Chick-fil-A, with over 1,600 restaurants across the U.S.
Chick-fil-A has long drawn
the ire of pro-homosexual groups for its financial support, to the tune of
millions of dollars, to pro-family organizations such as the Fellowship of
Christian Athletes, the Family Research Council, the Marriage and Family
Foundation, and so on. Most of such donations come from the company’s nonprofit
WinShape Foundation, which has existed since 1984.
In spite of its opposition, the
company has thrived. For 44
consecutive years, Chick-fil-A has experienced positive sales growth. Last
year, annual sales were over $4.1 billion. Part of this is almost certainly due
to the fact that many, especially Christians, who believe in traditional
(biblical) marriage, go out of their way to support the restaurant.
Recently, Mr. Cathy (Dan)
reinforced the company’s position on marriage. In an article published in the
Baptist Press he stated, “We are very much supportive of the family — the
biblical definition of the family unit.” Cathy added that, “We are a
family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first
wives. We give God thanks for that.”
On the other hand is JC Penney. With
over 1,100 stores in all 50 states, like Chick-fil-A, Penney’s (as it is
frequently known) is an American icon. The department store chain was founded
in 1913 by James Cash Penney (1875-1971).
In his early twenties, Penney
began work in the Golden Rule stores. The owners were so impressed with his
work ethic that they offered him a share in a new store that Penney himself
would open. He later opened two more stores, and by 1907 purchased full
interest in all three stores. This was the beginning of the JC Penney brand.
By 1920, there were 120 stores
nationwide. By the time of the 1929 stock market crash, there were 1,400
stores. Penney lost all of his personal wealth in the crash, and this took a
great toll on his health. While receiving treatment, according
to the Southern Baptist Convention, Penney became a born-again Christian
after hearing the hymn “God Will Take Care of You” being sung in the hospital
chapel. Passing away at the age of 95, Penney lived a long life of significant philanthropy.
Given the recent actions of his
company, one has to wonder if Penney is not “rolling over in his grave.” Prior
to Father’s Day of this year Penney’s
released a print ad that featured a same-sex male couple hugging their two
children. The ad reads: “What makes Dad so cool? He's the swim coach, tent
maker, best friend, bike fixer and hug giver—all rolled into one. Or two.”
The company also featured a
lesbian couple in its May catalog for Mother’s Day. This is in addition to
hiring outspoken homosexual activist Ellen DeGeneres as spokesperson in early
2012. Early this year, American Family Association and other pro-family
organizations began a
campaign urging their supporters to contact JC Penney and request that
Penney’s at least “remain neutral” in the culture wars.
There is significant evidence that
this campaign is working. In the middle of June of this year, after only 8
months on the job, Penney’s president Michael Francis left the company. Francis
was responsible for the hiring of DeGeneres and the pro-same-sex marriage ads.
Also, since February of this year, Penney’s stock has
tumbled. It has lost over 50% of its value, falling from a price of $41.32 to a
low of $20.02. What’s more, according to American Family Association,
“Standard & Poor's Ratings Services lowered its credit rating on J.C.
Penney Co. further into ‘junk’ status.”
Some will dismiss these occurrences as anecdotal, but I
believe that there is more to it than that. Both of these companies are large
and have high profiles. Their positions in the marriage debate have been widely
reported and have elicited passionate responses.
This, combined with the fact that EVERY time (32 for 32) same-sex
marriage has been before a state electorate in the United States, it has been
SOUNDLY defeated (by an average of 67% to 33%), reveals that Americans are
willing to stand up for traditional (biblical) marriage, not only with their
wallets, but also at the ballot box.
Of course, as we approach the November elections and the
campaigns are white-hot, there is a message here for all politicians:
supporting traditional (biblical) marriage is a winning proposition. We’ll see
who is paying attention.
(See this column on American Thinker.)
(See this column on American Thinker.)
Copyright 2012, Trevor Grant Thomas
At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason.Trevor and his wife Michelle are the authors of: Debt Free Living in a Debt Filled World
tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com
