Don’t Be Chikin: Give to the Salvation Army

 

Don't be Chikin Fill Red KettleIt took less than a generation for the corporate leadership of Chick-fil-A to turn on and spit in the face of its founder, S. Truett Cathy. The fast-food restaurant chain has thrived on the wallets of Bible-believing Christians who responded to the secular supremacist left’s boycott with a buycott that crushed and exposed the real economic weakness of the radical left. Now, however, the non-Truett family president and COO has attacked the core customer base to score social credit with his business elite peers, funding luxury beliefs at the direct expense of the least, the last, the poorest among us. Every Bible-believing Christian, and everyone of goodwill, should respond with a new kind of buycott. Starting this Friday, and running until Christmas Day, the Nativity of Christ, don’t be chikin, give to the Salvation Army.

John Hinderaker, of PowerLine, explains Chick-fil-A’s cave to the Christian-hating left:

The Salvation Army is probably the purest force for good in the U.S. The idea that it is “anti-LGBT” is false; the Army serves all comers. Of course, as a Christian organization, it does not subscribe to the radical LGBT agenda. But so what? Is kowtowing to demands of the most extreme elements of a tiny minority now a prerequisite for being allowed to do business?

[…]

It’s too bad: it isn’t as though the dimwitted left-wing Chick-fil-A boycotts hurt sales. On the contrary, Chick-fil-A is America’s fastest-growing restaurant chain. So the company’s caving in to the far Left wasn’t, apparently, an economic decision. Maybe it is another instance of corporate executives caring more about their standing within their peer group than about the well-being of the organization they lead, a phenomenon that Glenn Reynolds has described many times.

The economic and cultural elite, now infesting Chick-fil-A, are directly harming the poorest, the truly vulnerable, in America. They are going directly after every church and biblically faithful organization, whether for-profit or non-profit. Now the real bigots have Chick-fil-A’s leadership on their side, pronouncing the Salvation Army a hate group to be cut off until it grovels and denounces the true Gospel. Rob Henderson explains the underlying phenomenon of luxury beliefs at Quillette [emphasis added]:

I was bewildered when I encountered a new social class at Yale four years ago: the luxury belief class. My confusion wasn’t surprising given my unusual background. When I was two years old, my mother was addicted to drugs and my father abandoned us. I grew up in multiple foster homes, was then adopted into a series of broken homes, and then experienced a series of family tragedies. Later, after a few years in the military, I went to Yale on the GI Bill. On campus, I realized that luxury beliefs have become fashionable status symbols. Luxury beliefs are ideas and opinions that confer status on the rich at very little cost, while taking a toll on the lower class.

Mind you, this is not a tiny sexual minority somehow wagging the culture. No. This is Hugh Hefner’s “psycho-social” sexual revolution finally fully weaponized, with “sexual minorities” as the excuse for corporate boards, government agencies, and black-robed tyrants to not only silence but compel renunciation and denunciation of the God they hate, the Word that confronts and judges all human appetites. “Hypocrite” was thrown for centuries but had no legal power. “Hater, bigot” does have enormous potential power under state and federal law. “If it feels good, do it” leads to “this will make you feel good; buy it.” So it is that our economic and cultural elites have found common cause in the anticipated final assault on the First Amendment.

The Salvation Army is squarely in the economic and cultural elites’ crosshairs because of what the Salvation Army dares to proclaim:

The Salvation Army Mission Statement

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

We all know how this works now: “Chick-fil-A To Stop Donations To Charities With Anti-LGBT Views.”

In an interview with Bisnow, Chick-fil-A President and Chief Operating Officer Tim Tassopoulos announced that the famous fried chicken chain plans to make significant changes in which charities it donates to, in part because “as we go into new markets, we need to be clear about who we are.” Amid continued boycotts of the highly popular and successful chain over its donations to supposed “anti-LGBT” groups and causes, Tassopoulos revealed that the company’s foundation will no longer donate to some high-profile Christian organizations.

So, Chick-fil-a COO Tim Tassopoulos, nominally an Orthodox Christian, stepped up to the front of the kitchen, made sure the customers were looking, loudly cleared his throat and spat on your sandwich, then he spat again on the grave of S. Truett Cathy, a “bigot” supported by “anti-LGBT” bigots. Tassopoulos smiled, set the top of the bun firmly on the sandwich and called out “order up” with a big smile. Are you going to eat it and tell everyone the special sauce made the sandwich better?

There is a direction to history, and the real haters lose. Even in the shorter run, there is no inevitability to political or social trends. Just as Mike Huckabee sparked the last defeat of the radical sexual fascist left, so he or others should immediately drive a new buycott. The Orthodox Church begins the Advent fast (not feast, but fast), this Friday, 22 November 2019. The Advent fast is broken on Christmas day.

Orthodox fasts are not starvation fasts but periods of self-discipline in which most flavorful, fancy foods are set aside for a very plain fare. Sounds familiar? Tasty chicken sandwiches? Not only not kosher, also not orthodox for fasts.

Here is what all of us should do, starting Friday and perhaps ending on Christmas Day: refrain from Chick-fil-a and donate on our smartphones, tablets, or computers to the Red Kettle Campaign. For each trip you usually plan to Chick-fil-A, give those dollars instead to the Salvation Army. That might be weekly or as much as daily, depending on your habit. If your car’s steering develops a problem near Chick-fil-A, just stop in the parking lot and make the donation before safely driving away. Please don’t demonstrate in the drive-through lane. The harm intended by current Chick-fil-A leadership, which can and should be changed, will be completely thwarted and turned to real good for the poorest among us. Plus, you’ll save a bunch of calories and maybe a belt-notch or so before Christmas or New Year feasting.

#DontBeChickin #FillRedKettles

If you need some help with cravings, engage others in competing “copycat Chick-fil-A recipes.”

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  1. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    The Salvation Army is the best charity going, bar none.  This from an agnostic.

    • #1
  2. dnewlander Inactive
    dnewlander
    @dnewlander

    The largest food bank in town here won’t distribute food to any organization that chooses to pray over the food before sharing it with the needy.

    As a result, I’ve never given them any food, despite the amount we’ve donated directly to churches and the needy over the years.

    Why do these people insist on disrespecting believers?

    • #2
  3. Jon1979 Inactive
    Jon1979
    @Jon1979

    The main point here is if Chick-fil-A wanted to stop giving to the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, they simply could have quietly Xed them out of the Fiscal 2020 line-items for charitable donations. It would have come out eventually, but the media coverage would have been smaller.

    By going to the media to specifically single those groups out, Tassopolous wanted to make sure the groups that opposed Chick-fil-A, the other media outlets, and the left-leaning municipalities in the U.S. and elsewhere who have tried to side with those groups knew that the company was making the change. What they’re about to learn, if they haven’t alrady from GLAAD’s negative response, is Monday’s capitulation is going to generate zero goodwill for the company without further capitulations, and each one threatens to further erode the goodwill the company had gained among Christians in the U.S. that led to the situation where per-store sales for Chick-fil-A ran 50 to 70 percent above other fast food chain restaurants.

    The COO’s bet here is they can make far more money in the future by expanding their brand to new locations where being a conservative Christian is framed as a net negative, and even a deal-breaker, as was the case with Chick-fil-A’s London store. But if you’re a U.S. franchise owner, you’re probably peeking out the store window to see if the drive-thru still has cars wrapped around the building, and if not, are likely on the phone to the Atlanta headquarters very heatedly asking what Tassopolous thinks he’s doing with their investment.

    • #3
  4. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    Jon1979 (View Comment):

    The main point here is if Chick-fil-A wanted to stop giving to the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, they simply could have quietly Xed them out of the Fiscal 2020 line-items for charitable donations. It would have come out eventually, but the media coverage would have been smaller.

    By going to the media to specifically single those groups out, Tassopolous wanted to make sure the groups that opposed Chick-fil-A, the other media outlets, and the left-leaning municipalities in the U.S. and elsewhere who have tried to side with those groups knew that the company was making the change. What they’re about to learn, if they haven’t alrady from GLAAD’s negative response, is Monday’s capitulation is going to generate zero goodwill for the company without further capitulations, and each one threatens to further erode the goodwill the company had gained among Christians in the U.S. that led to the situation where per-store sales for Chick-fil-A ran 50 to 70 percent above other fast food chain restaurants.

    The COO’s bet here is they can make far more money in the future by expanding their brand to new locations where being a conservative Christian is framed as a net negative, and even a deal-breaker, as was the case with Chick-fil-A’s London store. But if you’re a U.S. franchise owner, you’re probably peeking out the store window to see if the drive-thru still has cars wrapped around the building, and if not, are likely on the phone to the Atlanta headquarters very heatedly asking what Tassopolous thinks he’s doing with their investment.

    Shareholders and franchisees should have teams of lawyers clearing their throats now. Sadly, this is a privately held company, with the eldest son of the founder as CEO. So, Dan Cathy is hiding behind his COO, not a family member, as they collectively spit on his father’s grave, “the old bible-thumping bigot.” Either he resents and now is getting revenge on his father or he is terrified and not half the man his father was.

    • #4
  5. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    The Salvation Army is the best charity going, bar none. This from an agnostic.

    It is here on Cape Cod as well.

    Thirty years ago, we had a growing cold and hungry homeless population in downtown Hyannis. A young woman read about the problem and decided to start up a soup kitchen. The three Christian churches on Main Street said she could not open it from their church basement for one reason or another, although they did pledge to give the effort funding, a promise they kept. One church elder said no because the woman didn’t have a college degree. We all laughed at that later.

    At any rate, the woman went to the Salvation Army church on a street parallel to Main Street, sort of the backyard of the mainstream Christian churches–one Catholic, and it was the church my husband, children, and I attended, I’m embarrassed to say; one Baptist where my mother attended church; and one nondenominational  Federated Church up the street.

    I don’t want to paint too negative a picture here. These three churches, through the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the local Council of Churches, have all held out a lifeline to the homeless in Hyannis. They’ve made a tremendous effort over the years and have actually moved several mountains of faith to build a homeless shelter inside the Salvation Army church itself and a second shelter for families next door to it. The churches are all friends, and they work really well together, along with the Cape Cod Times Needy Fund, whose headquarters are across the street from the Federated Church. :-)

    But this particular homelessness crisis in Hyannis caught everyone off guard, for reasons I forget. The only church that stepped up right away was the Salvation Army. I used to work in the soup kitchen a couple of mornings a week. I love, respect, and admire the attitude of the Salvation Army and the people that make up their church. It was a privilege to work with them in the soup kitchen. So please do give generously whenever you can. They are a wonderful charity. And they operate completely on their faith in the goodness of the community. Our refrigerator broke down at one point, and we lost all of the donated meat in it. The Salvation Army reached out to people they knew in the restaurant community, and when we returned in the morning, the freezer was full again. Whenever the going gets rough, they simply pray and work harder.

    • #5
  6. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    MarciN (View Comment):

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    The Salvation Army is the best charity going, bar none. This from an agnostic.

    It is here on Cape Cod as well.

    Thirty years ago, we had a growing cold and hungry homeless population in downtown Hyannis. A young woman read about the problem and decided to start up a soup kitchen. The three Christian churches on Main Street said she could not open it from their church basement for one reason or another, although they did pledge to give the effort funding, a promise they kept. One church elder said no because the woman didn’t have a college degree. We all laughed at that later.

    At any rate, the woman went to the Salvation Army church on a street parallel to Main Street, sort of the backyard of the mainstream Christian churches–one Catholic, and it was the church my husband, children, and I attended, I’m embarrassed to say; one Baptist where my mother attended church; and one nondenominational Federated Church up the street.

    I don’t want to paint too negative a picture here. These three churches, through the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the local Council of Churches, have all held out a lifeline to the homeless in Hyannis. They’ve made a tremendous effort over the years and have actually moved several mountains of faith to build a homeless shelter inside the Salvation Army church itself and a second shelter for families next door to it. The churches are all friends, and they work really well together, along with the Cape Cod Times Needy Fund, whose headquarters are across the street from the Federated Church. :-)

    But this particular homelessness crisis in Hyannis caught everyone off guard, for reasons I forget. The only church that stepped up right away was the Salvation Army. I used to work in the soup kitchen a couple of mornings a week. I love, respect, and admire the attitude of the Salvation Army and the people that make up their church. It was a privilege to work with them in the soup kitchen. So please do give generously whenever you can. They are a wonderful charity. And they operate completely on faith in the goodness of the community. Our refrigerator broke down at one point and we lost all of the donated meat in it. The woman who ran the kitchen simply wept. The Salvation Army reached out to people they knew in the restaurant community, and when we returned in the morning, the freezer was full again. Whenever the going gets rough, they simply pray.

    I volunteered with them after 9/11; they were the only ones taking volunteers.  I got a chance to see how they turn one dollar of donation into $100 of result.  Te first thing they do is set up phones,so they can reach out to local businesses for donations of goods and services.  Then they use volunteer efforts organized by a few of their actual employees.  They ran that whole effort for months on what couldn’t have been more than a few thousand in salaries and phone bills.

    • #6
  7. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    Judge Mental (View Comment):
    I volunteered with them after 9/11; they were the only ones taking volunteers. I got a chance to see how they turn one dollar of donation into $100 of result. Te first thing they do is set up phones,so they can reach out to local businesses for donations of goods and services. Then they use volunteer efforts organized by a few of their actual employees. They ran that whole effort for months on what couldn’t have been more than a few thousand in salaries and phone bills.

    At the risk of sounding corny, I always felt that they were walking with God. I was deeply moved by their hard work and strong faith. :-) 

    • #7
  8. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    MarciN (View Comment):

    Judge Mental (View Comment):
    I volunteered with them after 9/11; they were the only ones taking volunteers. I got a chance to see how they turn one dollar of donation into $100 of result. Te first thing they do is set up phones,so they can reach out to local businesses for donations of goods and services. Then they use volunteer efforts organized by a few of their actual employees. They ran that whole effort for months on what couldn’t have been more than a few thousand in salaries and phone bills.

    At the risk of sounding corny, I always felt that they were walking with God. I was deeply moved by their hard work and strong faith. :-)

    I found out at the time that the guy in charge of all U.S. operations (a major) earned $45k/year.  This was about the same time as the scandals at other charities where CEOs were spending a million dollars on their office re-decorations.

    • #8
  9. DonG (skeptic) Coolidge
    DonG (skeptic)
    @DonG

    If you want to take it to the next level, be a bell ringer:   https://www.registertoring.com

    • #9
  10. Django Member
    Django
    @Django

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    The Salvation Army is the best charity going, bar none. This from an agnostic.

    They are the only charity I donate to anymore. I don’t think of Fisher House as a charity when I write a check to them 

    • #10
  11. Jon1979 Inactive
    Jon1979
    @Jon1979

    DonG (skeptic) (View Comment):

    If you want to take it to the next level, be a bell ringer: https://www.registertoring.com

    Brings up an interesting question — Target got oodles of bad publicity 15 years ago, when they kicked the Salvation Army out from locations at their stores. Given Chick-fil-A is trying to show people on the left they’re not fanatical Christers, what would corporate do, or what would they want their store owners to do, if the Salvation Army bell ringers were set up outside their stores? Or if a franchise owner did allow bell ringers on property, would they get a nasty cease-and-desist note from Atlanta telling them it’s now company policy not to associate in any fashion with the Salvation Army?

     

     

    • #11
  12. James Lileks Contributor
    James Lileks
    @jameslileks

    Has this been noted?

    Ellie Goulding threatens to cancel her Cowboys Thanksgiving halftime show over Salvation Army concerns

    Goulding made the announcement after fans took to her Instagram to accuse the Salvation Army of trans and homophobia — and condemn her for supporting the organization.

    The comments prompted Goulding to respond with a comment of her own:

    “Upon researching this, I have reached out to The Salvation Army and said that I would have no choice but to pull out unless they very quickly make a solid, committed pledge or donation to the LGBTQ community,” she wrote. “I am a committed philanthropist as you probably know, and my heart has always been in helping the homeless, but supporting an anti-LGBTQ charity is clearly not something I would ever intentionally do. Thank you for drawing my attention to this.”

    An Instagram post Goulding made Tuesday morning, showing her visiting a Salvation Army center in New York, was what sparked the backlash.

    Yes, she was certainly lit up on Instagram, horror of horrors, and that surely made the Salvation Army look hard in the mirror and question what sort of dark hateful ichor flowed through their veins.

    Or not. Apparently the singer was informed that the organization does not withhold charity based on sexual identity, and deigned to go on with the show without her previous requirement that the Salvation Army cough up some money to the Community. 

    The red kettles are starting to show up around local grocery stores. These days they seem . . . transgressive, and you wonder how long this will go on.

    • #12
  13. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    The red kettles are starting to show up around local grocery stores. These days they seem . . . transgressive, and you wonder how long this will go on.

    Transgressive is the next stage after transphobia.

    • #13
  14. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Has this been noted?

    Ellie Goulding threatens to cancel her Cowboys Thanksgiving halftime show over Salvation Army concerns

    Goulding made the announcement after fans took to her Instagram to accuse the Salvation Army of trans and homophobia — and condemn her for supporting the organization.

    The comments prompted Goulding to respond with a comment of her own:

    “Upon researching this, I have reached out to The Salvation Army and said that I would have no choice but to pull out unless they very quickly make a solid, committed pledge or donation to the LGBTQ community,” she wrote. “I am a committed philanthropist as you probably know, and my heart has always been in helping the homeless, but supporting an anti-LGBTQ charity is clearly not something I would ever intentionally do. Thank you for drawing my attention to this.”

    An Instagram post Goulding made Tuesday morning, showing her visiting a Salvation Army center in New York, was what sparked the backlash.

    Yes, she was certainly lit up on Instagram, horror of horrors, and that surely made the Salvation Army look hard in the mirror and question what sort of dark hateful ichor flowed through their veins.

    Or not. Apparently the singer was informed that the organization does not withhold charity based on sexual identity, and deigned to go on with the show without her previous requirement that the Salvation Army cough up some money to the Community.

    The red kettles are starting to show up around local grocery stores. These days they seem . . . transgressive, and you wonder how long this will go on.

    Target and other stores giving them the cold shoulder drove the on-line Red Kettle Campaign, with web badges available to let you run your own kettle. 

    • #14
  15. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    See also posts by @tennesseepatriotSalvation Army and FCA Will Suffer Thanks to Chick-Fil-A” and @tigerlilyChick-Fil-A Caves.”

    • #15
  16. Jon1979 Inactive
    Jon1979
    @Jon1979

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Has this been noted?

    Ellie Goulding threatens to cancel her Cowboys Thanksgiving halftime show over Salvation Army concerns

    Goulding made the announcement after fans took to her Instagram to accuse the Salvation Army of trans and homophobia — and condemn her for supporting the organization.

    The comments prompted Goulding to respond with a comment of her own:

    “Upon researching this, I have reached out to The Salvation Army and said that I would have no choice but to pull out unless they very quickly make a solid, committed pledge or donation to the LGBTQ community,” she wrote. “I am a committed philanthropist as you probably know, and my heart has always been in helping the homeless, but supporting an anti-LGBTQ charity is clearly not something I would ever intentionally do. Thank you for drawing my attention to this.”

    An Instagram post Goulding made Tuesday morning, showing her visiting a Salvation Army center in New York, was what sparked the backlash.

    Yes, she was certainly lit up on Instagram, horror of horrors, and that surely made the Salvation Army look hard in the mirror and question what sort of dark hateful ichor flowed through their veins.

    Or not. Apparently the singer was informed that the organization does not withhold charity based on sexual identity, and deigned to go on with the show without her previous requirement that the Salvation Army cough up some money to the Community.

    The red kettles are starting to show up around local grocery stores. These days they seem . . . transgressive, and you wonder how long this will go on.

    The Thanksgiving game in Dallas has kicked off the Salvation Army’s Christmas donation efforts for years. Goulding’s attempt to intimidate the Cowboys and the Salvation Army into changing things had its bluff called because she needs the halftime show more than Jerry Jones needs her (and the late Thanksgiving-afternoon halftime performance is the only other one besides the Super Bowl anyone pays attention to. Her handlers probably told her going woke was going to blow her national TV gig, so she relented.)

    • #16
  17. OmegaPaladin Moderator
    OmegaPaladin
    @OmegaPaladin

    I would also recommend writing a letter.   Send it snail mail and be polite and to the point.

    The Salvation Army has a sterling reputation.

    There is no reason for GLAAD to oppose the Salvation Army.  None.  Poor gays and lesbians will be hurt by this decision.

    • #17
  18. Ralphie Inactive
    Ralphie
    @Ralphie

    Judge Mental (View Comment):
    I found out at the time that the guy in charge of all U.S. operations (a major) earned $45k/year. This was about the same time as the scandals at other charities where CEOs were spending a million dollars on their office re-decorations.

    That was one of my first thoughts. SA is one of the few organizations I give to; might have to up the kettle donation.

    I assume the Salvation Army with soldier on, they are not sunshine Christians, at least not so far.

    • #18
  19. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Clifford A. Brown: Rob Henderson explains the underlying phenomenon of luxury beliefs at Quillette [emphasis added]:

    Good article. Thanks for prodding me to get caught up on my Quillette reading.

    And we haven’t given to Salvation Army at Christmastime for a few years now, so it’s time to get back to it.

    • #19
  20. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    I know of no Christian charity which declines to serve someone due to LGBTQ… When you show up at The Marian House soup kitchen downtown, do they survey you on your sexual preferences?? Ridiculous. They serve you a meal! Actually, I think they serve something like 2,000 of them daily.

    This hearkens back to the SSM controversy. the LGBTplusityplusplus aren’t asking for Christian kindness. They already had that! They’re demanding conformity with their non-Christian beliefs and legal/social validation for their sex lives. They’re bullies, straight up (no pun intended). 

    • #20
  21. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    If the Salvation Army is a hate group, then I hope that some day I can be as hateful as they are.

    • #21
  22. 9thDistrictNeighbor Member
    9thDistrictNeighbor
    @9thDistrictNeighbor

    Some Salvation Army areas are offering a “Season Pass” lapel pin for a donation.  The original intent was to assuage guilt for not putting something in the red kettle, but this year it is a wonderful way to show support.   Anyway, the agreements that SA has with some stores to position bell ringers don’t allow them to begin until Thanksgiving.   That cuts in to donations from passersby because the holiday is later this year.

    • #22
  23. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    I know of no Christian charity which declines to serve someone due to LGBTQ… When you show up at The Marian House soup kitchen downtown, do they survey you on your sexual preferences?? Ridiculous

     

    SA doesn’t ask that if you volunteer either.

    • #23
  24. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    I know of no Christian charity which declines to serve someone due to LGBTQ… When you show up at The Marian House soup kitchen downtown, do they survey you on your sexual preferences?? Ridiculous.

     

    SA doesn’t ask that if you volunteer either.

    Yeah, but if you are not actively celebrating the LGBTQ lifestyle, then you are a hater.

    • #24
  25. MichaelKennedy Inactive
    MichaelKennedy
    @MichaelKennedy

    The Reticulator (View Comment):
    Good article. Thanks for prodding me to get caught up on my Quillette reading.

    I have been recommending that piece since I read it. He has amazing insight, probably due to his personal history.

    • #25
  26. Concretevol Thatcher
    Concretevol
    @Concretevol

    Jon1979 (View Comment):

    The main point here is if Chick-fil-A wanted to stop giving to the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, they simply could have quietly Xed them out of the Fiscal 2020 line-items for charitable donations. It would have come out eventually, but the media coverage would have been smaller.

    By going to the media to specifically single those groups out, Tassopolous wanted to make sure the groups that opposed Chick-fil-A, the other media outlets, and the left-leaning municipalities in the U.S. and elsewhere who have tried to side with those groups knew that the company was making the change. What they’re about to learn, if they haven’t alrady from GLAAD’s negative response, is Monday’s capitulation is going to generate zero goodwill for the company without further capitulations, and each one threatens to further erode the goodwill the company had gained among Christians in the U.S. that led to the situation where per-store sales for Chick-fil-A ran 50 to 70 percent above other fast food chain restaurants.

    The COO’s bet here is they can make far more money in the future by expanding their brand to new locations where being a conservative Christian is framed as a net negative, and even a deal-breaker, as was the case with Chick-fil-A’s London store. But if you’re a U.S. franchise owner, you’re probably peeking out the store window to see if the drive-thru still has cars wrapped around the building, and if not, are likely on the phone to the Atlanta headquarters very heatedly asking what Tassopolous thinks he’s doing with their investment.

    I was going to comment but my thoughts were exactly this.  Well said!

    • #26
  27. Joseph Stanko Coolidge
    Joseph Stanko
    @JosephStanko

    dnewlander (View Comment):
    The largest food bank in town here won’t distribute food to any organization that chooses to pray over the food before sharing it with the needy.

    I’d be tempted to pray over some food, then donate it to them and see if they can spot the difference…

    • #27
  28. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    Joseph Stanko (View Comment):

    dnewlander (View Comment):
    The largest food bank in town here won’t distribute food to any organization that chooses to pray over the food before sharing it with the needy.

    I’d be tempted to pray over some food, then donate it to them and see if they can spot the difference…

    Yer such a subversive, Joseph!

    • #28
  29. Full Size Tabby Member
    Full Size Tabby
    @FullSizeTabby

    Vance Richards (View Comment):

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    I know of no Christian charity which declines to serve someone due to LGBTQ… When you show up at The Marian House soup kitchen downtown, do they survey you on your sexual preferences?? Ridiculous.

     

    SA doesn’t ask that if you volunteer either.

    Yeah, but if you are not actively celebrating the LGBTQ lifestyle, then you are a hater.

    That comes through clearly in the Goulding comment that @jameslileks quoted above. 

    • #29
  30. Full Size Tabby Member
    Full Size Tabby
    @FullSizeTabby

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Has this been noted?

    Ellie Goulding threatens to cancel her Cowboys Thanksgiving halftime show over Salvation Army concerns

    Goulding made the announcement after fans took to her Instagram to accuse the Salvation Army of trans and homophobia — and condemn her for supporting the organization.

    The comments prompted Goulding to respond with a comment of her own:

    “Upon researching this, I have reached out to The Salvation Army and said that I would have no choice but to pull out unless they very quickly make a solid, committed pledge or donation to the LGBTQ community,” she wrote. “I am a committed philanthropist as you probably know, and my heart has always been in helping the homeless, but supporting an anti-LGBTQ charity is clearly not something I would ever intentionally do. Thank you for drawing my attention to this.”

    An Instagram post Goulding made Tuesday morning, showing her visiting a Salvation Army center in New York, was what sparked the backlash.

    Yes, she was certainly lit up on Instagram, horror of horrors, and that surely made the Salvation Army look hard in the mirror and question what sort of dark hateful ichor flowed through their veins.

    Or not. Apparently the singer was informed that the organization does not withhold charity based on sexual identity, and deigned to go on with the show without her previous requirement that the Salvation Army cough up some money to the Community.

    The red kettles are starting to show up around local grocery stores. These days they seem . . . transgressive, and you wonder how long this will go on.

    I notice that in her mind, unless you make a pledge to promote LGBTQ, you are “trans and homophobic.” No just letting people be people. if you are promoting the cause, you are a hater. 

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