Chic-Fil-A is neither Christian, American, or Conservative

The dangers of "blind-faith" conservatism

A brief note to my fellow Republicans and conservative friends caught up in the Chick-Fil-A drama...

I am a veteran of the US Navy and would fight to the death for Chick-Fil-A's right to run their business as they please AND spend their profits on any group they please, even ones that support hate. That's part of what makes America great.  While the anti-gay political agenda of the Truett family is their business, societal exclusion should be limited only by the freedom to spend our money however we want with whoever we want.  That, in a nutshell, is American freedom, regardless of which side one is on.

I do not, however, find Chic-Fil-A's support of anti-gay groups Christian, American, conservative,or even family-oriented for that matter. They make a fine...no...a really fine chicken sandwich. I just won't be eatin' one anytime soon. This gay, Episcopalian, conservative-American just doesn't participate in hate and exclusion...period.

My husband (of ten years) and I are no threat to anyone's "traditional" marriage and if one thinks we are, one should look deep inside their own soul for the true reason. Whatever that reason is, I guarantee it is not found in the bottom of a bag full of chicken sandwiches.

Its time to move on my fellow conservatives. We look like fools, worshiping a silly fast-food enterprise as if God Himself decided who should love whom by simply posting it on the menu board. Idol worship will get us nowhere...certainly not in this election cycle.  We are right to support Chick-Fil-A’s right to do business and spend money in a manner that is right for them.  We are wrong as Christians, conservatives, and Americans to agree with their message.  This is a fine line.

It is personally disgusting that that Chick-Fil-A is having great success wrapping their message of hate in the American flag atop a Bible beneath a portrait of Reagan! They're entitled to hate, but like I said above, hate is not a conservative, American, nor Christian value. “Standing with Chick-Fil-A” represents support for their efforts against a minority population estimated to be about 10% of the American population.  This is not what America is about.

Chick-Fil-A's masterful orchestration of the issue of "traditional" versus "non-traditional" marriage has gone from something they supported corporately in private – a respectable action - to a mis-guided movement of, "Yeah, I hate fags, let's stand in line for two hours for a chicken sandwich cuz that makes me a good Christian and a great American..."

This is troubling, at best.

Most of my conservative friends support “traditional” marriage and that is fine with me.  As a gay conservative, I’ve never believed I needed my government’s approval to marry a guy anyway. But our continued blind support of Chic-Fil-A is going to backfire as it is disclosed over time who and what causes they have actually supported with their corporate giving.  For example, their support of Uganda’s “Kill the gays bill” is certainly not Christian, conservative, or American.  It’s genocide. 

Not surprising, the liberal left started this mess by casting Chick-Fil-A as a target for their Christian beliefs because they are closed on Sundays.  The conservative Christian movement took the bait.

With news footage of Christians and conservatives lined-up for "chickin'", the Obama campaign will now effectively portray normal American Christians as evil "far-right-wing-homophobe-racist-bigots" and send moderate voters back to the Obama camp. He only needs a very small shift in the electorate to tip things to his favor and these days almost everyone knows someone who is gay.

Celebrating Chick-Fil-A's right to free speech is one thing, but celebrating their message will be disastrous come November.The Obama campaign will effectively tie the Truett family's benefactors to conservative America and that simply isn't the case. Its a trap.

Our participation in activities of mass support for Chick-Fil-A plays squarely into the hands of the liberals, socialists, and even God-less communists. No doubt the left-wing media is eating this up. Divide and concur. 

That's why I'm saying to my fellow Republicans, "Let's move on." Quickly.  

And that's a piece of my mind.