Bigots in Beantown

What has happened is this: the sitting mayor of Boston essentially said "We don't serve your kind here" to a company that has prided itself on serving anyone but at the same time being unwavering about living out the biblical principles upon which the company is founded. Chicago's boss, Rahm Emmanuel echoed the sentiment's of Boston's mayor.


At Chick-fil-A, such a position is not a contradiction. They will serve any and hire any, but they will not give a thumbs up to things that run contrary to what the Bible says.


And that's what people don't get about Christianity and Christ. How can those apart from Christ act like Christ? They can't. This is why it is foolish for a Christian to get his knickers in a knot because someone uses profanity around them or because he hears that two co-workers spent the night wrestling beneath the sheets. It is the nature of the lost to live lost.


At the same time, such an understanding doesn't nullify--in fact it highlights--that those apart from Christ stand in rebellion to their Creator. I cannot condone your lifestyle. I will not say it's a question of equal choices anymore than killing twelve in a theater is the same as killing twelve on the battle field.


Chick-fil-A is convinced that a one man and one woman relationship for life is God's design, that it is the healthy building block for a healthy society. You differ in that position? I would say, bummer, but at the same time, it doesn't change the fact that you are welcome at their establishment, will be treated courteously at their establishment, and might actually find the quality of their food quite good for fast food.


True freedom on The Freedom Trail would have opened welcoming arms to Chick-fil-A and would have stated, "We vehemently disagree with the fundamentals of your company, but let's let the free market have its way." Homosexuals should recognize that saying you live in sin and being bigoted are two different things. One cares about you and loves you enough to tell you your conduct is harmful like saying "smoking three packs a day will kill you." The other will have nothing to do with you, will not hire you, will not work with you, and will not serve you because of what you do. 


Which promotes greater freedom, not permitting you to build your business because of what you believe or hiring and serving you regardless of what you believe while at the same time encouraging you to choose another way?


Christ had no problem associating with the sinners because it was the sick who needed the physician. At the same time, the Son of God with a calm command and authority said, "Go and sin no more." Loving the sinner. Hating the sin.


And so I will go to the best mechanic and doctor I can find with no thought to ideology.


I will eat at restaurants that serve good food and treat me with respect and dignity (even if they were to discover I was a Bible-believing Fundie).


But when I worship, it's a different story, but even there, in a free country founded upon those really wacky Christian principles, I have a free choice about where, what, and who I will worship.  At least for now.


Keep your ears to the ground. Listen to the response of Chick-fil-A and its supporters, listen to what's coming out of Beantown, Second City, and Hollywood, and ask yourself, "Who's the bigot?"

Chick-fil-A anti-gay? Really?!

I had other things to do this morning, but vent I must.

A few days ago, I read an article about Dan Cathy, current president of Chick-fil-A and son of founder, S. Truett Cathy (you can read it here if you wish. I thought it a great article about a man who tries to live out biblical principles in his life and in his work. It is his company, for pity's sake. He makes plain that it's not a Christian company, there can only be Christian people ("Christ never died for a corporation. He died for you and me"), but he goes on to say,

"...As an organization we can operate on biblical principles. So that is what we claim to be. [We are] based on biblical principles, asking God and pleading with God to give us wisdom on decisions we make about people and the programs and partnerships we have. And He has blessed us."

Within the article, he responds to a question about how Chick-fil-A has been opposed by liberal and homosexual America for encouraging the traditional family (i.e. husband and wife, if you've forgotten). His response:

"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.

"We operate as a family business ... our restaurants are typically led by families; some are single. We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that."

Because of such audacious statements, homosexual America has erupted. In a blog on the Huffington Post (here), Cathy is referred to as anti-gay and as thinking that everyone must be a Christian. They find it shocking that one who holds a biblical world view would support other organizations that do so as well, to include one organization that tries to help those who struggle with homosexual attractions. The article lauded universities for "squashing" plans for on-campus Chick-fil-A's.

Here is where we are as a nation. Many believe that a Christian man should not be able to run his company by Christian principles. He he should not be able to declare conduct or actions good or harmful based upon the clear teaching of the Bible. Cathy stands upon biblical principles. It is getting to be in our country where you are permitted to stand anywhere but upon those.

Ah, the tolerance of the tolerant.

(Of interest, I don't believe a homosexual has ever been denied service in any of his establishments. That would be something Cathy would not tolerate. For more on our widening national divide, go here.)