I am grumpy about something. Many folks I know are upset in some fashion about the chief operating officer of Chick-Fil-A coming out of the closet against gay marriage. In response, people are calling for boycotts, posting hateful things about the company, and demonizing the man and the company. Last I checked, a HUGE percentage of the country feel the EXACT same way. You aren’t winning anyone to the cause by demonizing the other’s point of view. Also, stop being so hypocritical about this. It’s not like Chick-Fil-A or its employees are oppressing anyone. They aren’t treating anyone unfairly. They aren’t discriminating or denying service to anyone based on a religious or sexual preference. They just voiced an opinion different than others’.
Are you going to boycott your car because it was made using outsourcing (which I assume you don’t like)? Are you going to boycott your computer because it is made using conflict minerals (which I assume means more to you than a definition of marriage)? Are you going to boycott cotton because the prices are kept so artificially low that it negatively impacts the poor globally (I assume you disagree with that)? Are you going to boycott your banks because they systematically benefit from dishonesty and greed (which is also unbiblical)? What about every other business that you frequent that habitually breaks the sabbath? What about the companies that are founded and run by those from other religions? Is not following other gods called idolatry? You gonna boycott your friends who don’t follow your religion? They don’t agree with you, do they?
If we are going to be a pluralistic society, we must learn to be tolerant of other’s views, ESPECIALLY if we disagree. Isn’t that what we are asking of them? It is deeply important that we are ok with not agreeing, but that we also allow freedom for the other to speak freely and to be understood without trying to make them like us. That is being a good neighbor. Instead, why don’t you go to Chick-Fil-A and order like normal, and maybe talk to a manager or employee about your disagreement. Perhaps write a letter. Or… why don’t you just go on with your life and ignore it like you do every time a HUGE MULTINATIONAL COMPANY SYSTEMATICALLY PERFORMS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN ORDER TO MAKE A BUCK? Which is pretty much what all of you who are boycotting did when I was out occupying. Hypocrisy.