Posted on 09/21/2012 5:24:07 AM PDT by fwdude
In response to media reports that Chick-fil-A has agreed to stop making charitable donations to groups like Focus on the Family, the company today released a statement to set the record straight.
Contrary to reports first made by the gay-activist group The Civil Rights Agenda (TCRA) on Tuesday and later picked up by mainstream media outlets, Chick-fil-A and its charitable-giving arm, the WinShape Foundation, did not agree to stop making donations to groups that support the biblical definition of marriage in exchange for being allowed to open a franchise in Chicago.
“For many months now, Chick-fil-A’s corporate giving has been mischaracterized,” executives said in today’s statement. “And while our sincere intent has been to remain out of this political and social debate, events from Chicago this week have once again resulted in questions around our giving. For that reason, we want to provide some context and clarity around who we are, what we believe and our priorities in relation to corporate giving.
“A part of our corporate commitment is to be responsible stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. Because of this commitment, Chick-fil-A’s giving heritage is focused on programs that educate youth, strengthen families and enrich marriages, and support communities. We will continue to focus our giving in those areas. Our intent is not to support political or social agendas.
“As we have stated, the Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect — regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender. We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 restaurants run by independent Owner/Operators.”
According to a TCRA press release issued Tuesday, “In meetings the company executives clarified that they will no longer give to anti-gay organizations.”
That was the stipulation gay activists, led by Chicago Alderman Joe Moreno, made earlier this summer, after Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy said in interviews that he and his family are “guilty as charged” of holding biblical views on marriage. Moreno vowed to block the construction of the franchise unless the company changed its beliefs and stopped supporting “hate groups.” Moreno relented to the construction this week, spinning Chick-fil-A’s statement as a victory for his side — despite the fact that it was made before he denied the permit.
Moreover, many news agencies reported that Chick-fil-A had specifically agreed not to give money to Focus on the Family or the National Organization for Marriage (NOM). NOM said Wednesday it has never received money from the foundation. Focus on the Family has.
Some people were quick to criticize the 66-year-old chicken chain for “caving” to political pressure. Focus on the Family President Jim Daly said that’s not what happened.
“Dan and Bubba Cathy are my Christian brothers and good friends. They and their company have long shared Focus on the Family’s commitment to helping build strong and thriving families — and they have in no way deviated from that deeply held and biblically inspired passion while working with the city of Chicago to open Chick-fil-A restaurants there,” Daly said.
“I feel bad the Cathys are having once again to endure media accounts mischaracterizing their values and charitable efforts — and, unfortunately, I know how they feel. Focus on the Family has for 35 years been dedicated to saving and strengthening marriages, helping couples raise happy, resilient kids and encouraging and empowering men and women to advocate for God’s truth with Christ’s heart. And still, in stories like some of those about Chick-fil-A’s efforts to expand in Chicago, we are described as being ‘hateful’ toward certain groups of people.
“How is an organization that helps save one marriage every six minutes and helps parents navigate through a crisis involving their children every 90 seconds deemed ‘anti’ anything but ‘anti-family breakdown’?” he concluded. “That’s a question we would hope the media begins to ask with more regularity of those who disagree with us and with Chick-fil-A for bringing our Christian values to bear on the work we do in the public square.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION Read Chick-fil-A’s statement of corporate identity and values.
lying leftist media, I think they ought to be ashamed but they have no shame
As I said in the link, those bright, homosexual admen, Kirk and Pill (who wrote the famous gay brainwashing tract, "After the Ball") pointed out that homosexuals make some of the best liars and conmen in the world. One should not necessarily take their pronoucements at face value.
I assumed the libs were lying at first. They twist words and lie. Maybe I haven’t had enough coffee, but this article confused me nonetheless with the timeline.
I’m with you that the outrage was premature as CFA had not released an official statement. The article’s characterization of the Huff’nPuff Post as “mainstream” just makes me gag, though.
‘Our intent is not to support political or social agendas.”
News Flash!
“educate youth, strengthen families and enrich marriages, and support communities”
These ARE “POLITICAL AGENDAS”!
That was all I wanted to know. Did they cave to the queers yes or no. If they did, I was through with them, If they did not, I would still support them.
Just doing the bidding of their father. When he lies, he speaks his native language.
Usually, I’m not one to say I told you so, even if I did, but this time I am happy to say it.
Just like the left saying “you can’t legislate morality”.
Bullsqueeze. Laws inherently legislate morality. What the left means is “you can’t legislate YOUR morality, but we can legislate ours”.
Read that again:
media reports that Chick-fil-A has agreed to stop making charitable donations to groups like Focus on the Family
That's all The Sheep heard.
This is a "when-did-you-stop-beating-your-wife" line of attack. Try to prove a negative, we dare you.
Mission accomplished, damage done.
As I said, I’m still watching the situation. That Cathy would meet with activist sodomites was bad enough, though.
This appears to be saying that WinShape will give to marriage and family programs to support marriages and to support families.
He suggests they have never given for political purposes but always to support strengthening marriage and family. They will continue to support marriage and family, and the will continue not to get involved in political advocacy through WinShape.
I can buy that.
I can also suppose that in their private giving that the Cathy’s support a who range of groups, candidates, etc.
This appears to be saying that WinShape will give to marriage and family programs to support marriages and to support families.
He suggests they have never given for political purposes but always to support strengthening marriage and family. They will continue to support marriage and family, and the will continue not to get involved in political advocacy through WinShape.
I can buy that.
I can also suppose that in their private giving that the Cathy’s support a whole range of groups, candidates, etc.
those look a wee bit more like social agendas to me. The problem is that the left makes everything personal into a political issue - we shouldn’t follow suit (get the government off my back!).
ONLY when politicians attempt to force their ideological interpretations of them by legislation, regulation or the barrel of a gun.
It's Chicago....
This was exactly what I was saying on another thread yesterday...
These sleazeballs tried to characterize their backing down as a win and to damage Chick-fil-a's reputation nationwide...That's the Chicago way to turn a loss into a win. Chicago is full of scumbags like this guy.
BTW, the mass media turds will not be correcting the record on this unless they're forced to.
To the sodomite Left, marriage and family programs to support marriages and to support families IS "hate" and "bigotry." This is what they've been saying all this time, that traditional marriage is "hate" and "bigotry."
Indescribably evil reprobates.
You mean the left and its lap dog media lied and distorted what CFA said - I am shocked I tell you.
Now will hysterical conservatives, please stop complaining CFA caved and listed to what they (CFA) are saying not the media.
I agree, the term “mainstream” gives then an undeserved credence, I will try to refer to them henceforth as “THE OLD MEDIA”.
That should burn them more because young progressives hate everything that is “old”.
“THE OLE MEDIA”...”TOM” for short.
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