Like me, I think this Facebook user isn’t mad about whether Chick-fil-A has a anti-gay stance (or “Christian Values”). I don’t agree with them, but as a private company, it’s their right and freedom to express their beliefs. Your business. Your message. Your rewards or downfalls. And I support that vigorously. I think the anger or the joke from this Facebook user is on the mass of Christians who have used this event to say they love Jesus and the values of Jesus. And I agree. People who came out to stand in line and buy a sandwich to show they live the path of Christ is a bit silly.

The joke is people who will excitedly follow hardly related symbols of their faith than live the clear pillars of their faith in their own lives. It’s a bit like people who bought the support our troops bumper stickers, but would never dream of going to fight themselves. The bumper sticker is the better value. Win/Win. Lots of praise and reward and value identification for little effort. It’s says I’m cool, on “I’m on the team” rather than actually be willing work to be on the team. The symbolic action makes them feel they’re living up to their own values. When in reality, they paid a company money for symbol and a values earning shortcut. Buying a sandwich, didn’t “help the least amongst you” as Jesus said. It gave a large corporation more money.

That is the real joke. The Chick-fil-a story and posts on Facebook are supposed to be about how Christians and people with “real values” came out to show the strength of their values. But in reality, they’ve revealed out low-bar they’ve become.

The low-bar of symbolic acts is the trap of people of all walks faith (not just Christians) can fall into. Symbolic acts of faith can be how people who’ve become lazy or tired of their religion stay with it. Symbolic events don’t ask lot of them personally. And when it does, like standing outside a chicken joint, it’s all upside. “I can show my faith AND get a delicious sandwich? I will follow you Jesus. Just don’t ask me to tithe, give to the poor, don’t get divorced etc. You know, that stuff you commanded me to do.”

Image thanks to Imgur