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Chick-fil-A blocked from campus

Under mounting pressure from pro-"gay" activists, the student government at a university in Boston voted down a proposal to bring a Chick-fil-A franchise on campus.

Under an onslaught of hostile criticism from Northeastern University students and faculty, the Student Government Association voted 31-5 not to allow Chick-fil-A to become a campus vendor in a food court that is being renovated. Among the critics claiming the company discriminates against homosexuals was the university's LGBT advocacy group, NU Pride.

Also denouncing the plan was Northeastern's Graduate Student Government. "...In light of Chick-fil-A's financial support for groups advocating against gay rights and gay marriage, [we felt] that it was not appropriate to invite Chick-fil-A onto campus ... because it contradicts Northeastern's values and standards with respect to diversity and the University's commitment to its LGBT community," said a GSG statement. "...It is not in the interest of the University to allow onto campus a vendor associated with these beliefs."

Brian Camenker is founder of MassResistance!, a pro-family grassroots activist group based near Boston. Speaking about the vote to deny Chick-fil-A a presence on the campus, he says: "I guess it should show to people just how brainwashed and how unbelievably radicalized college kids have become."

Camenker says it is outrageous that protestors are especially infuriated that the company has donated to Exodus International, an organization that offers help to people who wish to leave the homosexual lifestyle.

"Good people need to start standing up to it," he says of protests against faith-based business practices. "And since this is happening in Boston, it looks we ought to ... start trying to organize down at Northeastern and see what we can do there, because this kind of thing really must be confronted and stopped."

Critics point out that Chick-fil-A -- which says its corporate purpose is "to glorify God by being a faithful steward" -- has also contributed to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, and the Marriage & Family Legacy Fund.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=1549400

Chick-fil-A Called 'Anti-Gay' for Contributions to Pro-Marriage Groups

Chick-fil-A, the fast-food chicken restaurant chain known for its commitment to employing biblical beliefs in its business practices, is once again under attack by homosexual activists for its support of pro-traditional marriage organizations.
The most recent attacks come from an analysis by homosexual activists claiming that the company – primarily through the WinShape Foundation – has donated over a million dollars to organizations that promote family and Christian values such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes ($480,000), Family Research Council ($1000), the Marriage and Family Foundation ($1,188,380) and Exodus International ($1,000).

"Let's face it: despite what the company's president says, Chick-Fil-A is an anti-gay corporation," wrote Tyler Coates in Blackbook. "I hate Chick-Fil-A, and not just because I think pieces of chicken slathered in pickle juice is inherently revolting. I hate Chick-Fil-A because Chick-Fil-A hates me. You know what I do have a problem with? The fact that the company gives so much g**damn money to anti-gay groups."

The restaurant chain started by Truett Cathy and his wife over 66 years ago is now one of the nation's fasting growing fast food enterprises in spite of being closed on Sundays – a move that brings continued criticism from atheists and secular organizations.

According to the company's website, "Truett Cathy, made the decision to close on Sundays in 1946 when he opened his first restaurant in Hapeville, Georgia. He has often shared that his decision was as much practical as spiritual. He believes that all franchised Chick-fil-A Operators and Restaurant employees should have an opportunity to rest, spend time with family and friends, and worship if they choose to do so. That's why all Chick-fil-A Restaurants are closed on Sundays. It's part of our recipe for success."

Peter Sprigg, vice president for the Family Research Council, says their group makes it a practice not to comment on the individuals or corporations who give money to them, but it appears much of the criticism throw at Chick-fil-A has to do with their donations to marriage enrichment programs.

"Chick-fil-A has given money to groups that support and strengthen marriage between men and women," Sprigg told The Christian Post. "I would hardly say that is anti anything. The company boldly states they were founded on Christian principles and marriage is one of the most basic of Christian tenets and is the foundation of the family. I can't see why anyone would object to that."

What confuses pro-family groups such as the Family Research Council the most is why they are labeled a "hate" group by liberal watchdogs such as the Southern Poverty Law Center simply because they subscribe to and believe in biblical principles.

"My question would be when someone gives money to an organization that promotes the homosexual lifestyle, does that mean they hate Christians? I certainly hope not," Pastor David Baker told The Christian Post. "To my knowledge, I've never seen a group that advocates and truly believes in Christian principles say they hate anyone. I think that would apply to Chick-fil-A and the local business owner who happens to be a Christian."

Although the company rarely responds to inquiries about its corporate donations, Chick-fil-A President and COO Dan Cathy released a statement in 2011 denying that Chick-fil-A had an agenda against any group or organization but would "continue to offer resources to strengthen marriage and families."

http://www.christianpost.com/news/chick-fil-a-called-anti-gay-for-contributions-to-pro-marriage-groups-77621/

'Guilty as charged,' Cathy says of Chick-fil-A's stand on biblical & family values

Dan Cathy oversees one of the country's most successful businesses. As president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, Cathy leads a business with 1,608 restaurants that had sales of more than $4 billion dollars last year. They sell chicken and train employees to focus on values rooted in the Bible.

His father, S. Truett Cathy started the business in 1946, when he and his brother, Ben, opened an Atlanta diner known as The Dwarf Grill (later renamed The Dwarf House). In 1967, his father opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Atlanta. Today, Chick-fil-A is the second largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in the United States based on annual system-wide sales.

Dan Cathy's success has not erased the biblical values he learned as a child in a Baptist church. He is a warm, common man who is deeply committed to being a faithful Christian witness. And he is fully involved in New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Ga. He drives Chick-fil-A's efforts to provide genuine hospitality, ensuring that customers have an exceptional dining experience in a Chick-fil-A restaurant. Based on Matthew 5:41, Cathy is on a mission to provide customers with "second-mile" service -- exceeding even the highest expectations of a typical fast-food restaurant.

"We don't claim to be a Christian business," Cathy said in a recent visit to North Carolina. He attended a business leadership conference many years ago where he heard Christian businessman Fred Roach say, "There is no such thing as a Christian business."

"That got my attention," Cathy said. Roach went on to say, "Christ never died for a corporation. He died for you and me."

"In that spirit ... [Christianity] is about a personal relationship. Companies are not lost or saved, but certainly individuals are," Cathy added.

"But 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."

Rather than leading from his corporate office in Atlanta, Cathy chooses to spend the majority of his time traveling to the chain's growing family of restaurants and interacting with Chick-fil-A's committed team members. His actions stem from a belief that working in the field provides a clearer understanding of the needs of Chick-fil-A customers. Leading from the front line also enables him personally to convey his servant spirit to the chain's 61,000-plus employees.

Cathy believes strongly that Christians are missionaries in the workplace. "Jesus had a lot of things to say about people who work and live in the business community," he said. His goal in the workplace is "to take biblical truth and put skin on it. ... We're talking about how our performance in the workplace should be the focus of how we build respect, rapport and relationships with others that opens the gateway to interest people in knowing God.

"All throughout the New Testament there is an evangelism strategy related to our performance in the workplace. ... Our work should be an act of worship. Our work should be our mission field. As long as we are stateside, let's don't think we have to go on mission trips by getting a passport. ... If you're obedient to God you are going to be evangelistic in the quality of the work you do, using that as a portal to share [Christ]," he said.

When asked if Chick-fil-A's success is attributed to biblical values, Cathy quickly said, "I think they're inseparable. God wants to give us wisdom to make good decisions and choices." Quoting James 1:5, he spoke of how often he asks God for wisdom.

"Frequently Jesus challenged us to just ask ... we're simply not asking as often as we should. We need to be more faithful to depend on a God who does love us and wants to have a relationship with us, and wants to give us the desires of our hearts."

There is another success story attributed to Cathy's organization. They have a positive influence in the world of Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Southeastern Conference (SEC) football.

There was a time when the Atlanta college football bowl game, which is now named after Chick-fil-A, was called the Peach Bowl. The annual bowl features teams from the ACC and the SEC. It struggled for a long time. Then 15 years ago the Chick-fil-A organization got involved. It was rebranded as the Chick-fil-A Bowl and has been incredibly successful with 15 consecutive sellouts.

"We are the only bowl that has an invocation. It's in our agreement that if Chick-fil-A is associated in this, there's going to be an invocation. Also, we don't have our bowl on Sunday, either," Cathy said.

In 2008 Chick-fil-A began sponsoring a Chick-fil-A Kickoff game matching two of the nation's top teams and hosted on the first weekend of the season in the same stadium (Georgia Dome) as the Chick-fil-A Bowl. This year Chick-fil-A will host two kickoff games, one on Friday and one on Saturday.

"That's never been done before," he said.

The pair of Chick-fil-A Kickoff games is expected to generate more than $60 million in economic impact. The bowl website describes the event as "a college football celebration of epic proportions."

When questioned about Chick-Fil-A's "Closed on Sunday" policy Cathy responded, "It was not an issue in 1946 when we opened up our first restaurant. But as living standards changed and lifestyles changed, people came to be more active on Sundays."

The policy has not changed over the years as malls began changing their policies by opening on Sundays.

"We've always put in our lease that we will be closed on Sundays," Cathy said. "We've had a track record that we were generating more business in six days than the other tenants were generating in seven [days]."

"While developers had no identity whatsoever with our corporate purpose to 'glorify God and be a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and have a positive influence on all that come in contact with Chick-fil-A,' they did identify with the rent checks that we wrote to the mall, that were based on our sales.

"So, they would make an exception for Chick-fil-A when they wouldn't make an exception for anybody else, simply because they knew we would pay them more in rent than any other tenant would that was open even seven days a week."

The company invests in Christian growth and ministry through its WinShape Foundation (WinShape.com). The name comes from the idea of shaping people to be winners.

It began as a college scholarship and expanded to a foster care program, an international ministry, and a conference and retreat center modeled after the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove.

"That morphed into a marriage program in conjunction with national marriage ministries," Cathy added.

Some have opposed the company's support of the traditional family. "Well, guilty as charged," said Cathy when asked about the company's position.

"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," Cathy emphasized.

"We intend to stay the course," he said. "We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles."

http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=38271&ref=BPNews-RSSFeed0716&utm

Gay Activists SODOMITES Enraged Once Again Over Chick-fil-A's Marriage Stance

Dan Cathy, the president of the fast-food giant Chick-fil-A and the son of its founder, Truett Cathy, confirmed the company's commitment to traditional family values in an interview with Baptist Press. While the Atlanta-based chain's position is nothing new, homosexual activists are up in arms and calling for yet another all-out boycott of the chain's 1,608 restaurants.

Hollywood actor Ed Helms sent a message on Twitter on Wednesday saying he is now boycotting Chick-fil-A.

"Chick-fil-A doesn't like gay people? So lame. Hate to think what they do to gay chickens. Lost a loyal fan," wrote Helms.

Recently, the younger Cathy spoke to a group of business leaders in North Carolina and talked about the differences in being a Christian and owning or operating a "Christian business."

"There is no such thing as a Christian business," Cathy recalled businessman Fred Roach as saying years ago. "That got my attention. Christ never died for a corporation. He died for you and me."

But what has gay activists stirred up is a response Cathy gave to BP when asked about the company's support of a marriage enrichment program promoted through the WinShape Foundation, which is primarily funded by Chick-fil-A. The company's support and funding have led some to offer sharp criticism of the company for only encouraging biblical and traditional marriage.

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"Well, we're guilty as charged," Cathy said when questioned about the issue. "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."

The article that was more or less just another profile of a Christian family who operates a restaurant chain drew a number of sharp responses from the homosexual community – many of whom are accusing Cathy and the company of not liking gay people.

The so-called outrage over Chick-fil-A's Christian stance has never deterred the Cathys from expressing their beliefs or as far as anyone can tell, inflicted economic harm on the sales of chicken sandwiches. However, sales results for the company are not released since it is privately held.

Chick-fil-A spokesman Don Perry emailed a prepared statement to the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Wednesday evening when they inquired about the company's position.

"The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect -- regardless of belief, creed and sexual orientation," the statement said. "We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 restaurants run by independent Owner/Operators. Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena."

Meanwhile, Chick-fil-A isn't the only major corporation embroiled in controversy over same-sex marriage. Office Depot recently rolled out an initiative called "Be Brave" that highlights gay celebrities such as Lady Gaga.

"It's interesting we're the ones called intolerant as Christians," said Ruth Malhotra, an Atlanta political consultant, told The Christian Post. "Last week Office Depot began running a promotion featuring Lady Gaga and encouraging same-sex behavior by supporting her 'Born This Way Foundation' and saying that becoming homosexual is a sign of bravery. Since when did engaging in sexual immorality become an act of courage?"

But the company's continued commitment seems to have overcome some homosexual groups who have called for previous boycotts.

"We've moved on," Heather Cronk, managing editor of Get Equal, a national LGBT group, told the AJC, saying many in the gay community stopped dining at the chain long ago."

Still, Cathy and his family are undeterred over the controversy.

"We intend to stay the course," he said. "We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles."

Interview with Dan Cathy, President and COO, Chick-fil-A

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/gay-activists-enraged-once-again-over-chick-fil-as-marriage-stance-78547/#JrjgqBKRUSOGQKqL.99

Knuckle under ... or else

A media watchdog group says it's no surprise that homosexual activists and their media friends are upset with a prominent and successful fast-food chain for taking a public stand in support of traditional marriage.

Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy recently stated in an interview with a North Carolina-based Christian news journal that his privately owned company is "guilty as charged" in support what he called "the biblical definition of the family unit." (See earlier story)

"We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that," Cathy told the Biblical Recorder. "We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles."

Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the Media Research Center (MRC), tells OneNewsNow that the mainstream media tends to follow the lead of pro-homosexual activist groups.

"So many corporations have knuckled under the Human Rights Campaign and their 'Corporate Equality Index' -- you know, you're very, very rare [when you don't], which makes you very easy for the media to pick on," Graham explains.

Founded in Georgia, Chick-fil-A has primarily grown its chain in Southern states. But in recent years it has migrated to the north in more urban centers, drawing attention from liberal media outlets and homosexual-advocacy organizations.

"It's amazing to me ... I mean this is what they do: they pick on people and they absolutely expect abject surrender -- just the way they did with the Boy Scouts," says the MRC spokesman. "They're infuriated that the Boy Scouts don't knuckle under."

Chick-fil-A issued a statement on its Facebook page on Thursday (July 19), telling its customers that "going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena" and that its tradition is "to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect -- regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender."

Human Rights Campaign has defined as "hate groups" several organizations that have received financial donations from Chick-fil-A -- among them Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Focus on the Family.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=1636264

Support ... and opposition ... for Chick-fil-A

In the aftermath of the company president’s declaration for traditional marriage, the National Organization for Marriage is calling on people of faith to support Chick-fil-A. At the same time, the mayor of Boston is getting roasted for his opposition to the restaurant chain.

President Dan Cathy, president and chief operating officer of the restaurant chain, recently stated in an interview with a Christian news journal that his privately owned company is "guilty as charged" of supporting what he calls "the biblical definition of the family unit." Jonathan Baker of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) tells OneNewsNow that Chick-fil-A owners Dan and Truett Cathy are simply taking a firm position based on their faith.

"They've not done it in an objectionable fashion. They've not denigrated people. They simply shared that they are Christians, that they hold with biblical teaching on what marriage should be," Baker points out. "And frankly, they've put a lot of money where their mouth is. They're a great example for the rest of us in supporting marriage."

As Baker points out, the resulting rhetoric against the Truett family has been extremely harsh. That, he says, is why his organization is asking supporters to quietly stand with the restaurant.

"In response to the Cathy family's support for marriage, the National Organization for Marriage is urging Chick-fil-A customers to go ahead and visit their local Chick-fil-A and have a chicken sandwich and share their support for the Cathy family," Baker says. "The two dates are Wednesday, July 25th and Wednesday, August 1st."

He says the "National Eat at Chick-fil-A" days will also send a message that heroes who stand for marriage and family cannot be silenced.

NOM is also currently pushing its "Dump Starbucks" campaign in response to the corporation's support for "gay marriage."

While marriage proponents are standing up for Chick-fil-A, the mayor of Boston is turning thumbs down to the fast-food restaurant -- a move that isn't necessarily popular among his constituents.

Chick-fil-A's owners, who are solid Christians, have received some heated rhetoric from activists recently for taking a firm biblical stance for traditional marriage and against homosexual "marriage." Boston Mayor Thomas Menino says now he will block Chick-fil-A's plans to open a store in Beantown.

Brian Camenker of MassResistance tells OneNewsNow that Menino is strongly pro-homosexual. (Listen to audio report)http://www.onenewsnow.com/uploadedFiles/Media/Audio/2012/07/24/CHARLIEBOSTONVOICER.mp3

"People are really turning against the mayor on this," he shares. "I think even a lot of people who might disagree with Chick-fil-A's issues [are lining up against Menino] because it is so blatantly unfair -- and probably illegal -- what the mayor is doing."

But Camenker notes that Menino does have the power to block needed permits, just as he did with Walmart because the mayor does not agree with Walmart's policy on unions. Walmart eventually gave up.

Camenker says the mayor's tactics are similar to those employed by homosexual activists in trying to silence their opposition. "It's a way of shutting it down -- and it's very offensive and we're contemplating what to do ourselves about it," says the family advocate. "But I can say this: there is plenty of outrage here. It's interesting."

In fact, the editorial staff of the normally liberal Boston Herald has taken exception to the mayor's move, describing it as "an abuse of government power" to issue threats to a private company whose owners "[do] not happen to share the mayor's own personal or political views."

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Business/Default.aspx?id=1636824

Chick-fil-a and the Irony of the Tolerance Police
By Denny Burk on July 21, 2012 in Christianity, News, Politics

The irony of the tolerance police never ceases to amaze me. Perhaps you’ve heard about their latest sting operation aimed at Chick-fil-a. It all began earlier this week when Dan Cathy, the President of Chick-fil-a, told a reporter that the company was pro-family. He did not mention gay marriage. Nor did he say anything specifically about homosexuality. Cathy simply said this:

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. We intend to stay the course. We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles.

That doesn’t sound very controversial to me. It just sounds like a Christian businessman answering a question about his faith. Have we really come so far that even these words are intolerable to the tolerance police? Well, apparently the answer is yes. Activists and sympathizers with the gay rights movement are castigating Chick-fil-a and calling for boycotts. Other media outlets have begun digging up past statements by Mr. Cathy, including one from last June about “God’s judgment” on those who wish to redefine marriage. Sensing the rising storm, Chick-fil-a tried to deescalate and released the following clarification:

The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect — regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender. Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.

It doesn’t sound all that radical, does it? Actually, it sounds rather conciliatory to me. But that hasn’t diminished the outrage of the tolerance police one whit. No, they are still out in full force calling for consumers not to tolerate Chick-fil-a’s intolerance. Calls for boycott continue, and now politicians are beginning to weigh-in. The mayor of Boston has even gone so far as to declare a ban on Chick-fil-a’s in Beantown. Mayor Thomas Menino in his own words:

Chick-fil-A doesn’t belong in Boston. You can’t have a business in the city of Boston that discriminates against a population. We’re an open city, we’re a city that’s at the forefront of inclusion. That’s the Freedom Trail. That’s where it all started right here. And we’re not going to have a company, Chick-fil-A or whatever the hell the name is, on our Freedom Trail… If they need licenses in the city, it will be very difficult — unless they open up their policies.

Apparently, Christian business owners are no longer allowed to express religious opinions in Boston if they run crosswise with the Mayor’s views on marriage. If that doesn’t send a chill down your spine, I don’t know what will. Again, the irony appears to be lost on the good mayor, who also fails to recognize that nothing Dan Cathy says indicates that homosexual persons will in any way be discriminated against at Chick-fil-a. In fact, Cathy says this:

We’re a business that serves the public, all people are welcomed into Chick-fil-A, and frankly we do not feel called to weigh in on a lot of social activism that’s taking place as it relates to the definition of the family, but we do definitely want to encourage strong families.

Do you see how this is going? You don’t even have to mention homosexuality or gay marriage. All you have to say is that you are pro-family, and certain municipalities will exile your business. Welcome to the brave new world of tolerance.

————

UPDATE #1: The reporter who conducted the original interview with Cathy is now saying that Cathy’s remarks have been distorted in the press. Many of those reports spin Cathy’s remarks in a negative direction calling Chick-fil-a “anti-gay.” The reporter says that the term “anti-gay” never came up in the interview. “[Cathy] never even brought up that subject. Everything he stated was on the positive side … He never stated anything negative.” Read about it here.

UPDATE #2: The ostracism continues. The Jim Henson Company has now severed ties with Chick-fil-a and will no longer provide toys for Chick-fil-a kids meals. Here’s the statement from the company: “The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors. Lisa Henson, our CEO is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-Fil-A to GLAAD.” Read the rest here.

http://www.dennyburk.com/chick-fil-a-and-the-irony-of-the-tolerance-police/

Muppets bash Chick-fil-A over owner's faith
'Our CEO is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage'

The Jim Henson Co., owner of the widely promoted Muppets characters, says it won’t be working with Chick-fil-A any more based on the statement of Christian faith from the restaurant chief that he does not endorse homosexual marriage.

“The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over 50 years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A (sic) that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors,” said a Facebook statement from the company. “Lisa Henson, our CEO, is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-Fil-A (sic) to GLAAD [ a homosexual promotion organization].”

But one had to read only a few lines in the comments section of the Facebook posting for the crux of the issue became focused.

“I love the double standard that Jim Henson’s company is expressing by not … accepting Christians’ belief in the biblical definition of marriage,” wrote Valorie Phillips.

Added Michele Sparacino, “Lisa Henson you support gay marriage, however Chick-fil-A did not ban giving your toys out. So why would you ban Chick-fil-A. I know for a fact they hire gay people. They just do not believe in same sex marriage… Is that not there (sic) freedom of speech.”

The dispute developed after Dan Cathy, the chief of Chick-fil-A, which was begun by his father, Truett Cathy and now is a $4 billion-plus a year business, recently gave an interview to The Baptist Press and said, “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.”

The Henson company, which had been working with Chick-fil-A on a promotion of kids toys for kids meals, then erupted with what one outspoken traditional marriage supporter described as “fundamental intolerance of Christians.”

That’s from Peter LaBarbera, of Americans for Truth, who advocates for traditional marriage and defends against the attacks on Christian beliefs that come from homosexual activists.

“You cannot accuse Chick-fil-A of somehow going out of their way to bash homosexuals. It’s a consistently Christian company,” he said. Homosexual activists, however, he said, “cannot abide” the biblical proscription of homosexual behavior, and they have the same attitude toward those to following those teachings.

“You have to look at the history of the homosexual movement,” he said. “It’s all about intimidating. The reason they fear Chick-fil-A is it’s a popular, respected, growing operation.”

“That Cathy actually has the temerity to hold his own beliefs as a Christian [they believe] he has committed some sort of crime,” he said.

Activist Zach Stafford at the Huffington Post stood with the Muppets, noting a “vintage clip” of the Muppets showed a “pretty gay-friendly message from a cow. Interesting connection here is that cows are the mascots for Chick-fil-A.”

“In the video we see Gladys the Cow singing about the diverse possibilities of what all she could of been (sic) instead of a cow, but no matter the possibilities she is still so proud to be a cow. … Though the video does not have any explicit links to the LGBT community, I think we can see some clear similarities between Gladys’ song and the narratives we see around the LGBT community, coming out, and being proud of who you are,” he continued.

However, on the Henson Facebook page, Bill Dyer said it isn’t anything so complicated.

“Chick-fil-A is doing what they believe to be the truth. Christians don’t ban others for what they believe. It seems that it is okay to believe in anything but Jesus Christ and what Christians stand for. Chick-fil-A will be my choice because they have the guts to stand for what they believe,” he wrote.

Henson’s company is just one more such company dependent on America’s families with children to adopt the politically correct support for homosexual behavior.

WND recently reported on the fact that General Mills CEO Ken Powell threw the support of the $15 billion food giant behind “gay” activists urging Minnesotans to deny a constitutional amendment in the state defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

Also, Kraft foods recently featured a rainbow-colored Oreo cookie, along with the caption, “Proudly Support Love.”

See what the biggest companies in the nation are doing to promote homosexuality.
http://www.wnd.com/2011/03/271013/

In June of 2009 President Obama declared June to be LGBT Pride month, and organizations from the Pentagon to cookie confectioners have been making news headlines for supporting Obama’s favorite cause ever since.

Recently JC Penney came under fire from groups like One Million Moms because the department stores Father’s Day catalog featured same-sex duos.

Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, said the General Mills position in Minnesota “will go down as one of the dumbest corporate PR stunts of all time.”

“Marriage as the union of one man and one woman is profoundly in the common good, and it is especially important for children,” Brown said. “General Mills makes billions marketing cereal to parents of young children. It has now effectively declared a war on marriage with its own customers when it tells the country that it is opposed to preserving traditional marriage, which is what the Minnesota Marriage Protection Amendment does.”

http://www.wnd.com/2012/07/muppets-bash-chick-fil-a-over-owners-faith/?cat_orig=us&utm

Playing chicken: Same-sex Muppets vs. Chick-fil-A
Restaurant getting ready for biggest day ever, recalls kids' meal toys

Hundreds of thousands of people across America are pledging to support Chick-fil-A restaurants in the face of an attack on the company because of an executive’s affirmation that both he and the company support a choice of a biblical lifestyle.

That means funding, lobbying and advocating for homosexual marriage is not in the Chick-fil-A plans, a stunning stand that has drawn the wrath of many progressives, including the Jim Henson Co., which created the Muppets.

But now a Facebook campaign launched by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a candidate for president in 2008, seeking to build support for the chicken-sandwich chain already famous for closing its stores on Sundays so employees can attend church if they choose, is gaining steam.

In an announcement on the social networking site, Huckabee invited Americans to join him on Wednesday, Aug. 1, (some supporters also are advocating an every-Wednesday support) for a “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.”

Earlier today, some 100,000 had pledged to participate, with the company’s fans apparently undeterred by a late-day glitch in Facebook that suddenly deleted the promotion page.

“A number of you are asking questions about the Chick-fil-A event. The event disappeared from my page this morning and we have asked Facebook to look into this. I will update you as soon as I know more. The event is still on and the info should be back up soon,” Huckabee posted late in the day.

The suggestion of a conspiracy wasn’t far behind Huckabee’s statement.

“I shared this event with my friends as well, and it was removed from my page also!” wrote Brea Fincannon Nance. “I am looking forward to hearing what happened. And … I definitely plan to be at Chick-fil-A to stand up for the sanctity of marriage on August 1!!”

Huckabee’s original announcement said, “I have been incensed at the vitriolic assaults on the Chick-fil-A company because the CEO, Dan Cathy, made comments recently in which he affirmed his view that the biblical view of marriage should be upheld. The Cathy family, let by Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy, are a wonderful Christian family who are committed to operating the company with biblical principles and whose story is the true American success story.”

He noted the company now is a $4 billion a year effort with more than 1,600 stores.

“The militant homosexual advocates have launched an all out assault on Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A, pushing for a boycott because the Cathy family has contributed to traditional marriage organizations. The attempts to hurt or destroy Chick-fil-A is nothing short of economic bullying. In the name of ‘tolerance,’ there is an effort being mounted to put pressure on people to stop eating at Chick-fil-A. Even worse is the vilification of the company and its employees. The Christian world view of Dan Cathy is being met with intolerance and vicious hate speech,” Huckabee’s announcement said.

“I ask you to join me in speaking out to your constituency via Facebook, Twitter, email, broadcast, etc., to make Wednesday, August 1 ‘Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.’ No one is being asked to make signs, speeches, or openly demonstrate. The goal is simple: Let’s affirm a business that operates on Christian principles and whose executives are willing to take a stand for the Godly values we espouse by simply showing up and eating at Chick-fil-A on Wednesday, August 1.”

The controversy was founded in Dan Cathy’s comments, and John Hayward at Human Events noted that Cathy responded “guilty as charged” when he was asked about supporting the traditional institution.

“There’s not much doubt, even from the context of this single interview, that Cathy is referring to the union of husbands, wives, and children when he discusses support for the traditional family, but that’s not the same thing as condemning anyone,” he wrote.

He noted it was at another time that Cathy did address homosexual marriage, during a radio interview, when he said, “I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.’ I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think we can try to define what marriage is all about.”

Hayward continued that while the two sides of the issue probably never will come to terms, the issue now is not about discussing differences.

“The name of the game being played against Chick-fil-A involved ending the discussion, by ruling one side of this important social debate completely out of order, and dismissing their beliefs as unworthy of respect. All resistance to gay marriage is instantly transmuted into personal hatred of gay people. On the other hand, criticism of traditional marriage proponents cannot be viewed as hateful, no matter how angrily it might be expressed. It’s a rigged heads-we-win, tails-you-lose game.”

Chick-fil-A appears to have taken itself off the soapbox, at least for now, with a corporate statement that said, “The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect – regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender. We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 restaurants run by independent owner/operators. Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.”

The company did not respond to requests for additional comment. It did, however, confirm to several outlets that it had recalled children’s puppets that it had distributed in kids meals.

The Miami Herald reported Chick-fil-A voluntarily recalled all of the Jim Henson Creature Shop Puppet Kids Meal toys due to concerns generated by reports that some children had gotten their fingers stuck in the puppets.

The report said the company was offering ice cream cones instead. The report also said the company reported the decision was independent of a slapdown that recently was announced by the Henson company.

That company, the creator of the widely promoted Muppets characters, said it would not be working with Chick-fil-A any more based on Cathy’s statement about his Christian faith.

“The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over 50 years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A (sic) that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors,” said a Facebook statement from the company. “Lisa Henson, our CEO, is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-Fil-A (sic) to GLAAD [ a homosexual promotion organization].”

But one had to read only a few lines in the comments section of the Facebook posting for the crux of the issue became focused.

“I love the double standard that Jim Henson’s company is expressing by not … accepting Christians’ belief in the biblical definition of marriage,” wrote Valorie Phillips.

Added Michele Sparacino, “Lisa Henson you support gay marriage, however Chick-fil-A did not ban giving your toys out. So why would you ban Chick-fil-A. I know for a fact they hire gay people. They just do not believe in same sex marriage… Is that not there (sic) freedom of speech.”

The dispute developed after Dan Cathy, the chief of Chick-fil-A, which was begun by his father, Truett Cathy and now is a $4 billion-plus a year business, recently gave an interview to The Baptist Press and said, “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.”

The Henson company, which had been working with Chick-fil-A on a promotion of kids toys for kids meals, then erupted with what one outspoken traditional marriage supporter described as “fundamental intolerance of Christians.”

That’s from Peter LaBarbera, of Americans for Truth, who advocates for traditional marriage and defends against the attacks on Christian beliefs that come from homosexual activists.

“You cannot accuse Chick-fil-A of somehow going out of their way to bash homosexuals. It’s a consistently Christian company,” he said. Homosexual activists, however, he said, “cannot abide” the biblical proscription of homosexual behavior, and they have the same attitude toward those to following those teachings.

“You have to look at the history of the homosexual movement,” he said. “It’s all about intimidating. The reason they fear Chick-fil-A is it’s a popular, respected, growing operation.”

“That Cathy actually has the temerity to hold his own beliefs as a Christian [they believe] he has committed some sort of crime,” he said.

Henson’s company is just one more such company dependent on America’s families with children to adopt the politically correct support for homosexual behavior.

WND recently reported on the fact that General Mills CEO Ken Powell threw the support of the $15 billion food giant behind “gay” activists urging Minnesotans to deny a constitutional amendment in the state defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

Also, Kraft foods recently featured a rainbow-colored Oreo cookie, along with the caption, “Proudly Support Love.”

See what the biggest companies in the nation are doing to promote homosexuality.

In June of 2009 President Obama declared June to be LGBT Pride month, and organizations from the Pentagon to cookie confectioners have been making news headlines for supporting Obama’s favorite cause ever since.

Recently JC Penney came under fire from groups like One Million Moms because the department stores Father’s Day catalog featured same-sex duos.

Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, said the General Mills position in Minnesota “will go down as one of the dumbest corporate PR stunts of all time.”

“Marriage as the union of one man and one woman is profoundly in the common good, and it is especially important for children,” Brown said. “General Mills makes billions marketing cereal to parents of young children. It has now effectively declared a war on marriage with its own customers when it tells the country that it is opposed to preserving traditional marriage, which is what the Minnesota Marriage Protection Amendment does.”

http://www.wnd.com/2012/07/playing-chicken-same-sex-muppets-vs-chick-fil-a/?cat_orig=us&utm

Grant Gustin, 'Glee' Star, Shames Chick-Fil-A For Anti-Gay Donations While Bryan Fischer Vows Support

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-VlsA6uZuo

"Glee" star Grant Gustin might be the latest celebrity to shame Chick-fil-A for its confirmed anti-gay stance, but other high-profile voices are continuing to pledge support for the fast food chain.

Gustin, who plays the openly gay student Sebastian on the hit TV series and also appeared at this year's GLAAD Media Awards, sounded off against Chick-fil-A

Gustin's proclaimed discontent with Chick-fil-A comes at the same time a prominent right-wing pundit has condemned lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights advocates for "trying to go Ahmadinejad" on the Atlanta-based chain, according to Right Wing Watch.

Referring to the LGBT community both as "Big Gay" and intolerant "bullies," American Family Association's Bryan Fischer called on potential customers to "to buy out every chicken sandwich that Chick-Fil-A makes on Aug. 1. Let’s have them run out of chickens, let’s send them out behind the restaurant with an ax to cut the heads off of more chickens to feed people because they are selling so many chicken sandwiches."

Fischer also penned a blog in which he accused the LGBT community of "drafting" the Muppets and "enlisting" Boston Mayor Tom Menino to aid in the "war" against Chick-fil-A. "The bullies at Big Gay have targeted the 'Eat Mor Chikin' chain because its president, Dan Cathy, has taken an unapologetic public stand on behalf of natural marriage, and rebuked this generation for its “arrogance” in thinking that it knows better than God when it comes to the definition of marriage," Fischer wrote. "And so the heterophobic bigots at Big Gay have come unhinged and unleashed the dogs of war."

Late last week, Fischer went even further, touching on reports that Chick-fil-A offered free meals to police officers responding to the scene of the tragic Aurora, Colo. theater shooting:

BryanJFischer

Bryan Fischer
Chick-fil-A provides free meals to first responders in CO. Let's see Big Gay demonize that. http://t.co/RfK2ZUVb

In the wake of President Dan Cathy's confirmed anti-gay stance, the Jim Henson Company announced this week it would no longer partner with Chick-Fil-A, while Menino has similarly pledged to block the company from opening a franchise in his city.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/25/chick-fil-a-grant-gustin-bryan-fischer-_n_1701909.html

This is now getting serious traction, this isnt the rejection of Chick-fil-A, this is the rejection and defiant spit in the Lords face for His values. This has nothing to do with a fast food restauraunt, but the Lords values and how He hs commanded us to live. This is going to bring even more Judgment on this country as our leaders get out and activly VOW to reject the Lords Word.

Emanuel goes after Chick-fil-A for boss’ anti-gay views

The anti-gay views openly espoused by the president of a fast food chain specializing in chicken sandwiches have run afoul of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and a local alderman, who are determined to block Chick-fil-A from expanding in Chicago.

“Chick-fil-A’s values are not Chicago values. They’re not respectful of our residents, our neighbors and our family members. And if you’re gonna be part of the Chicago community, you should reflect Chicago values,” Emanuel said Wednesday.

“What the CEO has said as it relates to gay marriage and gay couples is not what I believe, but more importantly, it’s not what the people of Chicago believe. We just passed legislation as it relates to civil union and my goal and my hope … is that we now move on recognizing gay marriage. I do not believe that the CEO’s comments … reflects who we are as a city.”

Ald. Joe Moreno (1st) is using the same argument to block Chick-fil-A from opening its first free-standing restaurant in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood.

Chick-fil-A already has one Chicago store — at 30 E. Chicago near Loyola University’s downtown campus.

“Same sex marriage, same-sex couples — that’s the civil rights fight of our time. To have those discriminatory policies from the top down is just not something that we’re open to. …We want responsible businesses,” Moreno said.

“If he’s in the business of selling chicken in Chicago, he should be in the business of having equal rights for everyone. Period …. If it looks like a chicken, talks like a chicken, walks like a chicken, it’s a chicken. If you’re saying you don’t respect the values and rights of same-sex couples, that trickles down through the organization. … That’s paramount to the way the company behaves.”

Don Perry, vice president of corporate public relations for Chick-fil-A, and senior manager Jerry Johnston could not be reached for comment on the opposition from the mayor and Moreno.

Chick-fil-A has already obtained zoning approval to build a restaurant in the 2500 block of North Elston. But, the company still needs City Council approval to divide the land and purchase a lot near Home Depot.

Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy was quoted last week as saying he was “guilty as charged” for supporting, what he called the “biblical definition” of marriage as between a man and a woman.

“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,” Cathy was quoted as saying.

Appearing on the Ken Coleman Show, Cathy was further quoted as saying, “I think we’re inviting God’s judgment when we shake our fist at him, you know, [saying], ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.’ And I pray on God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we would have the audacity to try and redefine what marriage is all about.”

Cathy’s comments have infuriated gay rights activists across the nation, prompting their political allies to take a stand against the company.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has said Chick-fil-A “doesn’t belong in Boston” because of Cathy’s discriminatory stance.

On Wednesday, the tag team of Emanuel and Moreno joined the chorus, citing Cathy’s anti-gay views. The only question is whether they have a legal leg to stand on.

“Absolutely not,” said former Ald. William Banks (36th), the longtime chairman of the City Council’s Zoning Committee who presided over a massive re-write of the city’s 1957 zoning ordinance.

“Any alderman can hold a development issue for virtually any purpose. But if he’s doing it for the wrong reasons — if he’s citing a gay rights issue — there’s nothing illegal about that.”

Moreno said he has an ace in his back pocket if he runs into legal trouble: traffic and congestion issues caused by the store that have been the subject of behind-the-scenes negotiations for the last nine months.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/13988905-418/emanuel-goes-after-chick-fil-a-for-boss-anti-gay-views.html

Quote

“Chick-fil-A’s values are not Chicago values. They’re not respectful of our residents, our neighbors and our family members. And if you’re gonna be part of the Chicago community, you should reflect Chicago values,” Emanuel said Wednesday.

That is a defiant VOW toward the Lord for that city. And they dare to wonder why their city is such a mess? Why hundreds have been murdered their and gangs run the place? Well there you go, Chicago's values are NOT the same as the Lords Values And Judgment will soon follow.

Gay Rights Group Petitions Against Chick-Fil-A, Plans ‘Kiss-In’

The gay rights group Equality Illinois is launching a campaign against Chick-Fil-A – petitioning universities and lawmakers to evict the fast food restaurant from their campuses and planning a “kiss-in” campaign by gay and lesbian couples outside Chick-Fil-A restaurants.

The campaign by the group comes just after Ald. Proco “Joe” Moreno (1st) announced plans to block efforts by Chick-Fil-A to open a second Chicago restaurant, because the company’s president vocally opposes same-sex marriage.

The campaign by Equality Illinois, dubbed “Flick-the-Hate,” urges people to sign a petition geared toward universities and malls that host Chick-Fil-A restaurants.

“As we challenge the company’s anti-LGBT policies, we must also ask these universities and mall owners why they want to do business with a company that holds up hate as a family value,” Equality Illinois says.

Equality Illinois is also urging Chicagoans who support gay rights to participate in an “Eat for Love Day” on Wednesday, Aug. 1. The organization is urging people to eat at a local restaurant that supports LGBT rights and “is unafraid to show its support for equality for everyone.”

The group is asking participants to post where they are planning on eating and sent pictures. Two Boystown restaurants – the Chicago Diner at 3411 N. Halsted St., and the Hearty Boys restaurant at 3819 N. Broadway – are among those participating.

And on Friday, Aug. 3, Equality Illinois is urging gay and lesbian couples to go to their local Chick-Fil-A restaurants for a “kiss-in” campaign, which the group is promoting along with other gay rights organizations nationwide.

At the “kiss-in,” Equality Illinois says, “LGBT supporters will show their disdain for Chick-Fil-A’s policies with public displays of affection in front of their restaurants.”

Chick-Fil-A has drawn a flurry of controversy ever since an article profiling the company ran last week on the Christian news site Baptist Press.

The article notes that some have opposed Chick-Fil-A’s “support for the traditional family,” and goes on to quote Cathy as saying, “Guilty as charged.”

Cathy is quoted further in the July 16 Baptist Press article: “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.”

Cathy further expressed his opposition to same-sex marriage in an interview last month on the radio program “The Ken Coleman Show.”

“I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say ‘we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage,’ and I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about,” Cathy said on the radio program.

Chick-Fil-A currently operates only one location within the Chicago city limits, at at 30 E. Chicago Ave. on the Loyola Water Tower campus. The restaurant also operates Chicago area locations at the Fox Valley center in Aurora, Orland Park, Schaumburg and Wheaton, as well as several locations downstate.

Chick-Fil-A has already obtained zoning for a second planned Chicago in the 2500 block of North Elston Avenue, in Moreno’s ward. But Chick-Fil-A needs City Council approval to divide the land so it can buy out a lot near a Home Depot nearby, and Moreno says he will not be blocking the company.

Before a City Council meeting Wednesday, Moreno said he has tried to work with the company for months, but Chick-fil-A won’t put its stated anti-discrimination policy into writing.

Cathy’s comments also have drawn the high-profile ire of some elected officials and other companies. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has also vowed to block Chick-Fil-A from entering his city at all.

“You called supporters of gay marriage ‘prideful.’ Here in Boston, to borrow your own words, we are ‘guilty as charged,’” Menino said in a letter to Cathy, “We are indeed full of pride for our support of same sex marriage and our work to expand freedom to all people.”

Also, earlier this week, the Jim Henson Co., the maker of the Muppets, backed out of a deal to make children’s toys for Chick-Fil-A.

“The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over 50 years and we have notified Chick-fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors,” the company said in part in a statement published to Facebook.

rest: http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/07/25/gay-rights-group-petitions-against-chick-fil-a-plans-kiss-in/

The Attack On Chick-Fil-A Is An Attack On The Freedom Of Speech Of Every American

If you are an American, your freedom of speech is under attack. Over the past week, remarks made by Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy defending traditional marriage have sparked controversy all over the nation. Many Americans have expressed support for his remarks and many have expressed disdain for his remarks. And all of that is fine, because in the United States people are supposed to be able to express their opinions. But in Chicago, Boston and other U.S. cities, politicians are actually promising to keep any more Chick-fil-A stores from opening because their CEO does not support gay marriage, and that crosses the line. When politicians threaten to ban a business from their cities just because the CEO does not hold the "politically correct" position on a social issue that is an attack on the freedom of speech of every American. You see, the truth is that the enforcers of political correctness in America are very "tolerant" except when somebody disagrees with them. The politically correct control freaks that are trying to ban Chick-fil-A from their cities would try to ban Chick-fil-A from opening any more restaurants in the entire country if they had the power to do so. The goal of these politically correct control freaks is to intimidate. They want to end debate on these social issues by shutting down the free speech of the opposition. In the end, if America continues to go down this path it will end up looking just like many of the other totalitarian regimes throughout history where free speech has been banned.

Once again, in America everyone has the right to say whatever they want to about Chick-fil-A.

However, when politicians try to ban a company from doing business in their areas because one of the company executives does not hold the "correct" political view about an issue that is a major problem.

This week, Chicago alderman Joe Moreno wrote a piece for the Chicago Tribune in which he explained why he is going to refuse to allow Chick-fil-A to open a new restaurant in his ward....

There are consequences for one's actions, statements and beliefs. Because of this man's ignorance, I will deny Chick-fil-A a permit to open a restaurant in my ward.
Apparently he has the power to single-handedly block the new restaurant that Chick-fil-A was hoping to open up....

Home Depot in the 2500 block of North Elston Avenue wants to sell a piece of its land so that a Chick-fil-A restaurant can open in the 1st Ward, where I am alderman. It would be the fast-food chain's first "stand-alone" Chicago restaurant. But to subdivide the land, the companies need my approval.

Because the CEO of Chick-fil-A will not conform to Joe Moreno's social values, Chick-fil-A is now essentially banned from that entire section of Chicago.

Not that Chick-fil-A will be able to open up new stores in other areas of Chicago either.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is promising to do what he can to keep Chick-fil-A from expanding any further in Chicago....

"Chick-fil-A’s values are not Chicago values. They’re not respectful of our residents, our neighbors and our family members. And if you’re gonna be part of the Chicago community, you should reflect Chicago values"

Apparently anyone that does not believe in gay marriage does not "reflect Chicago values".

But this is just the beginning. One group is trying to have Chick-fil-A kicked off of college campuses all over America. The following is from a recent CBS News article....

The gay rights group Equality Illinois is launching a campaign against Chick-Fil-A – petitioning universities and lawmakers to evict the fast food restaurant from their campuses and planning a “kiss-in” campaign by gay and lesbian couples outside Chick-Fil-A restaurants.

The message is clearly one of intimidation.

Either conform or suffer the consequences.

Sadly, politicians all over America are reacting just like politicians in Chicago have done.

The Mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino, has pledged to do all that he can to keep Chick-Fil-A out of the entire city of Boston. The following is what he told the Boston Herald on Thursday....

"Chick-fil-A doesn’t belong in Boston. You can’t have a business in the city of Boston that discriminates against a population. We’re an open city, we’re a city that’s at the forefront of inclusion"

But Chick-fil-A does not discriminate.

They serve anyone that wants a chicken burger and they are open to hiring anyone.

It is just that the CEO of the company does not think gay marriage is a good idea (along with half of the rest of America) and this absolutely infuriates the politically correct crowd.

On Thursday Mayor Menino also added the following....

"That’s the Freedom Trail. That’s where it all started right here. And we’re not going to have a company, Chick-fil-A or whatever the hell the name is, on our Freedom Trail."

In addition, he penned a furious letter to Chick-fil-A headquarters that you can read right here.

The town of Mountain View, California has also blocked a new Chick-fil-A restaurant from opening up.

In the months to come we will probably see much more of this.

And Chick-fil-A is probably going to get booted off of a whole bunch of college campuses.

In February, Northeastern University refused to allow a Chick-fil-A store to open on their campus, and student groups around the country are already mobilizing to oppose Chick-fil-A on more campuses.

This is the kind of religious fervor the politically correct crowd has. You are either with them or you are dog manure.

For example, Roseanne Barr wished cancer on those that eat at Chick-Fil-A on Twitter the other day.

So what were these supposedly "bigoted" comments that started this uproar in the first place?

The following is what Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy recent said during an interview with 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. 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"
Wow, that is some pretty controversial stuff, eh?

Certainly this could not be enough to spark a nationwide protest.

Perhaps it is what he said recently on "The Ken Coleman Show"....

"I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.' I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about."

Is that statement really worth going crazy over?

To the politically correct crowd it is.

They simply cannot tolerate a major public figure such as the CEO of Chick-fil-A saying that gay marriage is wrong. Plus they are always looking for more ways to chill the free speech of others that would speak out against gay marriage. The following is what John Hayward of Human Events said about all of this recently....

"The name of the game being played against Chick-fil-A involved ending the discussion, by ruling one side of this important social debate completely out of order, and dismissing their beliefs as unworthy of respect. All resistance to gay marriage is instantly transmuted into personal hatred of gay people. On the other hand, criticism of traditional marriage proponents cannot be viewed as hateful, no matter how angrily it might be expressed. It’s a rigged heads-we-win, tails-you-lose game."

The politically correct crowd does not want a debate about gay marriage.

What they want to do is to completely intimidate the other side and shut down the debate completely so that they can win by default.

Wednesday, August 1st, has been designated as "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day". I encourage all of you to go out and buy a chicken burger that day to show your support of free speech.

If we don't stand up for free speech now, soon it will be totally gone.

Already, the name of Jesus is becoming a forbidden word all over America. Just consider the following examples....

-All over the United States chaplains are being banned from praying in the name of Jesus.

-You can say just about anything you want in U.S. public schools these days except for anything having to do with Jesus. In fact, if you are a public school student and you try to talk about Jesus with your fellow classmates there is a good chance that you will be suspended from school.

-In many areas of America today, if you want to go out on a public sidewalk and discuss your faith with others there is a good chance that you will be arrested.

-If you are anti-abortion, if you have "radical theology" or if you are against "the New World Order", there is a chance that you will be labeled as a "potential terrorist" by the Department of Homeland Security.

In the end, we will end up just like North Korea if we are not very careful.

In North Korea, if you say something that is not "politically correct" you and your entire extended family could literally be on the next train to a concentration camp.

Today it is estimated that 70,000 Christians are being held captive in concentration camps in North Korea. Many of those believers are likely to spend the rest of their lives toiling in conditions that are absolutely nightmarish simply because they believe the "wrong thing".

If you don't think that such a thing could ever happen in America, you are dead wrong.

We are moving a little bit more in that direction every single day, and this latest attack on Chick-fil-A is another example of this trend.

When you attack the freedom of speech of one group of Americans, you attack the freedom of speech of every American.

Once our freedom of speech is gone, it will be incredibly difficult to ever get back.

Stand up for freedom of speech while you still can.

So what do you think about the attacks on Chick-fil-A? Please feel free to leave a comment with your opinion below....

http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/the-attack-on-chick-fil-a-is-an-attack-on-the-freedom-of-speech-of-every-american

Is it un-American to be a Christian?

The current hate campaign being waged by homosexual activists against fast-food chain Chick-fil-A, because of the firm's Christian values, may well turn out to be a bridge too far. The effort may prove to be a setback for homosexual activism.

The vile attacks on the firm and its owners, the Cathy family, should make clear, finally, that the "gay rights" movement is not about refining and advancing American freedom, but about rewriting American values and advancing, not freedom, but the homosexual political agenda.

Recently Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke at a flag-raising ceremony in Alexandria, Egypt, noting the re-opening of the American consulate there. Given the current political climate in Egypt, the Secretary of State felt behooved in her remarks to highlight principles of freedom as understood by Americans.

"... to us, real democracy means that every citizen has the right to live, work and worship as they choose, whether they are man or woman, Muslim or Christian, or from any other background."

Perhaps Clinton should be lecturing Americans instead of Egyptians.

Can it really be that in America today a businessman can be labeled a bigot, boycotted and cut off by suppliers because of the crime of being a Christian?

When Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy made his now famous incendiary admission that "we are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit," he was not pontificating. He was responding to a question in an interview done in a paper I expect is not read by many homosexuals -- the Baptist Press. (See related story) http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=1634048

Never mind. It was sufficient provocation that Cathy publicly admitted that the Bible defines his understanding of marriage -- the unique bond of man and woman -- which also happens to be the standard definition in dictionaries on the shelves of every American home and library.

"Chick-fil-A's values are not Chicago's values," said Chicago Mayor, and former chief of staff to President Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel. Emanuel defended Chicago Alderman Joe Moreno's threat to deny Chick-fil-A permitting in Chicago because its owner supports traditional marriage and family. (See related story) http://www.onenewsnow.com/Business/Default.aspx?id=1638420

But UCLA law professor and constitutional scholar Eugene Volokh points out in his blog that "denying a private business permits because of such speech by its owner is a blatant First Amendment violation."

The Constitution? The First Amendment? Religious liberty? Do these apply to Christians?

Volokh goes on to point out that a permit might be denied "if Chick-fil-A actually discriminated in their serving or hiring decisions in Chicago in a way forbidden by Chicago or Illinois law. But the stories give no evidence of such actions ...."

The fact that there is no evidence that Chick-fil-A discriminates in its business practices did not deter Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank from writing that Dan Cathy's support of traditional marriage "implied that gay people (not to mention divorced people) had no business eating at Chick-fil-A."

One court decision after another over the last 50 years has, step by step, purged any hint of religion and traditional values from our schools and public spaces.

Has it made this a fairer, better, freer nation? If you think breakdown of family, 40 percent out-of-wedlock births, a million abortions a year, $16 trillion in national debt, and government dependence is better and freer, yes.

Of course, society must embrace civility, respect and tolerance. But this doesn't mean that the sexual proclivities of some should provide license to rewrite our language and the traditions that define our faith and virtue.

Hopefully many will respond to Mike Huckabee's appeal to patronize Chick-fil-A on Aug. 1 as a display of support for traditional Christian values and as a reminder that our Constitution protects religious freedom.

Have we really gotten to the point where being a Christian is considered un-American?

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspectives/Default.aspx?id=1641608

Chicago values -- more like Farrakhan's than Chick-fil-A's Cathy?

Chicago's mayor is standing firm on his "no Chick-fil-A" policy as Americans prepare for a Wednesday chickenfest.

The controversy began when Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy voiced his stand favoring traditional, biblical marriage. While Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has backed off his initial statement blocking Chick-fil-A from opening in his city, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has had no such change of heart.

David Smith of the Illinois Family Institute tells OneNewsNow that Emanuel has stated Chick-fil-A values are not Chicago values.

"Whose values are you speaking of, Mr. Mayor?" Smith questions. "Are you talking about the thousands of churches and synagogues in the state of Illinois? Are you speaking for their values -- or are you talking only about the corrupt political machine that is Chicago? Are you talking about those values, Mr. Mayor?"

Could it be that Emanuel believes his city's values are more accurately represented by anti-Semitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan? Syndicated columnist Cal Thomas poses that question in his most recent column, pointing out that Farrakhan "goes a lot further than Dan Cathy" in opposing same-gender "marriage." As recently as two months ago, the controversial Farrakhan blasted President Obama for endorsing same-sex marriage, noting he is "the first president that sanctioned what the scriptures forbid" -- adding that " ... sin is sin according to the standard of God" and "the Bible forbids it."

Yet Mayor Emanuel is preparing to partner with Farrakhan in hopes of reducing the number of homicides in Chicago, according to Thomas.

IFI's Smith says people need to understand the mayor's background. "Rahm Emanuel is a former congressman, and as the Chief of Staff for President Barack Obama, he knows the financial power and backing of the homosexual community and has decided to embrace those values instead of the family values that are represented by the churches and the synagogues there in Chicago," he remarks.

The American Civil Liberties Union -- not known for challenging liberal policies -- has stated that blocking a business because of the owner's religious beliefs is wrong. Meanwhile, Wednesday is Chick-fil-A day and supporters of traditional marriage and family values are encouraged to dine at their local Chick-fil-A.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Business/Default.aspx?id=1641794

Chick-fil-A Opponents Stage Same-Sex Kiss-In

8/2/12

Video: http://news.yahoo.com/video#video=30174045

On Wednesday hundreds of thousands of traditional marriage activists ate "mor chickin" to support Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day. Today, it is same-sex marriage allies' turn.

Gay marriage supporters are putting a romantic spin on traditional sit-ins, organizing "kiss-ins" outside of Chick-fil-A restaurants from Dallas to New York City to celebrate National Same-Sex Kiss Day.

"Basically what you're going to get is a bunch of pretty normal, average, everyday people that just happen to be gay or lesbian give each other a kiss or a hug, hold each other's hand, and really show them that we stand up for what we believe," said Marci Alt, who is organizing a protest outside the Chick-fil-A in Decatur, Ga., about 20 miles from the company's Atlanta headquarters.

While the spark for this week's protests both for and against Chick-fil-A stemmed from comments the company's CEO, Dan Cathy, made supporting traditional marriage, the issues driving people to the streets go deeper than one executive's words.

"For me why it's so important is, I don't believe anybody should have the ability to say, I'm not a good Christian, or I'm Jewish, that I'm not a good Jew because I'm gay," said Alt, who has been with her wife for 12 years and has two daughters.The couple have invited Cathy over to dinner, where they "can share a respectful dialogue about our faith, work and families here in Georgia," said Alt, who says she'll even make chicken.

Many of the Chick-fil-A supporters who turned out for Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day told ABC News that they chose to eat chicken sandwiches on Wednesday to support Cathy's First Amendment rights to express his opinion on marriage.

Activists who are planning to turn out for Friday's kiss-off say it is not about speech, it's about action. Chick-fil-A and the non-profit foundation WinShape that it supports have donated millions to anti-gay groups such as the Marriage & Family Foundation, the Family Research Council and the National Institute of Marriage, all of which support a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

"Yes, you're allowed to have your opinion, but when you start signing checks over to people who are against my community and trying to rip my family apart, I'm going to stand up," Alt said. The couple have also invited

Alt said she expects "hundreds, hopefully thousands" of people to show up for the Atlanta kiss-in. Other formal protests are planned in Dallas and New York City and hundreds of other informal kiss-ins are expected around the country.

"It is just a nice nonviolent demonstration of LGBT love," said Rome Frost, who is organizing a kiss-in outside of New York City's only Chick-fil-A location, at New York University. "It's to show how much support that we do have and how we can solve these kinds of problems in a very nonviolent and romantic way."

Frost said he expects between 150 and 200 people – both gay and straight – to show up for the New York City kiss-in, which starts at 8 P.M. ET.

http://gma.yahoo.com/chick-fil-opponents-stage-same-sex-kiss-225747622.html

Why the Chick-fil-A Boycott is Really about Jesus

If you’re like me, you’re weary of the excessive politicization of nearly everything in American culture.

Can’t we just enjoy Oreo cookies without making a statement about gay rights? Or savor a chicken sandwich without fear of being labeled a hater or homophobe?

Though I’m weary of our culture’s tendency to politicize everything, I believe this Chick-fil-A boycott has revealed some fault lines in our culture that will lead to increasing pressure upon Christians who uphold the sexual ethic described in the New Testament. Furthermore, in listening to the mayors of Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco, it’s clear to me that – political posturing aside – this discussion may not be about the alleged homophobia of Chick-fil-A’s president but the actual Christophobia of the leaders of the cultural elite.

Christophobia? Isn’t that a strong word? Yes, it is. So let’s define our terms.

First, let’s define homophobia. According to the Anti-Defamation League, homophobia is “the hatred or fear of homosexuals – that is, lesbians and gay men – sometimes leading to acts of violence and expressions of hostility.”

Consider the comments made by Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy that triggered this escapade:

“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 know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles.”

That’s it. Cathy said, basically, “We believe in the traditional family.” In context, it appears he was speaking primarily about divorce. (What’s next? A sit-in protest led by divorcees?) But this was enough to bring down the wrath of gay-rights advocates upon Cathy and the company.

Though Chick-fil-A hires homosexuals and serves homosexuals (“with pleasure,” no doubt), the company and its president were suddenly labeled “homophobic” and “anti-gay” for articulating the traditional vision for marriage that has been the norm for thousands of years. If the word homophobic has any meaning, then we should reserve it for egregious offenses against homosexuals – not throw the label on anyone who has a conviction about what marriage is.

Now let’s define Christophobia. It is “anti-Christian sentiment expressed as opposition to Christians, the Christian religion, or the practice of Christianity.” When the mayors of prominent U.S. cities in the north and west told Chick-fil-A they would not be welcome there, they were making a statement that goes beyond one’s position on gay rights. These remarks were an example of social ostracism – not just toward those who hold to traditional views on marriage but especially Christians who hold these views and seek to practice their religion accordingly.

Why do I think they were singling out Christians? Why would this be an example of Christophobia?

Consider a different scenario. What if Dan Cathy were a Muslim? What if he had been a Muslim speaking to an Islamic news organization when he said something about marriage and family? Would there have been an outcry against his organization? It’s doubtful. I can’t imagine Rahm Emanuel taking on a prominent, well-respected Muslim businessman, no matter what he would say about marriage and sexuality. (Perhaps that’s why Emanuel has no problem partnering with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan – an outspoken critic of gay marriage – in a crime-reducing initiative.)

And therein lies the discrimination. Do you see the double standard? Those who are problematic, those who must be shut down and made to feel unwelcome, are not really the people who believe in traditional marriage but conservative Christians who seek to practice the tenets of their faith in the public sphere.

What we are seeing today is a massive cultural shift that permits leaders to label Christians as intolerant and bigoted simply for expressing their views about how society should function. But strangely enough, the same social ostracism and cultural condescension are not extended to Muslims and faithful adherents to other religions. No, the prejudice appears to be directed toward Christians who dare to speak publicly about their deeply held religious convictions.

That’s why, at the end of the day, this conversation isn’t really about marriage, gay rights, or restaurant permits. It’s not about the cultural divide between north and south, liberal and conservative.

It’s about Jesus. It’s about the radical sexual ethic He put forth in His teaching – a moral zealousness that hits our current culture’s sexual permissiveness head-on. And it’s about His forgiveness offered to all sexual sinners, so long as we agree with Jesus about our sin and embrace Him instead.

As weary as we may be of the culture wars, the Chick-fil-A controversy is a harbinger of further ostracism to come. In the United States, the words of Jesus are coming to pass for those who hold tightly to His vision of sexuality: You will be hated because of Me.

So how should we respond? We’ve got to go beyond boycotts and political statements and feigned offense at perceived persecution. We’re called to love those who ostracize us, not boycott back. So let’s trumpet the message that Jesus is for all kinds of sinners, from the self-righteous deacon to the promiscuous transsexual, no matter what kind of vitriol comes our way.

The world tells homosexuals, “It gets better.” The church tells homosexuals, “Jesus is better.”

And that is why this boycott is really about Him.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2012/08/01/why-the-chick-fil-a-boycott-is-really-about-jesus/

Rasmussen: 61% Still Hold Favorable View of Chick-fil-A

Ever since the president of Chick-fil-A volunteered his definition of marriage, the fast food chain has been the center of attention for friends and foes. Despite the controversy, the majority of voters still view Chick-fil-A favorably, according to a Rasmussen reports survey.

Sixty-one percent of voters hold a favorable opinion of Chick-fil-A, including 40 percent who view the chain Very Favorably. Only 31 percent have an unfavorable view of the restaurant, with 14 percent who regard it Very Unfavorably.

Just 13 percent of Likely U.S. Voters are likely to participate in a boycott of Chick-fil-A restaurants.

By way of comparison, 17 percent favored a boycott of General Motors following the government bailout and 18 percent favored a boycott of all bailed out firms. Within months of the bailout, 27 percent said they or someone they knew had already avoided buying a GM car because of the bailout and government’s takeover of the company.

Seventy-seven percent do not plan to boycott the Chick-fil-A restaurants because of the controversy. Ten percent are undecided.

On the other hand, 31 percent say they will participate in efforts to show their appreciation for Chick-fil-A by eating more often at the restaurant chain. Fifty-five percent do not plan to eat more often at the chicken restaurant, but another 14 percent are undecided.

Democrats are more likely to participate in a boycott and Republicans more likely to show appreciation. Most unaffiliated voters are less inclined to do either.

Seventy-one percent of voters have been following recent news reports about the Chick-fil-A fast food chain. That includes 37 percent who have been following very closely.

Male voters view Chick-fil-A more favorably than female voters while voters over 40 have a much more favorable opinion of the fast food chain than younger voters do.

Nineteen percent of female voters plan to boycott the chain, while a higher percentage, 26 percent, say they will eat there more often. By comparison, only seven percent of men will participate in a boycott, while 37 percent intend to show their appreciation by eating at Chick-fil-A more often.

Republicans and voters not affiliated with either party have a much more favorable view of the restaurant than Democrats do. Twenty-one percent of Democrats plan to boycott the chain; 55 percent of GOP voters intend to eat at Chick-fil-A more often.

Eighty-four percent of conservative voters and 58 percent of moderates view Chick-fil-A favorably. Sixty-three percent of liberals have an unfavorable opinion of the fast food chain.

Seventy-eight percent of American Adults rate the institution of marriage as at least somewhat important to U.S. society, and that includes 60 percent who consider it very important.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 6-7, 2012, by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence.

Read more on Newsmax.com: Rasmussen: 61% Still Hold Favorable View of Chick-fil-A
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Chick-fil-A: Living in Orwellian Times

Last week, on Wednesday, August 1, several of us from Truth in Action Ministry showed our support for Chick-fil-A, by having lunch there. The place was packed. It was like an extension of fellowship hall at church, representing several different churches. I saw lots of old friends or acquaintances I hadn't seen in a while. But I saw no media (though I heard later there was limited coverage---very limited.)
Two days later, the manager told me that August 1 had been their best day ever. Of course, that milestone was true for Chick-fil-A stores throughout the country, thanks to Mike Huckabee's push to support the beleaguered fast food chain on that day.

Then on Friday, I heard on a radio news broadcast that gay activists were coming to protest at the same restaurant, so my wife and I returned there for dinner, to show our solidarity with Chick-fil-A. It's a free country. They're free to speak out against the fast food chain, and we're free to support it. Is this a great country or what?

There was no great crowd on Friday night. There were maybe 30-40 protesters out in front with signs, waving to the cars going by. Even though neither the restaurant nor the protesters drew many people that night, there was one thing this small crowd got that the Wednesday jam-packed crowd lacked---really good media coverage.

The affiliates for CBS-TV, the Fox Channel (not Fox News), and ABC-TV for the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale metro-market had remote trucks there. Where were these trucks on Wednesday, even though the drive-through line was a mini-traffic jam?

Chick-fil-A has become a target, primarily because of a statement by the current president, Dan Cathy (to the Baptist Press, July 16): "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."

Is Mr. Cathy a "hater" for stating his heart-felt opinion?

A columnist for the New York Post, Andrea Peyser was disappointed with the big no-show in Friday's anti-Chick-fil-A protest. In a piece called "Chicken lips are scarce" (August 4, 2012), she wrote, "From Georgia to California, protests drew yawns, not saliva."

Are we living in Orwellian times---where right is wrong, and wrong is right? So often our picture of reality is painted by what is widely disseminated in the media. And the dominant media is so obviously biased to the left, I don't see how there be a credible argument to the contrary.

In some ways, the culture wars are ultimately a conflict between a biblically-based worldview versus that of secular humanism. And the dominant media expresses the latter.

It took a former Marxist, who used the pen name George Orwell, to write one of the greatest novels against totalitarianism, which would include the subset of secular humanism. I understand Orwell wrote his novel in 1948 and simply transposed the last two digits to describe his nightmare vision of the future---1984---where the Marxists have complete control in society.

In this terrible scenario, Big Brother with his big bushy mustache rules with an iron fist. (It's easy to see how he had Stalin in mind as Big Brother.) On behalf of the exalted ruler, the thought police control everything. In the novel, the "Department of Truth" works around the clock to change truth into lies. In 1984, war is peace. Everything is turned on its head.

I could see how Friday night's event (the protest of Chick-fil-A) was news. But not Wednesday's big-day of support? Their busiest day ever was not news, but some 30-40 protesters garners major media attention?

The media plays such a major role in shaping our lives. It tells millions of Americans what is acceptable and what is not. We all know that the dominant, mainstream media is biased toward secularism. The Media Research Center documents that bias every day. It's so helpful today to have the alternative media, including Fox News, but the major networks still have the major advantage.

This leftward media bias is nothing new. A couple decades ago two social scientists put together the famous Lichter-Rothman report, which was the result of surveying 104 of the "most influential television writers, producers, and executives." They found that the key decision makers in the media were very liberal people. They learned that 93%"say they seldom or never attend religious services." Their godless worldview is reflected in what shows up on the screen.

Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times surprised a lot of people a few years ago when he complained that he knew of no evangelical at any major news establishment in the country. The sad result, he said, is that "nearly all of us in the news business are completely out of touch with a group that includes 46 percent of Americans." At least he was arguing for some fairness.

About 750 years Before Christ, Isaiah the prophet wrote, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil…" Sounds like he's been reading today's news.

I saw a bumper sticker at the parking lot during the support-Chick-fil-A day. It said, "I don't believe the liberal media." That's a great first step in how to deal with living in Orwellian times.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/chick-fil-a-living-in-orwellian-times-79740/#MVfTXCkBdkzkiZp5.99

Chick-fil-A 'Tastes Like Hate' Vandal Arrested

A gay artist who claims to be Christian was arrested this week after painting "Tastes Like Hate" on the wall of a Southern California Chick-fil-A restaurant.

Manuel Castro, 30, had stepped forward last week as the one responsible for the vandalism which included a painting of Chick-fil-A's signature cow. The message was painted on the eve of last Friday's "National Same-Sex Kiss Day" which was organized in response to Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy's recent remarks in support of traditional marriage.

Castro told The Huffington Post that he was against what the fast-food chain stood for and that his vandalism was nothing more than "paint on a wall."

"It got removed in less than an hour. It's not that much of a crime – it's a protest," he told the publication, adding that his message was not born out of hate but rather out of frustration.

"It was meant to further a discussion about tolerance and acceptance. My Facebook wall was simply not large enough to do this," he added. "Contrary to popular belief, I am a proud Christian and I wholly subscribe to the verse: 'Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.'

"I didn't use violence. I used paint."

Torrance police are still investigating the case, according to The Los Angeles Times. They are searching for a second suspect.

Chick-fil-A, which has more than 1,600 locations, has been at the center of a national debate since its president and COO, Cathy, said last month that he supports the biblical definition of the family unit and that America was "inviting God's judgment" for saying "we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage."

The comments prompted protests from the gay and lesbian community, which led last week's "kiss-in" at Chick-fil-A restaurants. Just a few days before that event, however, supporters came out in droves to provide their patronage to the company on "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day."

It was reported as a record-setting sales day.

According to a new Rasmussen Reports poll, 31 percent hold an unfavorable view of the restaurant while 61 percent hold a favorable one.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/chick-fil-a-tastes-like-hate-vandal-arrested-79818/#Kw0TjoFOTxDkPXCD.99

Quote

I am a proud Christian and I wholly subscribe to the verse: 'Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.'

Just not the rest of the Bible correct? Maybe you should read just what it says.

Berenstain Bears Fans Pull Bigot Card on Chick-fil-A

The Chick-fil-A flap hasn’t died down yet, but the record-breaking sales on Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day may be an anomaly and the face of kid's meals at the restaurant may forever change in the wake of the drama.

That’s because although most voters view the chicken chain favorably, most don’t plan to change their eating habits because of the controversy over Chick-fil-A president and Chief Operating Officer Dan Cathy’s support of traditional marriage.

So says a Rasmussen survey.

Only 13 percent of probable U.S. voters are likely to boycott Chick-fil-A, according to the survey. Overall, 61 percent view the chicken chain favorably.

Meanwhile, the Chick-fil-A battle continues on an unlikely front: children's toys.

Liberals are petitioning the Berenstain Bears publisher to cut ties with Chick-fil-A. According to the Associated Press, three organizations said they delivered petitions with 80,000 signatures to HarperCollins demanding the move. The AP report notes the opposition's stance: the “beloved bears teach the importance of standing against bigotry.”

Jim Henson Co. already pulled Muppet toys from Chick-fil-A kid's meals. The Muppets makers said, “The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over 50 years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors. Lisa Henson, our CEO, is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-Fil-A to GLAAD.”

But Chick-fil-A still has its supporters from the Bible-believing camp. More than 60 of the nation’s most influential pro-family, pro-liberty organizations signed a joint letter of support addressed to Cathy.

The letter states, in part: “We, the undersigned, extend our united support for you and your biblical position on natural marriage and the family … As you are likely aware, biblical values and companies that support them are under attack. It is incredibly important for successful men like you, representing a national brand, to unapologetically stand for God’s truth as revealed in the Scriptures. The example of Chick-fil-A and your leadership has encouraged many.”

“It is very important to support the right of Chick-fil-A’s president to express the biblical truth of natural marriage,” says Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel. “It is disturbing to see some elected officials demonize Chick-fil-A and threaten to prevent the restaurant chain from doing business because they disagree with the views of its president. It is frankly un-American.”

http://www.charismanews.com/us/33938-berenstain-bears-fans-pull-bigot-card-on-chick-fil-a?utm

Quote from: Mark on August 13, 2012, 07:37:51 am

Chick-fil-A ‘Tastes Like Hate’ vandal won’t be charged: D.A.

Manuel Castro may have accused Chick-fil-A of peddling hate, but police say they have determined that he wasn’t motivated by hate when he vandalized a Chick-fil-A restaurant earlier this month.

Castro, a gay activist, had scrawled the words “Tastes Like Hate,” along with a cow holding a paintbrush, on the side of a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Torrance, California, on “National Same-Sex Kiss Day” – an event organized to protest company CEO Dan Cathy’s stance in support of traditional marriage.

“National Same-Sex Kiss Day” followed on the heels of Chick-fil-A “Appreciation Day,” on which hundreds of thousands of traditional marriage supporters had lined up, sometimes for several hours, to dine at Chick-fil-A as a show of their support for Cathy.

Photos of Castro’s graffiti traveled far and wide in the media, becoming one of the most recognizable images from the kerfuffle.

But police announced this week that Castro would not be charged with a felony in connection with the vandalism.

“The suspect has acknowledged his wrongdoing and offered to make restitution,” the District Attorney’s office said in a notice rejecting prosecution. “Finally, the record does not establish the suspect was motivated by religious hatred.”

However, the D.A. said the case has been referred to the Torrance City Attorney’s Office “for consideration of possible misdemeanor prosecution.”

Click “like” if you want to defend true marriage.
In an interview with the Huffington Post after the graffiti was discovered, Castro had compared marriage supporters lining up to eat lunch at Chick-fil-A to Christians protesting blacks marrying whites.

“Everybody is entitled to free speech, but it seems like for the gay tribe, this is more of an issue of equal rights, human rights,” said Castro. “I’m against what these people stand for, what this company stands for. They’re trying to take away what little rights we already have.”

In a subsequent statement Castro offered to pay for the damages – which reportedly totaled several hundred dollars to repaint the wall.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/chick-fil-a-tastes-like-hate-vandal-wont-be-charged-police

Looks like they've caved in to "pressure" as well...don't they realize that God does NOT have respect of persons?

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/chick-fil-funding-anti-gay-groups-175154249.html?_esi=1

Chick-fil-A, the fast food chain that sparked a firestorm earlier this year after its president made public comments against same sex marriage, has agreed to stop funding anti-gay groups, a Chicago alderman says.

Joe Moreno, the alderman whose opposition of a proposed Chick-fil-A on Chicago's north side helped fuel the controversy, told the Chicago Tribune the company has pledged to include a statement of respect for all sexual orientations in a memo to staffers and has promised that the WinShape Foundations, its not-for-profit arm, would no longer contribute money to groups that oppose gay marriage. Moreno said he will recommend that Chick-fil-A's construction plans be approved.

The memo, "Chick-fil-A: Who We Are," will be distributed to all corporate employees and restaurant operators, encouraging them to "treat every person with honor, dignity and respect--regardless of their beliefs, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender," Moreno said.

In a letter to the alderman, the company said WinShape is "taking a much closer look at the organizations it considers helping, and in that process will remain true to its stated philosophy of not supporting organizations with political agendas."

Since 2003, the non-profit has donated millions of dollars to groups that promote "traditional marriage," including as Focus on the Family and the National Organization for Marriage. According to the Civil Rights Agenda, a Chicago-based LGBT advocacy group that worked closely with Moreno, Chick-fil-A executives "clarified that they will no longer give to anti-gay organizations."

A Chick-fil-A spokeswoman declined to comment, forwarding a statement the company made in July.

"The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect —regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender," the statement reads. "Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena."

Earlier this year, Dan Cathy, Chick-fil-A president and chief operating officer, said in a radio interview that "we are inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say, 'We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.'"

"I pray God's mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about," Cathy said.

In an interview with the Baptist Press, Cathy doubled down on his stance against same-sex unions.

"Guilty as charged," he said. "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."

The comments sparked protests and counter-protests at Chick-fil-A stores.

The company, founded by Dan's father, Truett Cathy, in 1946, has a history of "unapologetic social conservatism," as the Daily Caller put it. All 1,608 of its stores are closed on Sundays, a day of rest for most Christians.

The WinShape Foundation gave $3.2 million to groups that advocate against same-sex marriage between 2008 and 2010, according to ABC News.

http://news.yahoo.com/chick-fil-ceo-gay-activist-meet-195312756--abc-news-politics.html

Chick-fil-A CEO, Gay Activist Meet

The leader of a national gay-rights group says he's coming out-as a friend of Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy.

"I've gotten to know Dan, he's gotten to know me. He's shared concerns about young people, about Chick-fil-A being used for certain purposes," Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride, told ABC News.

Last year, Cathy sparked a national controversy by telling a radio host that "we're inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage. And I pray God's mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude that thinks we have the audacity to redefine what marriage is all about."

Windmeyer said that Cathy called him last year, during the heat of the controversy that led national gay-rights groups to protest Chick-fil-A. Cathy reached out seeking advice and understanding, Windmeyer said. Windmeyer was a guest of Cathy's at this year's Chick-fil-A Bowl between LSU and Clemson at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

The activist also says Chick-fil-A has stopped donating to anti-gay groups, according to his review of the company's 990 tax forms.

For years, Chick-fil-A donated to socially conservative groups, drawing the ire of gay-rights activists. In July, Equality Matters examined tax forms and found that in 2010 the restaurant chain had donated over $1.9 million to "anti-gay causes." In September, the restaurant chain pledged to stop donating to anti-gay groups. Windmeyer says those donations stopped in 2011.

"In 2011, [according to] the 990s that I saw, they did stop funding the more divisive, anti-gay groups that actively work to harm and hurt LGBT people," Windmeyer told ABC News.

Windmeyer says he knows he and Cathy disagree about gay marriage but that they've reached an understanding of each other as people.

"If my husband and I ever get the right to marry in North Carolina, I'll include Dan Cathy on the guest list," he told ABC News.

Chick-fil-A did not respond to a request for comment.

Over the past three years alone, Chick-fil-A has given more than $68 million in contributions to over 700 different educational and charitable organizations around the country, in addition to providing millions of dollars in food donations. While we evaluate individual donations on an annual basis, our giving is focused on three key areas: youth and education, leadership and family enrichment and serving the local communities in which we operate. Our intent is to not support political or social agendas. This has been the case for more than 60 years.

The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect and to serve great food with genuine hospitality.

Gal 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-chickfila-tax-forms-no-donations-to-antigay-marriage-groups-20130128,0,5842775.story

1/28/13

Chick-fil-A tax forms show no donations to anti-gay groups

By Tiffany Hsu
This post has been updated. See below for details.
January 28, 2013, 10:27 a.m.

Chick-fil-A, the chicken chain that stoked controversy over same-sex marriage last summer, seems to have stopped donating to groups that "actively engage in a political or social agenda to harm LGBT people and their families," according to one gay-rights group.

Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride, said in a statement that he reviewed the 2011 IRS 990 tax documents for Chick-fil-A’s WinShape Foundation charity. The documents, he said, showed no sign of giving to organizations such as the Family Research Council or Exodus International, which advocate against gay marriage.

Instead, WinShape’s nearly $6 million in outside grant funding went to beneficiaries supporting youth, education, local communities and what Campus Pride called “marriage enrichment,” according to the group.

The tax forms were filed on Nov. 15, according to Campus Pride. Chick-fil-A did not respond to requests for comment.

[Updated 12:20 p.m. PST, Jan. 28: Chick-fil-A released the following statement:

"Over the past three years alone, Chick-fil-A has given more than $68 million in contributions to over 700 different educational and charitable organizations around the country, in addition to providing millions of dollars in food donations. While we evaluate individual donations on an annual basis, our giving is focused on three key areas: youth and education, leadership and family enrichment and serving the local communities in which we operate. Our intent is to not support political or social agendas. This has been the case for more than 60 years. The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect and to serve great food with genuine hospitality."]

In addition to being given “access to internal documents,” Windmeyer described in an op-ed on Huffington Post Gay Voices “months of personal phone calls, text messages and in-person meetings” with Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy.

Windmeyer said he was Cathy’s guest at the Chick-fil-A Bowl football game in Atlanta last month and met with company representatives as recently as last week.

Cathy sparked months of debate and demonstrations -- both of support and disagreement -- when he said in July that he was “very much supportive of the family,” specifying that he meant “the biblical definition of the family unit.”

Gay-rights supporters demanded a boycott of the chain, while former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee launched a Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day that led to long lines at the chicken chain nationwide.

In the op-ed, titled “Dan & Me: My Coming Out as Friends of Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A,” Windmeyer wrote that he was “nervous” about publicly discussing his communications with the company.

“Our mutual hope was to find common ground if possible, and to build respect no matter what,” he said. “We learned about each other as people with opposing views, not as opposing people.”

Gay Students Say They Feel Threatened By Chick-fil-A's Presence, But School Board Votes Vendor Can Stay

A group of liberal students at the University of New Mexico tried their best to get Chick-fil-A kicked off campus because they claimed the eatery made them feel "unsafe." The students even took to theatrics, such as crying and hyperventilating, before a vote was held on whether the restaurant could stay or not- despite a majority of students having no problem with them on campus. Gay students claimed that they even felt threatened by the mere sight of students and faculty carrying bags with the Chick-fil-A logo on them.

KRQE Reports: "Chick-fil-A landed on the hot plate last week after a student group voted to kick the restaurant off campus claiming its very presence made gay students feel unsafe.

"The issue stems from the Chick-fil-A president's controversial comments on gay marriage [supporting traditional marriage] last year. The board governing the Student Union Building took up the issue with a vote Wednesday "'Students started expressing to me they felt unsafe to go into their own campus union building,' Sen. Miquela Ortiz of the Associated Students of UNM said.

'When they said they felt uncomfortable on campus, I felt it was an issue that I should bring up.' "'Please look at this from a moral standpoint,' said Brittany Arneson, a student against having Chick-fil-A on campus. 'Look at the kids that are here that are telling you, 'I do not feel safe on this campus anymore.'"

But, UNM student Tess Henderson told KRQE that her friends who work for Chick-fil-A were trained to treat each and every customer with the utmost respect, regardless of who they are. In the end, the student union board voted, 8-3, that the chicken franchise could stay at UNM.

Protests are nothing new to the restaurant. In early 2012, some New York University students unsuccessfully tried to get them kicked off campus for their "anti-gay agenda." Students at North Carolina's Elon University successfully won their bid to eject the restaurant, with the student government voting 35-11 to ask the food vendor to replace them.

Several other attempts were also made around the country. However, the media failed to report on conservative students flocking to defend Chick-fil-A, who called their peers "hypocrites." "I think it's absolutely ridiculous that these liberals want free speech unless it's speech against something they believe," Ralph D'Elia, a senior at the University of South Florida, told The College Fix back in September.

The petition, which was started by an assistant professor at the University, received considerable backlash. The effort failed. At almost every college a petition was circulating, students rushed to defend the restaurant.

http://cnsnews.com/blog/joe-schoffstall/gay-students-say-they-feel-threatened-chick-fil-presence-school-board-votes?utm

Well, no marvel as it was only a matter of time before they were going to show cracks. FWIW, their fast-food is no different from others like McD's and Wendy's...MSG and HFCS...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/28/chick-fil-a-gay-marriage-california_n_2971110.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-marriage
3/28/13
California Chick-Fil-A Offers Free Meals To Gay Marriage Supporters

A California Chick-fil-A did something shocking for same-sex marriage supporters this week: Supported them.

Corey Braun, the franchisee of the Chick-fil-A in the Victoria Gateway Center in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., provided dozens of free meal coupons to a group of same-sex marriage advocates demonstrating Monday at an intersection near the restaurant, PinkNews notes.

The move came months after Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy revealed his anti-gay stance in a July interview, saying he is "guilty as charged" when it comes to his franchise's "support of the traditional family."

"There were a lot of things said over the past year," Braun told the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. "I wanted to show that Chick-fil-A doesn't discriminate against anybody. We serve everyone. We're happy to serve the community and this was an opportunity to have this group come in and show them our hospitality regardless of their beliefs, sexual orientation, or whatever. Chick-fil-A has never been about hate"

Back on Aug. 1, hundreds flocked to the Rancho Cucamonga restaurant on "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day" in defense of Cathy and his anti-gay marriage comments. But on Monday, things were different, and same-sex couples and same-sex marriage backers were surprised at Braun's act.

"[W]hen people are open and apologetic and accepting, it's touching to us," Eden Anderson, a board member with LGBT rights group Equality Inland Empire, told the Daily Bulletin. "It feels like acceptance and we just want to be accepted and engaged in society, so when it's confirmed, I think the overall reaction was, yes, certainly that Chick-fil-A in Rancho Cucamonga is welcoming to us."

Meanwhile, same-sex marriage advocates Wednesday posted signs in defense of equality on the front of a Chick-fil-A in San Antonio, Texas, according to Houston station KHOU. The signs were scrawled with messages like "Government can not dictate love," "Support love note hate" and "Your son is gay and everything will be okay."

The demonstrations come as the Supreme Court reviews the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California's Proposition 8. DOMA defines marriage as a legal union between a man and a woman; Prop. 8 is a same-sex marriage ban passed in California in 2008.

In contrast to Chick-fil-A, other major companies have proudly come out in support of same-sex marriage. Budweiser, Expedia, Martha Stewart Living and HBO each designed their own versions of the red equality sign this week in a public display of unity.

CLARIFICATION: Language has been changed to indicate that KHOU is a local station based in Houston, not San Antonio.

Christian Group Releases Video of Man Who Plotted to Kill, ‘Smear Chick-fil-A Sandwiches in Faces’

video: http://christiannews.net/2013/04/26/christian-group-releases-footage-of-homosexual-who-plotted-to-kill-staff-smear-chick-fil-a-sandwich-in-faces/

A prominent Christian lobbying group has released footage of the homosexual activist who arrived at their headquarters last year with the intent to kill because of the organization’s pro-family views.

As previously reported, last August, Floyd Corkins III entered the offices of Family Research Council (FRC) in Washington, D.C. with a 9 mm Sig Sauer pistol that he had purchased from a gun shop in Virginia. He was also carrying a backpack that contained two loaded magazines of bullets with fifteen rounds in each, and four boxes of ammunition were found in his car.

Corkins posed as an intern as an attempt to get past security, but the building manager, Leo Johnson, questioned the man about his destination. Corkins then reportedly began yelling about the policies of the organization and shot the guard in the arm as a way to get past the front desk.

Johnson immediately tackled Corkins and disarmed him. He was held until police arrived.

“Don’t shoot me, it was not about you; it was what this place stands for,” Corkins pled after his pistol was confiscated, according to eyewitnesses.

It was later discovered that Corkins had over a dozen Chick-fil-A sandwiches in his backpack. He told investigators that it was his intent to “kill the people in the building and then smear a Chick-fil-A sandwich in their face.”

Family Research Council has now posted video footage of the incident online, along with concerning admissions from Corkins to the FBI, including his notation that he was motivated by a “hate group” list on the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) website.
Connect with Christian News

“How did you find [this organization] earlier?” an investigator asks. “Did you look it up online?”

“Southern Poverty Law lists anti-gay groups,” Corkins replied. “I found them online. I did a little bit of research, went to the website, stuff like that.”

The footage, which has no audio, shows Johnson sitting at the front desk when he is approached by Corkins, who is carrying a backpack. The two appear to be having a discussion, and then Corkins lays his backpack on the ground and begins opening it. Johnson then stands up and moves closer to Corkins.

Within seconds, Corkins pulls out a gun, and Johnson thrusts his hand forward to avoid being shot in the face. After being wounded in the arm, he pursues Corkins across the room, and the two wrestle until Johnson holds Corkins down on the floor.

In announcing the release of the footage Thursday, FRC leader Tony Perkins condemned the Southern Poverty Law Center for being the catalyst of the attack.

“The SPLC’s reckless labeling has led to devastating consequences,” he stated. “Because of its ‘hate group’ labeling, a deadly terrorist had a guidemap to FRC and other organizations. Our team is still dealing with the fallout of the attack, that was intended to have a chilling effect on organizations that are simply fighting for their values.”

“The Southern Poverty Law Center, which has now been linked to domestic terrorism in federal court, should put an immediate stop to its practice of labeling organizations that oppose their promotion of homosexuality,” Perkins added.

The group still has not removed FRC from its website despite requests from the organization.

http://christiannews.net/2013/04/26/christian-group-releases-footage-of-homosexual-who-plotted-to-kill-staff-smear-chick-fil-a-sandwich-in-faces/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2013/04/27/the-last-office-taboo-for-women-doing-your-business-at-work.html
12/27/13
The NCAA’s Big Gay Choice: Chick-fil-A or Equality?

Tuesday is the Chick-fil-A Bowl, which in 2014 will be part of the new college football playoff system. But how can the NCAA keep partnering with an anti-gay marriage poster child?

The NCAA is facing a momentous decision in 2014: Will it stop partnering with Chick-fil-A—or revise its bylaws so it can support discrimination against gay Americans?

The choice won’t be easy. The NCAA has a long history of doing business with Chick-fil-A. Tuesday night is the 16th annual Chick fil-A Bowl, which the NCAA’s selection committee earlier this year named “one of an elite group of six bowl games to host the new College Football Playoff” system that kicks off in 2014.

But let’s be brutally honest. Chick-fil-A is the corporate poster child for opposition to same-sex marriage. And it appears to have chosen that position deliberately. Not only has Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy said his company supports “the biblical definition of the family unit,” but the company’s charitable arm also has donated millions to anti-LGBT organizations.

And earlier this year, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, Cathy voiced his disapproval with a tweet: “Sad day for our nation; founding fathers would be ashamed of our gen. to abandon wisdom of the ages re: cornerstone of strong societies.”

Although I passionately disagree with Cathy on same-sex marriage, my issue is not with him. Indeed, I defend his right to practice his faith and advocate for his political and religious views.

My issue is with the NCAA, the governing body for college sporting events, founded more than 100 years ago to protect student athletes. The NCAA’s own bylaws appear to prevent it from partnering with Chick-fil-A. Specifically, Section 2.6, “The Principle of Nondiscrimination,” provides that “The Association shall promote an atmosphere of respect for and sensitivity to the dignity of every person.”

NCAA bylaws also mandate a spirit of inclusiveness by expressly prohibiting discrimination for any reason: “It is the policy of the Association to refrain from discrimination with respect to its governance policies, educational programs, activities and employment policies including on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, creed or sexual orientation.”

Given the court decisions this year on both the federal and state level, from a legal point of view one can no longer argue that laws opposing same-sex marriage are anything but discrimination against Americans based solely upon their sexual orientation. The U.S. Supreme Court decision in June striking down DOMA found that the law “violates basic due process and equal protection principles applicable to the Federal Government” by excluding gay married couples from federal benefits offered to straight married couples.

Courts in New Mexico, New Jersey, Utah, and Ohio have come to similar conclusions since then. Just a week ago, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled: “Barring individuals from marrying and depriving them of the rights, protections, and responsibilities of civil marriage solely because of their sexual orientation violates the Equal Protection Clause…”

And last week, federal district court Judge Richard Shelby struck down not only Utah’s statutes banning same-sex marriage but also an amendment to the state’s constitution passed by voters in 2004. True, the case is on appeal, but its legal reasoning is still persuasive. As Judge Shelby noted, the U.S. Supreme Court has long held both that the right to marry is “fundamental” and that “a person must be free to make personal decisions related to marriage without unjustified government interference.”

Judge Shelby also made a compelling point about the similarities between past court cases addressing laws barring interracial marriage and present-day cases dealing with prohibitions against same-sex marriage. Shelby noted that in 1966, attorneys for the commonwealth of Virginia, seeking to uphold laws that banned interracial marriage in Loving v. Virginia, were making arguments that “are almost identical to the assertions made by the State of Utah in support of Utah’s laws prohibiting same-sex marriage.” Both, for example, argued that the kind of marriage they opposed “constitutes a threat to society.”

But the statement from Judge Shelby that may be the most troubling, from the point of view of the NCAA’s bylaws, is this: Barring same-sex marriage “demeans the dignity of same-sex couples.” The NCAA bylaws, meanwhile, demand that it “shall promote an atmosphere of respect for and sensitivity to the dignity of every person.”

How can the NCAA promote an “atmosphere of respect” and the “dignity of every person” when it allows an NCAA sporting event to be named for a company that publicly opposes equality for all Americans solely based on sexual orientation?

Bottom line: Dan Cathy and other conservatives have the constitutional right to advocate banning gay marriage. They have just chosen the Bible over the U.S. Constitution.

So will the NCAA choose to stand for equality by following its bylaws, which call for inclusiveness and nondiscrimination, or will it continue its business relationship with Chick-fil-A and revise its bylaws accordingly? The ball is now in the NCAA’s court.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/04/07/chick-fil-a-fast-food-dan-cathy/7250871/
4/7/14
After anti-gay flap, Chick-fil-A wings in new direction

ATLANTA — Chick-fil-A is finally crossing the road.

The iconic chicken chain, as well-known for its conservative heritage as its savory eats, is recalibrating its moral and culinary compass. It wants to go from old school to almost cool. It wants to evolve from a place where gays once picketed to a place where they'll feel comfortable going to eat. It wants to broaden the brand as it expands nationally and plows into the Millennial-driven urban arena. Above all: it wants to be a serious player on fast-food's biggest stage.

USA TODAY was exclusively invited inside to visit the company's sprawling, wooded campus, get the first look at its new test kitchen, tour its store-of-the-future development facility and interview Chick-fil-A's controversial CEO Dan Cathy. Cathy, whose comments condemning gay marriage in 2012 set off store picketing and a social media firestorm, has now fully backed away from such public pronouncements that mix personal opinion on social issues with corporate policy.

"All of us become more wise as time goes by," he says, apologetically, in a rare, one-hour sit-down interview. "We sincerely care about all people."

About two years ago, Cathy made headlines after conceding to being "guilty as charged," in confirming Chick-fil-A's support of the traditional family. Both ardent supporters and angry picketers showed up at stores. While Cathy's comments didn't hurt short-term business — and even helped it — Chick-fil-A executives recognize that the comments may have done longer-term damage to the brand's image at the very time it was eyeing major growth outside its friendly Southern market.

The national growth is about to go into overdrive — and it has a huge, new product platform behind it. Its biggest-ever new product roll-out will be announced Tuesday: a Millennial-targeting grilled chicken line for which the company has spent the past 12 years testing more than 1,000 grilled chicken recipes and developing such super-secret grilling equipment that executives won't let it be photographed.

Chick-fil-A's food, long-regarded as extra savory but nutritionally naughty, is going through an industry unprecedented "cleaning" cycle, with an ultimate aim of improving its brand image with trend-setting Millennials. Last month, it announced plans to sell only antibiotic-free chicken within five years. It's testing the removal of high fructose corn syrup from all dressings and sauces and artificial ingredients from its bun. Designers are trying to figure out how to remove fast-food's tell-tale plastic from Chick-fil-A stores — even from its serving trays.

**And be ye not deceived by this - they're only paying lip service by saying what everyone wants to hear. Ultimately, all of this "fast food" will LOSE its taste if they remove these poison ingredients like HFCS, and ultimately their profit$ will go down too.

The once-tiny, regional chain just surpassed giant KFC to become the nation's largest chicken chain in domestic sales. But along with this sales and geographical growth comes a new social consciousness. That's not by accident, says Christopher Muller, professor of hospitality at Boston University. "The politics of their Southern Baptist values will not transcend their core markets," he says.

Chick-fil-A's socially conservative agenda, which formally led the company to donate millions to charitable groups opposed to gay marriage, has been tempered. This, just as the company aims to quickly expand into Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Southern hospitality must give way to urban reality as the 1,800 store chain moves to compete with big city success stories like McDonald's, Panera Bread and Chipotle.

If nothing else, Cathy has listened. In 2012, Cathy not only heard from some unhappy consumers about his comments against gay marriage, but also from some store operators and employees. Now, he says, "I'm going to leave it to politicians and others to discuss social issues."

That's precisely what experts are advising. "He should put this as far behind him as fast as he possibly can," says Gary Stibel, CEO of New England Consulting Group.

One past critic has even become an unlikely fan. "Dan and I have an ongoing friendship," says Shane Windmeyer, executive director of the gay rights advocacy group Campus Pride. "I am appreciative for the common ground we have established in treating all people with dignity and respect — including LGBT people."

Which means Chick-fil-A can focus on what matters most: the food and growth. The privately-held company, whose sales last year reached $5.1 billion — up 9.3%, reports the research firm Technomic — may rank among the most intriguing growth stories in fast food. Imagine this: A typical Chick-fil-A racked up annual sales of about $3.3 million last year, while a typical McDonald's posted sales of about $2.5 million. Never mind that Chick-fil-A is closed Sundays.

"The next big thing is urbanization," says Cathy, 61, who tools around on his Harley-Davidson in his spare time. "That's where the future is heading."

**"urbanization"(or words similar to it) seem to be a growingly popular buzzword recently.

So, the company that has spent 68 years building its stores inside suburban malls and near big-box retailers is mostly tossing out those plans. Now it wants to focus on big cities and big-city dwellers.

It's working. There were lines out the door when it first entered the Chicago market about three years ago, and business is still strong, says Bob Goldin, executive vice president at Technomic. "They have a cult following no matter where they go," he says. Sure, big city real estate is more expensive and the competition will leave battle wounds, "but Chick-fil-A is a proven winner."

"The challenge in business is to stay ahead of the curve," Cathy says. For Boomers, fast food was all about taste and price, he says. But for Millennials, he notes, it's also about local sourcing, product quality and worker rights. For them, he says, "it's not just a product story any more — but the whole story."

Which is why Chick-fil-A removed yellow dye from its chicken soup late last year. And it's why the chain has just begun testing a line of fruit smoothies made with spinach and carrots.

This is the same company whose chief spokesman is a cartoon cow whose singular message for almost two decades has never changed: "Eat Mor Chikin." And it's the company in which 93-year-old founder, S. Truett Cathy, Dan's father, still keeps an expansive office, replete with photos of himself with George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Billy Graham and Pat Boone.

**Yoking up with high level Freemasons. Nuff said.

But if Chick-fil-A could frame a new photo of who matters most to the company, it might be someone such as 23-year-old Kelli Means-Cheeley. The Atlanta resident and recent college graduate stopped by a bustling Chick-fil-A near Atlanta's airport and offered a thumbs-up after sampling the new grilled chicken. Healthy food ingredients are critical to Means-Cheeley, but, she says, "what's also important to me is taste."

Chick-fil-A gets that. That's why the company just plopped down $10 million to open the test kitchen. "I think of it as a revenue generator," says David Farmer, vice president of product strategy and development. "How long will it take to generate $1 billion in sales out of here?" he asks.

Perhaps not too long. A new line of iceberg lettuce-less salads, developed right before the company opened its new test kitchen, boosted annual salad sales by 50% to $250 million, Farmer says.

Until now, the key rule for new products was that they had to be "cravable," Farmer says. While they still have to be cravable, he says, there's an increasing emphasis on them also being healthy.

**Again, be ye not deceived - either it's healthy, or not. You can't have it both ways.

"People aren't just worried about calories, but about clean ingredients, too," he says. "Our customers are asking questions they never asked before."

That, says Cathy, has prodded Chick-fil-A to be "more transparent." Last year it began offering "back stage tours" of its restaurants — where regular customers can request tours of the kitchens.

Ultimately, the chain plans to make that new transparency more literal.

That's the task of the chain's new design innovation center, known internally as The Hatch. It's only been open about 18 months, but it's filled with designers trying to mold new Chick-fil-A prototypes from styrofoam blocks. Among their chief goals: to open up the kitchens. They want consumers to be able to watch dough being rolled into biscuits and salads being freshly chopped.

Chick-fil-A will open 108 restaurants this year — most of them urban and a good chunk of them in New York City, says Woody Faulk, vice president of design and innovation. "If we can't do it in New York, we have no business going anywhere else."

The new urban locations will have much more natural wood. And some of the urban chefs are even replacing their old uniforms with snazzy chefs coats.

This new Chick-fil-A is striving to be very different from what was. "We're one foot out of fast food," Faulk says.

In its rush to grow up, perhaps the biggest challenge for Chick-fil-A will be crossing the road — without tripping over its own feet.

I read 2 years ago that Truett Cathy came up with the company's marketing statement with a Catholic priest(but can't find the link now). For some reason, I had a feeling the whole thing with Chick-fil-A vs the sodomites was just that...a little show show(albeit to help this place of business make an extra buck).

This is from a Catholic source, but nonetheless...

http://www.catholic.org/news/business/story.php?id=47203
The Chick-fil-A-First-Amendment-Marketing-Nuclear Weapon
8/8/12

NASHVILLE, TN (Catholic Online) - Now that some of the Chick-fil-A furor has died down and rabid defenders of "tolerance" have shown themselves to be complete hypocrites, it might be appropriate to explore the interesting Catholic principle that inspired millions of people to stand in line for hours in defense of Dan Cathy, his company, and his right to support "Biblical marriage."

While the liberal mainstream media was certainly "baffled" enough (to put it charitably) by the tsunami of support to barely cover it, and has no apparent clue why Americans keep behaving in such surprising ways, one openly gay man seemed to understand perfectly. YouTube personality, Antoine Dodson, came out to show support for Chick-fil-A employees, and freedom of speech and belief last week in Huntsville, Alabama, dining Wednesday on Chick-fil-A's spicy sandwich.

"I'm here for supporting the employees," Dodson said. "The gay community is fighting against Chick-fil-A, but they're not thinking about where this leaves the employees. So I'm here to be in support of the employees and I'm also coming to get that spicy chicken sandwich."

Marketing Genius

What should have figured prominently in last week's news has absolutely been largely ignored, but I suggest that in the coming years it will be recounted in every Marketing and Economics textbook. While neither Dan Cathy nor his father is Catholic, their business model reflects Catholic moral teaching on subsidiarity, an organizing principle stating that a matter ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest, or least centralized authority capable of addressing that matter effectively.

Last week's illustration of freedom of speech and religion at work in America proves in no uncertain terms that subsidiarity works. One of Chick-fil-A's core operating principles is that its marketing should be done on the lowest, grass-roots, community level. Marketing strategy at quick-service food chain, Chick-fil-A Inc., aims for emotional connections and customer satisfaction rather than the movie merchandising tie-ins and big-budget campaigns of its competitors. It is the "David and Goliath" marketing approach.

**Sounds a lot like Agenda 21 at work here...the lowest, grass-roots, COMMUNITY level?

If one thinks about it, he almost never sees a television advertisement for Chick-fil-A, except during a CFA Bowl game. Billboards are customary methods of publicity for CFA, but the main marketing thrust of this company is community.

Subsidized somewhat by the CFA Corporation, franchisees are constantly investing in their communities by giving away, yes GIVING AWAY, thousands of dollars of food and merchandise each year. Every month, through a screening process, CFA supports local families, businesses, schools, organizations, and non-profits in their communities through Family Nights, Spirit Nights, gifts of merchandise, contributions of free food, and/or free appearances by the CFA cow mascot.

When they launch a new product, say, the spicy chicken sandwich that came out in 2010, CFA often employs reservation-based, free sampling of the new offering for loyal customers who are signed up for announcements through franchise websites. Then, CFA marketing directors everywhere routinely go into their communities with CFA cow mascots and give away those and other products at soccer fields, college campuses, local businesses, and even pass them out randomly at street intersections.

About the spicy chicken sandwich launch, Vice President of Brand Strategy and Design, William F. "Woody" Faulk, illustrated the CFA marketing approach, saying, "We want to invite our customers to taste the flavor and quality of this spicy sandwich, but we don't want a cattle-call setting where we won't be able to extend 'second mile' service to our customers. This reservation system provides a more personalized way to introduce our exciting menu addition."

When Faith Works in the Marketplace

Founder Truett Cathy determined early on that his faith should be the guiding force behind every CFA business effort. "All throughout the New Testament there is an evangelism strategy related to our performance in the workplace. ... Our work should be an act of worship. Our work should be our mission field. As long as we are stateside, let's don't think we have to go on mission trips by getting a passport. ... If you're obedient to God you are going to be evangelistic in the quality of the work you do, using that as a portal to share [Christ]," he said to the Baptist Press in July.

Indeed, last Wednesday, there were local reports of extra nuggets in every order on a record business day that was originally proposed by the company to be Customer Appreciation Day, but turned into Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day. Yet it was not simply a statement on marriage that inspired support. It was the company's habitual practice of over-the-top commitment and dedication to customers that showed itself to be effusively reciprocated by its customers.

This business model and philosophy, informed by faith, is what inspired a marketing strategy that precipitated last week's "Chick-fil-A-First-Amendment-Marketing-Nuclear Weapon." No doubt, it will go down in business history as genius, but CFA customers know and appreciate that it has been many faithful years in the making.

It was the Baptist Press interview that spawned all the vehement opposition and inspired a tsunami of support in response to the vitriol perceived by loyal customers against Cathy's company. CFA customers are happy to pay full price, receive second-mile service, and are loyal enough to recommend Chick-fil-A to others. As the nation witnessed last Wednesday, they are also Raving Fans who will come out in droves to support the community business that has supported them with great sincerity for so long.

Years from now when students are in Marketing 101 classes they will be studying last Wednesday, in which an unorthodox, grassroots marketing strategy, combined with one transparent, uncontrived, sincere public statement of faith, created six months worth of business and enough social media coverage in a single day to flout months of traditional advertising.

**BUT...ye cannot serve God and mammon!

Boom. Subsidiarity genius.

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Be ye not deceived by this! Chick-fil-A is NO different from any other fast-food, corporate fascism entity like McDonald's, Wendy's etc - they use a lot of these processed foods with poisonous ingredients in them like MSG that the FDA turns a blind eye too.

Matthew 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Mat 6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
Mat 6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

http://patriotaction.net/profiles/blog/show?id=2600775:BlogPost:6654817&xgs=1&xg_source=msg_share_post
Hegel's Dialectic: Erasing Christianity through the Consensus Process
4/21/14

Julian Huxley, the head of UNESCO in 1947, wrote a book entitled, "UNESCO: Its Purpose and Its Philosophy." His book was a blueprint for a collectivist evolutionary pantheist New World Order that called for a single 'new' spirituality: a mixture of occult Eastern pantheism, Liberal 'pantheistic' Christianity, Gnosticism, international Luciferian Masonry, and other occult traditions. There would be one language, one economy, one religion, and one way of thinking. He believed a global order could be brought about through the universal implementation of Hegel's Dialectic process. Huxley said,

"The task before UNESCO...is to help the emergence of a single world culture with its own philosophy and background of ideas and with its own broad purpose."

Huxley spoke of two opposing worldviews, one founded on supernatural creation ex nihilo and the other on naturalistic evolutionism confronting each other from the West and the East. In describing them he said,

"You may categorize the two philosophies as...individualism versus collectivism or as the American versus the Russian...or as capitalism versus communism, or as Christianity versus Marxism. Can these opposites be reconciled, this antithesis be resolved in a higher synthesis? I believe...this can happen...through the inexorable dialectic of evolution." (crossroad.to/quotes/globalism/Julian-Huxley)

The concept of dialectics has been around for a long time. In the American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828, Noah Webster defined dialectics as:

"That branch of logic which teaches the rules and modes of reasoning."

Simply stated, dialectics refers to 'position' versus 'opposition' or 'thesis' versus 'antithesis,' or 'truth' versus 'falsehood.' By the traditional rules of conduct, if thesis is correct then it follows logically that antithesis is incorrect. Georg Hegel, a master magician in the occult Hermetic tradition discarded the rules and turned the concept upside-down by equalizing thesis and antithesis resulting in relativism. 'New truth,' a merging of truth and falsehood and/or Eastern pantheism and Christianity for example, is now found in something called 'synthesis,' or 'consensus,' the favored vernacular of evolutionary humanists.

Hegelian Dialectic is a perfect example of what J. Budziszewski, the author of "What We Can't Not Know" terms the "black magic spells of imposture and unraveling." Hegel's form of dialectics is an impostor. Its’ devilish purpose is to deceptively unravel truth and norms and then replace them with a 'new truth' which is yet another impostor.

Hegel's 'black magic' Dialectics is the strange fire fueling the weapon of mass destruction unwittingly wielded by dumbed-down, mind-conditioned and manipulated Americans and Westerners on behalf of transnational occult New Agers and fellow travelers in their war against the West's traditional Christian-based worldview and cultural infrastructure. Called "group dynamics" or the "consensus process," Hegel's dialectic is a psychological behavior and belief modification technique used with great success by Vietnamese communists against American POWs and by Chinese communists against dissidents.

The foundation and key strategy of the consensus process is the knowledge that all people have an inherent fear of being alienated from the group. During sensitivity-training and diversity-training sessions, skillful change-agents (facilitators) psychologically manipulate this fear to herd selected victims toward a preplanned conclusion that induces them to compromise both conscience and position. This is the consensus process in a nut shell, and when we hear Liberals and Leftists (evolutionary humanists) screaming for 'consensus,' they're really demanding that they be allowed to 'facilitate' the compromise of conscience which leads to the abandonment of Christian-based Western ideals and principles.

There are three steps to the consensus process: "Unfreezing the present level, moving to the new level, and freezing group life on the new level." In order to speed up the unfreezing phase, communists resorted to physical torture, shock 'therapy,' mind-altering drugs and other brutal techniques. In America, emotional pain, intimidation, and fear are precipitated by way of vicious psychological bullying in the form of sadistic ridicule, cruel character assassination, destructive criticism, labeling, spreading lies, and blackmail. Until total control is achieved, psychological bullying will remain the preferred method.

There are four key elements necessary for a successful 'consensus process' operation. They are:

1. Multicultural and/or diverse groups: 'gays,' atheists, Wiccans, or Muslims for instance, fueled by resentment and envy — necessary for causing social conflict

2. A traditional social or cultural issue around which conflict can be created. For example, Christmas, traditional marriage, and male-female sex norms. These are demonized as 'unfair, exclusionary, insensitive, intolerant, racist, homophobic, and hurtful' to diverse groups.

3. The illusory dialoguing to consensus process.

4. The predetermined outcome. For example: Christmas parades successfully recast as "Festival of Lights" or "Winter Holiday" parades inclusive of ‘gay’ celebrants; traditional marriage compromised by 'gay' unions.

The consensus process has been so successful at unraveling and diminishing the West's traditional culture that here in America for example, Christianity has been banned from government on all levels as well as from schools and increasingly from public areas. Christians have lost their jobs, been jailed, and their children harassed and even suspended for daring to express their Christian beliefs in any way. Anti-Christian bigotry has become so bad that John Gibson observed,

"There is this kind of casual and accepted bias against Christians and Christian symbols." (The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday is Worse Than You Thought, John Gibson).

Devilish manipulators concur:

"We have battled in America since the century's turn to bring to nothing...all Christian influences and we are succeeding. You must work until officials of city, county, and state will not think twice before they pounce upon religious groups as public enemies. (there must) be a...foaming hatred of religion...a belief that Christian practice is vicious, bad, insanity causing, publicly hated and intolerable." (Red Communist Textbook on Psychopolitics)

"I think the subject which will be of most importance politically is Mass Psychology. Its importance has been...increased by the growth of modern methods of propaganda. Although this science will be diligently studied, it will be rigidly confined to the governing class. The populace will not be allowed to know how its convictions were generated." Bertrand Russell

John Gibson asked a Eugene, Oregon city manager why he had banned Christmas trees. His politically correct mind-conformed response, "Well, because they're Christian." This manager and countless scores of other Americans testify to the enormous success thus far achieved through nation-wide dumbing-down and psychological bullying. Having been "unfrozen" from the level whereon America's traditional worldview resides and successfully 'moved' to the desired level and then 'frozen' there, the mind-conditioned now serve their new masters evil desires by mindlessly destroying the source of both their liberties and their human worth — Christianity.

"Oh but, Christianity has nothing to do with either the founding of our nation or with our rights and freedoms," proclaim mind-conditioned scoffers, doubters, atheists, and skeptics both here in America and throughout the West. The truth however has been 'hiding' in full view, but because their minds are darkened by black magic spells and their eyes made sightless by black magic dust, the mind-conditioned cannot see Truth even when it looks them in the face. In boasting of his clever blueprint, Huxley for example, unwittingly 'confessed' the truth when he said of the two opposing philosophies,

"You may categorize the two philosophies as...Christianity versus Marxism."

Revelation18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
Rev 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Rev 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

http://taylormarshall.com/2012/08/how-catholic-wrote-half-of-chik-fil-as.html
How a Catholic Wrote Half of Chick-fil-A’s Mission Statement

His name is Bill Soltesz. Let me introduce him.

In 2006, wen I was still an Episcopalian priest and ready to enter the Catholic Church, I went to Washington, DC to interview for a position at the Catholic Information Center. As I mentioned on EWTN recently, this was the job I received after praying the nine-day novena to Saint Jude. While in DC, I was invited by the Director, Father Bill Stetson to attend the National Prayer Breakfast with President George W. Bush.
The hotel that the Presidential Prayer Breakfast was held in was the one at which President Reagan had been shot, the Washington Hilton. Security was everywhere.

I was reading the USA Today in the lobby and enjoying a cup of coffee, when I gentlemen introduced himself. I was wearing a clerical collar and the man assumed I was a Catholic priest. His name was Bill Soltesz.

I told him that I wasn’t a Catholic priest but was praying to enter the Catholic Church soon and shared with him my story. We became instant friends and he spent the rest of the day introducing me to Catholic bishop after Catholic bishop, Tom Monaghan of Ave Maria University and Legatus (who was a relative cause for my conversion to Christianity with the baseball signature with Romans 10:9 – a story I have told on EWTN and elsewhere), priests, friars, nuns, and various other politicians and big shots in the DC circuit. It was a great day. I will always remember Bill Soltesz as the guy whom God appointed to be waiting at the door of the Catholic Church to help me enter therein.

After I accepted the position at the Catholic Information Center, I stayed with Bill Soltesz’s family. He drove me around and around until we found a home for my family in McLean, Virginia near Saint John’s Catholic Church.

He has always been a dear friend and an advocate for me in every way. He was a great encouragement to me as I was writing my first book – The Crucified Rabbi.

Bill recently shared a great story with about Chik-fil-A

Bill Soltesz worked for CFA from 1979 to 1982 when they had fewer than 100 stores.

Truett Cathy and Bill became very good friends. He invited Bill to come visit him in October of 1982. He picked Bill up at the airport and he stayed at his home over the weekend. They rode motorcycles most of the day Saturday, went to church on Sunday. One night, as they were eating their ice cream, Truett said he was planning to meet with his sons and senior staff in the next few days and try to develop a corporate purpose statement for Chick fil A.

He had a yellow pad of paper, tore off a sheet and handed one to Bill. He wrote the words “To be good stewards of the gifts that God has given us.” Bill wrote the words “To have a positive influence on everyone who comes into contact with Chick fil A.” Truett said ” I like both of these.”
Soltesz said, “It was easy for me to come up with those words because Truett and Chick fil A really did have a positive influence on my life.”
That has been the corporate purpose statement for CFA since Truett and Soltesz wrote those words on October 1982. They are inscribed in stone at the entrance to the CFA headquarters on Buffington Road in Atlanta.

So there you have it. Half of the Chick fil A purpose statement was written by a devout Baptist, and the other half by a devout Catholic.

As Paul Harvey used to say, “That’s the rest of the story!”

And last of all, thanks Bill for all that you have done.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/chick-fil-founder-truett-cathy-died-073432684.html
9/8/14

Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy has died
Spokesman: Chick-fil-A restaurant founder S. Truett Cathy has died at age 93

ATLANTA (AP) -- S. Truett Cathy, the billionaire founder of the privately held Chick-fil-A restaurant chain that famously closes on Sundays but also drew unwanted attention on gay marriage in recent years because of his family's conservative views, died early Monday, a company spokesman said. He was 93.

Chick-fil-A spokesman Mark Baldwin told The Associated Press that Cathy died at home surrounded by members of his family. The company said in a statement that preliminary plans are for a public funeral service at 2 p.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Jonesboro in Jonesboro, Georgia.

Cathy opened his first postwar diner in an Atlanta suburb in 1946 and by 1967 he had founded and opened his first Chick-fil-A Inc. restaurant in Atlanta. Over ensuing decades, the chain's boneless chicken sandwich he is credited with inventing would propel Chick-fil-A expansion to more than 1,800 outlets in 39 states and the nation's capital. By early 2013, the company says on its website, annual sales topped $5 billion as the chain offered up a taste of the South that went beyond chicken to such offerings as sweet tea, biscuits and gravy.

Under the religiously conservative founder, the chain gained prominence for its Bible Belt observance of Sunday — none of its hundreds of restaurants are open on that day, to allow employees a day of rest. Its executives often said the chain made as much money in six days as its competitors do in seven.

Those religious views helped win Cathy and his family loyal following from conservative customers, but also invited protests when Cathy's son denounced gay marriage.

Cathy's son, Dan, who is currently chairman and president of the chain, had told the Baptist Press in 2012 that the company was "guilty as charged" for backing "the biblical definition of a family." Gay rights groups and others called for boycotts and kiss-ins at Cathy's restaurants. The Jim Henson Co. pulled its Muppet toys from kids' meals, while politicians in Boston and Chicago told the chain it is not welcome there.

The controversy later subsided.

The family-owned company has said it has had 46 consecutive years of positive sales growth. Cathy's $6 billion fortune as the founder of Chick-fil-A puts him on the yearly Forbes magazine list of the wealthiest Americans in the country. The company has listed him on its website as its chairman emeritus after he left day-to-day operations to younger generations.

Truett Cathy began his career in the restaurant business by opening with his brother in 1946 an Atlanta diner called The Dwarf Grill, which was named for the short and stout shape of the restaurant.

He has attributed his hardworking nature — even as a little boy he made money by selling six bottles of Coca-Cola for a quarter — to growing up poor.

"I've experienced poverty and plenty and there's a lesson to be learned when you're brought up in poverty," he said in 2007. "I had to create some good work habits and attitude."

Even well into his 80s, Cathy was actively involved in the chain's operations, including setting up a contract with his children that said they may sell the privately-owned chain in the future but the company must never go public.

"Why would I retire from something I enjoy doing?" Cathy said in a 2007 interview. "I can hardly wait to get here."

An opportunity in 1961 led to the development of the restaurant chain's trademark chicken sandwich when a company that cooked boneless, skinless chicken for airline meals wanted to sell him pieces that were too big for the airline customer's needs. Cathy took those pieces and cooked them in a pressure cooker and served them in buttered buns.

The sandwich was sold at independent restaurants for a few years before he opened his first Chick-fil-A restaurant at an Atlanta shopping mall in 1967.

Cathy also was known for his efforts to help youth. In 1984 he created the WinShape Foundation to help "shape winners" through youth support programs and scholarships. He also created a long-term program for foster children that has foster care homes in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Brazil.

His sympathy for children was demonstrated in August 2008 when he worked out a deal with the parents of two girls who were accused of causing $30,000 in damage to a home he owned in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The girls were banned from watching TV and playing video games. They also had to write "I will not vandalize other people's property" 1,000 times.

He told the Daytona Beach News-Journal that he didn't want to have them prosecuted and left with a criminal record.

As the author of several books, his 2007 book "How Did You Do It, Truett?" outlined his strategy for success that included setting priorities, being courteous, cautiously expanding a business and not being burdened with debt.

"There's really no secret for success," he said then. "I hope it will open eyes for people. They don't have to follow my recipe but this is what works for me."

Cathy is survived by his wife of 65 years, Jeannette McNeil Cathy; sons Dan T. and Don "Bubba" Cathy; daughter Trudy Cathy White; 19 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren, according to a company statement.

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James 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
Jas 2:2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
Jas 2:3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
Jas 2:4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
Jas 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
Jas 2:6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
Jas 2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

School bans 'offensive' Chick-fil-A sandwiches

Feathers have been ruffled at California’s Ventura High School, where the principal this week banned the football booster club from selling Chick-fil-A sandwiches over fears that people might be offended.

What, pray tell, could people find offensive about a plump juicy chicken breast tucked between two buttered buns?

Were English teachers put off by the restaurant chain’s grammatically challenged bovine pitchmen?

This is a classic example of those preaching inclusivity and diversity being the least inclusive and diverse of all.

Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Jas 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Did the waffle fries and banana pudding milkshakes exceed the nutritional limits deemed acceptable by the federal government?

The answer, dear readers, is no. It seems Principal Val Wyatt’s ban has less to do with poultry and more to do with politics.

“With their political stance on gay rights and because the students of Ventura High School and their parents would be at the event, I didn’t want them on campus,” Wyatt told the Ventura County Star.

It was a sentiment supported by Trudy Tuttle Ariaga, superintendent of the Ventura Unified School District.

“We value inclusivity and diversity on our campus, and all our events and activities are going to adhere to our mission,” Ariaga told CBS News in Los Angeles.

This is a classic example of those preaching inclusivity and diversity being the least inclusive and diverse of all.

Let’s back up for a minute and explain how this unfortunate act of poultry bigotry came about.

The local Chick-fil-A franchise has a storied history of supporting the school district – to the tune of thousands of dollars – and owner Robert Shaffer had generously offered to give the booster club 200 meals for a “back-to-school” event on Wednesday at which they expected to raise $1,600 for the football team, the Ventura Star reported.

“That would have gone toward the football program, everything from uniforms to food for the boys,” booster club president Dan Swim told the Star. “We don’t charge money for the boys to play football.”

A few days before the back-to-school event, the principal broke the news to the booster club. She said her “main reason” for banning Chick-fil-A was because she did not want an outside organization to sell or advertise during the event.

“I work really hard to keep Ventura High School from being a marketplace for all kinds of vendors to come to the campus and reap profit,” she told the newspaper.

Well, dear. That’s a bit disingenuous. Chick-fil-A was not making a single penny. They were giving all the proceeds to the booster club. Period.

I suspect her “main reason” had more to do with her statement about Chick-fil-A’s opposition to gay rights.

There’s just one teensy-weensy problem with Principal Wyatt’s explanation: It’s not true.

“Chick-fil-A doesn’t have a stance on gay marriage,” Shaffer told the Star. “We treat everyone who walks through our doors, regardless of their religion or sexual orientation, with honor, dignity and respect.”

In a 2012 interview that was published by Baptist Press, Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy affirmed his support of the biblical definition of the family. The interview sparked nationwide outrage among the LGBT community and the mainstream media.

“Well, guilty as charged,” he said. "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.”

That’s it. That’s what Dan Cathy said. Here’s the link to the interview. Read it for yourself. Not once did Cathy say anything disparaging about the LGBT community or gay marriage.

Unless, of course, the principal is suggesting that people who support the biblical definition of marriage are somehow anti-gay. Is that what you are suggesting, Principal Wyatt?

At best, the principal is misinformed. At worst, she is an outright liar. But for the sake of generosity, let’s just say she’s slow on the uptake.

Principal Wyatt needs to retract her woefully ignorant statement and publicly apologize for her offensive accusations. And to show there are no hard feelings, I would be more than willing to allow her to make things right by posting her retraction in this column.

As they say at Chick-fil-A, it would be my pleasure, Principal Wyatt.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/09/12/school-bans-offensive-chick-fil-sandwiches/

Alabama Chick-fil-A Owner Gives Homeless Man Free Meal, His Own Gloves

A Chick-fil-A owner in Alabama is making headlines after he was captured on camera helping a presumed homeless man by giving him a free meal, and then handing him his very own gloves.

An unidentified man walked into the Birmingham-area Chick-fil-A last week and asked owner Mark Meadows if he could work for food. Although Meadows was unsure as to whether the man was homeless, he said that it appeared so as he was carrying a number of garbage bags, most likely filled with his personal possessions.

“We made eye contact and I asked him what would he like, what we could do for him and then he asked if he could do some work to get something to eat,” Meadows told ABC News.

But instead of putting the man to work, he told him to have a seat and that he would provide him with a free meal on the house.

As the man waited for his meal, Meadows noticed that he was rubbing his hands together. So, he asked him if he had any gloves. The man said no.

“I said, ‘Take my gloves,’ and when I went and got them … he was kind of taken aback, like he didn’t want to take them,” Meadows recalled.

But the man eventually received the gift along with a free meal, and went on his way.

“He thanked me, put the gloves on and you could tell that they felt good. They had that fur inside of them and they were nice gloves,” Meadows said. “He took the gloves and the food, and he left and that was it.”

But while Meadows would have let the incident go without applause or fanfare, one customer who witnessed his act of kindness decided to take a photograph and post it to Facebook.

“[My son] Bryson and I are sitting in Chick Fil A on 280. A man walked in to get warm with all of his earthly possessions on his back,” patron Andrea Stoker wrote in a status that has now gone viral. “The manager, who is on his break, got up and asked the man if he could get him anything. Before the man could even answer, the manager asked if the man had any gloves and handed him his, then got him the meal of his choice.”

“There is still so much good in this world and I’m so grateful that Bryson saw it all unfold,” she continued.

Owner Mark Meadows also made headlines last year when he and his employees gave out free food to hundreds of drivers stuck in traffic for several hours during a snowstorm.

“It made me feel real good, especially with people being so appreciative,” Meadows told AL.com of the experience. “It was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

Chick-fil-A also offered motorists a place to stay for the night as one of the local hotels was filling up. Meadows himself spent the night at the store.

http://christiannews.net/2015/01/15/alabama-chick-fil-a-owner-gives-homeless-man-free-meal-his-own-gloves/

Chick-fil-A Thrives After Embarrassingly Ineffective Boycott

The unbearable evil of Chick-fil-A has been a liberal hobbyhorse for a few years now, and the restaurant has suffered more than sticks and stones as "progressive" activists have staged boycotts and protests over the company's stance on gay marriage. Calling them supporters of hate, liberals point to their support of groups opposed to gay marriage as well as comments of the same nature from the company's Christian COO. But perhaps "suffer" is too strong a word, as The Inquisitr points out.

Shortly after the arrival of spring, new Chick-Fil-A restaurants are cropping up in states like Florida and Pennsylvania, signaling that the chain responsible for “Eat More Chicken” ads continues to outperform competitors, such as KFC and Church’s.

As reported by the Palm Beach Post, Chick-Fil-A’s newest restaurant held a grand opening in Delray Beach, Florida on March 26 to hundreds of people anxiously awaiting its debut. For more than 24 hours, customers camped outside the new restaurant hoping to be one of the first 100 people to enter the building. Not so much motivated by a love for chicken as by the promise of free Chick-Fil-A for a year, campers began gathering days before to secure their spot.

This is a continuation of the expansion trend reported last year by Business Insider, when the company moved into major markets like Chicago, Los Angeles, and even New York City. It seems the great controversy of 2012, and the subsequent two-plus years of being constantly attacked by liberal media and activists, have had virtually no impact. So much for the boycott.

Or as Weasel Zippers puts it: "The evil homophobic capitalist Company is still growing, creating jobs and profiting." Capitalism, y'all. The product is what sells.

Still, here is one person involved in the Chick-fil-A controversy, though, who is not faring nearly so well. Moe Lane at RedState reports that Adam Mark Smith, who was famously fired for berating a young female employee of the chain, is still unemployed. It seems he is far more useful to the left as a way to attack the right's sympathies than he is worth their own actual sympathy.

http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/chick-fil-thrives-after-embarrassingly-ineffective-boycott

Chick-fil-A Listed as Sponsor of ‘Faith-Based’ Homosexual Film and Arts Festival

An online petition has been launched over revelations that the popular evangelical-owned fast food restaurant Chick-fil-A has been listed as a sponsor of a “faith-based” homosexual film and arts festival.

Level Ground began as a student-organized event in 2013, and was touted as the “world’s first faith-based LGBT film festival.” It has since expanded to six cities across the country and includes not only film, but music, theater, visual arts, comedy, and various workshops with the goal of “elevating the public discourse around the otherwise polarizing topics of gender identity and human sexuality.”

“The Level Ground Festival draws a unique audience that reflects the full spectrum of religious (and non-religious) beliefs, gender identities, and sexual orientations,” the festival website outlines. “All denominations, theologies, beliefs, races, and ages are welcome.”

Earlier this month, the Level Ground Festival opened in Nashville, being sponsored by the pro-homosexual Gracepointe Church and Vanderbilt Divinity School, among others. The event featured panel talks that included former Contemporary Christian artist Jennifer Knapp, who came out as a lesbian in 2005 and went on to found a homosexual advocacy group, as well as folk musician Derek Webb, known for his song “I Repent” and his former role in the Christian group Caedmon’s Call.

Other attendees included Melissa Greene, formerly of the group Avalon and worship leader at Gracepointe, and Karen Swallow Prior of Virginia’s Liberty University.

But Level Ground has general sponsors as well, which the group has posted on its website. Included on the page among Whole Foods, Hilton Pasadena, and Stone Brewing Company is the popular fast-food restaurant Chick-fil-A.

On Friday, a concerned Chick-fil-A patron launched a petition to bring the sponsorship to the attention of the company’s leadership.

“Per our research and findings, Chick-fil-A is a sponsor of ‘Level Ground’ … [a]nd upon further inquiry, your sponsorship of this organization supports pro-gay organizations … and many other groups that promote an agenda which is contrary to Chick-fil-A’s corporate stance on Christian values regarding marriage and stewardship,” the petition reads.

“In light of these findings, we ask that Chick-fil-A issues an official response regarding this sponsorship, along with any statement your team feels is necessary to clarify Chick-fil-A’s corporate stance regarding previously stated Christian values on marriage and stewardship,” it says.

As previously reported, Chick-fil-A came under fire in 2012 from homosexual advocates after President Dan Cathy spoke in favor of Biblical marriage.

“We are very much supporting of the family—the Biblical definition of the family unit,” he told the Baptist Press. “We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives,” he said. “We give God thanks for that.”

According to the Washington Post, Cathy had also stated on a radio broadcast that he believed that the promotion of homosexual “marriage” was evoking the wrath of God upon America.
“As it relates to society in general, I think we’re inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage,’” he opined. “And I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to try to redefine what marriage is about.”
After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), Cathy Tweeted, “Sad day for our nation. [The] founding fathers would be ashamed of our generation to abandon wisdom of the ages re: cornerstone of strong societies.” He later deleted the post.

Following uproar about the matter, including assertions that the company donates to organizations that oppose same-sex “marriage,” Chick-fil-A issued a statement outlining that it had never sought to donate to groups that speak against homosexuality, and that “[g]oing forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.”

“For many months now, Chick-fil-A’s corporate giving has been mischaracterized,” the fast food chain wrote in a separate news release. “Our intent is not to support political or social agendas.”

Christian News Network reached out to Chick-fil-A for comment and explanation regarding its sponsorship of Level Ground, but a response was not received as of press time.

http://christiannews.net/2015/10/26/chick-fil-a-sponsors-faith-based-homosexual-film-and-arts-festival/

Well, Chick-Fil-A has been able to get their feet in the door b/c they've effectively been able to market the "Christianity" label on themselves - remember 3 years ago, they really stirred up the minds of Christians over this sodomite marriage issue.

Schools Let Chick-fil-A Propagandize GMO/Chemical Food Directly To Kids - See more at: http://healthimpactnews.com/2015/schools-let-chick-fil-a-propagandize-gmochemical-food-directly-to-kids/#sthash.NWnsgulH.Zs55i4rG.dpuf

Is Chick-fil-A food “better fast food?” Do the GMOs, trans fats, additives and preservatives in virtually all the products say otherwise?

And how is it that this corporation is allowed to place its mascot squarely in the middle of our children’s place of education?

First, a note from (the GreenMedInfo.com) founder:

“I was picking my daughter up at her public charter school this year (Florida), and I was disturbed to find a Chick-fil-A mascot waving to all the kids being picked up after school, clearly standing in a strategic and highly symbolic spot between us and our children. What in the world was going on in my school’s administration’s mind when they allowed such a grotesque display of pro-junk food propagandizing directly to our children? I asked my colleague Dani to do an article on the inherently toxic ingredients in one of Chick-fil-A’s products in the hopes that schools like mine will think twice before allowing the corrupting influence of corporations direct access to our children in this manner.” ~ Sayer Ji, founder of GreenMedInfo.com

ChickfilA-Waffle-Potato-Fries

Chick-Fil-A Waffle Fries: Food or Toxic Junk?

On my Facebook page, I recently asked people if they ever ate at Chick-fil-A. Personally, I haven’t and I wasn’t sure what all the hype was about. It’s fast food, after all. The responses shocked me. Majority of people commented saying that it was healthier fast food, food they could feel good about feeding their kids, food that is above par when compared to other fast food restaurants.

Except it isn’t. Not even close.

While virtually all products sold at Chick-fil-A contain GMOs, trans fats, additives and preservatives, today we’re going to explore the ingredients in the waffle fries.

The ingredient list reads as such:

Potatoes (vegetable oil [canola oil, palm oil], disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate [to promote color retention], dextrose), fully refined high oleic canola oil (TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness and Dimethylopolysiloxane added as an anti-foaming agent).

Canola Oil

Canola, otherwise known as rapeseed, is one of the highest genetically modified crops in the US, roughly 87%. Genetically modified crops have been linked to cancer, infertility and even autism. But these aren’t the only disconcerting issues with canola oil. To extract the oil from rapeseeds, it is heated and chemically extracted, usually with hexane, a neurotoxin. Then the oil must be degummed, bleached and deodorized. Yummy, right?

All of this processing causes the unstable fats found in canola oil to become rancid and oxidized (not so great for heart health). This also basically eliminates the omega-3 fatty acids which makes canola oil extremely inflammatory.

Visit the Chick-fil-A Waffle Fries Ingredient Page

Disodium Dihydrogen Pryophosphate

In 2011, the FDA accused Alexa foods of misbranding their potato products by calling DDP a “natural ingredient.” Even the usually chemical friendly agency described DDP as “a synthetic chemical preservative.” One of the health concerns associated with phosphates like DDP is that they can bind up calcium and magnesium. Not exactly ideal for kids.

Dextrose

Detxrose is a processed sugar derived from corn that is most likely genetically modified. If that weren’t bad enough, it’s also cariogenic, meaning it has been linked to cavity formation. Just what parents need, another trip to the dentist!

TBHQ/Tertiary Butylhydroquinone

TBHQ is a preservative made from butane, a toxic gas. While there is a limit to how much TBHQ can be added to any particular food, it is not strictly enforced. Not to mention the fact that majority of processed foods including candy, chips, cookies, etc. often contain TBHQ. TBHQ has been found to be carcinogenic.

Dr. Feingold, an expert in the field of additives and their link to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder links TBHQ to ADHD and recommends eliminating it from the diet. 11% of children have been diagnosed with ADHD as of 2011; that’s 6.4 million kids. The rate of diagnosis increases each year and is currently increasing at a rate of roughly 5% per year. And all the while kids are being fed food that directly influences ADHD.

Dimethylopolysiloxane

Dimethylopolysiloxane (try to pronounce that out loud!) is actually one of the main ingredients in Silly Putty! You know, that slimy stuff you probably played with as a kid. Now, it’s also in your kid’s waffle fries! Funny how that works, huh?

Dimethylopolysiloxane is a synthetic chemical preservative. Although the World Health Organization as well as the Food and Drug Administration consider it a safe ingredient, no major studies have been conducted proving its safety. In fact, the FDA allows Dimethylopolysiloxane to be preserved in formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.

Chick-fil-A is fast food through and through. It’s not a healthier option and it’s not safe for anyone, much less kids, to eat. The ingredients in the waffle fries alone have been linked to cavities, ADHD, even cancer. I know the common retort is that “once in a while never hurt anyone” but when people (kids especially) are bombarded with junk food everyday, once in a while is actually much more common than we think it is.

The best option is to cook for yourself and your family. Use wholesome, unprocessed and preferably organic ingredients. Cooking at home is not difficult with a bit of preparation and it is one of the most important things you can do for both you and your family’s health!

So, How Does Chick-Fil-A Gain Direct Access To Our Children?

Chick-fil-A has a non-profit organization called, you guessed it, The Chick-fil-A Foundation. Ostensibly to help the disadvantaged, their mission statement is as follows:

The Chick-fil-A Foundation is the corporate foundation of Chick-fil-A, Inc. A not-for-profit organization, our purpose is to lead the company’s commitment to support education in our local communities. Our work is focused on development and educating young people so they can build a positive legacy and become all they were created to be.

What does the foundation do? They state:

The Chick-fil-A Foundation is proud to partner with a number of local and national organizations through scholarships, donations and volunteer projects to increase awareness of and address deficiencies in the education of our youth. For more on the Foundation’s current projects, visit www.chick-fil-afoundation.org.

And what are some of the educational programs they fund?

YOUTH & EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Youth and education are the pillars of our mission. Our work for young people includes:

Mentoring high school students
Bringing camps to financially disadvantaged neighborhoods
Providing weekend meals for students in need
Sponsoring college scholarships
As you can see, on the surface, everything looks humanitarian. They are trying to “mentor,” “educate,” and “feed” disadvantaged children, who otherwise, we can assume, will be hungry or won’t have higher quality food at their disposal. They also provide their services for “fund-raising.” See the sample poster below.

fund

That said, the industry can write off these “educational” and “humanitarian” programs as good PR, and save quite a bit on taxes by maintaining a non-profit status, even though this is obviously the most effective marketing strategy and bang for their buck they can get, and has enabled them to gain direct entry to our schools. What could be creepier than to have their GMO-friendly mascot actually hug your children, without you even knowing about it? Apparently some schools either don’t realize the glaring conflict of interest, nor the nefarious influence on children’s health these corporations wield, or are simply beyond the point of caring any longer because their own lifestyle doesn’t differentiate out Chick-fil-A as an “unhealthy” food choice. Regardless, the practice needs to stop. If you’ve witness a junk food mascot at your school, take a photo, and send it to us: info@greenmedinfo.com. Or, comment below to share your experiences.

Read the full article on GreenMedinfo.com

College forbids Chick-fil-A, citing CEO’s pro-marriage views

A "small cohort" of students at the University of Nebraska Kearney (UNK) stopped Chick-fil-A from opening on campus by complaining about the marriage view of Chick-fil-A's CEO.

In January, the student body voted Chick-fil-A the most wanted restaurant for their campus, but a few students who object to traditional opinion successfully fought the decision.

UNK student government president Evan Calhoun explained, "After hearing these concerns raised by a section of our student body, we concluded that these corporate values are not aligned with our values as a student body."

Calhoun called Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy's personal opinion in defense of marriage "discriminatory policies," without elaborating on what specific policies he was referring to.

Chick-fil-A serves and hires without discrimination, but the popular chicken franchise came under fire from LGBTQ activists when CEO Cathy in 2012 shared his personal view on government attempts to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples.

Off the cuff, Cathy quipped, "I pray God's mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about."

Homosexual activists attacked Cathy's words as "hate" and expressed outrage over Cathy's personal donations to the Family Research Council and other pro-family, pro-marriage groups. Same-sex "marriage" activists unsuccessfully attempted a nationwide boycott of Chick-fil-A.

There are also UNK students on campus who disagree with the vote to bring Chick-fil-A to campus being unilaterally reversed by president Calhoun. They consider the reversal a denial of the student government's democratic process, against the student body's will, and discriminatory against Cathy's First Amendment rights.

"I think it is ridiculous and appalling that this is a situation we are faced with as a campus and student body, due to the preconceived notions of a very small minority," UNK student Trevor Wiegert protested in a letter to the UNK student senate. "This is a country that was built and has thrived on the notion of free speech."

Wiegert charges that the group that fought Chick-fil-A was a small cohort of students, unrepresentative of the UNK student body.

Wiegert wrote, "Taking a man's opinion on his belief in the traditional family and construing it to supposedly encompass his entire company's corporate values ... in order to feel 'safe' or like you're not being 'persecuted' is simply asinine."

UNK student Aaron Ohri responded to Calhoun's reversal on Facebook, posting that it "is a complete and total slap in the face to many of us on this campus who believe that Chick-Fil-A is not wrong in what they believe."

"I understand that a Christian lifestyle in this day and society is completely 'disrespectful,' but please do not ever again send me an e-mail speaking for the 'whole student body' when you do not have a clue what most of us actually think," Ohri wrote.

In response to the criticism of Calhoun's unilateral reversal, the student government is holding a forum on the controversy and is expected to make a final decision next week.

Because of its Christian CEO's views, Chick-fil-A has been banned from opening on campuses, or resolutions have been passed calling for the restaurant to leave campuses, at Johns Hopkins University, Elon University, Emory University, Davidson College, Southern Illinois University-Evansville, the University of New Mexico, New York University, and Wichita State University.

Eastern Illinois University Family Studies professor Lisa Moyer called Chick-fil-A a symbol of "hate." "We have this symbol on campus in the Union representing, essentially, hate," Moyer told Campus Reform.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/college-forbids-chick-fil-a-citing-ceos-marriage-views

New Yorkers Roundly Reject Mayor De Blasio’s Call For A Pro-LGBT Chick-Fil-A Boycott

"I’m certainly not going to patronize them and I wouldn’t urge any other New Yorker to patronize them. But they do have a legal right," he said. Chick-fil-A responded by pointing out that it has 80,000 employees of all different backgrounds and beliefs and prefers to focus on its food and service.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and other city officials are urging New Yorkers not to eat at Chick fil-A.

The popular chicken restaurant is planning to open up a new location in Queens, its fourth to open in New York City. But the liberal mayor argued that the owners of Chick fil-A support groups that promote “hate” against gays.

“Chick-fil-A is anti-LGBT,” he said in a statement, according to the website DNAInfo.
Chick-fil-A customers respond to de Blasio’s boycott request

https://youtu.be/D89sOYEIEM4

“This group imparts a strong anti-LGBT message by forcing their employees and volunteers to adhere to a policy that prohibits same-sex love. It is outrageous that Chick-fil-A is quietly spreading its message of hate by funding these types of organizations.”
He went on to call for a boycott by New Yorkers.

“I’m certainly not going to patronize them and I wouldn’t urge any other New Yorker to patronize them. But they do have a legal right,” he said. Chick-fil-A responded by pointing out that it has 80,000 employees of all different backgrounds and beliefs and prefers to focus on its food and service.

“The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect — regardless of their beliefs, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender,” a spokesperson said.

So what happened when Steve Doocy asked some diners at a Manhattan Chick-fil-A about Mayor de Blasio’s remarks?

One man, told of the boycott calls by Steve, said he’s on Chick-fil-A’s side.

“That’s what I’m gonna tell Trump. Keep God first and our kids will be fine,” said Jeff. source

http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/new-yorkers-roundly-reject-mayor-de-blasio-call-for-pro-lgbt-chick-fil-a-boycott/

Businesses Flee NYC While Mayor De Blasio Boycotts Chick-Fil-A

Twenty-one companies in New York City have announced they are laying off workers and many are closing due to “economic” reasons as Mayor Bill de Blasio’s focus has been on targeting a company because of its views on marriage.

As de Blasio encouraged a boycott of Chick-fil-a because he said the company has “anti-LGBT” views, many New Yorkers are facing pink slips in the months to come.

A review of Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notifications filed with the state Department of Labor by The Daily Caller show 21 companies in the past four weeks alone have announced layoffs. Some are even closing shop altogether. The notices show a majority of these companies cite “economic” as the reason behind their decision.

Insurance giant AIG, in an amended notice filing, announced 108 workers at its Water Street location will be laid off, and an additional 132 at its other four locations in the city will also be given pink slips. The reason cited for the dislocation is “economic.”

Goldman Sachs, in its WARN notice, announced 146 workers would be laid off between June 20 and September 28, 2016—the second round of layoffs in the city. The financial services company also claimed the layoffs were driven by “economic” reasons.

Harris Publications announced it was closing and 65 people will lose their jobs. The publisher could no longer continue to operate due to economic reasons.

This summer a total of 219 workers at health insurer Emblemhealth will be laid off. The company cited “economic” as the reason behind its decision to lay off workers at two of its locations in the city.

Workers at Sears in the city will also lose their jobs in July as the store is closing for economic reasons. A total of 154 workers will be affected, according to its WARN notice.

A total of 130 workers at the Four Seasons restaurant will lose their jobs in July, and 197 employees at Al Jazeera next year will be out of work due to economic reasons.

An additional 382 New Yorkers who work at the dining services company Sodexo will be out of jobs at the end of June, as a result of a loss of a contract.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2016/05/05/businesses-flee-nyc-while-mayor-de-blasio-boycotts-chick-fil-a/#ixzz47qm2aDW0

Dems LOVE Voter Registration, Unless Chick-fil-A is Doing It

Then, suddenly, it’s biased.

Florida Democrats aren’t too happy that Chick-fil-A restaurants in the Tampa Bay area are holding voter registration drives, claiming the locations are biased because of the company’s conservative owners.

According to The Washington Times, Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Deborah Clark, a Republican, chose nine locations in the area. But Stonewall Democrats and head of the Pinellas Democratic Party Susan McGrath said holding registration drives at Chick-fil-A would be no less partisan than holding them at Planned Parenthood. In a letter to Clark, McGrath wrote:

“As an elected official, you have a duty to be evenhanded and fair. Surely, you and your office staff do understand that using Chick-Fil-A as the base for voter registration activities is not only inherently unfair but overtly partisan as well. This company has a strong and well-understood history of anti-LGBT activism and is publicly associated with Republican Party values.

“While some Democrats may occasionally dine at Chick-fil-A (and perhaps even members of the LGBT community), the coordination of Pinellas voter registration activities with this right-leaning business very clearly conveys that your office is targeting Republican-leaning voters.”

Perhaps McGrath missed the media reports in August about Planned Parenthood launching voter registration at its clinics, online, and at college campuses “to help marginalized populations participate more in this election cycle.” The abortion giant calls it “My Vote, My Voice” and boasts volunteers in 45 states.

Facebook, known for its suppression of conservative news, prompted users with a “Register Now” button in their newsfeed and claim its efforts have helped register 1.5 million people.

Registration stations have been set up in the lobbies at screenings of the racially charged film, Birth of a Nation. Stars of the film will encourage viewers to register in a PSA that plays before the feature.

So, it would appear that Democrats love pushing for voter registration as long as it isn’t done at conservative locations because, you know, that would be biased.

http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/dems-love-voter-registration-unless-chick-fil-doing-it

The New Yorker Calls Chick Fil A’s Presence in New York City 'Creepy'
here is that false liberal tolerance again

Chick Fil A opened their fourth restaurant in Manhattan last month. The location on Fulton Street, the largest in the world, frequently serves lines that stretch down the block. Not everyone is happy about Chick-Fil-A’s apparent success in the Big Apple, as evidenced by Dan Piepenbring’s article in The New Yorker shows.

Piepenbring called Chick-Fil-A’s presence in the city an “infiltration” because of the chain’s “pervasive Christian traditionalism.” He cited the presence of Bible verses and a painting of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in their Atlanta-based headquarters as well as their closing on Sundays as an example of this. Then he turned to the company’s stance on LGBT issues. He quotes their promise to “treat every person with honor, dignity, and respect,” but says they have, “quietly continued to donate to anti-LGBT groups.”

Piepenbring alleges that Chick-Fil-A operates with “an ulterior motive,” citing their mission statement which says they exist “to glorify God.” He says, “that proselytism thrums underneath the surface of the Fulton Street location.” The article closes with a stinging indictment of the chain, which is now the third-most popular fast-food restaurant. He says “there’s something particularly distasteful about Chick-Fil-A” and remarked that it is “infected with suburban piety,” before closing by encouraging New Yorkers to tell the restaurant, “NO MOR.”

Throngs of Twitter users responded to Piepenbring’s piece. Nate Silver, editor-in-chief of FiveThirtyEight, shared the article and opined, “This is why Trump won.” Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al Mohler said it is an example of how “the condescending elitist secular journalistic left gets the reputation of being openly hostile to Christianity” and called the article “rancid.” Other users wondered if the magazine would print the same kind of vitriol about a Muslim-owned restaurant, while Christian artist Shai Linne remarked, “This is ridiculous. Talk about reaching. I would rather the author be honest & just say, ‘Listen, I hate Christianity and anything that has even the faintest aroma of Christ on it.’”

Piepenbring said little in response to the uproar over his article. He retweeted a few responses to his piece before saying “Welp time to sit down with a Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich and a cold one and read my mentions.” Another user responded by posting a picture of a Wendy’s restaurant marquee, which read, “We stand with Chick-Fil-A and simply said, “enjoy.”

http://endtimesandcurrentevents.freesmfhosting.com/index.php

Twitter CEO Attacked for Tweeting about Chick-fil-A

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey faced backlash over the weekend after he tweeted a screenshot of the savings he received from Chick Fil A on a mobile app. Dorsey simply posted “Boost @ChickFilA” with the screenshot.

Many responded to Dorsey in dismay, wondering how he could promote Chick-fil-A because of founder Dan Cathy’s views on LGBT issues. Journalist Soledad O’Brien quoted Dorsey’s tweet and said, “This is an interesting company to boost during Pride month, @jack.” Erica Baker, a senior engineer at Patheos, responded to Dorsey saying, “Please delete this or follow up with how much free advertising you’re going to give GLAAD.” Raw Story political writer Sarah Burris interjected, “mmm, hate chicken never tasted so homophobic.”

The backlash against Chick-fil-A dates back to the late Dan Cathy’s 2012 comments about faith and marriage. In explaining the company’s religious views, Cathy said there is no such thing as a “Christian company” because “Christ never died for a corporation. He died for you and me.” However, he went on to explain, "But 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."

What raised eyebrows and howls of protest were his declarations about his view of marriage. When asked about his support of the traditional view of marriage and family, he responded, “Guilty as charged.”

This led to calls for a boycott of the restaurant chain. This led to a counter-protest in support of Chick-fil-A in which many of the company’s restaurants ran out of food due to the flood of support from people appreciate their food and values.

Jack Dorsey saw O’Brien’s tweet and explained that he should have thought about the company’s politics when he posted the tweet. He told her, “You’re right. Completely forgot about their background.”

https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/scott-slayton/twitter-ceo-attacked-for-tweeting-about-chick-fil-a.html

Pittsburgh City Council Wants ‘Hateful’ Chick-fil-A Dropped as Sponsor of Children’s Marathon

All nine members of Pittsburgh City Council have signed an opposing letter to the leaders of the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon after learning that the fast food chain Chick-fil-A will be the title sponsor for next year’s children’s marathon.

The letter argues that “[t]he leadership of Chick-fil-A has openly and passionately promulgated hateful beliefs against the LGBTQIA+ community,” and that it has financed organizations that oppose same-sex “marriage” and homosexual behavior in general.

“Chick-fil-A’s sponsorship of an event designed to encourage healthy living represents a significant setback for Pittsburgh as we continue our work to build a more progressive and welcoming city for all people regardless of who they are or who they love,” the letter, dated October 17, reads.

“Most importantly, its sponsorship sends the wrong message to LBGTQIA+ children and families who face psychological abuse and experience the effects of bullying at disproportionate rates,” it outlines.

Read the letter from the Pittsburgh City Council in full here.

The “Kids Marathon” event, to be held next May, is a one mile run that is held in conjunction with the Kids of STEEL effort, which according to the marathon website, is “a physical activity and nutrition program designed to motivate children to pursue quality nutrition and an active lifestyle by incorporating exercise and healthy eating habits into their daily routine.”

Area schools and youth programs can participate in the Kids of STEEL offerings free of charge.

However, in addition to the Pittsburgh City Council’s opposition to Chick-fil-A’s sponsorship of the marathon, the local school district also unanimously voted on Wednesday to approve a resolution against the sponsorship.

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the resolution prohibits any district employee from participating in the event on an official basis (yet not a personal basis), as well as promoting the marathon in school.

“The family-owned, privately held restaurant company has expressed views contrary to and in conflict with the district’s non-discrimination policies,” it also states.

The Three Rivers Marathon told the outlet in a statement that it welcomes any organization that wants to partner with the group’s goal of helping children lead healthy lives.

“Every year through our Kids’ Marathon, P3R commits itself to encouraging kids to live healthy lives. This is a cause we’re always going to support, and we’ll always welcome anyone or any organization willing to join us in helping the kids of Pittsburgh discover the joy of running,” it said.

Chick-fil-A has signed on to be the title sponsor of both the marathon and the Kids of STEEL program for the next three years.
Cathy

As previously reported, the controversy over Chick-fil-A began in 2012 when owner Dan Cathy told Baptist Press that he is “very much supporting 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,” he said. “We give God thanks for that.”

According to the Washington Post, Cathy had also stated on a radio broadcast that he believed that the promotion of homosexual “marriage” was evoking the wrath of God upon America.

Following initial uproar about the matter, including assertions that the company donates to organizations that oppose same-sex “marriage,” Chick-fil-A issued a statement outlining that it had never sought to donate to groups that speak against homosexuality, and that “[g]oing forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.”

In a document entitled “Who We Are,” the company also noted that “[t]here are many diverse viewpoints and opinions among those associated with Chick-fil-A,” and that “f someone in Chick-fil-A offers a personal viewpoint, they do not presume to speak for everyone.”

The company also outlined its donor practices, noting that its charitable outreaches are focused in three areas: “Creating educational opportunities for our team members and youth across America,” “Food donations for those serving or those in need,” and “Developing youth and family/marriage enrichment programs and supporting our communities.”

“For many months now, Chick-fil-A’s corporate giving has been mischaracterized,” it stated, referring to the hostility it has received from pro-homosexual groups that have rejected the fast food restaurant by claiming that it gives donations to organizations that oppose same-sex “marriage.”

“Chick-fil-A’s giving heritage is focused on programs that educate youth, strengthen families and enrich marriages, and support communities. We will continue to focus our giving in those areas. … Our intent is not to support political or social agendas,” Chick-fil-A further clarified, noting that the company’s giving has always been focused on positive charities and outreaches, but not necessarily any particular social issue, such as homosexuality.

https://christiannews.net/2018/10/26/pittsburgh-city-council-wants-hateful-chick-fil-a-dropped-as-sponsor-of-childrens-marathon/

US Civil Rights Commission Urges Transportation Authority to Rescind Ban on Chick-fil-A From Buffalo Airport

The United States Commission on Civil Rights has sent a letter to the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA), urging the entity to rescind the decision not to allow the popular fast food chain Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

Commissioner Peter Kirsanow sent the letter on Monday to the chair of the Authority, Denise Roche, former president of D’Youville College and member of the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart.

“This exclusion plainly violates the First Amendment and is contrary to the American tradition of respecting freedom of religion and belief,” Kirsanow wrote. “Quite simply, because the Buffalo airport is funded by taxpayers and run by the government, vendors cannot be excluded based on their speech or their religious beliefs.”

As previously reported, NFTA and Delaware North had originally planned on including the chicken chain at the airport food court in the fall of 2019. After learning of the development, Assemblyman Sean Ryan, D-Buffalo, publicly expressed his disapproval.

“I don’t believe the leadership of the NFTA intends to spread hate and discrimination, but allowing a corporation to do business at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport will help fund continued divisive anti-LGBTQ rhetoric,” he opined on Twitter.

“New York is a welcoming state that celebrates diversity. The views of Chick-fil-A do not represent our state or the Western New York community, and businesses that support discrimination have no place operating in taxpayer-funded public facilities,” Ryan contended.

While it is not known why, NFTA and Delaware North soon reversed the decision. NFTA said in a statement released to local television station WKBW, “We are working with Delaware North to move forward on identifying and offering best in class food selections for the thousands of customers who come in and out of our airport.”

Kisanow outlined in his letter on Monday that he took issue with Ryan’s words, which he characterized as “exclusion in the name of ostensible inclusion; intolerance in the name of tolerance.” He stated that some of the assertions against Chick-fil-A are inaccurate.

“There’s no evidence that Chick-fil-A discriminates against LGBT individuals in hiring or conditions of employment,” Kisanow wrote. “There is no evidence that Chick-fil-A refuses to serve LGBT individuals at their restaurants. The sole issue is monetary donations made by the Chick-fil-A Foundation to some religious-based organizations that support the traditional understanding of marriage.”

Kisanow found disagreeing with donations made to certain religious organizations to be an unacceptable reason to ban a company from opening a restaurant in the food court.

“The only manifest evidence of discrimination in this matter is by the NFTA,” he stated. “The NFTA is engaging in discrimination on the basis of speech and religion. This is every bit as prohibited by the First Amendment when directed at traditional Christians as it would be if NFTA blocked the opening of a Muslim, Jewish, or Buddhist-owned restaurant because of the owner’s religion.”

The Commissioner urged the NFTA to rescind its ban, warning that Chick-fil-A could sue over the matter, and taxpayers would have to foot the bill.

Read the letter in full here.

A spokesperson for the NFTA told local television station WGRZ that it is up to concession contractor Delaware North whether or not to include or disclude Chick-fil-A at the airport.

As previously reported, Chick-fil-A has distanced itself in recent years from any stance on homosexuality, including that of the organizations to which it donates. It contends that it continues to be mischaracterized as an anti-homosexual company or one that donates to causes that oppose homosexuality.

“Recent coverage about Chick-fil-A continues to drive an inaccurate narrative about our brand,” the restaurant chain said in a statement. “We want to make it clear that our sole focus is on providing delicious food and welcoming everyone — not being a part of a national political conversation. We do not have a political or social agenda.”

“More than 145,000 people from different backgrounds and beliefs represent the Chick-fil-A brand. We embrace all people, regardless of religion, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Representatives of Chick-fil-A have also created a page on the company website, it said, to “set the record straight” in light of a “long trend in what continues to be a misleading report that is driving an inaccurate narrative about our brand.”

While not mentioning the outlet’s name, Chick-fil-A noted that ThinkProgress had recently written a report highlighting that the company had donated $1,653,416 to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, $6,000 to the Paul Anderson Youth Home, and $150,000 to the Salvation Army in 2017, among others.

“The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a religious organization that seeks to spread an anti-LGBTQ message to college athletes and requires a strict ‘sexual purity’ policy for its employees that bars any ‘homosexual acts,’” reporter Josh Israel wrote in taking issue with the company’s donor practices.

“Paul Anderson Youth Home, a ‘Christian residential home for troubled youth,’ teaches boys that homosexuality is wrong and that same-sex marriage is ‘rage against Jesus Christ and His values,’” he bemoaned.

Chick-fil-A again distanced itself from these notations, writing in its explanation that it was misleading for Think Progress to frame the donations in such a manner, as the company solely has a focus on giving to “youth and educational programs.”

It outlined that its donations to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes were to “fund sports camps and school programs for inner-city youth” across the country. It gave to the Salvation Army for youth projects such as the “camps for kids and the Angel Tree program,” the latter of which serves children who have a parent in prison.

And while the company donated to the Paul Anderson Youth Home, the funds were for “a bike ride fundraiser, operational support [and] an annual Christmas dinner theatre for local children.” Chick-fil-A further noted that it has discontinued giving to the charity “after a blog post surfaced that does not meet Chick-fil-A’s commitment to creating a welcoming environment to all.”

Read the post in full here.

The late pastor and author A.W. Tozer once said, “There is no Christian victory or blessing if we refuse to turn away from the things that God hates. Even if it is accepted in the whole social class of which you are a part, turn away from it. Even if there is something that has come to be accepted by our generation, turn away from it if it is wrong and an offense to our holy and righteous Savior.”

Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth: to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

https://christiannews.net/2019/04/05/us-civil-rights-commission-urges-transportation-authority-to-rescind-ban-on-chick-fil-a-from-buffalo-airport/

Kansas University faculty wants Chick-fil-A banned from campus for fears of 'safety,' 'mental well being'

A few Kansas University faculty members are not fans of allowing Chick-fil-A to be served on campus because they believe the chain violates "safety and inclusion".

The faculty council, filled with "extreme frustration," wants America's favorite restaurant removed from campus for being a "bastion of bigotry" after KU administrators relocated a Chick-fil-A from a basement to "prime real estate" on campus to the Memorial Union. But worse yet, to the council, is the "Chick-fil-A Coin Toss" at the start of the Jayhawks' football home games.

“The culture of Chick-fil-A fosters hate and discrimination on multiple levels,” the Sexuality & Gender Diversity Faculty and Staff Council wrote in a two-page letter, accusing university leaders of being "more concerned about money and corporate sponsorship than the physical, emotional, and mental well being of marginalized and LGBTQ people."

While the fast-food chain is celebrated for its exceptional customer service, it has come under fire several times after its president and CEO, Dan Cathy, publicly supported traditional marriage in 2012 and opponents have accused Chick-fil-A of being anti-LGBTQ for its charitable giving to the Family Research Council and Salvation Army, to name a few.

“The culture of Chick-fil-A fosters hate and discrimination on multiple levels,” the Sexuality & Gender Diversity Faculty and Staff Council wrote in a two-page letter, accusing university leaders of being "more concerned about money and corporate sponsorship than the physical, emotional, and mental well being of marginalized and LGBTQ people."

While the fast-food chain is celebrated for its exceptional customer service, it has come under fire several times after its president and CEO, Dan Cathy, publicly supported traditional marriage in 2012 and opponents have accused Chick-fil-A of being anti-LGBTQ for its charitable giving to the Family Research Council and Salvation Army, to name a few.

Katie Batza, an associate professor of women and gender studies, told the Kansas City Star that hundreds "will boycott or protest" but lamented that the request was "falling on deaf ears."

Interim Provost Carl Lejuez sent an email to faculty and staff, however.

“Moving forward, I believe it is important to have thoughtful discussion and deliberation when we enter into contracts. In the future, we will do so in a manner that is transparent and informed by our commitment to affirm diversity and to be a welcoming and inclusive campus,” the email said, according to the University Daily Kansas.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/chick-fil-a-kansas-university-campus

Chick-fil-A’s Sales Have Doubled Since LGBT Boycott Began in 2012

Chick-fil-A’s annual sales have more than doubled since LGBT and liberal groups began calling for a boycott of the restaurant in 2012, according to a new analysis.

In 2012, when controversy arose over the CEO’s comments about same-sex marriage, sales totaled $4.6 billion, up from $4.1 billion the year before.

In 2018, sales totaled $10.46 billion, making it the third-largest restaurant in the United States behind McDonald’s and Starbucks.

The boycott may have driven a few customers away, although it apparently attracted far more. The chain also has opened nearly 700 new restaurants since the boycott began, according to the Journal & Courier newspaper, which reported the data in a Sept. 17 story and examined the effectiveness of the boycott.

“The only ones who seem to have any kind of beef with the wildly popular chicken restaurant are a minivan-size group of squeaky extremists on the far left,” Glenn T. Stanton, director of global family formation studies at Focus on the Family and the author of Myth of the Dying Church, told Christian Headlines. “They’ve concluded that Chick-fil-A is bigoted without the slightest bit of evidence – only that their founders believe in natural marriage. Their position sits very well with the rest of us.”

The LGBT issue blog Towleroad in 2011 criticized Chick-fil-A’s ties to Christian and conservative organizations that opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage. The headline read, “If you’re eating Chick-fil-A, you’re eating anti-gay,” the Journal & Courier reported. The blog received moderate media attention that year, but the issue received far more attention in 2012 when Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy was asked about the company’s support of the traditional family and replied, “Well, guilty as charged.”

“We are very much supportive of the family – the biblical definition of the family unit,” he told the Biblical Recorder. “We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.”

Cathy’s comments led to calls for boycotts and pledges by mayors in Boston and Chicago to oppose new restaurants opening in their cities. That, in turn, led Mike Huckabee to launch a Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day on Aug. 1, 2012. Hundreds of thousands of customers took part, and the chain broke sales records for a single day.

Since 2012, its sales have set a record each succeeding year, growing from $4.6 million in 2012 to $5 million, to $5.7 million, to $6.7 million, to $7.9 million and to $9 million in 2017, according to Restaurant Business. It reached $10.46 million in sales in 2018.

Chick-fil-A was named America’s favorite fast-food restaurant in a survey of customers this year.

Still, it continues to face opposition. Officials in San Antonio and Buffalo blocked Chick-fil-A from opening restaurants in their local airports. A segment of the faculty and students at Purdue University and the University of Kansas vocally oppose it, too.

Northwestern University management professor Brayden King said the success of a boycott can’t be judged solely by economics.

“I think the activists would say the boycott against Chick-fil-A is successful even if they didn’t get people who typically go to Chick-fil-A to stop buying Chick-fil-A sandwiches,” he told the podcast Freakonomics. “The reason they would say it was successful is because they got the media to pay attention.”

Stanton said Chick-fil-A will remain popular with the public.

“Not only have they doubled their sales in the last few years, but they have won the prize for the fast-food establishment with the highest customer service rating the last four years running,” he said. “Bigoted businesses do not tend to rate well in customer satisfaction. Chick-fil-A was won this vaulted spot because it is their pleasure to serve everyone who comes through their doors and do so with all graciousness.”

https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/chick-fil-a-s-sales-have-doubled-since-lgbt-boycott-began-in-2012.html

Chick-fil-A Faces a Conservative Revolt

Chicj-fil-A goes woke

Chick-fil-A is receiving an onslaught of conservative ire after the company's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiative spread across social media.

"One of our core values at Chick-fil-A, Inc. is that we are better together," reads the company's website, which now includes a DEI section. "When we combine our unique backgrounds and experiences with a culture of belonging, we can discover new ways to strengthen the quality of care we deliver: to customers, to the communities we serve and to the world. We understand that getting Better at Together means we learn better, care better, grow better and serve better."

Approximately 80 percent of United States employers have DEI initiatives, according to Corporate Compliance Insights. Brands like Bud Light and Target have recently experienced backlash and market shifts due to boycott efforts after the beer partnered with transgendered activist Dylan Mulvaney and Target released "tuck-friendly" swimsuits, that allow trans women who have not had gender-affirmation surgery to conceal their genitals, ahead of LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June.

Chick-fil-A's DEI page does not specifically mention LGBTQ+ persons, however. Chairman Dan Cathy, son of company founder S. Truett Cathy, made headlines in 2012 when his views on homosexuality, including his opposition to gay marriage, became public.

Ensuring equal access: The intentional promotion of equal opportunity through processes and practices, "to provide personalized development and eliminate barriers to opportunities so all can thrive."
Valuing differences: The company says it seeks to understand and honor unique experiences and perspectives, as they "strengthen us as we unite around something bigger than ourselves."
Creating a culture of belonging: Promoting and sustaining a culture where all individuals can thrive and contribute.

Other aspects include recruiting top-tier talent, accomplished by routine collaboration with various national diverse professional development organizations including Women's Foodservice Forum, National Black MBA Association and Association of Latino Professionals of America; and engaging through groups like Women in Business (WIB), Black Employee Resource Group (BERG) and Young Professionals.

"Chick-fil-A restaurants have long been recognized as a place where people know they will be treated well," DEI Vice President Erick McReynolds said in a statement posted on the website. "Modeling care for others starts in the restaurant, and we are committed to ensuring mutual respect, understanding and dignity everywhere we do business. These tenets are good business practice and crucial to fulfilling our corporate purpose."

McReynolds has worked for Chick-fil-A for over 16 years, according to his LinkedIn page, including three years this July as overseeing DEI for the company.

Newsweek reached out to Chick-fil-A via email for comment.

The message has not been received as well by some.

"Everything good must come to an end," tweeted Wade Miller, executive director of Citizens for Renewing America—a conservative organization that's against "woke" policies. "Here @ChickfilA is stating it's [sic] commitment to systemic racism, sexism, and discrimination. I cannot support such a thing."

"Something tells me @ChickfilA is going to be called to repent soon," tweeted one person.

Another Twitter user wrote that the company is "hopefully going to lose millions of loyal customers for bowing to DEI."

"Chick-fil-A is infected with DEI and it will only be a matter of time before that place falls in every way possible," another person predicted.

Video has recirculated of Dan Cathy saying during a roundtable discussion in June 2020 at Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia, that white Christians should fight against racism and help Black Americans from experiencing injustice.

"We as Caucasians, until we're willing to just pick up the baton and fight for our Black, African-American brothers and sisters, which they are as one human race, we're shameful," Cathy said. "We're just adding to it."

The panel appearance included Cathy getting on his knees and shining the shoes of Lecrae, a Black Christian rapper.

Joanna Schwartz, a marketing professor at Georgia College & State University, told Newsweek that a boycott against the popular establishment would be "ironic" considering that many LGBTQ+ consumers already refuse to eat there because the company has famously donated to firms that have opposed marriage equality.

"It's a company that has a very religious focus, but that focus has never included LGBTQ+ equality as one of its basic tenets," Schwartz said. "In fact, the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index doesn't even have a rating for the company because they've never participated in those equality studies.

"It's a big change for Chick-fil-A to include gender identity and sexual orientation as part of their view of inclusivity, but even that DEI update doesn't actually use the term 'LGBT' (or any of its variations). Racial, ethnic and gender diversity are all important, but in terms of actual LGBTQ+ inclusivity or any acknowledgment around the community or Pride, [they] have never been part of their marketing efforts."

Chick-fil-A says its corporate purpose is "To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us, to have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A." It also alludes to the fact that most of the company's franchises are independently owned and operated, and that "each operator is solely responsible for all employment matters in their restaurant business."

rest: https://www.newsweek.com/chick-fil-conservative-backlash-diversity-1803387?amp=1

End Times and Current Events

General Category => War On Family => Topic started by: Mark on January 31, 2011, 08:37:35 am