By Mike
Many of you know that Dan (Hanley) usually writes these blogs. With all of the recent news about Chick-fil-A I wanted to relate a personal story.
Look at
some of the companies and groups that Chick-fil-A financially supports.
One of the groups is Exodus International who’s mission
statement says “Mobilizing the body of Christ to minister grace and truth to a
world impacted by homosexuality”.
On their site they say they do not support bullying, reparative therapy,
or anything like that. This is not
true. Though they don’t
specifically offer reparative therapy they quickly get people into programs of
reparative therapy. These
therapies can range from counseling to more intensive things like exorcisms,
electro shock therapy, brain washing, etc. It really depends on the people who are running a particular
chapter of the group.
So where is my personal connection you may ask? In my first year of college I got
involved with a Christian group on campus. The other students in the group were amazing. I really enjoyed being with these
people and will forever be grateful for them. Yet in the process of being involved with this group I got
involved with people from Exodus International along with other Ex-Gay groups. These people led me to believe that
being gay was not what God intended for me. I was very confused coming from a religious background that
did not accept homosexuality. I had finally started to accept who I am until these people came along. They quickly got me involved in reparative therapy sessions. My sessions included long hours with groups (that I had to pay for; thousands of dollars wasted) telling me that my being gay was a result of things that happened to me and I had a choice not to be gay. There was laying of hands, exorcisms in the group, and though it never happened to me, some individuals experienced electro shock therapy. The sessions were very much in a bullying style intended to brainwash us into believing we were not supposed to be gay.
This did not help. I had homosexual attractions ever since I can remember. Going back to when I was five. I do not remember a time when I did not find a man more desirable than a woman. That means that all those things they said made me gay happened after I knew I was gay. All the group did for me was make me hate myself more, go into more secretive and destructive behavior, and not want to exist.
Through the grace of God I moved states and came to Colorado after college. I eventually found people who supported me, and a church that supported me for who I am and not what they thought I should be. It has been a long road and is still a journey I take with my loving and supportive husband.
Why do I share this story? To let you know of just a touch of atrocities that companies like Chick-fil-A commit on non-human animals but on their fellow humans as well. Don’t shop blindly and vote with your dollars blindly. Before you buy your next meal out, a car, or even your groceries look at what you are supporting. Ask the tough questions of what their policies are and whom they give to. Ask for documentation, especially if you are buying something big. I know I roll my eyes at my husband when he does this but love him even more for doing it. Do you want to be a part of something that is destructive and hurtful? Or do you want to be a part of something that brings love and compassion to the world?
I leave you with something from the Bible which relates to animal cruelty. The owners at Chick-fil-A don't bring up this part. Their entire chain supports animal cruelty, which is against biblical principle: “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for good. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and the creatures that move on the ground-everything that has the breath of life in it- I give every green plant for food” Genesis 1:29-30. Read on for yourself He never in the perfect world told us to eat animals, in fact he tells us to rule over them and we know a good ruler will not kill and eat his subjects. It was only after the fall that humans started eating animals.
As Dan always says, thanks for reading. We both are so grateful for all of the support we get from our readers!
This did not help. I had homosexual attractions ever since I can remember. Going back to when I was five. I do not remember a time when I did not find a man more desirable than a woman. That means that all those things they said made me gay happened after I knew I was gay. All the group did for me was make me hate myself more, go into more secretive and destructive behavior, and not want to exist.
Through the grace of God I moved states and came to Colorado after college. I eventually found people who supported me, and a church that supported me for who I am and not what they thought I should be. It has been a long road and is still a journey I take with my loving and supportive husband.
Why do I share this story? To let you know of just a touch of atrocities that companies like Chick-fil-A commit on non-human animals but on their fellow humans as well. Don’t shop blindly and vote with your dollars blindly. Before you buy your next meal out, a car, or even your groceries look at what you are supporting. Ask the tough questions of what their policies are and whom they give to. Ask for documentation, especially if you are buying something big. I know I roll my eyes at my husband when he does this but love him even more for doing it. Do you want to be a part of something that is destructive and hurtful? Or do you want to be a part of something that brings love and compassion to the world?
I leave you with something from the Bible which relates to animal cruelty. The owners at Chick-fil-A don't bring up this part. Their entire chain supports animal cruelty, which is against biblical principle: “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for good. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and the creatures that move on the ground-everything that has the breath of life in it- I give every green plant for food” Genesis 1:29-30. Read on for yourself He never in the perfect world told us to eat animals, in fact he tells us to rule over them and we know a good ruler will not kill and eat his subjects. It was only after the fall that humans started eating animals.
As Dan always says, thanks for reading. We both are so grateful for all of the support we get from our readers!
This post originally appeared on Dan Hanley's website The Gay Vegans. Republished with permission.
