boycotting

[zeroturbulence]

I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with boycotting. If you have values that you want to stand up for, then by all means it's your personal choice on whether or not to support certain businesses. Just don't make a big deal about it. Here is what I mean:

Imagine this scenario. A group of your friends wants to go to Flannigans (I made that up, I have no idea.). Flannigans supports gays and abortion. Instead of loudly declaring to your friends "Well, I'm not going THERE. They do ____ and ____ and they will burn in hell for their sins! Why are we going there? You are all heathens!" (In so many words). Either politely ask if you can all go somewhere else, or just go and don't get anything. If someone asks, calmly explain that they support practices that you don't agree with. That could go into a deeper discussion of why you hold those values and could be beneficial to the person listening.

That's a way more respectful, loving way to go about it and is more likely to get people to actually listen to you.

Edited to add: In regards to Starbucks, I like their coffee but I prefer to support local coffee shops and businesses. But I'm not going to push that on anyone else, and that's the difference.

No no, you tell your friends that Flannigans is the devil's lair and that everyone who goes there is evil and that the only way you are going to go there with them is if they pay for you.

 

[iTOREtheSKY]

for instance, a rumor started about Pepsi putting out a can with the american pledge on it, only leaving out the words "in God we trust". The whole thing was garbage, but people I knew were constantly putting the story on facebook anyway and urging people not to buy pepsi products because of it. Another example is something with Starbucks. I think they stated they support gay rights or something like that, I don't know.

If someone doesn't want their money to go into supporting those companies fine, don't put money into them. I guess I just feel like it's kind of hateful to urge others to do the same, and try to put companies out of business. We don't live in a world that's predominately christian, so why should we expect others to uphold christian values they don't believe in?

Zao...I touched on this same thing a month ago in I think it was the bible discussion thread. I still hold my opinion,it's because many christians still have not renewed their minds in this area of that pack mentality..that insecurity...it's like this mob mentality. Instead of just being an example & let's say not buying pepsi products,if that's what you feel convicted to do because they are supporting something evil or God has directly spoken to you & placed a conviction on your heart not to buy pepsi,people it seems would much rather act angered,gather others to themselves & spread the anger...like misery loves company. I say..pray for God to give you wisdom in the situation as to what he wants you to do. Pray for the people who make that product,or support something immoral...who knows maybe God will lead you to blog about it or share with others,but ya' gotta keep that heart in check. It's too easy to flesh out & become a complete idiot,thus certainly not showing Jesus to the world by your actions. Ok..dismounts soapbox.

 

[BarlyGurl]

ummm... cuz I care where I put the money God entrusted to me...and the bible indicates God expects us to steward wisely... but I don't go digging around for things to boycott... but once informed... can't ignore. NO MORE STARBUCKS FOR ME.... I hardly ever BUY coffee beverages cuz I have my own barista machine... but starbucks was my favorite.

 

[Jullianna]

I've never really seen Christians boycotting a thing as the true problem. Christians making false accusations, being ill-informed, having knee-jerk reactions and believing the first thing they hear about a thing from unreliable sources are problems.

 

[DuchessAimee]

The thing is you don't actually know where your money goes when you spend it. Think about it. You shopped at Winn Dixie, Save Mart, Forever 21, Starbucks, etc... you don't know where your money goes. You don't know who's paycheck you just contributed to, you don't know who's doing what with it, you don't know anything truly viable about the company's financial dealings. So a company supports gay rights? Does that make a difference in the store, cup of coffee, etc? It really doesn't. You can't bring down a fortune 500 company with a boycott. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but let's be realistic here.


Zao, you have a point. Christians protesting a group of people is seen as hate because that's what it's fueled with. It's biting your thumb at someone. Did Jesus walk around doing that? Nope. He hung out with the people our current church is protesting. You've got to remember guys that ALL SIN weighs the same. Nothing I've done (or not done) makes me a better Christian or a better person. Not a single thing.

 

[Powemm]

I think it's an opportunity to witness going into things I don't do anymore ..
mainly because I've been down the road from beginnin to end on it and know where it travels too...
I can be in the company of certain things "now" without boycotting it, because Gods done a lot of repair work .. .. But I think people just aren't "there yet" or "refusing" to let Him do a work all together in the place irritating them like a thorn .. I guess I can say this because I boycotted a LOT of things before .. Anyway just my view

 

[zeroturbulence]

The thing is you don't actually know where your money goes when you spend it. Think about it. You shopped at Winn Dixie, Save Mart, Forever 21, Starbucks, etc... you don't know where your money goes. You don't know who's paycheck you just contributed to, you don't know who's doing what with it, you don't know anything truly viable about the company's financial dealings. So a company supports gay rights? Does that make a difference in the store, cup of coffee, etc? It really doesn't. You can't bring down a fortune 500 company with a boycott. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but let's be realistic here.


Zao, you have a point. Christians protesting a group of people is seen as hate because that's what it's fueled with. It's biting your thumb at someone. Did Jesus walk around doing that? Nope. He hung out with the people our current church is protesting. You've got to remember guys that ALL SIN weighs the same. Nothing I've done (or not done) makes me a better Christian or a better person. Not a single thing.

Actually, you just have to read a company's quarterly report to know where the money goes. Some goes to salaries and/or pensions, some goes to advertising, some goes to research and development, some goes to charity, some goes into the bank. Organized boycotts are not about bringing an entire company down, but rather about changing a policy or stopping whatever the company is doing that's offending the boycotters.

Unorganized boycotts on the other hand, can and do bring companies down. Do you remember CompUSA, Montgomery Ward, Pets.com, Tower Records, Frontier Airlines, etc..? They all went out of business because hordes of people stopped buying from them, hence they were done in by large, unorganized boycotts.

 

[DuchessAimee]

Actually, you just have to read a company's quarterly report to know where the money goes. Some goes to salaries and/or pensions, some goes to advertising, some goes to research and development, some goes to charity, some goes into the bank. Organized boycotts are not about bringing an entire company down, but rather about changing a policy or stopping whatever the company is doing that's offending the boycotters.

Unorganized boycotts on the other hand, can and do bring companies down. Do you remember CompUSA, Montgomery Ward, Pets.com, Tower Records, Frontier Airlines, etc..? They all went out of business because hordes of people stopped buying from them, hence they were done in by large, unorganized boycotts.

What I'm referring to is people like me. I've worked a lot of retail and that includes while I was a practicing witch. I wonder how many Christians contributed to my paycheck... to my buying supplies... to my being able to purchase gas to get to a shabbat meeting. That's what I'm talking about. You don't know where your money goes. Quarterly reports aren't going to tell you all that much about the individual, and the individual is what matters.

 

[BarlyGurl]

all businesses are structured from the top down to make PROFITS... if I discover the TOP is doing something I cannot contribute too... and I CAN take my (God's) money somewhere else... I WILL. There are certain businesses I HAVE to participate in like banks... which are currently responsible for trading in food commodities and inflating food prices as well as foreclosures and property seizures... because they are GREEDY and not a service industry they once were... in the same vein insurance companies (banking), and certain large retailers like Home Depot who also are profiting the most from banking... not selling 2X4's.

 

[BarlyGurl]

Aimee... if the individual matters... then how about doing your commerce exclusively (to the highest degree posible) with small local business???

 

[DuchessAimee]

I do. However, I work for a rather large corporation. I go to a corporation run college. I plan on buying my next car from a local small dealership, though. My internet is a corporation, my cell phone is a corporation, I'm currently talking to someone on Facebook using their chat feature... and they're a corporation. My bank is local-ish. I drink Starbucks as well as going to a local coffee shop. And I'm okay with all of that. Corporations don't bother me. People supporting gay rights don't bother me. I've come to realize that I cannot control other people's money, and I'm not going to worry about how it's spent.

 

[zeroturbulence]

What I'm referring to is people like me. I've worked a lot of retail and that includes while I was a practicing witch. I wonder how many Christians contributed to my paycheck... to my buying supplies... to my being able to purchase gas to get to a shabbat meeting. That's what I'm talking about. You don't know where your money goes. Quarterly reports aren't going to tell you all that much about the individual, and the individual is what matters.

Ok, but what does that have to do with boycotting? I mean if the barista at starbucks is a devil-worshipping gay activist who sells illegal drugs in his spare time how does that factor into whether one should boycott starbucks or not? I is confuseded.

 

[DuchessAimee]

Ok, but what does that have to do with boycotting? I mean if the barista at starbucks is a devil-worshipping gay activist who sells illegal drugs in his spare time how does that factor into whether one should boycott starbucks or not? I is confuseded.

My point is that there's no point in boycotting. Instead, go in and talk to the barista. Establish a relationship, witness to people without picketing. When I wasn't a Christian, I detested people who picketed in front of abortion clinics, boycotted businesses for no good reason, and tried to force me to become just like them. The Body of Christ still repels me, to be honest. It has taken me a long, long time to not correlate the Body with Christ.


We just need to think before we jump into something. We are effecting individual people, NOT the company.

 

[zeroturbulence]

My point is that there's no point in boycotting. Instead, go in and talk to the barista. Establish a relationship, witness to people without picketing. When I wasn't a Christian, I detested people who picketed in front of abortion clinics, boycotted businesses for no good reason, and tried to force me to become just like them. The Body of Christ still repels me, to be honest. It has taken me a long, long time to not correlate the Body with Christ.


We just need to think before we jump into something. We are effecting individual people, NOT the company.

Oh you're talking about people who picket. I'm just talking about choosing not to buy something. I don't like picketers either. They scare me. o_o

 

[BarlyGurl]

yeah... boycott... to personally choose to not engage in commerce with... as opposed to picketing which is a public demonstration. Cross wired... thanks for clarifying.

 

[Ugly]

ummm... cuz I care where I put the money God entrusted to me...and the bible indicates God expects us to steward wisely... but I don't go digging around for things to boycott... but once informed... can't ignore. NO MORE STARBUCKS FOR ME.... I hardly ever BUY coffee beverages cuz I have my own barista machine... but starbucks was my favorite.

So does this mean you don't pay taxes? Because you know for sure you're funding all kinds of junk then.

I don't know, i have enough to deal with in my own life to worry about where some mega-corporation is spending their money. Chances are if were knew where most of these companies put their money we'd starve to death, and be naked in the process if we stopped going.

 

[DuchessAimee]

I still don't boycott places. Tomorrow, on my way to the pharmacy, bank, work, and stuff, I'll be getting some coffee at Starbucks. It just doesn't bother me.

 

[zeroturbulence]

I still don't boycott places. Tomorrow, on my way to the pharmacy, bank, work, and stuff, I'll be getting some coffee at Starbucks. It just doesn't bother me.

And you call yourself a christian???!!!!!!

just kidding of course

 

[Relena7]

I'm gonna agree with the "boycotting is pointless" side here.
It's one thing to choose not to do business with someone because it goes against something important to you. But to try and make others join you seems a little...manipulative.


But wait... does this mean by mentioning it out loud that I'm boycotting boycotting?


...*brain explodes*....

 

[iTOREtheSKY]

***intercom***
"Can we get a clean-up in aisle 7 please...Relena's brain matter has gone Ka-Plooie again."