“Chick-fil-A values are not Chicago values,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel in a statement to the Chicago Tribune. “They disrespect our fellow neighbors and residents.”
I’m gald I don’t live in Chicago… I don’t want to live in a city led by one who publicly contradicts Biblical morals. The city has had a troubled moral past (Mafia, graft, corruption, etc), it is just odd to me for a mayor to make such a statement.
The Chick-Fil-A discussion isn’t so much about disrespecting people as respecting and honoring God’s Law. I’ll go a step further. As I understand Scripture, all of the following conducts are equal transgressions of God’s Law:
Taking God’s name in vain… Lying… Fornication… Stealing… Adultery… Murder… Theft… Drunkeness… AND same sex marraige (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
Calls for people to ban Chick-Fil-A is proof of how far many in our nation have strayed from God. It is a sad day when evil is called good and good is called evil. It may very well be that God’s wrath is already being poured out on us as a nation. By the way, God’s wrath is Him simply allowing man to have what he wants.
When I choose fast food it will be Chick-Fil-A. Click here to read a good article on what is really going on in this event.
The part of this whole issue that troubles me, though, is all the accusations being hurled at Chick-fil-a about bigotry and discrimination, and even the disrespecting charge. Chick-fil-a never refuses to serve gays, or adulterers, or any other sinner. They have never, to my knowledge, refused to hire anyone based on race, gender or sexual affiliation. They merely stated their family and business view on what marriage should be. A clear case of politicing and misuse of a quote. Tolerance appears to have become a term to be applied to everyone except Christians. Sad days in this country….
I will also choose Chick-Fil-A, Br. Ron and have already been repremanded by a cousin for my stand and support of this business. It seems they can support immoral actions openly but you do not have the same rights as a Christian. I hope Chick-Fil-A is overflowing on August 1st with support ffrom Christians thankful to see someone with the courage to stand for what is right and not fold under pressure. Thank you Mr. Cathey
A few thoughts from a different perspective. I love Chick-fil-a. I am a Christian. I am also gay. I was raised in a Southern Baptist church, and have been struggling with homosexuality from the beginning. I am not here to argue the origins of homosexuality, but same-sex attraction was certainly not a choice for me. I didn’t even know what “gay” was growing up, and I had very good parents. What to do with it, on the other hand, is definitely a choice. I spent the majority of my teenage years begging God for freedom and hoping that one day I would wake up “normal.” So, I started investigating “ex-gay” ministries. Through reading and personal communication with people that have been through the process, here it what I have found out. They have been routinely shown to fail and be completely ineffective (the leaders of the ministries are constantly changing because they end up “backsliding”). Further, these “ministries” put young people through great emotional distress and lead to other disorders and acting out (self mutilation, drugs, promiscuity just to name a few). My issues with Chick-fil-a are not centered on their stance on marriage and homosexuality (though I do not agree with either), but instead I personally have a problem with their financial support of these damaging “ex-gay” ministries. I think Chick-fil-a is perfectly within their rights to have an opinion and state their opinion. But I don’t want my money contributing to these ministries. It’s a tough dilemma because their food is SO good!
So what is to be done with the gays? Personally, I think the best thing is willingness to maturely talk about the matter. Get the conversation going. Show the world that this topic can be discussed with love and genuine concern in a religious establishment. And instead of talking about it in terms of fire, damnation, rapist, murderers, incest, you need to repent and be saved, etc, it needs to be discussed as if you were addressing suicide, eating disorders, etc. Because the fact of the matter is most gays in church (and I guarantee there are at least one or two people in YOUR church dealing with this) are not flag wielding, in your face, gays, but they are scared kids in youth group as I was. Kids that don’t understand what they are feeling or why they are feeling it. These kids need help. If the church can at least recognize this, and show them they don’t have to be afraid to talk about it, then maybe a lot of kids will be saved from a lifetime of promiscuity and pain. Help them deal with their desires so that when they get out into the world they don’t go crazy. It may also alleviate some of the hatred gays feel toward the church. Again, I am not saying to tell these kids that it is ok to be gay. I know Biblically that is not what you or your church believes. But give them an alternative to secrecy and dealing with this alone. Encourage kids to tell their parents if they are dealing with this. Encourage the parents to respond with patience and love and not just kick the kid out of the house (this is very common when teenagers come out to their parents). Get educated on the matter (both on the science/experience of being gay and how to deal with it and not compromise your beliefs) and truly listen to the experience of these kids. It will blow your mind what some people have gone through or are currently going through. A really good resource no matter what your view is on the subject is http://www.gaychristian.net.
Sorry for the long post, but this stuff has been on my heart for a long time. Once again, I was not intending to attack anyone’s beliefs and I am not looking for a fight. Just a mature discussion.
You may be surprised, but there are points you and I agree on… and of course some we don’t agree on… but that doesn’t make us enemy combatants. As I set forth in my post, I do NOT elevate homosexuality (Same sex marriage) as worse or any different from drunkenness, fornication, theft, or adultery (Among others). I would even agree that we are born the way we are. I would guess we might disagree on the definition because I hold to the fact that we’re all born sinners… inclined to sin and rebellion against God. Our sin nature manifests its self in different ways. For some it is serial adultery OR fornication OR drunkenness OR lying OR… OR… OR. For me it would be drinking as my paternal family has a generational problem with alcohol. Like you, what I do with that inclination is a choice I’ve made (Not to drink alcohol). I will even go so far as to say there are times a temptation fleetingly passes by me, but I choose not to partake.
As to your question “What is to be done with the gays?” The question is much larger for me than just one moral issue. I would ask the question this way… What is to be done about the nature we all have to sin and rebel against God? Lust is just as much a problem (And sinful) for a straight person as anyone else. Greed and coveting is just as much a problem as lust or drunkenness. Unforgiveness and an ungraceful attitude is just as much a probelm as greed and coveting. I hope I’m explaining my position in a way that can be understood.
I am quite sure that in the congregation I speak to each Sunday there are drunkards (My dad was a pastor AND a drunk AND not saved!). I’m sure there are people who in the previous week lusted or coveted or held grudges or lied or had an affair or anything else you can name. I simply do not seperate one conduct sinful inclination or action from antother.
As for my counsel to anyone dealing with anything the Scripture speaks to… 1) Seek God asking for Him to reveal His truth {Not what others say His truth is. There IS a difference.}; 2) Accept and believe God’s Word as it is written {Not as others interpret it. There is a difference.}; 3) Agree with God about what He says in His Word {Not what others say God says.}; 4) Choose to live a life that conforms to The Scripture {Not the lists men say is in the Scripture}.
Consider that Paul had a “thorn in the flesh.” We don’t know what it was, but God chose NOT to remove it. It might have been physical, emotional, or mental… we just don’t know. Whatever it was God’s answer to Paul’s request that it be removed was… “No… but my grace is sufficient for you…” (2 Cor 12:7-10). For the rest of my life I will periodically be tempted to drink alcohol… but I will rely upon God’s grace for me to defeat that temptation. The same would go for those who struggle with fornication, adultery, covetousness, bitterness, unforgiveness, and homosexuality.
I am not looking for a fight either. I prefer open discussions that seek Truth. On that I know we agree.
Blessings!
Ron and “concerned” both have well thought out post, not an easy topic, I am sure that God said that it is wrong so it is wrong but I also know that it must be a very difficult battle to struggle with homosexual feelings and the hostility that coming out can bring.