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Thursday, August 2, 2012

"Eat Mor Chikin!"

I have never before encountered so many smiles and "God bless yous" in all my life. A steady stream of people from every walk of life flocked to Chick-fil-A yesterday, early morning until well after dark. Families proudly drove up and marched to their spot in line, never hesitating at the prospect of a three-hour wait. Couples arrived on foot, weaving through the gathered people and cars. Determined marines rode up on bikes, eager to support their local Chick-fil-A. (We live in a military town, and we are proud of the fact.) Police directed traffic and even blocked off a section of the main road to allow passage for the gathering cars.
Across town in the other Chick-fil-A, a thoughtful pastor bought lunch for everyone in line with him. Near Charlotte, where my sister lives, a local park hosted a father/son camp out over the weekend and ordered Chick-fil-A catering for the Friday night supper and for Saturday morning breakfast. Chick-fil-A's profits were estimated to have risen 150-200%. What a country we live in!
Not only is this a matter of upholding Christian values and even basic morality, but it is a matter of preserving our right to the freedom of speech. Since when does the word tolerate mean "to accept and/or promote"?
Unfortunately, the Chick-fil-A ordeal is not an isolated occurence. Christians have been persecuted, and people various and sundry have tried to silence them since they have existed. Even in America, where liberty and religious freedom are engraved in her foundation, Christians face direct opposition. In government schools, our children are taught that homosexuality is an acceptable "alternative lifestyle," that human beings are merely an evolved species of animals, that truth is relative, and that unwanted children may be murdered while still infants. (I recommend that everyone watch Indoctrination.) The ten commandments, the Bible, and even outward prayer to God in Jesus Christ's name have been banned from public institutions, while every religion save Christianity may be accepted and encouraged. This trampling of our religious liberty has taken place for years. But now we face, in the Chick-fil-A controversy, yet another threat to our freedoms of religion and speech. Since when have the administrators of privately-owned businesses and restaurants lost their right to declare their beliefs? What we witnessed yesterday across this great nation was a peaceful but firm outcry against the violation of our liberty. Americans are not yet ready to give up without a fight.

As Christians, our main objective in this life is to seek and grow in Christ, to know Him and to love Him, and to share His grace with others. Let us not lose sight of this in the midst of our political debates and varied views of the government and those who should lead us. But we also have a duty to embrace and stand firmly for the truth in every aspect of our lives. This includes praying for our leaders and our country, voting for those who would uphold our freedoms, and supporting those who stand for Christian principles. So I say, in light of recent events, "Eat mor chikin!" We must not back down.

"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something sometime in your life." ~Sir Winston Churchill

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