Has Chick-fil-A Gone ‘Woke’ Like Some Claim?

Chick-fil-A has built a dominant brand at the peak of the fast-food industry based on good food, great service and in the minds of Christians throughout the country, its adherence to biblical principles.

Now there are accusations that the makers of “God’s chicken” have abandoned those values and instead bowed down to cultural pressure. The recent flurry of criticism is based on a statement made by Chick-fil-A, viewable on its website, that promotes the company’s purpose as “Committed to being Better at Together,” and has sent some conservatives into an uproar.

The statement begins by saying:

“Chick-fil-A’s Corporate Purpose is ‘To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A.'”

Sounds like that has been their motto for some time now, and nothing new there. First and foremost, before all other things, their goal is to glorify God.

The statement continues:

“Our founder, Truett Cathy, believed that ‘a great company is a caring company,’ and since the beginning, care has been at the center of everything we do. We understand that the path toward Better at Together looks different for every business. At Chick-fil-A, Inc., our commitment is to approach this work with intention and humility, always believing the best in one another and striving for common ground. We’re early on in our journey, but we’re honored by the opportunity to steward our organization’s greatest asset—our people—and are energized by the road ahead.”

Caring for people, having sympathy, respect and love for one another, is straight from the Bible.

Jesus cared about people, not the religiosity that had infected the Jewish leaders of His time.

Chick-fil-A, like every major company in the United States, does have a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion VP, Erick McReynolds. McReynolds assumed the role back in 2021 however, and nothing has changed with the company. He has also been with the company for over 16 years according to his LinkedIn profile, and is well aware of what the company stands for.

McReynolds also posted a statement on the company’s website:

“Chick-fil-A restaurants have long been recognized as a place where people know they will be treated well. Modeling care for others starts in the restaurant, and we are committed to ensuring mutual respect, understanding and dignity everywhere we do business. These tenets are good business practice and crucial to fulfilling our Corporate Purpose.”

The ‘woke’ movement may be trying to co-opt words like “respect” and “dignity” but the Christian church has been living that for a long time now.

To “love one another” is a commandment from Jesus Christ, and the early church was founded on living in spiritual unity with one another. These are not tenets of ‘wokeness’ which divides, accuses and tears down anything that is in the way of the ideology.

There are three areas of “focus” that Chick-fil-A lists on its DEI page, and they are notably different from what a customer will find with other major corporations.

The areas are: ensuring equal (not equitable) access; valuing differences; and creating a culture of belonging.

America has always fought for equality, including a Civil War, so that others may be free, but equality is not the same as being equitable. Equality allows for everyone to start at the same spot, and through hard work and perseverance, the cream will rise to the top, not be stifled and hindered because the outcome is not equitable.

Jesus’ disciples had to learn to lean on and value one another. There are instances of conflict in the Bible, take Paul and John Mark, Paul and Peter or even all of the disciples arguing who was the greatest among them. Valuing one another and the unique perspective each person brings to the table is not ‘woke,’ it is called team-building and is one of the many reasons Chick-fil-A is successful today.

Creating a culture of belonging has, and continues to be, a problem for the church today. Being kind is not ‘woke,’ having understanding while someone makes errors in the learning process is not ‘woke,’ and creating a workplace culture that allows people to grow and thrive and progress is one of the most capitalist things a company can do!

Are there keywords that have been used in the statements Chick-fil-A has put out that triggered the ‘outrage posse’ on social media? Sure. But if people would take the time to sit down and read what they are saying exactly, it is far from the DEI initiatives that have corrupted the American university system and caused corporations to target children with gender ideology and LGBTQ products.

America cannot afford to allow the ‘woke’ movement to co-opt words such as kindness, respect or dignity, for if they do, these qualities will disappear from society and become mere dogwhistles for the radical left.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.