Changed Principles

In “There’s More to the Chick-fil-A Flap Than Meets the Eye” (In Depth, Dec. 8 issue), my friend  Michael Pakaluk contends that CFA’s abandoning the Salvation Army, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and multiyear funding projects is a morally praiseworthy, St. Thomas More-like act to avert persecution, a legitimate prudential decision.

I’m not so sure.

CFA was a Christian-owned company whose owners publicly used profits to support Christian causes in which they believed. For this, it was both deeply loved and deeply hated, especially for its support of marriage and traditional social values. CFA has now dropped organizations progressives deem inappropriate. This should concern us, even if we disagree with a lot of those organizations’ doctrine: There is common ground on marriage, and we see far too much shaming and isolating of people and groups holding non-progressive views — views which grow more progressive by the day.

Dr. Pakaluk says that CFA’s change in direction is good, and adds, “Remember, it is positively wrong to court martyrdom or persecution.”

Chick-fil-A didn’t court martyrdom or persecution. They were threatened with it, and they backed away from actions they once supported. So the analogy with More fails: More held his silence on the validity of Henry VIII’s divorce and remarriage, and when he was threatened with death, he still held his silence. More never backed away or changed his principles. He gave up his head rather than give in or switch course. Chick-fil-A gave in, in the deftest, most artful corporate way. In giving in, they abandoned people they once supported and who supported and believed in them.

The Chick-fil-A Foundation announcement is very carefully written not to offend the public actors who insist they never be offended. What does “maximum impact” mean? This is bland corporate speak designed to hide true motives and purposes. Chick-fil-A is clearly and publicly backing away from clear and public stances they previously made — for market share, for money, whitewashed through philanthropic activities approved by the smart set.

Like St. Thomas More?

Dr. Pakaluk suspects that the company is “just as Christian and just as in favor of Godly marriage as before.” But before, they were publicly in favor of the traditional understanding of marriage. Now they are muted on the point. How are they still just as in favor?

And, to be clear, I checked the CFA Foundation website. One of the organizations it supports is sensational, doing important and complicated work. CFA was an early investor in the organization, and good for them. But CFA pivoted when it hired a progressive to run its foundation: It dropped non-sufficiently “woke” organizations.

This doesn’t matter if corporate social philanthropy is just a tactic to reduce tax burden and buy the right public support. But if it’s a matter of principles, CFA changed principles.

Chick-fil-A was once a company that stood for something. Now it’s just another fast-food chain.

         David Carradini

         Ashburn, Virginia

 

Principle of Martyrdom

Pertinent to “There’s More to the Chick-fil-A Flap Than Meets the Eye” (In Depth, Dec. 8 issue): Michael Pakaluk’s piece basically defends Chick-fil-A. In the course of his defense, he appeals to a “Christian principle” about avoiding martyrdom and persecution that I consider misleading at best and erroneous at worst.

Let me be clear that my concern here is with his principle, not his conclusions about Chick-fil-A.

The principle that Dr. Pakaluk proposes is: “We have an obligation to avoid being martyred, if we can.” In other words, “If and when we are martyred, it should only be because there was no alternative but sin.” The same holds for revilement: “Being reviled is not good. We should avoid it if we can.” In short, “It is positively wrong to court martyrdom or persecution.”

At best this proposed duty to avoid persecution and martyrdom (for which no authority is cited) is misleading and requires a corrective note, namely, that it is a comparatively trivial duty and must always cede to weightier duties, such as witnessing to religious truth. In any direct conflict, protecting life, limb and reputation must yield to witnessing, because religious truths of faith and morals are a greater good than bodily life itself, let alone reputation. And this duty to witness, besides being more weighty, is well-attested and applies quite broadly (see Catechism, 2471-2474). Aquinas writes that if the faith is questioned and silence would obscure our faith or imply its falsity, we must speak (Summa Theologiae, II-II q. 3, a. 2).

More accurate, however, would be to say that while we have no duty to seek martyrdom, we have no duty to avoid it. That is, as long as we are serving the greater good, even beyond the strict requirement of duty, it is a magnanimous act to risk life, limb and reputation in service of religious truth. Why else do we applaud St. John Fisher’s bold salvo in legates’ court, or Blessed Don Pino Puglisi’s persistent defiance of the mafia, or St. Ignatius’ letters, or Dietrich von Hildebrand’s anti-Nazi weekly, or St. Peter’s return to Rome? As long as the truth is served, then risking hatred, revilement and even death itself is a noble act. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Let us speak. Let us be bold. Let us imitate the martyrs, whose love for life did not deter them from death.

         Father Matthew Rensch

         Rutland, Vermont

 

Gridiron’s Unsung Heroes

Regarding “Buffalo Bills’ Offensive Lineman Centered on Christ” (NCRegister.com, Dec. 14):

I am the grandmother of a Division I offensive lineman/right guard, so I have a special place in my heart for OL. This article was such a blessing. Offensive linemen are the unsung heroes of football. There is a saying, “The only people who know who the center is are the other offensive linemen or the center’s mother.” The game of football begins and ends with the OL. There is not much glamour involved, but they make or break the offense. So gratified to read Mitch Morse’s story and to see how faith defines his life. Praying that he can impact lives around him, like he does his opposing defenses. God bless him and his wife with their new baby.

         Marsha (via NCRegister.com)