Should a business have a political stance, would it have the same protections under the first amendment, is it allowed to attach or express negative views against a specific group of citizens?
Since the initial comments that Dan Cathy made to the Biblical Recorder there has been a strong and I believe correct backlash, however there are those that responded to the backlash because they see it as an attack on their rights, freedom and beliefs. Most of these people aren’t bad people and many of them don’t actually believe the same beliefs that Cathy expressed in the interview, they have simply confused the issue and I hope to clarify it for those that will listen.
This isn’t about an individual’s views and it isn’t normal freedom of speech.
Dan Cathy was talking about the beliefs of the company in the interview, “as an organization we can operate on biblical principles” so the rest of the interview comes off as the speech of a company not an individual.
An attack is different from expressing beliefs.
There isn’t outrage in a company being operated with biblical beliefs or christian morals, it’s about his attack on other people’s freedom of beliefs “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”. He is saying, as Chick-fil-A mind you, that you are prideful and arrogant if you disagree with his definition of marriage. This isn’t an expression of his faith, it’s going beyond that and attacking those that believe otherwise.
There is an intent to discriminate.
With his biblical principles being the foundation of Chick-fil-A they would consider marriage as only between a man and a woman, based on this there are too many situations that can arise in a company where they may easily discriminate. Can you bring a same-sex spouse to a company picnic, are they covered equally under an employee’s insurance plan, if they have a family discount on food are they ineligible to receive it because according to Cathy they aren’t a member of the family?
Chick-fil-A has every right to operate with certain religious principles and in some ways that’s a great thing, however they should not operate in a hateful and discriminatory manner. It’s great when companies operate in positive and helpful manners that encourage and support certain groups in our community but when they attack and discriminate against anyone everyone should be outraged.
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