How Chick-fil-A Became Ground Zero for Culture War

What’s the Real Issue?

Two days later, “National Same-Sex Kiss Day” was held as a direct opposition to the Aug. 1 Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.

As the name clearly states, it’s to promote the gay agenda with a protest whose turnout is comparatively miniscule compared with those supporting traditional marriage, regardless of the news coverage.

But while many in the social network hemisphere have turned this into a simple battle between traditional and gay marriage, others invested their hard-earned $6 on a chicken combo meal to voice other concerns.

Take John, a Lincoln County resident (just northwest of Charlotte), who summed up his activism in two words.

“Free speech,” the 53-year-old said.

A small business owner in the Lake Norman area, John is more than a little concerned about the direction of our country, when expressing your personal opinion generates this much attack.

He’s terrified.

“I support Dan Cathy and I voted against the Marriage Amendment Act,” said John, as he waited patiently for his combo meal. “It’s about government intrusion. You’re going to lose more of your freedoms. Plain and simple. Cut and dried.”

Wiltsie, meanwhile, is letting his waffles frie get cold. He’s got plenty to say on the matter and while he strongly believes in the biblical definition of marriage, he sees this culture war as something even bigger.

To this heating/cooling mechanic, the morality of our country is hanging in the balance. It’s been degraded so fast, many Americans don’t even recognize it when you point it out.

“I don’t think it’s so much the marriage issue,” Wiltsie said. “There’s people who want to stand up against Christians and against the Bible and this is the way they can do it.”

Exhibit A, as Wiltsie pointed out, was the music playing overhead that day, if you could hear it above all the commotion.

Earlier in the year, Chick-fil-A was pressured to remove contemporary Christian music from their stores, replacing it with instrumental tracts. They had received complaints about non-Christians feeling unwelcomed when they heard the name of Jesus in the lyrics of songs.

This, from a company that has given up millions over the years by being closed on Sundays to support any of their workers who want to attend a worship service. Chick-fil-A even kept their doors locked on Sundays during the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, costing untold profits.

“You can go to (other restaurants) and you can hear cussing in songs or music that promotes immoral values,” Wiltsie said. “But you come to Chick-fil-A and it’s instrumental because people don’t like hearing the name of Jesus Christ.

“Is that what our society has come to?”

Wiltsie, too fired up now to even think about which dipping sauce to use for his strips, makes a strong case.

So much of this argument has been rooted in what people have blanketed as Dan Cathy’s “intolerance,” how he’s serving “hate chicken” at his restaurant, dipped in more hate.

And then you experience Chick-fil-A for yourself and are treated with more love and respect than you get at any other fast-food chain and you wonder where all that “hate chicken” is being stored.

“It’s Christian values that are being bombarded,” Wiltsie said. “It seems they are giving more freedom of speech to those against moral values than those who are for moral values.”

Maybe it’s best to let the Scriptures have the last word on this one. What does the Bible say about standing up for what is right? Regardless of societal pressures or social chicken sandwich wars that may cloud the issue?

This verse from Romans 12:2 gets right to the point: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Click here to read the original story at BillyGraham.org.