The American Family Association is asking its two million supporters to boycott popular fast food chain McDonaldâs for its promotion of the homosexual agenda, which the group says includes same-sex "marriage."
McDonald's drew fire from AFA several months ago when the chain joined as a corporate partner of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), an organization âdedicated to expanding the economic opportunities and advancements of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender/Transsexual (LGBT) business community.â
The pro-family group also cried foul when after a $20,000 donation, the fast-food giant's VP of Communications, who is openly homosexual, was seated on the Chamber's board of directors.
The company rebuffed requests by AFA to remove its name and logo from the NGLCC Web site and drop the endorsement of the organization by the VP of Communications.
In an announcement on its website Wednesday, AFA asked "supporters to boycott the restaurant chain," noting that NGLCC lobbies Congress on same-sex âmarriage.â
âThis boycott is not about hiring homosexuals, or homosexuals eating at McDonaldâs or how homosexual employees are treated," stressed AFA chairman and founder Donald E. Wildmon. "It is about McDonaldâs, as a corporation, choosing to put the full weight of their corporation behind promoting the homosexual agenda, including homosexual marriage."
In a letter dated May 29, Pat Harris, Global Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of Inclusion & Diversity at McDonaldâs, told AFA the company would âreaffirm our position on diversity.â
McDonald's also claimed in a statement it was "in no way 'aggressively promoting the homosexual agenda."
AFA responded to the statement saying that "giving money to and partnering with a homosexual lobby organization is certainly an enthusiastic promotion of the homosexual agenda."
On a website containing details on the boycott, www.boycottmcdonalds.com, AFA posted a YouTube video of a television commercial in which McDonald's sponsored the the 2007 San Francisco Gay Pride parade. In the clip, the food chain stated it was "a company that actively demonstrates its commitment to the gay and lesbian community."
One AFA supporter was perplexed at why the food giant would not champion causes that are noble rather than controversial.
"It could be poverty, hunger, child abuse, there would be no one against your support of these," read the comment. " The unnatural aspect of homosexuality or lesbian practice and the changing of the meaning of 'marriage' to allow same sex marriage are definitely controversial and not in anyone's best interest to support."
AFA announced in March that it was ending a two-year boycott of Ford Motor Co., saying the company had met most of its demands, which included ending donations to groups that support same-sex âmarriage.â The organization said it believed its boycott played a significant role in causing Ford sales to drop 8 percent in that period.
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free, no one is saying McDonald's doesn't do good things, but their support of the homosexual agenda is wrong, plus did you look into how much the CEO of McDonald's brings in a year?
According to AFAâs 2005 IRS 990 (its tax return), founder Donald E. Wildmon received about $110,000 with benefits, plus over $30,000 in expense account and other allowances -- including a housing allowance of over $31,000. AFA president Tim Wildmon got about $100,000, and the organizationâs secretary, Forrest Daniels, received slightly more than $80,000.
The organization gives âscholarshipsâ to any full time employee at âany accredited college or university,â which added up to about $54,000 in scholarships. As the blog Kevinâs Space pointed out on March 30, âthe kids of these people get their university education paid for, with funds that are donated, supposed to fight for the family. But it is clear the people who benefit are the Wildmon family.â
AFAâs tax return also revealed that it paid over $26,000 to Neal Clement (Wildmonâs son-in-law), while at the same time it held stock in a company represented by him, the FSC Securities Corporation. . . . Kevinâs Space [also] reported . . .âTheir [AFAâs] 2003 return states that they [held] just over $1.6 million worth of stock in FSC Securities Corporation. They also paid $33,000 to the LTD Computer Services, which is owned and operated by Larry Durham (Wildmonâs brother-in-law). [italics added]
hmart, presently I work with UNITE Pike which is looking to eliminate substance abuse in our county and in two weeks I will be a team leader at Camp UNITE which is for kids whose parents have been busted for drugs and other kids as well. I also serve at a Crisis Pregnancy Center in our area as a volunteer and board member. I am also a member of the Remote Area Medical (RAM) Committee which assists the RAM Team in coming to our area to provide free dental, medical, and optical services to people in our area. I also served as a volunteer during the event. Those are some of the things God has allowed me to do in helping meet the physical needs of people. And if you would like me to tell you some of the things He is allowing me to join Him in meeting the spiritual needs of people I'd be more than happy to.
Believer-I only see in your response is a pronoun game,,,what have YOU done to help enrich, someones life through donation of time/money/aid and volunteerism?? Many christians are spending too much time NOT HELPING their fellowman,,,too busy worrying about someone elses life, and not enough time spent on THEMSELVES, wondering what can be done for self-improvement of self, both spiritually and well-being.
Many unthinking Christians also do not think about the poisonous junk that McDonald's sells as "food." The thinking Christians that I know never go to any fast food outlet, including McDonald's, anyway.
We are not supposed to "hate." But I hate McDonald's (except for their french fries), and I (almost) never go there, anyway. Sign me up for the boycott.
If those of us who will be supporting this boycott are just a handful of Evangelical Christians then why are you who are opposed to this boycott so worried. According to you McDonald's doesn't have a thing to be concerned about. Unless of course you're wrong and there are far more Christians and even non-Christians who are opposed to McDonald's support of the homosexual agenda.
hmart, not only are many Christians involved in meeting physical needs in peoples lives, they are more importantly involved with God in the fulfillment of His Great Commission. And while meeting the physical needs of people is very important meeting the eternal and spiritual needs of people is far more important. A person's physical needs only last for a lifetime, but when and how our spiritual needs are met will determine where one will spend eternity.
"You know, one person's "ewwww" or "ick" is another person's 'soulmate', 'partner', or (gasp) even 'spouse'.
Go ahead and boycott McDonald's. While you're at it, why not boycott Hollywood? Because your "ewwwws" and your "icks" have more to do with what you've grown up seeing on the TV and in the movies than it does with anything that Jesus taught.
Or, you could take a deep breath, decide to stop believing all the scare tactics, and allow the state to grant equality before the law to folks who never bothered you at all.
Whatever "agenda" you fear is in the works, I can tell you I already don't like the current agenda where it's acceptable for folks to hold up their religious beliefs as reason for making my gay friends feel like second-class citizens. You don't have to make them welcome in your churches, you don't have to condone their choices, you can carry on with whatever you think is gonna make the world a better place, but by God, you oughta feel obliged, as Americans, to give them enough benefit of the doubt, when they say they feel they're being treated unfairly by our government, to get off your high horse for a second and consider whether there might not be some merit to their claims."
Wow! Who is this new (to me, anyway) breath of fresh air? Chino Blanco remarks bear re-posting, as I just did. Thank you, Chino Blanco!
If most of you would do your own research,,,instead of swallowing whatever bunk is being served up the the CraZy people of the AFA...you would find that McDonalds has many areas of where the help their fellow man. The Ronald McDonald House is just the tip of their Ice Berg. They do so much to help humanity,,,how many of you can actually say that???
Just a thought folks: If the American Family Assocition really is about families...perhaps they should boycott any fast food restaurant since they don't exactly serve wholesome food for children or have fair labor practices (for instance, Coca-Cola gets most of their water to make their soft drinks from 3rd world countries, which allows them to produce a very cheap product, but takes valuable water away from starving families.) It seems the AFA is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Is it really out to protect families, or is it more properly the ARWA, American Right Wing Association?
You know, one person's "ewwww" or "ick" is another person's 'soulmate', 'partner', or (gasp) even 'spouse'.
Go ahead and boycott McDonald's. While you're at it, why not boycott Hollywood? Because your "ewwwws" and your "icks" have more to do with what you've grown up seeing on the TV and in the movies than it does with anything that Jesus taught.
Or, you could take a deep breath, decide to stop believing all the scare tactics, and allow the state to grant equality before the law to folks who never bothered you at all.
Whatever "agenda" you fear is in the works, I can tell you I already don't like the current agenda where it's acceptable for folks to hold up their religious beliefs as reason for making my gay friends feel like second-class citizens. You don't have to make them welcome in your churches, you don't have to condone their choices, you can carry on with whatever you think is gonna make the world a better place, but by God, you oughta feel obliged, as Americans, to give them enough benefit of the doubt, when they say they feel they're being treated unfairly by our government, to get off your high horse for a second and consider whether there might not be some merit to their claims.
hlerwin--
Don't think I stand for hypocrisy. I am just as against the no-fault divorce laws in this country, and the removal of the stigma and penalty for adultery that used to exist in this society, as anyone could be.
It is precisely because society has lost the stigma and "shunning" aspect that things like adultery and divorce and unwed pregnancy used to carry, that it is so out of control now.
I would happily support not just the anti-gay marriage amendment, but also laws that remove the no-fault divorce, and punishment for adultery. How's that for fair? The stigma in society that unwed motherhood used to carry, caused many a girl to think twice. And as a result we didn't have the rampant problem of single-motherhood, and children without fathers, and an overburdened welfare state that they felt was obligated to take care of them no matter how many children they had.
wbmoore--
Mmmmm. Love me some Chik-Fil-A. Every time I go to the South, especially Memphis, I find the first Chik-Fil-A I can. Best chicken sandwich in the world, hands down. If you ever get west of the Rockies, try "In N' Out Burger" - best burger you'll ever have. I've never been in one where the staff wasn't friendly and courteous, the restaurant was immaculately clean, and the food wasn't fresh and delicious.
Both are Christian chains, and so we should support them. McDonald's can have the sodomites, I won't ever eat in one of their restaurants again, at least not until they agree to drop their support for the gay agenda.
hlerwin, there is no move afoot to legalize adultery. The concern is with many Christians is that by legalizing either same-sex unions or same-sex marriages you are condoning a lifestyle that violates the Word of God.