Is Chick-Fil-A Right or Wrong on Gay Marriage?

ANTI-GAY OR ENTITLED TO OPINION?

As you have probably heard, fast food chain Chick-Fil-A has been in some hot water recently for comments made by owner Dan Cathy in regards to his views on marriage.  Both the mayors of Boston and Chicago have vowed to stop Chic-Fil-A from starting new businesses in their cities.  Hollywood celebrities have turned to Twitter and Facebook to express their hatred towards Cathy.  The Jim Henson Company, which supplies Muppet toys inside Chick-Fil-A kids meals, have cut off their services.  As the backlash continues, the general public has been divided on the issue.  Some continue to support the fast food chain, while others are protesting it.  I believe a major question needs to be addressed: Is Chick-Fil-A an anti-gay company or is the owner entitled to his opinion? (Click below to continue reading)

Twisting One's Words

If you go back to Dan Cathy's original comments, you'll notice some interesting things.  You can read it here.  I saw an article titled: "Is Chick-Fil-A anti-gay marriage?  'Guilty as charged,' leader says."  But if you actually look at the interview, Cathy was asked, "are you in support of the traditional view of marriage?" to which he replied, "guilty as charged."  He was not going on an "anti-gay" rant as many media outlets have charged; he simply affirmed his beliefs in the traditional view of marriage.  Cathy followed it up with, "We are very much supportive of the family - the biblical definition of the family unit."  That doesn't sound like hate speech to me.  That sounds like Dan Cathy has conservative views about marriage - and that's his prerogative.  Nowhere does he go out of his way to slam gays.  Yet this is how the media has often portrayed it.

In fact, Chick-Fil-A has never pushed their religious beliefs onto their employees or customers.  Cathy said himself, "we are not a Christian business."  He says his company tries to teach Christian values, such as treating one another with respect, having a good work ethic, and loving others, but it does not push their viewpoints on others.  Yet the media continues to slander Chick-Fil-A as an anti-gay company.  Chick-Fil-A has never discriminated against a customer or an employee for their sexual preferences.  The company president's niece even said, "we have a lot of gay and lesbian customers.  We have nothing against them."  This whole uproar has simply been over the personal opinions of the president of the company, something he is entitled to do, just as all Americans are entitled to do.  Chick-Fil-A has not done anything wrong as a business.

Hypocrisy

The issue took a turn for the worst when the mayors of Boston and Chicago vowed they would stop Chick-Fil-A from starting businesses in their cities.  Talk about discrimination!  If they think Dan Cathy is so bad for his opinions on marriage, how is it that they think it's ok for them to stop a company from making a livelihood?  Isn't that showing favoritism to companies that share the government's personal opinions?  Government officials should stay out of the lives of people and businesses who are trying to make a living.  Even the ACLU, who "strongly supports" same sex marriage, doesn't think the government should exclude Chick-Fil-A because of their views on marriage.  They say, "that goes against our first amendment rights" as citizens.  If governments were allowed to shut down businesses because of their personal opinions, where would they draw the line?  It would certainly be the end of free speech in our nation.        

Tolerance or Love?

The main reason why Dan Cathy and Chick-Fil-A have faced so much scrutiny is because they are being labeled intolerant.  Why are they considered intolerant?  Because they support traditional marriage and do not support same-sex marriage.  They believe in traditional marriage because that is what the Bible teaches (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5, Mark 10:7, Ephesians 5:21).  Is the Bible therefore intolerant?  

The answer is, in one sense, yes.  The Bible is intolerant, at least by the definition used today.  The Bible never tells its readers to be tolerant of anybody, instead it tells its readers to be loving towards everyone.  Love supersedes tolerance.  To be tolerant is to put up with somebody or somebody's viewpoint, but to love is to serve and care for everybody.  True followers of the Bible do not hate those that oppose them, including the gay and lesbian community, instead they love and deeply care for them.  

Jesus even tells his followers to love their enemies: "You have heard it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy,' but I say to you love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you" (Matt. 5:43-44).  

Dan Cathy and the rest of the Christian community is often accused of being hateful towards gays and lesbians.  But that couldn't be further from the truth.  As I said before, those that are true followers of the Bible and of Jesus Christ do not hate anybody - even their enemies.  I can't say the same for those that support same sex marriage.  They are often vulgar, angry, hateful, discriminatory, offensive, and intolerant of those that disagree with them.  If you don't believe me, just google what people are saying about Dan Cathy who do not agree with his views. 

Love and Truth

There are a growing number of Christians today who support same sex marriage.  They believe that is what Jesus meant when he said we should love everyone.  Let me be clear: to love somebody is to tell them the truth.  The Bible says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."   It also says, "love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth." A true friend is someone who is honest with you when you do something wrong.  Since the Bible clearly defines homosexuality as breaking God's commands (Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 1 Timothy 1:1:8-11), then the most loving thing someone could do is warn another that their lifestyle does not please God.  That is what a true, loving friend would do.

Would our culture apply the same rules to doctors as they do to Christians?  If a doctor diagnosed a patient with cancer, should he be "tolerant" and let the patient live on ignorantly?  Or should the doctor tell the patient he has cancer?  We all would agree the patient has the right to know his condition.  The doctor is not being "intolerant" for telling the truth.  Let's up the stakes then.  What if the doctor also had the cure to cancer?  Wouldn't it be terribly wrong for him to withhold that information to his patients?

All Christians are trying to do is be like the doctor.  They are being honest with mankind and saying, "we all have a human condition and it's called sin.  Sin is breaking God's commands"  Just like cancer, it can be terminal.  But the good news is, Christians have the cure.  The cure is the gospel of Jesus Christ.  God sent His one and only Son to pay the penalty for all of mankind's sin.  Jesus became our cancer.  Then He overcame it by rising from the dead.  

All Christians are saying is that anyone can be forgiven of their sin and have peace with God.  Christians are not out to condemn others, or to hate them, but to love them so much that they don't want anybody to perish without believing in Jesus Christ.  Christians do not hate homosexuals, they love them.  They love them the most because they are willing to tell them the truth.  Telling someone the truth is the most loving thing one can do.  

Dan Cathy does not hate anyone.  He does not hate gays, nor does he hate lesbians.  He loves them.  Those that oppose Cathy should take that to heart.  Instead of hating him in return, they should reflect on his positive message.  God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  God did not send His own into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believe in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.