As Chick-fil-A opens a new franchise in the New York City borough of Queens, Rev. Franklin Graham is standing up to the city’s mayor, Bill de Blasio, who is urging locals to boycott the fast-food chain because its owners support biblical marriage as being between one man and one woman.
The NYC mayor — who has made many stands against proponents of family values and for the LGBT community over the years, including his recent support of a transgender public bathroom bill — is arguing that the fast-food giant owned by the devoutly Christian Cathy family is being intolerant by not supporting same-sex “marriage” in the United States.
However, the son of iconic world evangelist, Billy Graham, argues that de Blasio is actually the one who is guilty of intolerant bullying.
“Can you imagine a city where a popular, successful business is singled out and attacked by the mayor who calls for a boycott — all because the business owners let it be known that they operate by Christian principles and believe in God’s definition of marriage?” the 63-year-old evangelist asked on his Facebook page. “That’s exactly what just happened to one of America’s most successful businesses.”
The younger Graham went on to illustrate how Chick-fil-A has operated for decades as a role-model business that has indiscriminantly catered to its customers’ every need — regardless of their beliefs or backgrounds.
“Chick-fil-A has almost 2,000 restaurants and sales of more than $6 billion annually,” Graham wrote to his social media following. “You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone that doesn’t like their chicken sandwiches — and their high quality service.”
Supporting the LGBT agenda, attacking biblical values
This latest post by Graham, who serves as president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, is challenging de Blasio’s condemnation of Chick-fil-A’s family values — an attack reportedly made to forward the homosexual agenda.
The mayor of America’s largest city recently publicized his unwavering support for the openly homosexual Councilman Danny Dromm — the public official who has jurisdiction over the area where Chick-fil-A is scheduled to open its new restaurant in Queens.
In a showing of his support for Dromm and his LGBT agenda, de Blasio is calling for an all-out boycott of the Chick-fil-A — in a city where so-called “LGBT rights” have recently made some gains — according to NY1 News.
The NYC mayor followed up his initial call to boycott the Christian-owned restaurant by reiterating his distaste for the establishment during a recent unrelated press conference, when he advised his fellow New Yorkers to not do business at Chick-fil-A or support it in any way.
“What the ownership of Chick-fil-A has said is wrong,” de Blasio proclaimed, according to The Christian Post. “I’m certainly not going to patronize them, and I wouldn’t urge any other New Yorker to patronize them.”
Countering the Big Apple mayor’s claim that Chick-fil-A is a discriminatory and bigoted establishment, the family-friendly fast-food giant made a public statement concerning the matter instigated by de Blasio.
“The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect — regardless of their beliefs, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender,” Chick-fil-A expressed in a statement issued to the media. “We are a restaurant company comprised of 80,000 individuals who represent different backgrounds and beliefs, and we are all focused on offering great food, service and hospitality.”
Fighting fire with fire
Not one to stand down when other Christians are being attacked in the public forum for living out their beliefs, the native North Carolinian reverend did not hesitate to call a spade a spade — not only pointing out de Blasio’s aggressive attack against Christian principles and those who support them, but also citing the virtues of Chick-fil-A’s owners.
Graham went on to share that he has known the Cathy family for many years and that he has nothing but great respect for their values — and the way the conduct business as Christian role models.
“They just opened a new store in New York and Mayor De Blasio took the gloves off and came after them, calling for a boycott,” Graham continued in his Facebook post. “Doesn’t this sound like bullying, intolerance, and discrimination? All because someone won’t roll over to the LGBT agenda.”
Just as other boycotts of Chick-fil-A across the United States have backfired and given them more — instead of less — business, the Christian leader departed with a piece of advice to his followers.
“I hope Chick-fil-A has record sales in their New York stores — and tell them how much you appreciate them in the comments below,” Graham concluded his Internet message.
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Copyright American Family News. Reprinted with permission.
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