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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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I'll take my waffle fries without all of your BS religious dogma, please.
i was just wondering what i should have for lunch today. thanks for reminding me that there are THREE chick-fil-a's close to my house!
what is wrong for believing something? don't all of you being critical believe something.are you going to let anyone tell you that you can't believe what you do?everyone is ignorant about something.if you think not,that makes you a know it all.
Amazing that in the 21st century so many Americans are still propagandized by religion.
Hello, the Middles Ages are calling....
They'd like their tasty chicken franchise back.
Attention Christians: Time to grow up and stop worshiping the magical man in the sky. It is also time for churches to be taxed.
kneejerk, I'll just call you jerk for short: Time to grow up and stop worshipping the magical *State* (don't deny it – I know you do, jerky).
What's the fuss? Private business following what it feels is right. If someone has a problem with it don't go to Chick-Fil-A.
WAIT!!!
wasnt it the nazis who only gave one option in choosing to give support??
cuz now its the gays..
Ironic!
Simple: if you don't like it, don't buy it. What a bunch of crybabies. There are plenty of retailers whose practices fall well outside of a faith based model and you don't hear the majority of Christians whining like the vocal atheist set. Man up. P.S. – I know our atheist pals love to link everything Christian to the Crusades and Inquisition but there have been changes in the church during the past 500 years. Most of us know that we are flawwed.
I just like their chicken nuggets. They could worship talking pink bunny rabbits from Mars and I would still buy their chicken nuggets in the food court at work. It sure beats 35% meat tacos from taco bell
Sorry GLAAD. My tummy > your agenda.
-proud chicken eating lesbian-
Daria Said:
"I just like their chicken nuggets. They could worship talking pink bunny rabbits from Mars and I would still buy their chicken nuggets in the food court at work. It sure beats 35% meat tacos from taco bell
Sorry GLAAD. My tummy > your agenda.
-proud chicken eating lesbian-"
-----------------------------------
BEST Post yet!!!!!!
I love this kind of debate. Remember the "Florida Orange Juice" debate after Anita Bryant? I have not been in one of the restaurants for over a year. It must make a difference if this becomes united. If every family with a known Gay member shut down on Gods Chicken for a month, the bean counters may blink.
Chic-fil-a is not a Christian company. If you have any clue what Christianity is about, and have ever interacted with Chic-fil-a in any way, shape or form, you know that.
Does this company have the right to support any political causes it wants? Why, of course they do! And I have the right to support or not support any company with my dollars! If Chik-fil-a supports ant-gay groups with their dollars, then I won't support Chk-fil-a with mine. It's as simple as that.
And it absolutely kills me, because Chik-fil-a food is clean, affordable and excellent, their restaurants always spotless, and their staff nothing less than professional and courteous. This is fast-service food done right.
That is just plain stupid.. So they donated food to an organization.. who cares??? Would you have an issue if they donated food to any other organization?
"... for donating food to an anti-gay marriage group..."
I doubt very much that they donated food to this group because they are anti-gay. More likely they are a Bible group of some sort and they thought they were doing the right thing.
In the end, I don't care. I'm an agnostic and I think it is great that a company can stick to its core values and still be successful. It would be very easy for them to just open up on Sundays so the rest of us heathens can have our chicken and pickel sandwiches -but they don't. I would imagine that is a pretty significant chunk of change to give up!
Chick-fil-a is free to support whomever they like. No one has the right to stop them. That is called freedom of assembly. That same right goes to those who disagree with Chick-fil-a. They are free to point out WHO and WHAT Chick-fil-a support and how that might detrimental to society as a whole.
If any business actively supports causes I disagree with, why can't I let other know so they may also boycott that business. And I don't support any business that promotes, advocates, supports, encourages, and/or is in sympathy with ANY discrimination.
People can feel free to dissent, but the ones that are reacting with so much anger about Chick Fil A, should watch what are they doing. According to them it's a well orchestrated anti gay position. The question is: if people have the right to dissent. Yes!!! I am Christian, as a Christian I respect others beliefs, but I do not have to accept what is against my beliefs.
They have to accept it, including the beliefs and principles of how a corporation stands for. It's call freedom of choice, which includes my faith and my personal relationship with the Almighty, that it's my choice also to decide if I want to belief Jesus.
Fortunately, my taste buds determine where I eat...not my religious or political beliefs. In fact, I just had Chik-Fil-A for breakfast...YUM!!! I might just have it for lunch too:-)
I have an idea. How about one of you gays/lesbians open up a restraunt and then you can donate the money to who ever you want to.
I'm as liberal as they come, but that chicken is f-ing awesome! Thank god they don't have them here in NYC or I'd be there everyday.
Nobody choose as to be gay. Study psychology and anthropology, and you'll know how painfully OBVIOUS it is that gay people are just made gay. On top of that, every single credible study ever done about "marriage' and "family" has found that gay people being part of the equation doesn't change it (except for the times it's made it better). Anti-gay people are just old-fashioned prejudiced people who enjoy putting down minorities because it makes them feel good about themselves, just like they did to African-American. Always need someone to put down.
You sound just like someone who enjoys putting down others.
Miguelito "You sound just like someone who enjoys putting down others."
And you sound like someone who can't handle the truth. topaqofj's statements are quite factual and accurate; the only reasonable reply would be proving them otherwise or just a statement of disagreement. You put down paqofj while accusing him of putting down others.
And you sound like someone who can't handle the truth. topaqofj's statements are quite factual and accurate; the only reasonable reply would be proving them otherwise or just a statement of disagreement. You put down paqofj while accusing him of putting down others.
RCharles, you sound like someone who can't handle it when someone is rightly called out on hypocrisy.
And, hey, you're putting down someone who put down someone who put down people who put people down, you clown.
RCharles, you sound like someone who can't handle it when someone is rightly called out on hypocrisy.
And, hey, you're putting down someone who put down someone who put down people who put people down, you clown.
Go Chick Fil A...they own their business and they have a right to support whatever groups they choose to. Christians have a responsibility to please God not people, gay or otherwise. If gay people or others choose not to frequent chick fil a because of it, they will survive. God is their source. It is not a matter of being anti-gay. It is a matter of what the bible teaches and upholding values. I am thankful they have not conformed to this world.
Do they serve shrimp? God HATES shrimp. Something about having to eat it when he was little.
100% agree!!
Woohoo, yay for supporting the Bible! And don't forget: if God tells you to murder your own son, like he did to Abraham, then you'd better listen!
Conversely, their customers also have the right to go elsewhere if they find news like this disturbing enough. The Southern Baptists do not speak for all Christians. There are plenty of Christian denominations which don't have a problem with gay people or gay marriage.
I love people preaching morality from the Bible, while killing millions/billions of Gods other blessed non-verbal creatures just because there tasty.
"Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." Mark 12:17
I always find it such as shame that people who claim to be Christian and support God do not actually read the Bible. God does not re
America is a secular nation by virtue of the 1st amendment. Chick-fil-A is a lawsuit waiting to happen.