Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Having went to Washington DC this Summer I was drawn to the leadership of Abraham Lincoln. He shouldn't of been president but he was. He dealt with constant personal and political attacks on his leadership. Yet, he continued to lead the nation through our darkest hours. This is a trait of all the good people who have been at the right place at the right time according to God's design. Then this stuff about Chick-Fila came up. We love to eat there, in fact we ate at the one in Crystal City while on our trip. The food is good, service is great and the place just makes you feel at home. So I see the leader of Chick-fila stand up for the same values that make me feel good eating there. He of course gets attacked because the liberals who want tolerance don't tolerate views that go against them. In fact much like Lincoln's enemies they spend most of there time in personal attacks because they can't logically argue there point. I have always respected Mr. S. Truett Cathy for standing for his (and my) values. So I wondered "Who is this man that they think is so evil?" Well according to Wikipedia let me share with you some facts about this man. (Quoted from Wikipedia)
Cathy was born in Eatonton, Georgia in 1921. He attended Boys High School, now Grady High School, in Atlanta, Ga. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Cathy began the chain in the Atlanta suburb of Hapeville, Georgia, in 1946 with a restaurant called the Dwarf Grill, named for its small size. It was there that he, along with his brother and partner, Ben, created the chicken sandwich that later became the signature menu item for Chick-fil-A... Cathy is a member of the First Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Georgia, and also has taught Sunday School there for more than 50 years. He has testified that the Bible is his guide-book for life.[2] As an extension of his convictions, all of the company's locations, whether company-owned or franchised, are closed on Sundays — a rare policy within the food-service industry — to allow its employees to attend church and spend time with their families.[3] This is a policy that began when Cathy was working 6 days a week, multiple shifts. He decided to close on Sundays to relax and recharge,[4] as well as to honor God. The policy remains intact today as the restaurants are closed on Sunday. He is also a philanthropist, having given to numerous charitable causes, many with evangelical ties.... Cathy has written five books: the autobiography Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People, a motivational book entitled It's Easier to Succeed Than to Fail, the parenting book It's Better to Build Boys Than Mend Men, an explanation of his business success in How Did You Do It, Truett?, and a final novel on the significance of money in today's society titled Wealth, Is It Worth It?. ... Cathy has dedicated his time and resources to many philanthropic causes, focusing on those related to the welfare of needy children. In 1984, Cathy established the WinShape Foundation, named for its mission to shape winners. WinShape Foundation consists of WinShape Homes, WinShape RetreatSM, WinShape MarriageSM, WinShape Camps, WinShape, College Program, WinShape Wilderness and WinShape International. In 2010, the foundation provided roughly $18 million to fund the development of foster homes and summer camp. Past donations from the WinShape Foundation include the funding of several college scholarships and marriage counseling programs. The foundation has awarded nearly 820 students of Berry College with scholarships of up to $32,000.[7][8] WinShape has also donated an estimated $5 million to anti-gay groups since 2003. Approximately $2 million was given in 2009[9][10] [11] and almost the same amount in 2010.[12][13]This has caused consternation for advocates that have denounced the chain over its support of groups opposed to gay and lesbian rights, and has led to instances of movements to refuse or remove Chick-fil-A restaurants and products from college and university campuses; Northeastern University's Student Senate voted on February 28, 2012 to cancel plans for an on-campus Chick-Fil-A restaurant[14]. In 2008, Cathy's WinShape foundation became the winner of the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic leadership which awarded it $250,000 towards future philanthropy, as a result of its contributions to society. The prize was created to further ideals such as personal responsibility, resourcefulness, volunteerism, scholarship, individual freedom, faith in God, and helping people who help themselves. It honors living philanthropists who have shown exemplary leadership through their charitable giving, highlights the power of philanthropy to achieve positive change, and seeks to inspire others to support charities that achieve genuine results.[7][8] Additionally, Cathy has dedicated his time and resources towards welcoming homeless children into his home and has taught in Sunday school sessions. He has fostered children for over 30 years, and has since taken in nearly 200 foster children through WinShape Homes. WinShape Homes is a long-term foster care program that includes 11 foster homes throughout Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee.[7][8] Cathy also has a Leadership Scholarship program for Chick-fil-A restaurant employees, which has awarded more than $23 million in $1,000 scholarships in the past 35 years.[8] In recognition of his philanthropic efforts through WinShape, Cathy received the Children's Champion Award for Family and Community from the charitable organization Children's Hunger Fund in 2011.[15] [edit] Honors and memberships President George W. Bush (awarded) Truett Cathy after he received the Lifetime President's Volunteer Service Award at the White House Cathy has received numerous honors, including membership in Omicron Delta Kappa (OΔK), the National Leadership Honor Society. He received OΔK's highest award, the Laurel Crowned Circle Award in 2009. He also received the Norman Vincent and Ruth Stafford Peale Humanitarian Award, the Horatio Alger Award, the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership, and the Boy Scouts of America Silver Buffalo Award. Cathy was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2003.[16][17] He is a member of Pi Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Pi Fraternities.[18] In 2007, Forbes magazine ranked Cathy as the 380th richest man in America and the 799th richest man in the world, with an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion.[19][20] Various quotations from him are to be read on Chick-fil-A's individually wrapped restaurant mints. President George W. Bush bestowed the President's Call to Service Award on Cathy in 2008.[21] Cathy was inducted into the Indiana Wesleyan University Society of World Changers on April 3, 2011. In addition to being inducted into the Society, the university also conferred upon Cathy an honorary doctorate of business. In May 2012, Cathy received an honorary doctorate along with presidential candidate Mitt Romney at the Liberty University's spring commencement ceremony. In his remarks, Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee at the time, said, "The Romney campaign comes to a sudden stop when we spot a Chick-fil-A. Your chicken sandwiches were our comfort food through the primary season, and heaven knows there were days that we needed a lot of comfort." Romney congratulated Cathy on his "well-deserved honor today".[22] Sounds like a real Bad man to me.....NOT! Support our values by supporting Chick-Fila!