Chick-fil-A and Far-Left Tyranny

I have said for a long time that unless our nation’s elected officials and judges understand that their qualifications to lead are based on delegated authority from God that they would become tyrannical in their legislation and leadership!

Elected officials and judges in the U.S. should base their philosophy of leadership on the U.S. Declaration of Independence that clearly states that all people “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” Hence, unless our elected officials and judges understand that human rights come from God and that all law and human government ultimately emanate and are given to us from God to rule justly then they will lead based on their own wit and whim which ultimately paves the way for tyrannical rule! (See James 4:12; Proverbs 8:15-16.)

Consequently, the greatest protection citizens of any nation possess is when their political leaders understand they have limited power to rule because they derive their legitimate power from God as His representatives. Leaders who don’t share this view believe rights come from mere humans, thus elevating themselves as the highest authorities in the land—a scary thing indeed!

This is why it is urgent that all concerned citizens oppose the election of any official or any political party that is based on godless humanism, which derives its laws from so-called “elite” human leaders who dictate what is right and wrong to us “stupid unenlightened people”! Their view (perhaps similar to Plato’s Republic) is that only a few cultural elites know what is best and these people should be the ones who lead because they are the most educated and can tell the masses of people how to live, what to believe, and the values they should espouse.

In recent decades those on the far left in our country have begun to show their true colors more and more regarding their philosophy of leadership. Case in point: when Dan Cathy, the president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, said that he opposed same-sex marriage in a recent radio interview. He said: “I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.’”

The three liberal mayors of Boston, San Francisco and Chicago initially spoke out against him and implied they would try to block Chick-fil-A from opening up stores in their cities. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel vowed to block the chain’s plan to build a new restaurant in the Windy City. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino sent a letter informing Chick-fil-A executives that their plans to open a restaurant in his city weren’t welcome. San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee told the restaurant on Twitter to stay away: “Closest #ChickFilA to San Francisco is 40 miles away & I strongly recommend that they not try to come any closer.”

Christine Quinn, the speaker of the New York City Council, sent a letter to NYU pressuring them to close the city’s only Chick-fil-A that resides on their property, writing to the president of NYU: “I do not want establishments in my city that hold such discriminatory views.”

This is an egregious use of her power! It is one thing for her to say she doesn’t agree with Dan Cathy’s position and even call for a boycott. But it is another thing to tell NYU that she doesn’t want Chick-fil-A in her city! Now it’s her city? Perhaps this is a portent of how she will lead our city if she is elected mayor! I am hoping this was merely a visceral slip of the pen and that she doesn’t really believe in this form of tyrannical intolerance because, in many ways, she has been a very good leader in New York City!

Even NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a same-sex marriage proponent, knew enough to distance himself from the statements of these other mayors when he said on the radio: “It’s just not government’s job, and no matter how much you dislike somebody else’s views, think about what would happen in the cities where the views are on the other side.”

Taking the logic and political philosophy of these elected officials further, they are advocating a political system in which only those people who agree with their position of same-sex marriage (and other liberal values) would be allowed to operate in their city. What about all the Muslims, Jews, Christians and houses of worship that don’t agree with their values? Does Christine Quinn want all conservative, religious congregations to leave “her” city? Will there now be a litmus test for businesses before they are allowed to open and operate in New York City, San Francisco, Boston and Chicago?

Speaker Quinn should know better as she has fought for gay rights for many years. In her mind she represents a minority that has been oppressed. Will the oppressed now become the oppressors?

After their initial statements there has been an outcry which has caused Quinn and most of the other leaders mentioned above to issue statements saying they will not try to use their power or positions to influence which businesses are allowed to operate in their respective cities. But their initial responses are very telling and alarming! How are we to know what they are really saying and planning behind closed doors?

This is not about homosexuality. I am very close to many gay people who would never attempt to impose their values on the rest of America! This is a reflection of the radical progressive left that doesn’t agree with the foundations of our nation—especially the Declaration of Independence—and who want to govern based on human opinion outside of God’s Word and governance, which is very scary indeed! Remember, if our rights come from God then we can hold our elected officials accountable to a higher power and greater King. But if our rights come from men then, as history shows, the day will come when these same people will attempt to take away our rights. In the 18th century such actions led to the Revolutionary War to gain independence from the tyranny of the King of England!

I pray that it never gets this far again in this great nation, and I pray that we will elect leaders in both political parties who know that ultimate authority comes from their Creator and not from themselves!

Joseph Mattera has been in full-time ministry since 1980 and is currently the Presiding Bishop of Christ Covenant Coalition and Overseeing Bishop of Resurrection Church in New York, a multiethnic congregation of 40 nationalities that has successfully developed numerous leaders and holistic ministry in the New York region and beyond. Click here to visit his website.