By Bryan this time:
I think the current Chick-fil-A situation is very
interesting. Dan Cathy, the President of Chick-fil-A recently made statements
supporting “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.” When
asked about Chick-fil-A’s backing of families led by a man and a woman, his
response was, “Guilty as charged.”
This has created a firestorm of controversy where at least two
major cities now plan (to attempt, anyway) to block the approval of new
locations. On the other side, about 250,000 people have signed up on Facebook
for Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.
Mr. Cathy claims to be a Christian and, I assume, would encourage
others to make the same decision. So I have one question. Do his comments make
it more likely or less likely that people will become followers of Christ? This
whole situation reminds me of a statement that I’ve heard numerous times in
Christian circles. “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” Sounds great, right? The
problem is that I haven’t observed or even heard of many situations where that
actually happens. And there are even fewer situations where non-Christians perceive
this double-sided attitude the way it is intended. If you disagree with me, I
would simply ask if you’ve ever had a conversation with a homosexual on the
topic.
So if we Christians aren’t very good at the whole “Love the
sinner, hate the sin” thing, I say we pick one and concentrate on that. So…
which one to choose, love or hate? Or better stated which one would Christ choose,
love or hate. I’ll go out on a limb and say that Christ came down on the side
of love the first time he was here. Back then, the religious people complained
constantly that he was hanging around “sinners” too much.
Since it is our desire that everyone, including gays, come
to faith in Christ, they get to set the rules. If we say, “I support the traditional
family,” and they hear, “I hate gay people,” that’s OUR problem, not theirs. I
think this is where Cathy, and a lot of other people are going wrong. The attitude
isn’t about love. This Chick-fil-A Day isn’t about emphasizing Christians love
for gay people. It’s about Christians circling the wagons, and in doing so,
proving the point of all the detractors.
So when it comes to homosexuals, or everyone for that
matter, I’m going to choose love. And I’d encourage you to do the same. I would
also encourage you to remind me to love when I forget.
Wonderfully said, Bryan! I've chosen to avoid Chick-Fil-A because of this situation & have been shocked by how attacked I've felt because of that choice. Mind you, I haven't said a mean word against Dan Cathy or those who share his beliefs (he and they are right to their opinions); nor am I calling for others to act as I am. (In fact, I think cities attempting to ban CFA is plainly unconstitutional). And yet, because of a personal choice I make, numerous believers have ridiculed me. I am astounded. We all need to be reminded to choose love (myself included), so thank you for this well-said reminder.
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