However, others must not feel the same way because on August
1st, conservative Christians staged a “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day”
in which thousands of people came out to support Chick-fil-A and thus, in their
view, also support the traditional definition of marriage. With lines out the
door across the country, Chick-fil-A has said they set an all-time sales record
that day.
Not to be outdone, supporters of same sex marriage staged
their own “Kiss Day” on August 3rd, in which thousands of same sex
couples went to Chick-fil-A and kissed, presumably to show Cathy there is
nothing wrong with being homosexual.
Now, I’ve been known to support a good boycott now and then,
but I just wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about. I believe everyone is entitled to their own
opinions. Cathy didn’t say he wouldn’t
serve homosexuals, he simply stated his personal beliefs. That being said, I’m
tired of some conservative Christians putting more effort into promoting hate
than they put into doing productive things that would benefit society. As a
Christian myself, I have to agree with one commentator who said, “I wish the
lines of people that came out to support Chick-fil-A would be just as long at
our local food banks and homeless shelters”. What is even worse is that in
doing my research for this post, I found a list of anti-homosexual organizations
that Chick-fil-A supports financially.
You can check out the list, and what each organization stands for here: http://equalitymatters.org/factcheck/201207020001
So my question to you this week is, “What do you think about
the recent controversy surrounding Chick-fil-A?
Do you plan to support or boycott them?
Do you think someone’s political views should have an impact on their
business?” Answers are due no later than
Sunday, August 12th 2012. As
for me, finding out what kind of organizations Cathy supports has made me
reconsider my opinions on the issue.
Maybe I do want to be more careful about where I spend my money and
where that money goes. Regardless, they
still have good chicken.
I understand that he has his opinion and he expresses his Christian beliefs but if I were gay I would have gone to kiss day. I believe that people should have their opinions but some of the things that are big issues now they should just keep it to themselves. I believe that people had a right to go protest because I believe in same sex marriage. I do believe in personal opinion but I do agree with same sex marriage as well so I can see both sides of this story.
ReplyDeleteI've never eaten at Chick-fil-A for reasons of my own personal beliefs, but since reading about what the company supports and who they give money to I know I'm not missing out on anything good. The guy can have his own opinion on marriage, I don't care, but giving money to organizations such as Exodus International is just sickening.
ReplyDeleteI toooo LOOOVVEE Chic-fil-A and actually found a post eariler last week to places they support. Since seeing the post I have cut the restaurant's tastey chicken out of my diet as a way to protest. I agree that everyone is entitled to their own opinions and think that in the world of business and money those opinions are often taken to the extreme. It should of partly been expected due to the christian beliefs that they have incorporated in their business.Here is a instance where the media, company and just people in general have taken things to the extreme. Its cray, cray!!
ReplyDeleteI love waffle fries...but i love my gays way more! I use to very much support this company, loving that they gave their workers Sundays off to worship and spend time with their families. It is his company and he has the right to say whatever he wants, that part doesn't bother me at all. HOWEVER donating almost 4.8 million dollars to something so hateful is ridiculous. That money needs to be going to cancer research, hungry children, school systems, so many great charities not hate...So disappointing.
ReplyDeleteWell I'm glad that I don't like Chick-fil-a ... so it hasn't changed me going there or not by reading this. It has changed my views on others going there though. My friends are obsessed (more than obsessed actually) with the place and I now refuse to take them there if they are with me. They "don't care! I just want my chicken!" But they don't know the details of it all.
ReplyDeleteI do support people having an opinion and sticking up for it, not changing just to fit in. So on that part I understand where he's coming from. If he would have had an opinion and not supported the horrible organizations, then there probably wouldn't be that much of a problem.
They do have great chicken, but I have changed my opinion about them. I do believe everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but they shouldn't go blasting it. I have my opinions and I keep them to myself. I think his little slip up will have an effect, but it will not be major. I know some people personally that worked at Chick-Fil-A and after Cathy said his statement, they quit. They were especially shocked and angry when they found out he was giving money to hate groups. Why can't he give that money to a loving charity like cancer research or autism. I think it is ridiculous. I haven't been in awhile, but I don't plan on going there either; well not until he apologizes and stops giving money to those groups. It sucks, but I can do it. I don't have the money anyways.
ReplyDeletei like their food so im not boycotting them. But i was angry when he said that he's kept it to himself for so long why say it on tv now and then he denies having to do which any anti gay organizations- really. this may have been a ploy to gain the support of a large # of people to donate that money to the groups he supports. people like him that are so full of hate for one type of people help pave the way to genocides
ReplyDeletePersonal opinions and big business shouldn't mix like at all. i don't personally eat at chick fil-a but i don't think i will anymore either. espeacially if there funding a bunch of organizations that go out of there way to keep people from being happy. i support same sex marriages but i don't think thats a good term to use if two people love each other and want to be married to each other that should simply be called marriage. who the hell is anyone to stop anyone else's happiness. also what good is religion if it breeds hate and nastiness which history will show christians have done more than once for centuries along with every other religion that thinks there right. after awhile it starts to make you wonder if religion is really a good thing or something that just holds humanity back from truly prospering as a whole.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to the whole gay situation and then mixing it with business, it just all gets messy. This is honestly the first time I am hearing about this, although I did notice that day I passed Chick-Fil-A and wondered why it was so busy, now I undersand. I feel both ways about the situation. In a business if your going to serve the masses which is everything under the sun, your personal believes should be kept out of it. But then again, with me being a Christian, I understand that you are supposed to live your life the right way, and with him being a Christian, anything that is in his life is going to be devoted in that manner, business and all. Honestly I like their food, and the fact that they are a religious company sort of sets them apart in my mind. I am not boycotting or anything, I'm just getting my food, I don't feel the need to become in depth with personal issues. We give are money to various places and sometimes not really knowing where its going, but we have a tendency to buy what we like/want regardless. But it all comes down to a personal opinion, and this is mine.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a home surrounded by hardcore conservative Christians, so naturally when "Chick-Fl-A" appreciation day came around, of course we went. Although I do not support gay marriage, I refuse to treat people who are homosexual any different than someone who isn't. I went to Chick-Fl-A, like you also said, just for some chicken. I felt a little sense of disappointment at Christians who were there acting all high and mighty and were only there because they wanted to be seen doing something "holy." I am a Christian and I believe in all that it entails, but I think that there is a line that most of us cross that verges on he judgmental and gives us all a bad name. And I believe we crossed that line.
ReplyDeleteI rarely eat Chik-Fil-A but because of this issue I would choose to not eat it. I think it could have been a marketing ploy to raise sales because there are so many people that would support them in their "Against Same Sex marriage" campaign. I think it wasn't right that he brought his own personal opinions and made it known for the company as a whole. I grew up Christian but I feel love is love, regardless of sex. It's crazy that people would go out and support this whole thing. I think it's been blown outta proportion.
ReplyDeleteI would still eat. Everybody has their own opinion on how they feel about homosexuals, he just happened to broadcast it on TV. I'm not saying I'm against it because I would still eat, I just want some chicken. It shouldn't change how the business is running, because it's just an opinion.
ReplyDeleteI just want to put out there. I am for same sex marriages. They aren't hurting anyone by a man loving another man. Everyone needs someone and has a someone out there who will love them.
ReplyDeleteWill I still eat there? I think not...
Seeing as the money that I pay for my food is going to fund people who are against same sex marriages..... I'm sorry Mr. Cathy but your chicken isn't that good that I will fund you for your dirty organizations... I can hop my happy behind over to the store and buy the stuff to home make my food.. It will more then likely be more healthy anyways.
I absolutely loved Chick-fil-A. I used to go there all the time for lunch, but now that this has come to light that they support anti-gay groups, I have stopped going. I do not really care for gay marriage, I just think there should be civil unions to allow gay couples the same rights and privilèges as straight couples. It is always sad to hear how a man on his deathbed cannot be visited by his partner because he is not his spouse or family.
ReplyDeleteI care very little for religion, but seeing as how this is a person's opinion, I can respect that. That is awesome that you believe in something. Good for you. But I cannot respect a man who incites hate, and promotes the view that being gay is somehow wrong. I know he has not said anything, but his support of a group speaks for him. No group like this should exist and take in all of these donations. Starving children, I think, are more important than preventing man on man action. I could be wrong.
Thankfully, public opinion on the matter of same-sex rights are changing, and this whole argument may just end. People just need to stop making being gay more of a priority over all these other issues.
Go save a child. Go feed the homeless. Do something else besides attack a group of people that are already stomped on into the dirt.
My feelings on the recent controversy surrounding Chick-Fil-A is that here's another thing for the public to hear and make a big mess out of. Everybody on Earth knows that Chick-Fil-A is closed on Sundays because it's a religious business so I don't know why people are so surprised that the President of it doesn't support gay marriage. I believe he's entitled to his own opinion like we all are and those opinions don't affect his food. I plan to keep on eating there every once in a while because the spicy chicken sandwhich is amazing! Also, business is business and personal views should never affect it.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I'm getting sick and tired of this subject. Business, personal opinions, and religion do not mix. I don't know if this was a publicity stunt but it sure as hell seems like it. It truly is sad to know that people will go out and support something so ridiculous but they can't give to others, volunteer, or support something more meaningful. These people ridicule homosexuals and go to a fast food place to show their support, hahahaha. Go do something more constructive. I guarantee I wouldn't see the majority of those people in a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter. So what, you're Christian? cool. You're gay? Go for it, I don't care! It's 2012, its AMERICA. You would think people would be more tolerant of peoples beliefs or choices. Understanding would be a better word but I guess we haven't reached that point as human beings. How disappointing.
ReplyDeleteI believe that people look for reasons to make themselves feel better about their own lives. This is one of those situations where people feel the need to prove themselves publicly in order to be taken seriously by others of the same status quo. They, as Christians, should have a better understanding of Christianity in my opinion. Their behavior exudes nothing but discrimination and hostility. Aren't we supposed to be acting "Christ-like" in order to achieve eternal happiness? I, for one, gave up on Christianity when I was 14 for many reasons but one reason relates to this current event. It is a fast food restaurant. How can something so miniscule as that be blown out of proportion where is comes down to your sexual preference when all you want to do is eat chicken? It is all very silly if you ask me.
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily support gay marriage, nor do I object. I think that homosexuals should have the right to be acknowledged as a civil union, but marriage in the traditional sense should remain between a woman and a man just in my opinion. Now, will this controversy with Chick-fil-a cause me to go out and protest? Absolutely not. Life is too short to allow yourself to be filled with hatred. People will be themselves whether you like it or not, and I think that that is a beautiful thing.
I get the whole freedom of speech thing but i feel like making a statement like that on behalf of the whole company is not right. Obviously everyone knows the company is very religious but people like me don't care to hear about what you believe when what you're suppose to do is make good chicken. when learning how they donated money to "anti gay" groups really is disappointing...I guess personally i would think that since it is 2012 people would get over it and accept people how they are and not be considered with how others live their life.
ReplyDeleteSo Dan Cathy doesn't support same-sex marriage. So what? That is his personal opinion and religious belief. I don't agree with it but I'm not going to boycott the company because of what one guy believes. As far as donating to anit-gay groups, it’s their money. If you don't want to help with the cause find a different place to eat chicken. They are going to get the money regardless if it came from your pocket or someone else's. Boycotting isn't going to change his opinion, and it might not even stop the company from donating. If we boycotted every company or business that supported things we didn't like or believed most of us wouldn't have much of anything. So why make a big fuss over chicken when there are much more important issues we should be worried about?
ReplyDeleteI don't see why people are making a big fuss over it really, whether people like it or not he is entitled to his own opinion. And if he wants to donate money to anti-gay groups, it's their money. I don't really care about whether he supports gay marriage or not, it doesn't make the chicken taste any different.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the whole situation has been blown out of proportion. I think that Cathy has a right to his own opinion. As long as he wasn't degrading and slandering the gay community his business shouldn't suffer. I'm pretty positive there are many businesses that don't support ay marriage but just don't say anything. As long as they aren't saying they don't want to serve gay people then I don't think there is a problem. If people ask me my views on certains things I'm sure they wouldn't agree with everything but that's why we all have our own freedom of speech and beliefs I'll still be buying the chicken.
ReplyDeleteI think this controversy is a bit ridiculous and has been taken to the extreme. Yes, the groups that owner supports is completely wrong, but that does not change my mind on how much I like their chicken. I will definitel still eat there. People are always going to have opinions. You really can't punish someone for having an opinion. I don't think political views should have any sort of affect on a business. Their delicious food should not go to waste over this matter.
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ReplyDeleteI enjoy Chick-fil-A. They make an awesome spicy chicken sandwich. I don't agree with the views of the owners but, I am there to buy a sandwhich not to find out more about their political views. I don't understand why people get so butt hurt over someone elses opinion. Everyone has the right to their own thoughts and opinions when it comes to different political views. People need to accept that they will not agree with everybody and to respect other peoples rights whether or not you agree with them. That is what makes this country great.
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