.” “While my family and I believe in the Biblical definition of marriage,” the statement continued, “we love and respect anyone who disagrees.” The gestures have not mollified many of the chain’s critics, some of whom are airing their grievances on Chick-fil-A’s Facebook page. The Human Rights Campaign is calling on the restaurant to begin participating in the Corporate Equality Index, which rates companies’ treatment of gays. Christian culture pervades many aspects of Chick-fil-A’s operations, from its corporate purpose – which includes “to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us” – to its policy of closing restaurants on Sundays to praying at restaurant openings. According to a recent case study of the restaurant chain by the Yale School of Management, employees are encouraged to attend prayer services. Chick-fil-A has over 1,500 locations and began moving beyond the Deep South in the last decade or so. Recently the company has expanded its number of restaurants in the Northeast, creating a more serious presence there. According to its website, there is only one Chick-fil-A store in New York State, at New York University in downtown Manhattan. Considering Chick-fil-A’s conservative Christian mission, perhaps the most striking feature of the recent controversy is how unusual it is for the company. As the chain continues to grow, they may find it more difficult to avoid the culture war. soundoff (3,197 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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So since we can now apparently talk candidly about "Christian DNA" at Chick Filet-A, can we also speak candidly about the preponderance of Jewish DNA at the Federal Reserve and Wall Street and over-representation in the US government? Democracy is about true diversity in government, not over-representation of any group.
Now if Christians are over-represented at fast food that's something else.
Good grief. All religions are cults. Duh.
Your only salvation is the blessed, shed blood of the Lamb. He redeemed you my friend from your sin, but redemption won't help you unless you admit you need it.
Squid
Mormons are Christian...What r u saying?
Zephaniah 1:
14 The great day of the LORD is near—
near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the LORD is bitter;
the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
15 That day will be a day of wrath—
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of trouble and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness—
16 a day of trumpet and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the corner towers.
17 “I will bring such distress on all people
that they will grope about like those who are blind,
because they have sinned against the LORD.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their entrails like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the LORD’s wrath.”
In the fire of his jealousy
the whole earth will be consumed,
for he will make a sudden end
of all who live on the earth.
Truly the Christian "god"'s love for humanity knows no bounds. Just like Chick-fil-A. 🙂
God is perfectly just – your sin must be accounted for.
I've never seen Chick-Fil-A discriminate againist any paying customer.
Who is "Pleez Think", and why is he annoying the hell out of us?
I'm a Muslim, and I enjoy eating their food! In fact, I just had some a few days ago (#2 is my favorite). Anyway, I don't think their beliefs should get in the way of their business. If you enjoy the food, eat there. Period.
Anybody who thinks Jesus was / is myth is in for a very rude surprise in the afterlife. You are a sinner who will be judged by a perfectly holy God, unless you believe in the atonement provided by the crucified Son of God, and devote the rest of your life to following Him. Chik-Fil-A is wildly successful because their management follows Him, and God exponentially blesses.
If they want to support people to really demonstrate their true "Christian compassion", why didn't they give food to the poor and homeless, or give money to their shelters. Isn't that what Jesus would have done. If you're a equal opportunity employer, I think it is wrong to use that leverage to force religious beliefs upon your own employees. Like, who do they think they are, the Air Force? IMHO, the religions (and individuals) that aim to convert others to their "one and only true religion" (all 10,000 of them), are the ones responsible for 99.9% of the wars and inhumane treatment of fellow human beings, and this going back to the times of ancient history. Did the Conquistors "save" the people of Central America, or did they ruin them? Fundamentalist Muslims, and Christians are all the same when you get down to it. Separation of Church and State is what has held this country TOGETHER. You want to live here, you need to embrace tolerance. We're all the same underneath.
Gay rights are becoming more and more an obstacle to the gays themselves. As long as this retrograde organizations claim to speak for them they will continue to be what they claim not to be.
If you don't like what the Chick-fil-A company is doing, DON'T eat there, DON'T fill out an employment application there, just stay away from Chick-fil-A restaurants altogether. No one is making the staff continue to work there, or the customers continue to eat there. I'm tired of gay people always complaining when someone decides to support THEIR decision to not be gay. Get over yourselves; I thought being gay wasn't a choice, that you were born that way, always felt that way? Obviously Truett Cathy and his family were born straight and have decided to support other people who were born straight and who live their lives as straight people.
One thing I have always noticed is how clean chic-fi-la restaurants are and how the people who work at them seem clean cut, kind and well 'normal'. To bad chic-fi-la and welcome to the 21st century where religon is taboo, hiring who you want is considered racisit, and family run – well you should no better the term is now 'partners' with an adopted kid.
14 The great day of the LORD is near—
near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the LORD is bitter;
the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
15 That day will be a day of wrath—
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of trouble and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness—
16 a day of trumpet and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the corner towers.
17 “I will bring such distress on all people
that they will grope about like those who are blind,
because they have sinned against the LORD.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their entrails like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the LORD’s wrath.”
In the fire of his jealousy
the whole earth will be consumed,
for he will make a sudden end
of all who live on the earth.
Truly this Christian "god"'s love for humanity knows no bounds. Just like Chick-fil-A. 😉
You spell God with a capital "G" because it is a proper noun. you spell it with a small "g" if it is a plain old ordinary noun. The gay community will not be happy until Chik – fil – A changes their motto to "EAT MORE TUBE STEAK" The students at SOUTH BEND LOVE TUBE STEAK! ( Is that why they call it SOUTH BEND?) Gay men love to do a BIG SOUTH BEND OVER. Are straight people allowed at South Bend?
hmmmm....Christianity was founded by a guy that hung out with 12 other guys, one of whom was singled out as "the one whom Jesus loved." Just saying.......seems odd to me that these folks would be against anything gay given the example of their founder.
Nothing about religion is "Live and let live" History my friends will show you most mass murders/genocides are religiously motivated.
They are a private company. They have a right to give food to whomever they choose. They have a right to believe what they want. Note to self: When making decisions to boycott businesses because its beliefs don't coincide with mine, and styrofoam cups are used instead of paper, find out where investments in the portfolio end up. There might be more issues to take a stand on.
Gays have better taste than to eat that crap served at Chick-fil-a.
Privately owned companies can any political standing they want. I mean in all honesty though, people are so worked up over Fast Food it's ridiculus. How dare they donate food to a group of people who voice their right to disagree with the left. Seriously more important news out their people! Try reporting that.
Gays aren't the only people that boycott this establishment, I hate this place. Not only do they serve over priced chicken items but the Xtians behind the counter are as rude as rude can get. Frikin mormons.