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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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Eat more fish sticks.
I LOVE Chick-fil-A, I LOVE what they stand for, and I LOVE that they are sticking to what they believe. That is what faith is all about – loving God even though others try and persecute. We are NOT to judge, and I truly hope that the people who are trying to give Chick-fil-A know whats coming to them. Why can't they just go back to enjoying their choice of a lifestyle, stop making a scene about anything and everything, and CONTRIBUTE to the world rather ASKING TO CONSTANTLY RECEIVE. I will eat at Chick-fil-A MORE now.... to show my support. Jesus – I love you and thank you for loving all of us!!
...or serving food to the poor...
Chick-fil-A's Christian DNA under fire? Uh, Christian companies that don't go out of their way to screw over people like gays, women, or Muslims, aren't under fire. I think it's their bigotry that is under fire. More to the point, if they are actually giving to anti-gay organizations, they don't have any Christian DNA. I can't think of anything less Christian than prejudice and bigotry.
Everybody SHUT UP
Go eat where you want!!!
I will never patronize this place. EVER.
I'm not a religous person, but I support the rights of a people to run private companies as they see fit. I do think they would be smart not to use the company for political/religous purposes. The smarter thing to do would be to take their profits out of the company and then donate as individuals.
"CJ
So Chik-fil-a is being accused of being ant-gay by the gay population. What is their intent? Is it to make them pro-gay? Isn't forcing your beliefs on others wrong too? If you don't like them, just stop going to their restaurants. This is sort of hypocritical to say we don't like your views so we're going to force my views on you and you'll like it. This is a conservative religious group that owns the chain, it's their right to back whoever they want if they are independently owned and operated."
Well said and moreover Christians should once and for all stop trying to force their beliefs on others. Stop telling women that they can't make decisions concerning their bodies. Stop telling gays that they can't have equal rights. Hypocrisy? Are you kidding? Our world history is peppered with atrocities from Christians and their beliefs. All the gays want is equal rights. Our government allows you to organize and congregate to discuss your fictional piece of literature. Be happy with that and leave the rest of us alone.
God forbid...a company that stands its moral ground and believes in something other than just "giving in" like everyone else. It amazes me how liberal this country has become, and I fear for its future.
Chick-Fil-A is awesome. I'm sure you would find that every restaurant has donated something to some group that some one doesn't like. Next you'll see universities closing restaurants that don't donate to gay rights groups. This is America if you don't like a business then go eat somewhere else. As for me, I plan to eat at Chick-fil-a as much as I can.
They make chicken sandwiches folks, who cares what their religious beliefs are?? IF they can make me a good sandwich, they could be worshiping a shoe for all I care. Get a life losers......
Muslems want everyone to accept their religion. Gays want everyone to accept their lifestyle. It's their right to believe what they choose, but anyone who disagrees is evil?
What's next ?...Gay Muslems ?
I grew up going to Methodist schools. As students we attend weekly Mass and daily morning prayer. Many of us are not Christians or Methodist. The school never forced any one to pray, and we didn't protest about the prayers, because we were there for the quality education, not religious debates. I don't think CFA will kick anyone out for declaring themselves gay or anti-Christian, because that goes against their values as a goods and service provider.
By supporting a group that is anti-gay, does it mean that all the good things that they stand for is invalid? If I donate a dollar to a homeless who happens to be a drug addict, am I supposed to be tagged as "pro-drug"? If I eat at a Halal restaurant, does it mean that I am supporting terrorists? It seems that the pro-gay group is trying to get some love with hate.
Beliefs are rigid, where values are organic. I believe that most CFA patrons go to CFA because of the way they are served and treated at the restaurant, not because they will have their sins wiped clean for eating at a "Christian" restaurant. In fact, I've never seen a single customer at CFA who prays before they eat. I think this "human rights" group is violating the very thing that they claim to be their belief.
"A group in Pennsylvania opposed to gay marriage" were the words in this CNN report. Why not provide the name of the group? Why stop at boycotting Chik fil a? Boycott everyone that attends a church opposed to gay marriage. Tolerance is not supposed to be one sided. I lost this thread a while ago. When I typed "Chik fil a" in the search button, several links appearing to advertise Chik fil a came up. Controversy is great for business! I think CNN and chick fil a are working together. Anyway, I think I'd prefer to eat fruits and veggies as the man and woman in Genesis did.
People listen.
This is just a continuation of the debate "whose rights are more important". The PRIVATELY owned company reserves their right to support what organizations they want. The gays and others reserve their rights to call them intolerant for giving a group food. Whose rights are right and whose rights are in the wrong. That depends on your point of view. Someone disagreeing with you is not cause enough to attack their business and try to force them to join an organization. That is one group using their 'rights' to invalidate the 'rights' of another group. How are we going to grow as a culture and society if we cant just accept one persons view? Whose rights are wrong and whose rights are right? Does anyone know? The world says it is wrong to force your view of things on someone else. OK. If a group believes that and in turn tries to force something on the opposing group; what is that? The answer is hypocrisy. We need to just accept each other as we are. If a group is supporting equal rights, they cant destroy the rights of someone else in the process. Just accept each other as you each are and get on with your lives. No point in arguing on these types of things. JUST GET ALONG!!!
People listen.
This is just a continuation of the debate "whose rights are more important". The PRIVATELY owned company reserves their right to support what organizations they want. The gays and others reserve their rights to call them intolerant for giving a group food. Whose rights are right and whose rights are in the wrong. That depends on your point of view. Someone disagreeing with you is not cause enough to attack their business and try to force them to join an organization. That is one group using their 'rights' to invalidate the 'rights' of another group. How are we going to grow as a culture and society if we cant just accept one persons view? Whose rights are wrong and whose rights are right? Does anyone know? The world says it is wrong to force your view of things on someone else. OK. If a group believes that and in turn tries to force something on the opposing group; what is that? The answer is hypocrisy. We need to just accept each other as we are. If a group is supporting equal rights, they cant destroy the rights of someone else in the process. Just accept each other as you each are and get on with your lives. No point in arguing on these types of things. JUST GET ALONG!!!
And Jesus said: 'Go forth Chick-fil-A and prosper. Spread my word among the chicken eaters!'
And it was done.
funny,
had this been a muslim or buddist owned company, there would not be a peep. Reverse witch hunting at its best.
I've eaten my last one.
"i recently moved to los angeles and a big issue here and everywhere in the country is gay rights. i was walking down the street and this guy came up to me and i said,"hey! how's it goin man?" he says,"do you have a moment for gay rights?" i went,"sorry man, im in a little bit of a rush." and then that dude watched me walk into a jamba juice and he was a little upset. he was like,"really man? you're gonna rush to get to jamba juice??? i'm out here tryin' to make a difference!" and i was like,"well, actually man, there's a guy that works in that jamba juice and said some really hateful stuff about a close gay friend of mine. and im goin in there to STAB HIM." and i pulled out two knives and tossed him one and said,"do you have a moment for gay rights?????? oh! didn't think so! so sit there with your little clipboard and judge me! i kill for gay people! i make a difference! you don't do s**t!" -Aziz Ansari
yes. attacking chick-fil-a about donating some chicken nuggets is a good use of time. i donated a couple dollars to a homeless guy the other day. hopefully, he wasn't against gay rights. otherwise, they gonna get me!