Leftist Virtue-Signaling Usually Backfires

Airports in San Antonio and Buffalo, New York have refused to include the fast food chain in concessions contracts because of the company's beliefs about LGBTQ issues. The FAA confirmed it was investigating the San Antonio International Airport and the Buffalo Niagara International Airport over religious discrimination complaints, CNN reported.

"The Department of Transportation has received complaints alleging discrimination by two airport operators against a private company due to the expression of the owner's religious beliefs," an FAA statement said.

The statement said federal guidelines prohibit airports from excluding "persons on the basis of religious creed from participating in airport activities that receive or benefit from FAA grant funding."

Chick-fil-A told CNN that the company has "no social or political stance" and is not involved in the investigation.

The City of Buffalo Common Council rejected the fast food chain in a concessions contract in March.

"We hope in the future [the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority] will make every effort to contract with businesses that adhere to anti-discriminatory policies," Assemblyman Sean Ryan said. "We're confident another vendor who better represents the values of the western New York community will replace Chick-fil-A as a part of this project in the very near future."

The San Antonio City Council approved a new concessions agreement at that city's airport given that Chick-fil-A was not included in the contract because of what lawmakers described as its "legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior."

In response, earlier this month, Texas advanced the "Chick-fil-A bill" that would prohibit discrimination based on membership, support or donations to religious groups.

www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2019-05-28/faa-investigates-texas-new-york-airports-banning-chick-fil-a-restaurants

stream.org/chick-fil-a-and-this-present-world/

Short excerpt:

Who Does Chick-fil-A Claim to Be?

The company wants to be clear about who they are. Fair enough. But then, exactly who have they been claiming to be? As noted by Kaylee McGhee of the Washington Examiner, the Chick-fil-A Mission Statement reads: “This company exists to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us.”

If glorifying God is your mission, and you want to be clear about who you are, then withdrawing your support from others who glorify God, simply because they uphold the standards of the God both you and they glorify, seems inconsistent and (forgive me) a little chicken.

Bad Messaging

If the company hadn’t supported the organizations it’s now abandoned, there’d be no issue. But when you openly support someone, then announce your withdrawal of support citing, among other things, a wish not to be associated with an anti-gay position, then you’ve done some pretty strong messaging.

To the companies you’ve cut off, you’ve said, “You’re great, but your position on sex and family makes you dangerous to be seen with.”

To the Christians who’ve supported you largely because of your stand, you’ve said, “You’re great, but you’re expendable. We know you’ll be mad, but you won’t disrupt our business, you won’t demand that universities and airports ban us, and you won’t stage sit-ins at our locations. So it’s safer to offend you than to offend them, because your reaction will never be like theirs, and you’re more likely to forgive us then they’ll ever be.”

To the social/political juggernaut known as the LGBTQ movement, you’ve said, “Bullying works. If you target Christian groups, harassing them at every turn, they will eventually cave to your demands. It worked on us. Now go do it to the others, and it will work on them, too.”

... in the America of 2019, you can openly identify as Christian without controversy. The trouble will only start if you openly live and express certain doctrines essential to the faith (like the doctrine of marriage and family), but a little dangerous to be associated with. But can Christianity without essential doctrine really call itself Christianity?