The fallout from the controversial interview given by Chick-Fil-A president Dan Cathy over anti-gay comments continues to build. While most business leaders work hard to keep their political and religious views from affecting customers or their business, Cathy came out swinging with comments saying that he runs the company according to Biblical commands and that he views gay marriage as a sin. The result has been national boycott, store protests, and most recently moves in major cities like Chicago to bar the restaurant. The suggested legislation in Chicago would be in my view unconstitutional. Despite our disagreement with Cathy, civil libertarians should defend his right to do business without harassment or censure from the government for his views. His company is subject to anti-discrimination laws. Those laws protect his employees from “Biblical” harassment.
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. There is also a plan for a “kiss-in” campaign by gay and lesbian couples outside Chick-Fil-A restaurants. The latter protests are perfectly constitutional. Indeed, Cathy decided to force this issue in his interview and should have expected that his comments would enrage some consumer while delighting others.
It is the plan of Ald. Proco “Joe” Moreno (1st) that crosses the line.
I would also oppose as an academic an effort to bar the restaurant at universities. Universities are institutions committed to free speech and free thought. To start to bar groups or businesses on the basis of the religious views of their officers runs against the mission of a university.
Cathy was stating his personal view of gay marriage. He magnified the controversy by extending those views to the company: “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.”
He seemed to double down on those comments despite the controversy and obvious cost of proselytizing to his business: “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.”
Moreno is moving to block permits for a new business in Chicago. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has also vowed to block Chick-Fil-A from entering his city at all.
The suggestion that these cities would block a business because of the content of the religious views of one of its officers offends the principles of free speech and a host of constitutional protections. To the degree that the company violates discrimination laws, it can be punished and fined. In the meantime, the company is likely to loss millions in sales as well as protests from customers offended by Cathy’s comments. Just as Cathy elected to make his views public, customers have the same right. We can leave the outcome to the marketplace to work out.
Source: CBS
OS,
I love that West Wing clip. Very appropriate for this discussion.
Hey Gene H, When Billy and George are done with each other do they say I am sorry but science made us do that?
So are you saying that when a man sleeps with a man or a woman with woman it is science’s fault? If that is true then let me steal your car and blame science for it.
Actually Jim, you’re demonstrating that you don’t understand the scientific usage of the word “theory”. It is a fact that there is a genetic component to sexual orientation and that it cannot be changed. The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
What’s funny is the pattern here. Whenever some Christian goes off on a homo hating binge like Mr. Chicken Pants, some clowns come out of the woodwork to defend bigotry against homosexuals and claim that not being able to freely hate on homosexuals without ridicule or consequence is somehow persecuting Christians. Very often in this forum, that person is named Jim or James or some variation thereof.
Coincidence or pattern in the data?
Your sexual orientation is not your choice any more than your eye color is, Jim.
If you want to be a hateful bigot? It is free will as to whether you choose to own your (unscientific and theologically questionable) choice or to try to rationalize it away so that it’s somehow okay or not your fault but “God’s will”. Again, if God didn’t want homosexuals to exist, then their orientation would not rest in genetics. You can blame the watch or you can blame the watchmaker, but the time is the time.
Gene H
Wrong! Science has nothing to do with pulling your pants down with another man. They do it with their own hands.
Gene H
Those are theories not facts.
I hate to break to to you Jim, but sexual orientation does not figure in to free will. Science tells us this.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/111843.php
http://www.hlntv.com/video/2012/06/04/hate-pulpit-prompting-attacks-gays
Gene H
I hate to break it to you. You have free will and God is not to blame for your choices. He only laid out a plan and it is up to us to follow it with the understanding their are consequences.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080628205430.htm
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/human_nature/2008/06/sexual_antagonism.html
http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1996-97909-000
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/01/homosexuality-genetics-usa
Otteray Scribe
The clip humorous true but unfortunately not one time did the President use the New Testament. Levitical law applied to the Jews. What is odd, though, is that both Old and New Testament speak against Homosexuality. By the way, I would have stayed seated.
Yeah, Jim. It places the blame squarely on the person responsible for creating genetics and their role in determining the sexual orientation of complex organisms which would be the creator of the universe. What is his name again? Dog? Yahwell?
Yeah.
Gene H.
Love is whatever you want it to be but it doesn’t change scripture one bit. Homosexuality and Lesbianism is an abomination and an unnatural act.By the way, Most Americans agree with this position which is why the Chick Fil A issue will mobilize Republicans and even Democrats to vote against Obama (2004 election in Ohio)
It is a good idea to be reminded sometimes. Jim, I am especially sending this your way.
If God didn’t approve of homosexuals, they wouldn’t be born that way (which is what science tells us).
This is a lie to justify a minority political position. It takes the blame from them and puts it on someone else.
That’s an interesting theory, Jim, but your job isn’t to teach but rather try to tell people they are doomed to Hell because of what you read into the teachings of men that have nothing to do with love. If you were interested in love, you’d realize that love is love no matter if it is between man and woman, man and man or woman and woman.
But you continue to think you’re a “teacher” when you’ve already demonstrated you don’t understand your source material and, ergo, argue from ignorance.
It’s funny.
Gene H.
Wrong! I am a teacher. I provide rules and consequences. When a student breaks the rule the get the Consequence. I didn’t give it to them but rather they gave it to themselves. I still love them which is exactly who God is-LOVE! Unfortunately, people want to live their way but not face any consequence. I am not a bigot but rather only pointing out the truth.
“Gays and Lesbians can’t ever get passed the reality that God doesn’t approve it and no matter what they do he will not change his mind.”
This statement not only displays bigotry, it displays the hubris that you speak for God when in fact you are pointing to the words of men to rationalize your bigotry under the guise of religiosity. Either God is Love or He isn’t, Jim. But the idea that God loves everyone but is still going to punish some of them for eternity for disobeying laws made by men is ridiculous contradictory nonsense. If God didn’t approve of homosexuals, they wouldn’t be born that way (which is what science tells us).
Gene H
Where have I showed evidence that I hate anyone or am discriminatory?