Having Different Thoughts About this Whole Chik-Fil-A Thing . . .

I love Chik-Fil-A. My family does too. If I am not in the right frame of mind, diet-wise, you will see CFA bags or a sweet tea cup in my car. The chicken sandwiches are amazing and the waffle fries are perfect and every once in a while, there is nothing better than a cookies 'n cream milkshake.

I also love their customer service and their stand for Christian values and their support of traditional marriage and the family and their scholarship programs and charity work and, well, just about everything.

In addition, I think that Dan Cathy, the Chik-Fil-A CEO had every right to answer a question about his support for traditional marriage and the family the way he did. That is his belief and he should be able to speak it. He was also right to speak out in favor of his Christian convictions on marriage and the family and more of us should do the same. I also think that it is totally wrong for the mayors of Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and other protestors around the country to try and keep Chik-Fil-A out of their cities because of their beliefs and positions.

One more thing: I also think that today's support of Chik-Fil-A is generally a good thing and I am glad that people have a desire to see businesses who stand for the right things do well.

But . . .

I am feeling a bit uneasy as the day goes on. Something in my gut is wondering if those supporting Chik-Fil-A by eating a chicken sandwich today did not end up accelerating the culture war to a new height, and not in the way that is best.  Here is what I mean:  Dan Cathy did not specifically say anything against gay marriage.  He simply said that he supported the traditional family and marriage. But, this protest is very clearly a response to the backlash against Cathy and Chik-Fil-A by homosexuals and their supporters. So, by nature, the long lines of people at Chik-Fil-A today are counterprotesting the protestors, thus, making a statement against them that Cathy and Chik-Fil-A still have not made. They have just kept doing their work.  Is this what Chik-Fil-A would have wanted?

Secondly, buying a chicken sandwich and waffle fries today and standing in long lines to do so does not really support the things that Cathy and Chik-Fil-A said they were in favor of.  It can come across more as a show of power to those who would try and exercise power against us.  Where does Jesus' teachings on "do not resist an evil person" (Matt. 5:39) come into play here?  Granted, this is not resisting in a negative way, but instead, it is a positive affirmation of Chik-Fil-A. It is almost a silent protest of support. No problem there - it can actually be a good thing, but I wonder if in the contest of protests and counter protests, it doesn't come across as a show of power, especially when we get really excited about the long lines and how many people are on our team?

As Fox News said today,

"It used to be that taking a bite of a chicken sandwich just meant you were hungry. Now it has become a symbol of whether you stand for or against same-sex marriage, or – alternately – the right to express your personal views without fear of retaliation."

Chik-Fil-A will now forever be known as the "anti-gay" restaurant chain, which is not who they are at all. They are not "anti" anyone nor are they discriminatory. They have no policy in either hiring or service against homosexuals. Instead, they are "pro" traditional marriage and family. But, I wonder if that message is being lost in the sound and fury of the culture wars?

A lady in our church, Molly, updated her status on Facebook today by saying something very poignant, I think, which stopped me in my tracks and got me to look at the larger picture here. While not criticizing those at CFA today to show support, she asked how many people would be at Chik-Fil-A on Friday night when the homosexual protest took place to show love, concern, compassion, and to engage in conversation and share the gospel.  That got me thinking and I have not been able to shake the thought all day.  Standing in line to buy a chicken sandwich and support the business of Chik-Fil-A can be seen as more about us (not saying it is, but it could be construed that way).  It could be seen as Christians and Conservatives trying to protect those institutions that promote our way of life and to give them more power - economic power. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, per se, but I wonder if Jesus would have shown up to buy a chicken sandwich today, or if he would be sitting in a booth on Friday night dining with "sinners?"  I wonder if the way of Jesus here is not something altogether different - not exercising power to build up Chik-Fil-A or attack sinners and also not saying that homosexuality is the right course and the issue doesn't matter. Perhaps the way of Jesus would be to bring something altogether different to the conversation - the new life found only in Him, forgiveness, and the crucifixion of our way of life so that we can walk in His way.

These are just thoughts. This blog is the workshop of my mind and it is often a big mess. I am not questioning the motives of a single person who went to Chik-Fil-A today. I am NOT criticizing anyone who went to CFA today to show support for their family friendly values. I would have gone there too and was pretty excited about the whole thing this morning. I might go tomorrow. But, I am attempting to think "big picture" here. I am trying to see this through a gospel lense. If it wasn't for Molly, I probably would not have thought too much of it. But, apart from the individual motives of all the people who went to Chik-Fil-A today because they wanted to do something good, I just wonder if collectively we didn't fall for the world's old ploy that tries to get us to protect our way of life through trying to hold onto our place in the world instead of realizing that we already have a place in God's Kingdom and we are free to lay our lives down in love - even for those who would take action against us? 

Just thinking.

Comments

[Christiane]

I think Our Lord would come to sit with the sinners . . . not the righteous, as was His Way

[CFA Fan]

This post is very confusing. So by showing solidarity with a business that has very publicly supported one of the most basic human institutions--an institution that God created and also sanctified in the Church--is a show of power? Power over what, exactly? The NY Times elite that are attempting to frame the "debate"? I think the big picture is that our culture is in decline and Christians cannot passively stand by and watch our country embrace the principles of a culture of death. Christians in general are called by God both to evangelize AND promote the common good. As Christians we have a supernatural goal (heaven with Christ) and a natural destination (a natural life ordered to knowing and doing what is true and good). We need not oppose our supernatural vocation to our earthly destiny. For Christians one should illuminate the other. Even if the common good is something small like showing solidarity by waiting in a long line for a chicken sandwich!

[Alan Cross]

CFA Fan,

As I said, I have no real problem with people going to Chik Fil A today. I was going to go. Nor, do I have a problem with people supporting their view on marriage and the family. I share their view and am vocal about it. I think they are right. I also am appalled by those who would seek to punish them or limit their freedom of speech on this issue. The mayors of Boston and Chicago and city leaders in Philadelphia and San Francisco are acting horribly on this issue.

What I mean by making an appeal to power is simply that the way of Jesus is the way of the Cross, not the way of glory. Again, there is nothing wrong with what happened today, per se. However, is there a better way? Is there a better way to support what Chik-Fil-A supports and stands for? Their identity was "pro-family" and "pro-marriage." Now, as an unintended consequence of today's actions, it is "anti-gay." They never wanted that or asked for that and that is not who they have been.

So, my question is simply, is there another way? Today was undoubtedly a show of power that will cause the legions on the Left to think twice. I don't think they antipated this response. We have tried this before, though, just in different ways. We called it a "Moral Majority" and a "Christian Coalition" and we said that if we can just mobilize the Christians on the Right, then we can stop the decline of our culture. That didn't work out very well. Things are much worse now than they were in 1980. Perhaps the problems go deeper. Maybe, this kind of demon comes out only by prayer, fasting, and sacrificial love - laying our lives down for others.

Or, maybe we lose the culture and gain our souls in the process because, just like our Savior, our place is outside the camp and on the margins.

I wish I had some Chik-Fil-A right now. I am starving. And, I hope they stay in business forever and keep saying the same things. I just wonder about what the best way to really go about this is.

Our position on Christian marriage should be clear. I just don't know that the chicken sandwich is the best place to articulate that position.

[Summer Whatley]

like.

[Jeremy Crowder]

I did not eat at Chik-Fil-A today because I don't care for long lines. However I do plan on giving them more business than before because of the stance they take for traditional marriage. They are being attacked for having a Biblical postion and I want to show them that many of us share that postion me included. I want to show the world that some of us still stand for the Bible even as many others refuse to take a stand. Chik-Fil-A is full of sinners and Jesus would be eating Waffle fries everyone that is for Traditional Marriage is still a sinner though some like me are saved sinners cleansed by the blood.

[Todd]

Alan,

One of my friends has a regular line, "We tend to build more crosses on which to crucify others than we are to bear the Cross for others as Jesus did/does."