Pass Me Another Waffle Fry

As a man who savors each and every opportunity he has to eat a fried chicken sandwich and waffle fries from the company that provided him high school employment, I thought I would weigh in on the recent controversy surrounding Chick-fil-a’s stance on gay marriage.

This whole controversy stems from an interview that Chick-fil-a’s CEO, Dan Cathy, had with the Baptist Press.  Although Cathy did not explicitly talk about homosexuals in the interview, his pro-traditional family viewpoint has been twisted by the media to the point that many think that Chick-fil-a discriminates against gays in their business, which they do not.  Among the protestors include Jim Henson and the Muppets, who have withdrawn their support for Chick-fil-a and will no longer be included in the company’s happy meals.  Amidst the uproar surrounding Cathy’s words, iI think it’s important for the reader to see what he actually said, instead of simply reading the media’s skewed view of his comments.

It’s important to note that Cathy’s remarks are taken out of context.  In the actual interview, Cathy is never asked about gay marriage.  The ‘controversial’  quote comes from his discussion on the WinShape foundation, which supports traditional family values.

“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.” (Interview)

Nowhere in the interview does Cathy say that he hates gay or that they are forbidden to eat at his restaurant.  He proudly states that he affirms marriage to be between one man and one woman.  This is not hate speech or discrimination, yet that’s not what you hear from the media.  Instead of portraying Cathy as for strong traditional families and opposes same-sex marriage, they oversimplify his position and say that he and the company are anti-gay because they do not support same-sex marriage.

It’s not surprising that the secular media has developed a smear campaign against a business that is built on Biblical principles.  In a world where duplicity is common, Dan Cathy took a stand for truth, even when it was, and still is, unpopular.  Instead of following the world’s agenda, Cathy proclaimed that his business followed a different one: God’s.

This courageous leadership has helped Chick-fil-a become a successful company.  They combine Biblical principles with the prudence it takes to operate a business efficiently.  In fact, I think that when Jesus spoke the words “be wise as serpents and as innocent as doves” in Matthew 10:16, that he was thinking of a fast-food chain that would one day make excellent chicken.

All joking aside, I believe that the Lord will honor those who put him first. Despite being closed on Sundays, Chick-fil-a has had forty-four years of positive sales growth.  Even as our world moves faster and faster and more stores are open on Sundays, Chick-fil-a still places importance on the Sabbath rest and sacrifices sales for worship of the Creator.

To help this situation hit home, I invite you to reflect on the areas of your life where your faith is challenged.  Maybe this is at home, school, work, the gym or at the bar.  When a conversation regarding beliefs comes up, are you like Dan Cathy? Do you boldly proclaim your beliefs without apologizing, or do you sit on the fence, afraid to take a stand for your faith?

I invite you to remember the courage of Dan Cathy, for stating his Christian beliefs in a hostile environment , even though it could negatively affect the company’s sales.  He is a truly authentic example of what it means to stand up for your faith.

When it comes time to stand up for your faith, I hope that you will pray for the grace to be a light in the darkness proclaiming the Truth found in Christ.

I’d like to leave you with Joshua 24:15 “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (and enjoy Chick-fil-a sandwiches and waffle fries).

Bob Waruszewski

Bob Waruszewski

Bob Waruszewski is a cradle Catholic from Pittsburgh, PA. He graduated from St. Vincent College with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics. Currently he works in the energy industry in the Pittsburgh and is enjoying life as a married man and father to his one year old daughter. He enjoys hiking, reading a good book and competing on the athletic field.

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10 thoughts on “Pass Me Another Waffle Fry”

  1. This is a very inspiring and heart-warming perspective on the whole Chick-fil-a tempest. I wish I could accept your comments at face value and endorse wholeheartedly what you’ve written here.

    I’m afraid, however, that this is a case of the chickens, pardon the pun, coming home to roost. The proponents of the “Biblical definition of family” have demonized LGBT relationships as being “evil” and an “abomination to God.” Thanks to agressive campaigning by the likes of Rick Santorum against any loving partner relationship outside of a heterosexual man and woman, the terms “pro-Biblical family” and “homophobic” have become synonymous.

    It’s unfortunate that this is so, and please don’t blame the “secular media” for this phenomenon. There’ve been plenty of ostensibly Christian media pundits who have added fuel to this fire.

  2. Oh, you forgot this quote from Cathy 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.”

    Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/chick-fil-a-admits-its-against-gay-marriage-2012-7#ixzz21ejZFPyY

    Oh, and you have forgotten to mention that this artery clogging chain also gave millions to anti-gay groups!

    It’s time we left people alone to live their lives as they see fit…

  3. When it says “anti-gay,” do they mean “anti” in the way that means let’s disregard their human dignity, beat them up, not provide them with food, or other such horrible things? If that is these group’s agenda, then yes, it is wrong of a person to use profits made off of everyone to support those actions. However, if “anti-gay” is synonymous with “anti-gay marriage,” then that is a different issue. Because to be against calling a union a “marriage” is not to be against the person. If you counter with the argument that means we’re denying a person sexual activity, well, that is still not being anti a person. A human being’s dignity is not tied to participating in sexual activity. And if you counter with the notion that humans have biological/animalistic urges to engage in sexual activity, well then, that “urge,” which has been coded as the naturalistic compulsion to procreate, to propagate the species, does not make sense with same sex activity. But even more important than that is again, we cannot reduce the human person to just the body and its urges, because we are body and soul intertwined.

    This is all to say that the owner of Chik-fil-a is not against people, but against the re-shaping of a construct. Chik-fil-a employes people of all backgrounds, and a boycott hurts them more than it does Mr. Cathy. Chik-fil-a may very well be the only spot in a food court where a kid with Celiac/gluten allergies can eat.

    Food is food, and no one should be judged for where/what they eat (and I say this applies to clothing stores and other companies who are opposite Dan Cathy, as well). Perhaps the solution is for owners to stop donating money to “political” causes and instead to charitable organizations that provide the same needs that they do (food, shelter, water, clothing).

    God bless.

  4. @Leo – Thanks for your comment. However, I don’t think it logically follows that a group that is pro-family values is necessarily homophobic. It really is the media who portrays groups that speak about traditional family values as such.

    @Phil – Thanks for your comment, I did see the quote from Cathy on another website. I think you missed the point of the article. While Chick-fil-a does not condone gay marriage, they do not say that gays are unwelcome at their restaurant. They support groups that are pro-family values and not anti-gay. It seems that those who ask for tolerance for gays are not tolerant of others who believe in traditional family values.

  5. this all sounds a lot like apologists defending an indefensible position. Gay people should not be denied any rights and to quote the old testament is laughable.

  6. Pingback: Chick-fil-A Catholic Church | Big Pulpit

  7. It is no less defensible than Starbucks’ support for gay “marriage” to those who consider that arrangement to be a distortion of marriage. If Starbucks can come out for it, CFA has every right to come out against.

  8. @Mark – just what rights are being denied to gay people by Chick-Fil-A? Gays are free to patronize Chick-Fil-A if they wish. If Chick-Fil-A posted a sign saying “Gays Not Welcome Here” then you would have a complaint.

  9. There’s a comical picture of Gene Wilder aka Willy Wonker maing the rounds of the net. The caption reads: “So, you stopped eating at Chik-fil-A because the owner said homosexuality is wrong. Tell me, when are you going to stop buying gasoline because the owners of OPEC put homosexuals to death?”

    Makes a good point, those pig-piling on Cathy and his business are only picking a safe target. Let them start railing against more aggressive opponents of the gay lifestyle and we’ll see what happens.

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