CHICK-FIL-A’s ATTACKS Backfire!

“Chick-Fil-A’s values are not Chicago values” – says Chicago Mayor Rham Emanuel. He was one of the first mayors to support Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, when he said the chicken sandwich firm “doesn’t belong in Boston.”

Their rhetoric created a national firestorm as gay rights activists accused Chick-Fil-A of homophobia and bigotry. Since their “tolerant” behavior was having little effect on Dan Cathy, Chick-Fil-A’s president, the vitriol was shifted to the WinShape Foundation – the philanthropic arm of Chick-Fil-A.

To be honest, I believe the overwhelming support shown by thousands of Americans on Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day was a knockout punch. The fact that the effort was not promoted by Chick-Fil-A gave it so much more credibility. It was the best day of business for the 60 year-old company.

The opponents’ anger against the company became more intense when Dan Cathy announced that much of the profit earned on the Day of Appreciation would be channeled through WinShape to support more activities that reflect the interests of the shareholders. 

The focus shifted to WinShape. Who benefits from their philanthropic efforts? In answer to this and many more questions, much credit must go to Dan Gilfgoff, CNN’s Religion Editor. I relied very much on his superb investigative journalism to prepare this commentary. 

WinShape’s goal is simple – to help shape winners. The Foundation funds foster homes, camps for children, college scholarships and activities that are aimed at youth and families.

In response to questions from CNN, Chick-Fil-A’s executive vice president for marketing, Steve Robinson said, “our corporate giving is focused on supporting youth, family and educational programs.”

In addition, “WinShape provides camping programs for more than 13,000 girls and boys annually and 14 foster homes caring for more than 100 children. In addition, Chick-Fil-A has awarded more than $30 million in Restaurant Team Member college scholarships to hourly-paid employees.”

In 2010, the most recent year for which tax records are available, the Foundation received about $8 million. The Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest gay rights group, believes the company funnels millions only to evangelical groups that demonize lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people on a daily basis. 

At the same time, the left-leaning Southern Poverty Law Center has classified some WinShape recipients as anti-gay hate groups. The Foundation spends the vast majority of its money on internal programs like its camps, which cost five million dollars to run in 2010. The same year some $3 million was spent on foster homes. 

By comparison, in that same year, the Foundation gave $1,000 to Family Research Council and $1,000 to Exodus International – a group that promotes conversion therapy for gays. These are the groups and the amounts being referred to as substantive support to anti-gay hate groups. 

Interestingly, nowhere would one find any statement that would implicate these groups as hate groups. These are conservative organizations that see homosexual activities as sinful. Exodus International offers therapy to homosexuals who seek help. It is obvious that the help provided debunks the idea that homosexuality is an irreversible condition.

Honestly, what was intended to crush Chick-Fil-A has heightened interest and support for the company’s commitment to Christian values. Other companies with similar values are beginning to surface.

For example, IN-N-OUT Burgers prints Bible references on their paper containers. Don and Jin Chang, owners of Forever 21 are committed Christians. The company prints on the bottom of the iconic yellow shopping bags the words – John 3:16. 

Since this Chick-Fil-A fracas, Jack Phillips, the owner of a bakery in Colorado refused to provide a wedding cake for a homosexual couple. The couple made a public issue of what happened – the result? The bakery got publicity and business increased by 100% in a few days. 

It is obvious that we are in a culture war. Christians are the victims of institutional bullying because of their faith. Our Lord never suggested that we would be exempt from these situations. However, He promised to be with us even “in the valley of the shadow of death.” Remember, silence is not an option.