http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/us/30chick.html?_r=1&ref=us

Quote :

"ATLANTA — The Chick-fil-A sandwich — a hand-breaded chicken breast and a couple of pickles squished into a steamy, white buttered bun — is a staple of some Southern diets and a must-have for people who collect regional food experiences the way some people collect baseball cards. New Yorkers have sprinted through the airport here to grab one between flights. College students returning home stop for one even before they say hello to their parents. But never on Sunday, when the chain is closed. Nicknamed “Jesus chicken” by jaded secular fans and embraced by Evangelical Christians, Chick-fil-A is among only a handful of large American companies with conservative religion built into its corporate ethos. But recently its ethos has run smack into the gay rights movement. A Pennsylvania outlet’s sponsorship of a February marriage seminar by one of that state’s most outspoken groups against homosexuality lit up gay blogs around the country. Students at some universities have also begun trying to get the chain removed from campuses. “If you’re eating Chick-fil-A, you’re eating anti-gay,” one headline read. The issue spread into Christian media circles, too. The outcry moved the company’s president, Dan T. Cathy, to post a video on the company’s Facebook fan page to “communicate from the heart that we serve and value all people and treat everyone with honor, dignity and respect,” said a company spokesman, Don Perry. Providing sandwiches and brownies for a local seminar is not an endorsement or a political stance, Mr. Cathy says in the video. But he adds that marriage has long been a focus of the chain, which S. Truett Cathy, his deeply religious father, began in 1967. The donation has some fans cheering and others forcing themselves to balance their food desires against their personal beliefs. “Does loving Chick-fil-A make you a bad gay?” said Rachel Anderson of Berkeley, Calif. “Oh, golly, human beings have an amazing capacity to justify a lot of things.” Ms. Anderson has been with her partner for 15 years. They married in California during the brief period when same-sex marriage was legal in 2008. They have 7-year-old twins. A visit to her spouse’s family in North Carolina always includes a trip to the chicken chain. But as she learns more about the company, Ms. Anderson is wavering about where to eat when they travel to Charlotte in April. “I’m going to have to sit with this a little bit,” she said. On the other hand, Rhonda Cline, a dental hygienist in Atlanta and a devout Christian, has only gotten more outspoken in her support. She was one of nearly a thousand people who logged onto the Chick-fil-A Facebook page to comment on the issue. “I applaud a company that in this climate today will step out on a limb the way the Constitution allows them to,” Ms. Cline said in an interview. “This is the United States, so we should be able to practice our business the way we like.” But religious values are not the main reason Ms. Cline goes to Chick-fil-A. “I’m in a crunch at lunchtime, and these people are fast and they are smiling and they act like they are really happy you’re there,” she said. Chick-fil-A runs 1,530 restaurants in 39 states, but it still feels like a hometown restaurant to fans in Georgia, which has 189 outlets. Sales figures for 2010 will most likely be over $3.5 billion, a spokesman said. S. Truett Cathy, the founder, is an 89-year-old, Harley-riding Southern Baptist who opened a small diner near the Atlanta airport 1946. He closed the business on Sundays because he was a churchgoer who wanted a day to rest and be with his family. Because the company remains privately held — his two sons run it — it can easily keep its faith-based principles intact. The company’s corporate purpose is, in part, “to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us.” With its near-national reach and its transparent conservative Christian underpinnings, Chick-fil-A is a trailblazer of sorts, said Lake Lambert, the author of “Spirituality, Inc.” and dean of the college of liberal arts at Mercer University, where he teaches Christianity. “They’re going in a direction we haven’t seen in faith-based businesses before, and that is to a much broader marketing of themselves and their products,” he said. “This is possibly the next phase of evangelical Christianity’s muscle flexing.” The company’s Christian culture and its strict hiring practices, which require potential operators to discuss their marital status and civic and church involvement, have attracted controversy before, including a 2002 lawsuit brought by a Muslim restaurant owner in Houston who said he was fired because he did not pray to Jesus with other employees at a training session. The suit was settled. The sandwiches that will feed people who attend a February seminar, called “The Art of Marriage: Getting to the Heart of God’s Design,” in Harrisburg, Pa., are but a tiny donation. Over the years, the company’s operators, its WinShape Foundation and the Cathy family have given millions of dollars to a variety of causes and programs, including scholarships that require a pledge to follow Christian values, a string of Christian-based foster homes and groups working to defeat same-sex marriage initiatives. Michael Geer, the president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute and a fan of the Chick-fil-A southwest salad with spicy dressing, says the whole thing has been blown out of proportion. He simply asked a local, independent operator to provide lunch. “I like to support businesses that stand up for good in society, and I love their food, so it’s a win-win situation,” he said. For organizations like Georgia Equality, the state’s largest advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues, the free sandwiches offer an opportunity for organizing. On a petition posted on the Web site change.org, it asks the company to stop supporting groups perceived as anti-gay, including Focus on the Family, an international nonprofit organization that teamed up with Chick-fil-A a few years ago to give away CDs of its Bible-based “Adventures in Odyssey” radio show with every kid’s meal. As of early Saturday, it had 25,000 signatures. Among some customers who are not religious, the outcry seems like overkill. “I’m not a fan of Jesus at all, but I still go to Chick-fil-A maybe once a week,” said Tony Parker, 25, of San Antonio. “Your reason for not going to a fast-food place is bad customer service and poor food quality, not religion.” But Douglas Quint, a concert bassoonist who operates The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck in New York during the summer, said he believed that people should make informed decisions about their food. “It literally leaves a bad taste because I know the people who are putting this food in my mouth actively loathe me,” he said. “I’m all for freedom of religion, it’s just that I know where I want my money to go and I don’t want my money to go.” Sarah Beth Thomas, 23, sees both sides of the issue. Ms. Thomas grew up as a Southern Baptist in a small town in north Georgia. Her daily high school lunch was a Chick-fil-A chicken biscuit and sweet tea. On Mondays, she would bring in her church bulletin and exchange it for a free sandwich. Since college, her views have softened but not her dedication to the chain. Now, she says, she is hooked on the chicken, not the religion. Still, she said she had empathy for people who struggle to choose between their beliefs and a sandwich. “It’s a hard call, a personal call,” she said. “You have to decide which soul you want to feed.” "

Geez give it a rest.

[Edited on January 30, 2011 at 8:06 AM. Reason : Damn, it's Sunday!]

1/30/2011 7:58:27 AM

I don't understand why people think this is something new. They are closed on Sundays so the worker can go to church, they pretty much only employ people who go to said church, they go on religious retreats.

Next thing people are going to be upset because the pope isn't gay.

1/30/2011 8:29:42 AM

zero chance i'm reading all that

1/30/2011 8:30:15 AM

sweet

1/30/2011 8:32:36 AM

This changes everything.

1/30/2011 8:43:43 AM

Quote :

"Geez give it a rest."

something similar happened to whole foods was it? the ceo there donated money to a conservative group and 10,000 hippies about died of moral shock and effrontery......

really though, i get you think you're 'fighting' for civil rights and such by getting all bent over companies private dealings and the personal dealings of prominent persons in said companies, but really y'all are just making yourselves look like really nosy busybodies.... and you see how much everyone just LOVES that sort....

here's a thought, you're going to end up 'winning' ok. but the more you press it at this point the more you polarize some folks (who in turn do it to their kids) whom otherwise would be neutral. and going after religion is not really, in the total balance of things, going to help the cause, at all. in fact you should be trying very actively to get major religions on board.

most people in this country are religious (less than 10% a not-significant minority aren't) so aim toward the correct crowd. remember the nail that sticks out the farthest gets hammered.

1/30/2011 8:44:45 AM

What does "gay hell"'mean? It's full of gays or there are no gays? If christans hate gays and I eat at chik-fil-a that should mean I have god on my side right? So he's not going to send me to hell. These nutjobs are silly.

1/30/2011 8:56:36 AM

The only "nutjobs" are the ones concerning themselves with how a PRIVATELY FUCKING HELD COMPANY
wants to run it's business

1/30/2011 9:02:42 AM

Quote :

"JESUS FRIEND CHICKEN"

1/30/2011 9:06:56 AM

if the worst thing you have to bitch about is to whom a fast food chain is giving food away, i'd say you're doing all right.

the hive mind is a dangerous beast.

1/30/2011 9:09:17 AM

Great! Now I want chick-fil-a......

1/30/2011 9:19:07 AM

^^^^evil must be confronted regardless of its form

1/30/2011 10:00:57 AM

i thought this thread was going to be about a super secret way to eat chikfila on sunday and i got no probs goin to gay hell in return for that privilege.

1/30/2011 10:02:40 AM

I don't like that a company puts its original standings and beliefs ahead if my Sunday cravings for soggy fried chicken sandwiches - what a bunch of twatcunts

1/30/2011 10:05:34 AM

My love for tasty chicken > my compassion for homos

1/30/2011 10:13:12 AM

Fuck you for posting this on Sunday. Now I'm craving chik-fil-a

1/30/2011 10:28:40 AM

PETCS (people for the eating of tasty chicken on sundays)

1/30/2011 10:41:08 AM

Quote :

"said Tony Parker, 25, of San Antonio"

1/30/2011 10:47:15 AM

WORTH IT!

1/30/2011 10:50:09 AM

Quote :

"Fuck you for posting this on Sunday. Now I'm craving chik-fil-a "

1/30/2011 10:55:44 AM

This thread ruined my morning. What a bunch of idiots.

1/30/2011 11:04:18 AM

i, too, now want a chicken biscuit.

1/30/2011 11:05:00 AM

the only nutjobs are chick-fil-a for not making $4B by being open another day

1/30/2011 11:07:59 AM

fuckna. now I want waffle fries.

1/30/2011 11:08:39 AM

Quote :

" Sarah Beth Thomas, 23, sees both sides of the issue. Ms. Thomas grew up as a Southern Baptist in a small town in north Georgia. Her daily high school lunch was a Chick-fil-A chicken biscuit and sweet tea"

Over / Under 3 bills on Ms. Sarah Beth Thomas' weight?

1/30/2011 11:13:35 AM

when is the next gay pride event

ill be there with a chik-fil-a sandwich

1/30/2011 11:15:06 AM

I had a friend tell me about this last week. Not this specific article. But she said that the problem was that they donate a lot of money to PACs that actively work against gay rights. Not so much the religion thing. So if those are issues you care about, it would probably seem reasonable to know where your money is going. Chik-Fil-A is going to get hammered by some people for this, but for a lot it won't even be an afterthought.

1/30/2011 4:28:29 PM

I'm wearing a Judas Priest shirt next time I go to CFFA.

1/30/2011 4:30:43 PM

dont make me choose between delicious chicken sandwiches and your right to holster your dong in Mitchell's sphincter

just walk away from this one

1/30/2011 4:35:15 PM

i think mark zuckerburg tithed at church a few times...

OMG BAN FACEBOOK IF YOU ARE GAY.

I'd really like to see a list of companies that give to organizations that oppose gay marriage. i bet its a lot.

also, how much of a dent can the gay community put in $3.5 billion a year?

[Edited on January 30, 2011 at 5:09 PM. Reason : .]

1/30/2011 5:07:33 PM

i for one hope that less people go to chick-fil-a over this homo crap

so the lines will be shorter when i get there

1/30/2011 5:40:33 PM

is gay hell like straight hell?

1/30/2011 5:44:53 PM

the big gay ice cream truck should stroke its way down south. im sure he'd do better business here.

1/30/2011 5:50:22 PM

when you said gay hell i definitely thought you meant the part of hell specifically reserved for gays. I love chick fil a and anyone who doesnt because of their overly political sexual orientation can go fuck themselves.
ps im also really high right now and when my friend gets here im going to make her drive me to chick-fil-a for a sammich

[Edited on January 30, 2011 at 5:58 PM. Reason : hahahigh]

1/30/2011 5:52:56 PM

gay people just refer to it as "the party"

1/30/2011 5:54:00 PM

sometimes i wonder why i have to wait on my food despite the 35 highschool workers on duty, but it's worth it

my main problem with chick-fil-a is the contemporary christian muzak, which is just god-awful, no pun intended

1/30/2011 6:01:12 PM

Quote :

"ps im also really high right now and when my friend gets here im going to make her drive me to chick-fil-a for a sammich"

Is it a 12 hour drive to chick fil a

1/30/2011 6:03:11 PM

your pothead ass is going to be totally bummed when you see it's closed

sunday, bro

1/30/2011 9:38:30 PM

Quote :

"If you’re eating Chick-fil-A, you’re eating anti-gay"

1/30/2011 9:40:34 PM

as much as like like Chik-Fil-A, sometimes the over the top customer service is a little...unsettling.

1/30/2011 9:42:08 PM

it makes me happy

[Edited on January 30, 2011 at 9:43 PM. Reason : the service and the food]

1/30/2011 9:42:51 PM

i didn't read all that so maybe i missed something but....... since when does going to church automatically make you anti-gay?

i know plenty of church goers who fully support gay rights

i myself have never really understood the big deal. If you don't want to be in a same sex marriage... don't marry someone of the same sex?

1/30/2011 9:45:19 PM

I'm no religious expert, but don't many christian denominations think homosexuality is wrong?

1/30/2011 9:48:28 PM

i mean, i grew up in a really strict conservative catholic family

my parents never had a problem with gay people. or them wanting to get married. i mean that doesn't really affect them so they don't really care.

1/30/2011 9:51:56 PM

YEAH!

1/30/2011 9:53:10 PM

^^^i can't speak for other denominations, but as a former southern baptist, yes

they also think women going to school past 10th grade is wrong.

[Edited on January 30, 2011 at 9:54 PM. Reason : .]

1/30/2011 9:53:17 PM

^^^/^^^^ Thats the difference though, because they don't see it affecting them, they don't care. Most Christian people I know, especially older ones, don't want want it even after admitting it doesn't affect them directly.



I do always like how they are so polite ('How may I serve you', etc).

[Edited on January 30, 2011 at 9:55 PM. Reason : I'm slow.]

1/30/2011 9:55:29 PM

don't get me wrong, Chik-Fil-A does run a tight ship, which I appreciate. But they don't really don't need to give me the "my pleasure" at the end of line item as place my order.

1/30/2011 9:59:37 PM

i mean i can maybe understand them not wanting to have like a "religious" wedding or something if it is against the religion but.....

marriage is a legal thing. you can get married without involving any kind of religion at all. atheists can get married. so why gay people can't do that has never made sense. they have every right to the same tax breaks, health insurance etc etc that straight couples do. so why this country can't understand the whole "seperation of church and state thing" is just sad.

1/30/2011 9:59:57 PM

I agree with that, but as far as I know, christians view "marriage" as the holy union of a man and woman, nothing else.

1/30/2011 10:03:05 PM