Bullying American business over gay marriage views

There has been much discussion in the media about bullying in schools, in the workplace and on social media via emails and Twitter. Well guess who is doing much of the bullying - it is not only the maladjusted schoolboy who has grown too big for his boots or the immature schoolgirl venting her insecurities on Facebook - it is homosexual lobbyists, left-wing politicians who aim to restrict freedom of the press, and anti-religious civil libertarians

The most recent target of the homosexual lobbyists was the U.S.-based Chick-fil-A chain of restaurants because this company has donated money to organisations that oppose same-sex marriage. Founded by Georgian entrepreneur Truett Cathy in 1946, the family-owned chicken-sandwich chain employs some 50,000 workers across the country at 1,500 outlets in nearly 40 states, and serves millions of happy customers with typical Southern hospitality.

Chick-fil-A is run by Christians who believe in strong marriages, devoted families, and the highest standards of character for their workers. The restaurant chain's official corporate mission is to "glorify God" and "enrich the lives of everyone we touch." The company's 
community-service initiatives, funded through its WinShape Foundation, support foster-care, scholarship, summer-camp, and marriage-enrichment programs. On Sunday, all Chick-Fil-A
stores close so workers can spend the day at worship and rest.

Over the past month, several pro-homosexual blogs have waged an ugly war against Chick-fil-A because one of its independent outlets in Pennsylvania donated some sandwiches and brownies to a marriage seminar run by the Pennsylvania Family Institute, which happens to oppose same-sex marriage.

Homosexual activists sneered at the company's main product as "Jesus Chicken," derided 
its no-Sunday-work policy, and attacked its operators as "anti-gay." Petition drives on websites are demanding the company change and disavow their standards. Facebook users dutifully organised witch hunts against the company on college campuses.

The activists objective is not merely to win support for same-sex marriage but to marginalise Christian philanthropy and activism by airing vitriolic accusations of
"homophobia" against anyone who on biblical principles opposes same-sex marriage.
To date the homosexual campaign against Chick-fil-A has backfired because Christians and 
supporters of free speech have rallied to support the restaurant chain and there have been long queues of customers - business is up!

Meanwhile Mass Resistance, a Massachusetts-based pro-family group formed in 2006 as a consolidation of the Parents' Rights Coalition and the Article 8 Alliance, has released an updated version of its booklet: "What same-sex 'marriage' has done to Massachusetts". 

The booklet points out that the implication of same-sex marriage is not just allowing someone to marry the person he/she loves regardless of gender and is a warning to other states and countries: Children in public schools are subjected to homosexual propaganda. In 2007 a federal judge ruled that because of gay marriage in Massachusetts, schools have an obligation to present homosexuality as normal, even in elementary school, and parents
have no right to opt out or even be informed of what their children are being taught. 

A book, which uses stories and pictures to portray homosexual relationships to young children as completely normal was given to kindergarteners in Lexington, Massachusetts. When parents objected, the school overruled them and a federal judge agreed, citing the recognition of gay marriage in the state.

Businesses can no longer operate according to their religious principles - the situation of companies like Chick-fil-A would be even more dire, and supporters of traditional values may not be able to rally around and help companies like Chick-fil-A customers did.

In Massachusetts draconian government tribunals punish those who disagree with same-sex marriage.

Then there are the radical changes to employment and family law. Tax dollars fund even more gay programs. Doctors in hospitals are threatened with firing if they raise medical concerns about homosexual behavior. There is an escalation to transgender rights with men who have not had surgery or hormonal treatment but claim they are really women demanding to use women's rest rooms.

"Hate crime" laws proliferate and Christian adoption agencies that will not place children with homosexual couples have to close. The list goes on of cultural, social and political infringements on liberty, free speech and religious rights. Don't imagine it ends at the altar of same-sex marriage.

The entire Chic-fil-A controversy erupted over efforts by two noted leftists to impose their belief system on America through the intimidation of Dan Cathy, owner of the restaurant chain. Reacting angrily to Cathy’s assertion that the Bible defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel have attempted to implement a “Christianity Verboten”
policy, vowing to prevent Chic-fil-A franchises from opening in their cities. In essence, these tolerant leftists are suppressing business activity by anyone who does not conform to their countercultural belief system.

As the political and media firestorm has unfolded, other renowned leftists joined in. Washington D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray referred to the restaurant’s fare as “hate chicken.” In 
California and Missouri, Chic-fil-A buildings were vandalised, and in Tucson Arizona, a drive-thru worker was harassed and bullied by a protestor. Throughout all of the controversy, any criticism of the progressives venom and bile has been tepid and thoroughly overwhelmed by sanctimonious assertions that the Cathy’s restaurant chain deserves all of the abuse it receives.

The left will undoubtedly continue to assert itself as the sole moral arbiter of the nation. But as time goes on, that claim appears increasingly absurd. Here's another example: Lost Cajun Kitchen is a small, mom-and-pop restaurant located in Pennsylvania. The restaurant made news, because it offered a discount on Sundays to anyone bringing in a church bulletin. John Wolff, who is an atheist, filed the complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission against Prudhomme's Lost Cajun Kitchen in 
Columbia. Wolff said the practice discriminates against him because he does not attend church.

"I did this not out of spite, but out of a feeling against the prevailing self-righteousness that 
stems from religion, particularly in Lancaster County," said Wolff, a retired electrical engineer.

Sharon Prudhomme, one of the co-owners of the restaurant, said she is not discriminating 
because diners don't have to actually attend a church or synagogue service to get a bulletin.
She said area religious leaders told her that anyone can walk in a religious building and obtain a bulletin, without attending services. Prudhomme added that she has no intention of changing the discount program, which she created to bring more traffic into her restaurant on a traditionally slow day.

So what happened next? Just like with Chick-fil-A, the attention has resulted in big business for the restaurant. As reported in The Christian Post, "Owner Sharon Prudhomme explained that business has been up and support has poured in from all over the country and even the world.” “It has definitely picked up," said Prudhomme to the York Daily Record, adding that
"everybody that comes in offers a lot of handshakes, hugs. Everybody is offering a lot of
support."

John Wolff says he has no animosity toward the owners of the restaurant. So why has he taken legal action against it? No one is being discriminated against and no one is showing intolerance in this situation except for Wolff. The local newspaper hit the nail on the head with their op-ed about Wolff by writing, "It seems, like so many atheist complaints are designed more to draw attention to oneself than to right a serious constitutional wrong."

So churchgoers can come on a Sunday and get a 10 per cent discount on their crawfish if they hand over a church bulletin. Big deal. Restaurants offer all sorts of discounts based on debatable criteria - to senior citizens, to youth sports teams, to people who buy the newspaper and clip out the coupons.

Labeling anyone who supports traditional marriage a "homophobe" or "bigot" is bullying.

The "Marriage Equality" catch cry of homosexual activists is a misnomer  - homosexual unions are NOT equal to heterosexual unions because they cannot produce children. A third 
party was involved in producing the baby seen in those happy photos of homosexual 
couples with "their" child. And that child is deprived of the right to be raised by one of its biological parents, and often even to know who that parent is. Marriage precedes the development of nation states and it was instituted to provide the optimal environment for raising the next generation. Nations tamper with marriage at their peril.