Dear Mr. Cathy,
I have struggled for the last week to discern my feelings on the fiasco that has surrounded your company in the past weeks. I would like to share some of these thoughts with you.
I approach this from the perspective of a Lutheran minister. As such I view scripture as a living document through which the Holy Spirit breathes the Gospel into the world through both the narratives of the Old Testament and the witness of Jesus Christ and the early church. I take the witness of the Gospel and it's message of grace, justice, and mercy very seriously. It is this witness that has informed my outlook. With this in mind, I want you to know that I respect your views and your right to free speech in regards to those views on marriage. I do not agree with you, but I respect your opinion.
My reading of scripture has presented me with a variety of different definitions of marriage, from Mary and Joseph; to Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar; to Jacob and his wives and concubines; to Solomon and his 700 wives (yikes!). There is no black and white definition of marriage in scripture, though I do understand the argument citing Jesus' quotation of Genesis 2 where it is written that a man shall leave his family and cling to his wife as being a basis for a definition of marriage. So I get it if you do not agree with me on this issue. That's is ok. The world would be a boring place if we all agreed on everything.
Here is where the rub comes in - While I respect your opinion, I am very uncomfortable with the fact that some of the money that I have spent on food at chick-fil-a has been used to support organizations that promote discrimination and hate. I am also uncomfortable with the fact that you wish to speak on behalf of God and, in essence put yourself in the judgment seat. We hear too much of this negative and hateful talk from folks. My reading of scripture, specifically my reading of the witness of Jesus Christ in the Gospels does not fit in with a reading of scripture that shows a God ready to tear us limb from limb because we choose to love and show mercy to all people regardless of who they are. The God I have read about in scripture is one who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, who calls us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Jesus Christ routinely ate with the outcast, the poor, and the so-called "unclean," much to the chagrin of those who thought they knew who was "in" and who was "out." In fact, it was because of this that Jesus went to the cross. As Christians, we are called to follow in the steps of Christ, to love our neighbors as God in Christ first loved us. In my understanding, that means being people of grace and love to seek justice and equality for our neighbors just as Christ sought equality for those that his society deemed to be unworthy.
In essence, Mr. Cathy, I support your right to your own opinion and your right to free speech, but I do not support your actions on behalf of the chick-fil-a name. My reading of scripture speaks of a God who broke down barriers and, through the death and resurrection of Christ destroyed the walls that separate us, making us to be one body to be the hands and feet of God in the world. As Christians, we do work against the work of Christ when we support hate and inequality. So, it not because of your opinion on what defines marriage, but rather your actions on behalf of chick-fil-a which support the building up of walls that divide that has moved me to decide that I cannot in good conscience continue to be a patron of your chain of restaurants.
In God's peace,
Pastor Jen Kiefer
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