Intolerance on the Left

I'll never forget the morning I walked into the Starbucks on South Hill in Puyallup, Washington.  I had come there to meet another pastor, and I was just a few minutes early.  As I wandered through the coffee shop I saw many people that I knew.  Almost everyone of them was either a member of my own church, Our Savior Lutheran in Tacoma, or a fellow believer from one of the other Christian churches in Puyallup, whom I had come to know in the community.  There were only a handfull of people in Starbucks that morning who were unknown to me, but nevertheless, I knew that every one of them was also a Christian.  How did I know that?  They were clustered in twos or threes, coffee and pastry on their tables, alongside their Bibles which were open for study.  Some had their heads bowed and their hands joined as they prayed together around the table.  I found it remarkable at that time, largely because Western Washington is one of the most unchurched areas in the whole United States.  Yet, there, in a Starbucks on an early weekday morning, every one of the twenty or more people in that coffee shop was a practicing Christian.

As I think back on that morning I find it even more remarkable in a way.  Why is that?  It has to do with the recent flap over Chick Fil A, as a result of comments made by President and COO Dan Cathy in support of traditional marriage and family.  The "left" was up in arms, many calling for a boycott of Chick Fil A.  The mayors of Boston and Chicago even threatened to block any future Chick Fil A restaurants in their cities.  A Chicago alderman promised that no Chick Fil A would ever be allowed in his ward.  And in New York City, the NYC Council Speaker asked New York University to immediately end their contract with Chick Fil A.  Sadly there was at least one example of hate-filled vandalism against a Chick fil A, accusing the restaurant of hate just because they uphold traditional family values.  Gay activists threatened a "kiss-in" against Chick Fil A, which all but fizzled and was essentially non-existent by comparison with the "Chick Fil A Appreciation Day" on August 1, which brought literally millions of patrons to the more than 1600 franchises nationwide.

The message that those restaurant patrons were trying to send was not just about appreciating the traditional values espoused by the Cathy family who founded Chick Fil A, but even more, it was a message about freedom of speech, and the right of every American to not only hold to, but to express their own point of view about marriage, family and faith, without being condemned or worse yet, coerced into compliance with the "politically correct" viewpoint.

So as I thought back to that morning in Puyallup, what struck me at this time was that unlike most on the "left" in regard to Chick Fil A, those Christians in Starbucks that morning were perfectly content to let Starbucks be Starbucks, while they enjoyed their coffee and pastries, along with the comfortable setting Starbucks provided for Bible study and prayer.  Come to think about it, the Starbucks management and employees in that coffee shop were also perfectly happy to let the Christians exercise their faith within the confines of their establishment that morning, even though the corporate ethos of Starbucks is undoubtedly very different from the values of the Christians who were patronizing it that morning.

Yes, I've heard Christians call for boycotts of businesses who support the gay agenda, but for the most part I don't think those calls are very successful.  One of the organizations I personally support called for a boycott against Home Depot because of their support for the gay community.  I have to confess that I still shop at Home Depot because they are the most convenient place for me to find everything I need for my house and yard.  And in a very real sense, I too believe in freedom of speech.  Although I strongly support traditional marriage for both cultural and religious reasons, I'm willing to let the Home Depot corporation express their support for a different point of view.

When you think about it, where has freedom of speech and freedom of religion thrived?  Only in Christian cultures and nations.  And why is that?  Because the Christian religion has nothing to do with coercion or threats.  Only when someone freely gives their heart to Jesus because Christ first loved them enough to die for their sins, can they ever be called a Christian.  Yes, Christians do believe in certain moral principles and values, and we believe that some of these principles need to be upheld by society through laws put in place for the safety and wellbeing of the people of our society.  However, individuals are free to disagree and to seek to persuade others regarding their point of view.  Nevertheless, the moral principles and values that Christians seek to uphold are usually the longstanding truths that have been a part of our culture and society since the founding of this nation.  The "left" wants to enforce a new standard of morality (or immorality depending on your point of view) and wants to silence and punish any and all who disagree with them.

So even though Christians are labeled "intolerant," in reality Christians are no more intolerant that those on the left who want to silence the traditional or Christian point of view.  This nation was founded upon the Judeo-Christian world view and Judeo-Christian values found in Scripture.  That worldview and morality may not prevail forever in our nation.  It certainly has not been the predominant worldview in all of human history.  But those of us who hold that worldview and values should not be forced to keep silent just because our beliefs are based upon the Word of God.  We should not be forced to capitulate to the voices of secularism, just because our nation does not have an established state religion.

I believe the voice of truth was heard very loudly last Wednesday, on Chick Fil A Appreciation Day.  It was a voice that spoke of traditional family values, but it was also a voice that spoke loudly and clearly for freedom of religion and freedom of speech as guaranteed in our First Amendment.  We must not let our voices be silenced by those on the left who call us "intolerant," but who are themselves so intolerant that they are unwilling to listen to our point of view without calling us hateful and bigoted.  Let us always exercise our right as citizens to speak up, but let us also remember to speak the truth in love.  I think Chick Fil A Appreciation day was a great way of doing just that.