Commentary
Chick-fil-A question spurs an open letter to Rick Santorum
By Lily Berger
Lily Berger, product engineer at a medical device company in the Twin Cities, is a source in MPR News' Public Insight Network.
Dear Mr. Santorum:
In an Aug. 1 email to your supporters about the Chick-fil-A controversy, you said:
"What crime have they [Chick-fil-A] committed? ... The leader of this privately held company, the son of its founder, said he believes in the Biblical view of the family."
You then went on to talk about religious freedom in America. Let me tell you about what religious freedom means to me, and why I don't support Chick-fil-A.
I am a Jewish American. I grew up attending synagogue regularly, celebrating the chagim (holidays) with my family and going to Jewish day school from preschool all the way through 12th grade. As Jews, we know what it's like to be persecuted for practicing our religion, and even to be persecuted just for who we are, as occurred in the Holocaust. We also know what it's like to have other religions forced on us. That's why the Maccabees stood up to the Greeks when they tried to force the Jews to worship Greek gods, and it's why tens of thousands of Jews fled from Spain during the Spanish Inquisition rather than choose between converting to Christianity or being tortured and killed. And that's why to Jews in America, the First Amendment is especially precious — it safeguards our freedom to practice our religion, and prevents any government within the United States from forcing anyone else's religion on us.
I am a Conservative Jew. That means I belong to the Conservative Movement of Judaism. You may not know this, but Conservative Judaism allows same-sex marriage; so do Reform Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism — that's three out of the four Jewish movements, which comprise the vast majority of Jews in America. So when people try to enact laws making those marriages — religiously sanctioned marriages, performed in traditional Jewish wedding ceremonies in synagogues across the country — legally invalid, this infringes on our religious freedom. Why should our Jewish marriages be defined by other people's religions? People working to make or keep same-sex marriage illegal are working to violate my and my coreligionists' First Amendment rights.
Which brings me back to Chick-fil-A. I am not upset that Dan Cathy said he opposes same-sex marriage. He is entitled to his opinion and beliefs just as I am entitled to mine. What upsets me and other critics of Chick-fil-A is that they donate money to organizations like the Marriage & Family Foundation and the Family Research Council, both organizations that support efforts to violate my religious freedom by trying to make same-sex marriage illegal across the country. And so, Mr. Santorum, you are misleading your supporters by not telling them the real reason we oppose Chick-fil-A.
To be perfectly honest, Chick-fil-A is not losing my business, because I already don't eat there — the food is not kosher. But keep in mind that I would never support a law that made all restaurants follow the rules of kashrut; that would be forcing my religion on everyone, and a violation of the First Amendment. I'm OK with simply avoiding restaurants that don't serve kosher food. Similarly, you shouldn't try to force your religious beliefs on people who don't share them. You are free to avoid attending Jewish same-sex weddings in my synagogue or any others. Just don't tell us they should be illegal.
Lily
Comments (18)
"I am not upset that Dan Cathy said he opposes same-sex marriage. He is entitled to his opinion and beliefs just as I am entitled to mine. What upsets me and other critics of Chick-fil-A is that they donate money to organizations like the Marriage & Family Foundation and the Family Research Council..."
So, Lily, what Mr. Cathy says doesn't bother you, but how he spends his money does.
You graciously extend to him the right of free speech, but if he dares to put his money where his mouth is, that is where you draw the line. Now he has violated some arbitrary standard known only to you, as you are the one who invented it, and placed it directly in the path of Dan Cathy's God-given freedoms. Like every bully throughout history has done. Hmmmm.....very interesting.
Perhaps, seeing you will not allow Cathy to spend his money the way HE wants to, you could spend it for him. He, no doubt, is holding his breath right now, awaiting your decision on his present and future expenditures.
(By the way, I am against the MN amendment, and all attempts by Government to interfere in the personal lives of Citizens)
I invite you to join in the movement to get Big Government out of the marriage business, which is the real solution to all these kind of problems.
For each person chopping at the root of evil, there is a thousand misguided individuals picking at the leaves.
Be a chopper, Lily, not a picker.
Terry, I believe you missed the entire point of Lily's commentary. The issue is their infringement on the rights of others. The forcing of their religious beliefs on others. And, it is forcing. Some of these organizations being supported actively and aggressively campaign against and even go so far as to support violence against others with opposing views. They are nothing more than extremist organizations.
Yes, Terry, I think you're missing the point. Refraining from buying Chick-Fil-A is saying, "I will not let you use MY money to support YOUR causes." Cathy wants to send his money to these extremist organizations? Fine. But the money he gets will not come from me. THAT'S what Lily is saying. She's also illustrating how extremists are miscategorizing this as a free speech issue. It's not and it never was. This is about saying, "If you choose to use the money I pay for your services in a way that in turn harms me, then you will not have my money." It's really that simple.
Thank you for your commentary, Ms. Berger. Very well put.
Terry, you have managed to completely miss the point. Nowhere in the letter does the writer say Mr. Cathy can't spend his money as he sees fit. If it says that, please point it out. The best part is when you go on to call her a bully, when you don't even understand the nature of her letter. Hmmmmm It's a vicious circle.
I don't eat at Chik-Fil-A anyway, if I'm going to eat deep fried chicken, I'll make it myself so I know what is actually IN it. However, if there was a small chance I would ever eat there, that has been non-existent for a while. I've been well aware of Cathy's financial contributions to some fairly egregious anti-gay groups prior to this incident. It has nothing to do with what Cathy has said in the past, he's entitled to his speech and his money, and I am entitled to mine. I won't see my hard earned money go towards persecution and denying people their Civil Rights.
Rick Santorum and his co-horts are getting exactly what they deserve. Christians they call themselves? Hardly. It goes against my Christian beliefs to say hateful things, but I can't hold back anymore. Santorum-your daughter is ill. I'm so sorry that she is paying for your hate filled speech denigrating other religions and other lifestyles. God does not like ugly...God struck Pharoh with plagues. Could it be that you have brought the wrath of God upon your own daughter? Sounds awful, doesn't it? That's the YOU sound!!!
Normally I wouldnt post but i feel this is an important issue to address. You all talk about how you wouldn't give your money to this company because you don't agree with how it would get spent. While the government you pay taxes too has free rain of the money you give them. They give themselves raises while putting the military who give you the right to free speech in a pay freeze. Everyone has a difference in opinion on how money should be spent and just because Dan Cathy wants to put his money to groups that do not support gay marriage is no reason to stop eating there. You all claim to be free thinking and everyone should do what they want. If thats the case how come you are trying to tear down a man for doing what he believes is right. His actions haven't caused physical harm to anyone. What he does with his money is none of my buisness or yours. Just because someone wants to spend the company profits on an organization you dont believe in is no reason to stop buying his product. I personally believe that donating money to PETA is a waste but i wouldn't stop buying from a company if they said they supported them. You say we all need to be tolerant of each other and be okay with the lifestyles of other people. Yet here you are slamming a man and his company for his lifestyle and choices. So now I ask, where is your tolerance and your belief that we should accept people for who they are now?
Seth,
Dan Cathy doesn't just give his money to organizations that oppose gay marriage, Dan Cathy gives money to organizations that are certified as hate groups and that use that money to encourage and pressure governments around the world not just into outlawing gay marriage, but to outlawing being gay and in most cases making it a death penalty offense. He is, quite actively, helping to have people harmed. If he was giving money to another hate group that actively sought death for a group of people (like, say a certain organization operating out of the Middle East that seeks the deaths of Americans), would it suddenly make sense to you why giving him your money and letting him spend it there would be wrong? As for taxes--we get to _vote_. Yes, we don't always get them spent the way we want them, but we have the ability to organize and change that. with a private corporation, the only "vote" you have is with your wallet.
Ms. Berger
You claim that as a conservative Jew, that prohibiting same sex marriage somehow violates your religious freedoms.
So since you are such an expert on this topic of violating Americans' religious rights, why am I, and the 90% of Americans who are Christian stuck supporting, with billions of our tax dollars every year, the religious state of Israel, where Rabbis are paid to conduct religious ceremonies, at government expense? I am tired of subsidizing the practice of Judaism, in Israel, and also here in America where the so called Homeland Security Agency, has become the free building money fund for every synagogue that chooses to put on an addition.
How convenient, that Jews who are always the first to complain about any infringement of their supposed rights, are yet so quick to get their hands in the pocket of the American Treasury to fund their own religion. Please explain.
I appreciate the clarity of commentary that comes from a person like Lily Berger. She was too polite and humble to point out that Santorum has the skewed audacity to tell everyone, including Jews, what the God of the Hebrew Bible has to say about same-sex unions. Santorum might try teaching Brian Greene what quantum theory has to say about gay marriage next; or perhaps he will tell the Dalai Lama that he's doing Buddhism all wrong.
Ummm the people in middle east who run OPEC kill homosexuals, so my question is when will you stop driving your car because your gas money is used to pay someone to kill a homosexual. Suck on that one you half@$$ supporters and full time complainers.
As a Christian I would like to say on behalf for myself and only myself that I cannot find anywhere Mr. Cathy supported a "hate" group and would like clarification on the meaning of "hate" group. Because of my support to Focus on the Family, the SLPC says I'm part of a "hate" group. So please clarify and give me examples of where the "hate" is. It doesn't come from me. I did read that Mr. Cathy some way or another fought legislation that would prevent the deaths of homosexuals in Uganda on one thing and one thing only. The wording that homosexuality is a basic human right. As far as the rest of the legislation they were supportive because it is never right to condemn or kill anyone based on what they believe. Also I read he supported a group that focused on support for those that were gay and wanted voluntarily to turn away from that lifestyle. For me that's a personally hard hitting insult to call that group a hate group since I was lesbian before coming to Christ. So "hate" is no longer part of my vocabulary so explain it to me as if I were five. Where the crap is all the hate coming from, truly. I expect more than, "they're making it harder for us to get married." As far as I'm concerned LGBT is making it harder on themselves with all the "hate." With love. Always.
Sigh... as Christians, we too understand how the Jews persecuted and even killed thousands of early Christians, but we forgive the Jews. The reverse is just as true on the other hand. Similar to the Jews, Christians escaped to the "New World" from England to freely practice Christianity. Anyone can a moment in time when one "tribe" persecuted another. So what? Why have a chip on your shoulder?
Neither Dan Cathy nor the other organizations you cite are the US government. On the other hand, Obama most certainly is the government and he has by executive fiat ordered that religious rights be violated with his birth control edict. Where was the outcry from the the Conservative Movement of Judaism when others' religious rights were being trampled? Silence.
The Conservative Movement of Judaism also lost their bearing in the 2006 decision and smacks of the "enlightened" Christians that are self-proclaimed "wiser" than their knuckle dragging ancestors who actually followed the teachings of the Bible. I know, let's take a vote on whether or not to follow the other parts of the Torah or Bible. The majority gets to decide what's "right" and which parts to ignore.
Contrary to your assertion, Marriage & Family Foundation and the Family Research Council are not trying to force any synagogue or church from doing whatever ceremony it is you wish to carry out. Stop trying to be offended.
Personally, I'd like to see the government out of the "marriage business" altogether.
Well said Lily.
I am new at this but I would like to briefly comment on most of thealready stated comments. What upsets Lily is understandable as a violation of religious freedom and I am upset by that aspect ,but more by the organized support of violating our individual freedom in general. The religious right and extremists are bathing in their self proclaimed
Rightyness while trying to force the remainder of heathen America into submission and tithing.
President Obama has not by "by executive fiat ordered that religious rights be violated with his birth control edict". What connection is there between birth control and religion, other than trying to form a larger army of Catholics? I learned living in Michelle Bachmanns district,that if you are not Catholic you are not Christian and if you are not a "born again Christian " you are unworthy as well.. The escape to the new world was not to practice Christianity but to escape religious persecution...interesting, and also Jesus was a Jew.
The idea of Bachmanns "pray the gay away " is a delusion...
the deaths in Uganda were not about sexuality and to be believe OPEC .Leaders kill homosexuals Is very questionable since (disgusting but) Women are considered dirty and there is a preference for younger boys.!
Our support of Israel has to do with its people, location and compassion ,not money for Rabbies, and Homeland Security is not building Synogogues..
Also religious freedom for Lily not same thing as religious rights.
B"H
Miss Berger: You're not the only Jew here.
Torah is the final authority, and there has been never - throughout the history of Judaism - *never* any such arrangement as marriage between the same sex. It is not halakhic, it is not part of Judiasm, and claiming it is so by being a member of a renegade, deconstructionist Jewish sect is intellectual dishonesty.
You have allowed your politics to instruct your Judaism. Two people of the same sex cannot never have a Jewish marriage. It is a violation of Torah and halakha.
To invoke the Holocaust and European Christian oppression as some kind of slippery slope analogy to preventing two homosexuals from marrying each other and claiming it to be Jewish is a vile desecration, it is a Chillul HaShem and a desecration of those of our people who perished in the Shoah and medieval Europe during the Crusades and pogroms (HY"D).
You and the other DFL-Green Party Jews want to be accepted by the Hellenists? That's up to you.
No matter. Hellenist Jews will disappear into history just as they have done in the past, and the Jews will survive as we have done for 5,772 years.
Ms. Berger's point -- that restriction of marriage rights would infringe upon her religion's decision to allow same-sex marriage -- fails to distinguish between civil and religious institutions of marriage. If a breakaway religious sect chose to recognize a marriage between a tree and the moon, that is the business of its followers and the First Amendment guarantees their right to call it a marriage. This does not mean that federal or state governments have to grant a civil marriage license between two inanimate objects.
I am also Jewish and I share Ms. Berger's fear that government legislation of marriage may create a precedent for future problems -- one day, "The People" may decide that, say, Native Americans are no longer able to marry and we start to have Hitler-like race laws. Unlike Ms. Berger, I believe that the pro-Single-Sex-Marriage movement is taking dangerous steps in this direction already, by lobbying so aggressively for the government to *define* marriage. The consequent backlash will force a definition that is by its nature exclusive of somebody. Better it not be defined at all.
David B wrote:
"I am also Jewish and I share Ms. Berger's fear that government legislation of marriage may create a precedent for future problems -- one day, "The People" may decide that, say, Native Americans are no longer able to marry and we start to have Hitler-like race laws."
By what logic did you go from codifying MN Stat. 517.03 sub 1(a)(4) into the Minnesota Constitution...to the Nuremberg Laws?
David B wrote:
"Better [marriage] not be defined at all."
Are you, David B, advocating the repeal of Minnesota Statutes 517.02 and 517.03?
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