Reprinted by permission of The Christian Post
By Alexander J. Sheffrin
Christian Post Reporter
Wed, Jul. 16 2008 01:40 PM EDT
Christian activist groups are pushing for support outside the worldwide McDonald’s headquarters in Oak Brook, Ill., to bring attention to a boycott against what they said was the chain’s record of continued support and endorsement of homosexuality.
"It's a shame that McDonald's would tarnish their family-friendly image," said American Family Association Chairman Don Wildmon in a statement.
In late March, the fast-food chain drew a stream of controversy after the company’s vice president of communications joined the board of directors of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce – an organization “dedicated to expanding the economic opportunities and advancements of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender/Transsexual (LGBT) business community.”
The American Family Association says that the recent move, combined with a $20,000 donation McDonald’s handed over to the NGLCC and the fast-food chain’s frequent and boastful support in sponsoring gay pride parades, has been detrimental to pro-family causes and the sanctity of marriage.
"[T]he company has ramped up its support of the gay agenda and it leaves us no option but to call for a boycott,” Wildmon said.
Wildmon explained that pro-family organizations would continue to boycott McDonald’s until the fast-food chain ends its role as an advocate for homosexual causes.
"To put it politely, the company thumbed its nose at the Christian community,” Wildmon said. The AFA president says almost 200,000 people have signed an online pledge to boycott McDonald's.
McDonald’s, however, has been unapologetic about its pro-gay stance, asserting that organizers of the boycott are motivated by a hateful agenda against homosexuals.
"Hatred has no place in our culture," McDonald's USA spokesman Bill Whitman told The Washington Post.
"That includes McDonald's, and we stand by and support our people to live and work in a society free of discrimination and harassment,” he explained.
But the AFA is arguing that its boycott is about the record of McDonald’s and its duty to be a responsible and neutral corporation.
"This boycott is not about hiring homosexuals, or homosexuals eating at McDonald's, or how homosexual employees are treated," the AFA said.
"It is about McDonald's, as a corporation, choosing to put the full weight of their corporation behind promoting the homosexual agenda, including homosexual marriage,” the group explained.
In an e-mail to boycott supporters, Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth, which organized a press conference outside McDonald's headquarters Wednesday, said that the accusations of “hate” and prejudice from McDonald’s were a reflection of the food chain’s own deeply embedded anti-Christian views.
“When we’ve reached the point where belief in the Bible and traditional morality is routinely equated with hatred, America has become hostile territory for people of faith,” he said.
"Sadly, 'diversity' is becoming a corporate code-word for anti-Christian bigotry – forcing people of faith to imbibe politically correct ideologies that violate their beliefs,” he added.
According to a press release, boycott organizers “are encouraging families to do two things: sign, print and distribute a Boycott McDonald's petition at http://www.boycottmcdonalds.com/; and call the local McDonald's to politely tell the manager they are boycotting the chain until it stops promoting the gay agenda.”
Copyright 2008 The Christian Post. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
7 comments:
Let me get this straight. Before any of this happened, these Christians had no problem going to McDonald's, knowing full well that the chain's food is notoriously unhealthy and can cause obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and otherwise generally poor health in themselves and their children. And in doing so, they perpetuated America's gluttonous consumer culture, which laughs in the faces of less fortunate people in other parts of the world who die of starvation daily. Meanwhile, thanks in part to McDonald's, millions of people here in America die of eating TOO much.
But when the corporation announces that it supports the LGBT community, suddenly these same Christians are up in arms and decide that they no longer wish to associate with McDonald's? They suddenly set themselves apart as righteous and moral? You'd think marketing junk food to your kids would be more than enough cause for a boycott. But obviously common sense is a concept yet to be learned among these people.
And these fickle, opportunistic, superficial Christians expect to be taken seriously? Really? How absolutely absurd.
There is nothing sinful about eating at McDonalds, as long as you don't engage in gluttony. The food is also not unhealthy as long as it is consumed as a part of a balanced diet.
When McDonalds became an advocate of a behavior which is immoral and unhealthy (AIDS, STDs, hepatitis, depression, substance abuse, suicide), and supports an activist organization which pushes normalization of this behavior, they crossed a moral line.
McDonalds allied themselves with an agenda which promotes an immoral and unhealthy practice, promotes legitimization of this behavior, and seeks to force businesses to accept it.
Christians have every right to boycott an organization which is at odds with their holy Scriptures, and promotes what their God says is wrong.
I didn't say there was anything sinful about eating at McDonald's, nor did I say that Christians don't have the right to boycott the corporation. They can boycott whatever they want; I'm just exercising my right to say that they're being ridiculous for doing so.
What you said about McDonald's food not being unhealthy as long as it's consumed as part of a balanced diet makes about as much sense as saying that cigarettes aren't unhealthy as long as you exercise and eat right after every smoke. If something's intrinsically unhealthy, it's unhealthy.
You may want to be more specific in your description of homosexual behavior as immoral/unhealthy, because heterosexual behavior can result in each of the consequences you cited. So I guess you could say that by supporting heterosexuality, Christians are advocates of behavior that can lead to AIDS, STDs, hepatitis, substance abuse, suicide, etc. But seeing as how you need to be right about everything, I predict you'll disagree with me.
A diet of nothing but carrots would be unhealthy. A diet of nothing but broccoli would be unhealthy. If you only eat at McDonalds, you're probably not getting a balanced diet, but it is not intrinsically unhealthy.
That is not the case, however, with homosexual behavior. In addition (since you insist on having it spelled out) to using body parts in manners for which they were obviously not designed to be used (which can lead to physical injuries), the instance of AIDS is much higher than even the general heterosexual community; CDC statistics indicate 72% of male AIDS cases involve homosexual activity. Homosexuals also have a higher rate of other STDs than the heterosexual population, along with higher rates of depression, substance abuse, suicide and domestic violence.
Besides being immoral, homosexuality just isn't healthy, even in moderation.
As I said in another thread, the CDC reports that 72% of male HIV, not AIDS, cases involve homosexual activity. Putting a slash between the two terms does not mean that they are being used interchangeably. Having HIV does not necessarily mean that you will ever develop AIDS or even show symptoms, so you are misrepresenting the report.
As for homosexuality being unhealthy for the reasons you mentioned, I offer myself as an exception. I am in a monogamous long-term relationship with a man who does not have HIV or AIDS, or any STD, for that matter (I don't either). Neither of us is abusive, violent, depressed, or suicidal, and neither of us uses drugs. The only way either of us could conceivably get an STD is if one of us is unfaithful, and that will never happen, because I will not cheat on my boyfriend, and he will not cheat on me. We also have never had a sex-related injury, which is one of the risks you constantly mention. So as far as I'm concerned, homosexuality is not unhealthy. It's all in how you practice it, just like heterosexuality.
As for the immorality aspect, your only source is the Bible. How do you explain that homosexuality is immoral to someone who does not even consider the Bible to be an authoritative document in the first place? How do you expect millions of other people to do so? It's like trying to tell a schizophrenic that he isn't really hearing voices, or describing the color red to a blind man, or telling a Muslim that Muhammad is just an ordinary guy. Your final line of defense is simply on a different plane of thought from some people's. What it ultimately comes down to is a disagreement on perspective.
So the consequence of your approach -- generalizing homosexuality as universally immoral and unhealthy, without regard to exceptions -- ignores real people like me, to whom your justifications do not apply. That's why it's vitally important to look at individuals, not groups. Groups are nameless, faceless, anonymous nobodies. Individuals are ultimately the ones affected.
Taking you at your word, you are the exception, not the rule. And a fairly rare exception at that. If you're honest, you'll admit that promiscuity is very high among homosexuals.
And even in your situation, homosexuality is immoral. There are simply no exceptions whatsoever under any circumstances for it in the Bible.
I understand you don't accept the authority of the Bible, and that's your right. But it doesn't change the fact that you are still under that authority, as are all human beings. Many people think laws against murder, theft, or even speeding and running stop signs don't apply to them...but sooner or later they find out they do.
So it is and so it will be with God's authority. God doesn't force you to acknowledge his authority; he's given you the free will to reject it and him.
But one day there will be an accounting. If you're right and I'm wrong about that, you have nothing to worry about. But if you're wrong about that, it will be a terrible day. I just hope you fully and thoroughly investigate the truth claims God has made in the Bible, and try to be open to those truth claims before you reject them in finality. Once you're dead, you won't have any further chances to change your mind. And believe it or not, I'd really like to meet you in heaven one day.
alexh said: "The only way either of us could conceivably get an STD is if one of us is unfaithful, and that will never happen, because I will not cheat on my boyfriend, and he will not cheat on me."
That is the most adorably naive sentiment I have ever heard.
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