Posted on 07/30/2012 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.”
Hiya Sweet GF!
I hope you’re right! One is scheduled to open in my small town and I plan to eat there!
GOOD to see you!!!!
From what they said the one CFLA in town is NOT going to be able to keep up.
:-) .
As a gesture of solidarity, I took my son to Chick-fil-A a few days ago. We each got some nuggets and a peach shake. The tab was $16. Hence, Mr Cathie is going to have to face the liberals without my assistance. I’m not in a position to buy fast food that’s so expensive.
I’ll be at one of their stores on the 1st. I might go on the 3rd as well. I don’t suffer faggots and their agenda.
Bat Guano!
Proud to say that our church is bring in Chick-fil-A for our evening meal before prayer meeting Wednesday evening. I do believe we have a record number of orders for the meal this week. We will be following with prayer for Chick-fil-A and all other companies and Christians and their rights of free speech!!
3 CFA’s within 2 miles of me.
Maybe I should go to all of them.
Chick-fil-a is worthy of our support. They donate so much food to community events, I sometimes wonder how they turn a profit.
“I asked about delivery to our office, which is about a mile and a half down the road from the mall where this Chick-fil-A store is located. They told me the minimum order for delivery is FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS.”
I’ve lived in several cities that have food delivery services. They’ll pick up food from places that don’t deliver and their fees haven’t seemed that bad. I think my local one is called something like Food Runners.
We’re there.
I’m planning to have supper at the CFA in the Burlington Mall, one of only 2 MA locations, on Wednesday! I’m thinking the Chicken Club might be good, but I’m intrigued also by the Peach Milkshake. Might have the sandwich and those excellent waffle fries for supper and take the milkshake on the road for dessert!
EAT MORE CHICKEN!
Dont forget folks that if you cant get to a Chick, call in and buy someone a meal whose check is being rung up.
Because of recent health related scare, I will only be able to support this very wonderful food chain in spirit.
Sexual deviants in Asheville, NC to protest at a CFA on Wed.
I believe that Mr. Cathy is right on target. What really appalls me is how the United Methodist clergy here in "hippy-dippy" Northern Virginia dont get it. A young pastor of my acquaintance posted on Facebook a "thoughtful" article from a woman calling for moderation and toleration. It's all very reasonable sounding of course.
But what the author and this young associate pastor fail to grasp that this is not about acceptance. The gay activists want affirmation, endorsement, and even conformity. And it won't end at homosexual couples. Polygamy is on the agenda next. And those of us who refuse to knuckle under will be punished if these pawns of Satan have their way.
The Christian Left pisses me off. They don't even recognize that war is upon us. They are the spiritual equivalent of what Lenin called "useful idiots."
FYI - Chick-Fil-A doesn’t make deliveries any more than McDonalds does. Their catering service is available. It’s for groups, and for a price, as you found out. It’s readily available for reading @ their website.
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