Tag Archives: Chick-fil-A

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3 Better Things to Worry About

It’s not that I’m not disturbed by some things that I see going on in the world. I’m bothered. But more than that I’m bothered by the fact that I’m most bothered by the wrong things. This post is not meant to diminish the issues that people are working out, and this is not one of those – ‘let’s put our love before our theology’ posts, because I reject the idea that love and theology are mutually exclusive. This is about the simple fact that we can hold theological convictions and get on with living missionally at the same time.

jesusloveyou

1. It’s okay to talk about the possible pros and cons of World Vision changing it’s hiring policies concerning the LGBT community.
What’s better is to struggle and be moved to action with the thought of children across the world dying of starvation, and unsanitary conditions. It is more urgent to be caught up in the plight of kids who have little hope without a good education and the good news of Jesus. Concern for these matters are what Jesus says will be used separate the sheep from goats. (Matthew 25:31-46) Your stance in a culture war will not be brought in to consideration when sheep are separated from goats.

2. It’s fine to be concerned for a company like Hobby Lobby to operate on a pro-life ethic that it’s founders hold dear. 
What’s better is to exercise a pro-life ethic in our day-to-day lives by supporting adoption, refusing to take part in or supporting violence, and to work to alleviate conditions that make abortion seem like the only option for so many people. The fact that so many of us who call ourselves Christ followers have been given so much power to enact change and yet do so little, that should be what haunts us most.

3. It’s permissible to talk about Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy’s comments about gay marriage and to show concern for what the future holds for Christian business owners who make public statements about their moral convictions. 
What’s better is to show more concern for the LGBT community. To worry more that an entire contingency of people do not know Christians by their fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Almost none of these could, in general, describe the modern response of Christians to this community. What should bother us most, what should keep us up at night is knowing that there are people who don’t know that Christians love them unconditionally.

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Seminary Dropout 005: Katelyn Beaty

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katelyn Beaty picOn this episode I’m joined with Katelyn Beaty. Katelyn is the managing editor of Christianity Today magazine, and co-founder of Her.meneutics, the Christianity Today site for women.

Amongst other things, we talk about:

  • Her.meneutics- the impetus for the blog and the followers it’s attracted.
  • Katelyn’s role at CT.
  • the This Is Our City project.

The article we discussed about sex trafficking in Portland can be found here, and the article about the Chick-fil-A manager here.

But you should really check out all of Her.meneutics, & This Is Our City.

Follow Katelyn on twitter here.

As always you can leave any comments, questions, or feedback in the comment section.

 

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Move the Chick-fil-A line to the Food Pantry. Don’t Worry it’s Not Another Chick-fil-A Blog Post.

On August 1st droves of people showed up at Chick-fil-A restaurants all over country.    It’s not a huge leap to believe that the vast majority of them would claim to be followers of Jesus, but you know that. This is not another article about that, because God knows the world doesn’t need another Chick-fil-A blog post, especially when it was said best here, and here.

I bring it up because, for better or worse (I tend to think for worse), Christians were mobilized, and in a way that is exciting.

This mobilization of Christians is important to note because on Tuesday the news broke about a woman named Angela Prattis in Delaware County in Pennsylvania was told by Chester Township that she was in violation of local zoning ordinances by feeding children of the community, food provided by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, on her own property.

According to a few news stories the township has communicated to Ms. Prattis that she can continue distributing food for the rest of the summer, but if she resumes next summer, when children are once again not receiving meals at school, she will be fined up to $600 for every day that she distributes food. The Township said that she can apply for a variance, however that will cost her $1,000.00, and even then, it doesn’t appear that she will be guaranteed that a variance will be approved.

So let’s take a step back and look at this situation. Here is a woman answering the call/command of Jesus to care for the poor, and a local government has said no. Many people  I talked to who were supportive of Chick-fil-A felt that they were speaking out for the CEO’s first amendment right to free speech, but this issue in Chester Township is a violation of a person’s call to follow Jesus. Standing up for free speech is a worthy thing to stand up for, but we have an even greater allegiance to Christ.

Christians should see the prohibition of the right to care for the poor as unacceptable.

That doesn’t mean that we burn down city hall, send hate mail, or even post snippy remarks on Facebook. We should go through proper channels whenever possible, and heed the Apostle Paul’s words to “as far as it depends on [us], be at peace with all people.”

For this reason, I was happy to read in one report about Ms. Prattis, that donations for the variance fee were pouring in after the story broke. But if the variance isn’t approved and if this isn’t resolved by next summer, then the call of Jesus still must be answered, and Ms. Prattis shouldn’t be there alone.

The line at the Chick-fil-A on August 1st should gather again at the house of Ms. Prattis next summer and join her in a holy act of civil disobedience.

-Shane