Chick-Fil-A

I wanted to share my thoughts in regards to "National Chick-fil-a day." I thought I'd wait a week to post it as I didn't want to throw gasoline on the fire.

I didn't really want to address this, but as I read a lot of articles and blogs about last week, none of them said what I was thinking.

Millions of Americans flocked to Chick-fil-a restaurants last week in support of Dan Cathy's stance on gay marriage and his right to free speech. Here is what he recently said in the Baptist Press, "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." (July 22)

I can't say that I have a problem with what he said. He believes the biblical definition of marriage is one man and one woman for life. To be honest, Jesus says that in Matthew 19. (After the bible says a whole bunch of other stuff about marriage, see the chart below, provided by many of my seminary friends on facebook) Cathy chooses to read the bible in black and white, which means he believes the world was created in 6 days and is opposed to divorce. While I do not read the bible that way, I can respect his theology.

So the millions go eat chicken to support Cathy's right to freedom of speech. They showed up in opposition to big city mayors that would rather Cathy did not open any restaurants in their city. I don't have a problem with anyone going to get chicken in support of his rights. 

What bothers me is not what was said, but what was heard. While Christians were trying to say "We support Dan Cathy's right to free speech," millions of non-Christians emphatically heard "God hates gay people."  

The same people we are trying to share the gospel with have another reason to deny it. 

That makes me sad.